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Starring
:
John
Liu
Tino
Wong
Hwang
Jang Lee
Yuen
Kwai
Action
:
Yuen
Woo Ping
Producer
:
Ng
See Yuen
Director
:
Ng
See Yuen
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THE
SECRET
RIVALS PART II (1977)
A.K.A.
- Secret Rivals 2; Silver Fox Rivals 2
Reviewed
by Andrew Saroch
This
direct sequel continues almost exactly where the original
ended; the death of the dreaded Silver Fox. Mourning over his
brother's demise is Bloody Fox (Hwang again) who vows that he
will take revenge against Northern Leg and Southern Fist.
However, Bloody Fox's plans are put off kilter by the news
that Southern Fist has been posted over 2000 miles away; he
therefore decides that his younger brothers will be an
adequate compensation for Silver Fox's life. Northern Leg will
also not be easy to find as he is a wanderer by nature, but
Bloody Fox and his trained killers promise to live up to their
vow of vengeance. When they find Southern Fists two brothers
they succeed in killing the younger, but the older (Tino Wong)
is saved in the nick of time by Northern Leg. After escaping,
the two once again need to combine to defeat their fearful
nemesis; but Bloody Fox has taken precautions, hiring four
expert kickers and four expert fistfighters. The scene is once
again set for an action-packed finale.
Narrative-wise,
this is very similar to its predecessor, using the concept of
fists and kicks combining for victory. By the time the sequel
had been made, there were already a number of films using this
premise including 'The Hot, the Cool and the Vicious', 'Challenge
Of Death' and 'Death Duel Of Kung Fu'. However, this marks
the first significant appearance of Yuen Woo Ping as a fight
choreographer and, although not his best work, it shows the
promise he would later fulfil. Tino Wong makes an adequate
replacement for Wong Tao and remains a sadly ignored star of
the Jade screen. The sparks really fly when John Liu and Hwang
Jang Lee do battle; the two masters of bootwork are truly a
joy to behold. This sequel doesn't match the original, but
there are enough fresh ideas to make it watchable.
Rating:
  
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