5 Criminally Underrated Kung-Fu Movies
I’ve been on a serious kung-fu flick kick lately. Been going for about three weeks at the time of this writing. It’s so strong, that I’ve decided to practice and add kung-fu training to my exercise regimen. It’s a virtual thing for now, but I may eventually reach a point where I wanna spare and apply some learned sweet chin music in a real-life setting.
While I won’t call myself a kung-fu movie nerd, I have always appreciated them. I grew up in the 80’s, so of course I caught the late night theaters featuring horribly dubbed, high-octane action from the golden era of the genre. Good times. What this recent binge has afforded me is the luxury to uncover a few sleepers that had escaped my viewing path after all these years.
- Return of Chinese Boxer
One prevalent theme in classic kung-fu movies is the national hostility that existed (or exists) between China and Japan. Honestly, it’s a theme in about 70 percent of the flicks I’ve recently watched. And since these films are primarily produced by Hong Kong-based studios, it shouldn’t be too surprising to know where the slant lies. As such, Japanese characters typically play the role of foreign invaders who are not only of higher status than their Chinese counterparts, but evil bastards that practice substantially more inferior karate-based kung-fu.
This narrative is on full display in Return of Chinese Boxer. Classic me, I’ve never seen the first movie (Chinese Boxer), but let’s not let the facts get in the way of a good story. Digressing …
Return of Chinese Boxer highlights the resistance of the Ming Dynasty to the neighboring Japanese Empire, which seemingly wants to broker a peace treaty, but not on very favorable terms. It’s a very convoluted plot that doesn’t make either side look all that great, which may be more true to life when it comes to such conflicts.
The star of the movie is Hong Kong action movie legend Jimmy Yang Yu, who plays the titular character. He’s a badass, mysterious fighter who, while not aligned in any official capacity with the Chinese government, is fiercely loyal to his country, and thus aids them in fighting back the aggressive Japanese ninjas. In video game terms, dude is hella OP (over powered), sawing through the opposition in wrestling squash match fashion, despite the fact that the Japanese have more high-tech weaponry in the form of guns.
Return of Chinese Boxer isn’t great by traditional movie standards, but in kung fu flick terms, it’s great. I appreciate the diversion from the overused “you kill my teacher!” trope in an attempt to at least try to tell a compelling story. And of course, the action and choreography is phenomenal.
2. Game of Death 2
You can’t have a kung fu movie binge without throwing the genre’s most famous actor in the mix. I rewatched all five Bruce Lee flicks, and some of the quasi-official sequels to those films as well. This included Game of Death 2. Lee, unfortunately, died before Game of Death was finished, so it’s weird to see him make an appearance in the sequel … sort of. See, Game of Death 2 used stock footage from Bruce Lee films officially released before his death, most notably, Enter the Dragon. Shenanigans aside, this is a strong kung fu flick that I actually enjoyed more than the original.
Game of Death 2 does Bruce justice by killing off his character (Billy Lo) and passing the baton to his brother, Bobby Lo, who becomes an OP kung-fu G by simply reading the kung-fu bible big bro left behind for him to study. He also engages in a hilarious fight with a lion, which looked like a costumed human from the Wizard of Oz, and even embarks on a tower of death-like gauntlet, where he kills a dude by using a famous pro wrestling submission hold known as the Boston Crab. Badass, bruh!
3. Bloody Fists
The graphic nature of kung-fu flicks ranges from family-friendly to kinda gory. Bloody Fists doesn’t reach horror movie levels of gore, but it’s certainly closer to the latter. The 1972 film once again visits the China vs. Japan theme. This time, a band of rogue ninjas from Japan have invaded China to not only open up their own martial arts school (gym), but raid the land of its precious Dragon Herb. See, the plague is going around, and this herb is the only medicine with the power to cure it.
The Chinese characters, the heroes, of course, are aided by a mysterious wanted criminal simply known as “the Bandit”. Apparently he has a good heart and more importantly, loyalty for country. After being healed of the plague, he forges a bond with the kind locals who nurse him back to health and forms the last line of defense against the laughably stereotypical Japanese thugs.
Again, not a great movie by any stretch, but commitment to storytelling, coupled with the next-level violence separates Bloody Fists from the by-the kung-fu book pack.
4. Ma Su Chen
When it comes to classic kung-fu flicks from the 70’s era, few get more violent than Ma Su Chen. Starring the great Jimmy Wang Yu, this action-packed film sees the titular character (Nancy Yen) on a mission to haunt down her brother’s killers … only her brother, Ma Yuen Chen, survived the attack from the infamous Ax Gang, and is recovering while Ma Su conducts her investigation.
I loved this movie because it’s both incredibly violent and has some heart to it. Ma Su Chen is a shaman of sorts, providing her medicines to villagers at no cost, while also being an excellent fighter who takes NO SHIT from nobody. In fact, she may be on equal footing with her brother in the kung fu department.
The action in this movie is wild … like John Wick wild! The siblings plow through countless bad guys in impossible fight scenarios. Unfortunately the bad lighting makes it hard to appreciate at times, but they are clearly putting in work. I also found it interesting how the movie played up a couple of villains as boss characters, yet had them getting handled like nameless goons.
And like John Wick, Wang Yu’s character, Ma Yuen Chen, was practically unstoppable, to the point where he pulled an ax out of his skull and threw it back at a dude, who wasn’t so durable. Madness! The ending was also impactful in a heart-wrenching way as the two siblings finally reunite, and Ma Yuen Chen pleads with his sister to show no mercy on these thug types. Very reminiscent of Vegeta’s dying plea to Goku on Namek. I almost cried … almost God damnit!
5. The Skyhawk
Last but not least is The Skyhawk. Released in 1974, this film stars Carter Wong, who you may recognize as one of the infamous sub-boss villains from Big Trouble in Little China. The story here is a tad different as Thailand sets the stage for a film that expertly toggles a number of familiar kung fu movie tropes.
Wong plays the role of Leo, a martial arts nomad who find himself at odds with a clan of local tough guys. After getting his ass handed to him, he’s rescued by Master Wong AKA Skyhawk, and his student, Fatty, played by Hong Kong action movie icon Sammo Hung, on their way to visit family. Leo hits it off well with the gang and eventually comes under Master Wong’s tutelage.
Unfortunately for everyone involved, Wong’s surrogate family has some serious shit going on, both with his adopted brother and Fatty’s sister, who owns a restaurant that comes under fire due to the chicanery of her gambling addict husband. Ironically, the source of these conflicts originates from the same sinister crime syndicate, who just happen to forge an allegiance with the baddies who kicked Leo’s ass in the beginning of the movie.
The character development in The Skyhawk is strong. I found myself heavily rooting for Leo and Fatty, who were always getting into trouble, though at no fault of their own, as well as urging for them to take more dramatic action against the villains. Master Wong was a seriously patient dude, but the legend of Skyhawk eventually came out. Similar to Ma Su Chen, this one tugged at the heart strings while executing more than enough plot work to stand out from the pack.
Contel Bradford is a mystical and complex individual. You can attempt to unravel some of the mystery by visiting his author site at countkrewpublications.com.
