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Starring
:
Kwan
Tak Hing
Carter
Wong
Sammo
Hung
Li
Kun
Nora
Miao
Whang
In Sik
Action
:
Sammo
Hung
Director
:
Chan
Cheng Ho
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THE
SKYHAWK (1976)
A.K.A.
- The Sky Hawk
Reviewed
by Andrew Saroch
The
legendary Wong Fei Hung has been a character ably portrayed by
some of Hong Kong cinema's great stars. Jackie Chan gave the
folk hero a seminal comic spin in the classic 'Drunken Master'
films, while Jet Li gave his best performances in the 'Once
Upon A Time In China' series and even Liu Chia Hui and Wang Yu
have dabbled with the role. However, most viewers would name
the late great Kwan Tak Hing as the quintessential embodiment
of the righteous kung fu master. 'The Skyhawk' was Kwan's
return to the role that brought him fame and the introduction
of the character into a harsher modern setting. Although 'The
Skyhawk' is often overshadowed by later hits 'The
Magnificent Butcher' and 'Dreadnaught', it's still a cut above the standard fare.
With
his adoring pupil Fatty (guess who?) by his side, Wong Fei
Hung - the so-called 'Skyhawk' - travels to exotic Thailand to
see his old friend Mr. Chu. On the way, Wong sees a young
fighter, Leo (Carter Wong), fending off a band of attackers on
the roadside only to encounter him later after he has been
severely beaten. Obviously the noble Wong takes the stranger
back to the house of his friend and aids him in his recovery
to health. After a short time Leo is back on his feet, is
accepted by Wong as a student alongside Fatty and shows
himself to be a quick learner. Meanwhile Mr. Chu - who manages
the workers at the local pier - finds himself under increasing
pressure from devious rival Mr. Ku who wants to control
the entire area for his own nefarious reasons. Mr. Ku decides
to force one of Mr. Chu's key workers to switch sides and
influence the men to follow suit; the plan is only half
successful though as Wong Fei Hung and his pupils help there
old friend out. The increasingly vicious Ku tries to use his
hired muscle to threaten Wong, but soon discovers that 'The
Skyhawk's reputation is very well earned and he will not
ignore unrighteousness. Nonetheless, Ku wants to get rid of
any opposition and so he hires a wild, long-haired,
super-kicking villain (who was earlier responsible for Leo's
beating) to achieve his goals. This move leads to their
gradual domination of the pier and the constant humiliation of
Wong Fei Hung - who refuses to be drawn into all-out conflict
- and his underlings. However, the situation turns tragic when
Fatty's gambling-obsessed brother in-law is killed by Ku and
Mr. Chu discovers that his bitter enemy is a murderer on
top of his other crimes. Now Wong Fei Hung, ready to enforce
justice, goes face-to-face with Mr. Ku and his awesome hired
fighter.
It's
easy to make a formulaic kung fu film; simply make clichés as
predictable as possible, the storyline prosaic and
increasingly tepid, the characters dull and uninteresting.
Thankfully, director Chan Cheng Ho is accomplished enough not
to fall into this trap. Although the storyline is nothing out
of the ordinary, Chan gives his characters a slightly
different edge to them a real battle of wills between heroes
and villains. Also important is the way he's created a few
superb scenes out of potentially expected moments - something
that lesser directors would never aspire to. The best of these
is when supervillain Whang In Sik is trying to force Wong Fei
Hung into a fight; while Wong meditates, his adversary pours
boiling water on him to bait him into conflict, but Wong Fei
Hung remains supremely calm. Moments like this create a
tension that makes the final fight even more exciting -
something which lesser genre films often fail with.
'The
Skyhawk' may not be up to the standards of 'The Magnificent
Butcher' or 'The Dreadnaught', but for a film made in 1976 it
features some fantastic choreography. Top marks to Sammo and
his action group for giving Whang In Sik's kicking ability a
perfect showcase and also making Kwan Tak Hing's eventual
victory look fully convincing. The fight action that both men
take part in is not only exciting, but also a cut above the
average 1976 productions. 'The Skyhawk' has many qualities,
but perhaps the film's biggest commendation deserves to go to
Kwan Tak Hing. Despite his advanced years, Kwan is physically
impressive and, though being doubled for the more acrobatic
moves, is always convincing as the masterful Wong Fei Hung.
Kwan's performance is a reminder that he will always be the
epitome of the senior Wong Fei Hung and 'The Skyhawk' is a
superior example of his talents.
Rating:
 
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