DUEL OF THE IRON FIST was part of the first kung fu double feature I ever saw in a theater (the other film was KUNG FU- THE INVINCIBLE FIST), and it still holds up. Butterfly-tattooed Ti Lung and the always impeccably-dressed David Chiang (called "The Rover," a kind of Doc Holliday who's good with knives, but whose nagging cough bodes ill) find themselves at odds with a local gang. Lung eventually has to leave and go "incognito." He's found out in short order, of course, and has to fight his way to freedom. The action is good and rarely lets up as Lung wades through scores of assailants. Although at first there appear to be no traditional "good guys" in this movie, there ARE a couple of surprising turnarounds by the time the Finale (set partially in a raging downpour) takes place. Chang Cheh paved the way for future superstar action directors like John Woo, and DUEL OF THE IRON fist is the GODFATHER of Triad action films.

One Chinese gang attacks and wipes out another gang in the beginning of the film. Unfortunately, the patriarch of the winning family is killed in the process. Oddly, and without any discernible reason, the gang solicits a volunteer to blame the massacre on and he leaves until the police decide to stop investigating. Now how ONE MAN ALONE is the one responsible for about 50 deaths is beyond me, so sending this one guy away just seemed silly, but that's the plot. Later, when this man comes home, betrayals and scheming have occurred--leading to almost one hour and fifteen minutes of non-stop killing.If you are looking for a Chinese martial arts film with much of a plot, then you should probably skip this movie, as its practically non-stop action and practically no plot or character development--even when compared to other martial arts films. I would estimate that 80-90% of the film are fight scenes--endless and reasonably well made fight scenes using knives. Again and again and again, fight scenes! If you want a film with a body count perhaps running into the hundreds as people are slashed, kicked, and slashed, then this is the film for you. The problem was by the end of the film there are literally no people left to kill and the film really lost my interest!! Deep it ain't, but if you want to see excitement and action ONLY, then this film is for you! By the way, this movie is set in contemporary times and no one thinks of shooting the hero until just near the end. And, when they FINALLY do the logical thing, it's too late and the effort is really, really lame! Logical errors like this and the lady's suicide (why???) make this a "turn off your brain" type of film.

Just to let everyone know that the new DVD release of this movie is NOT the original version, but an edited one.The VHS version was released sometime ago, and clocked in at 90 minutes. It's called "Duel Of The Shaolin Fist". At least it's widescreen, but it's been edited considerably.The DVD release is full screen (so we get a good look at half their faces in many scenes), and it is 98 minutes long. Unfortunately, the final scene is edited out, the film is spotty, and it skips. Don't be misled by the original title. It's NOT "Duel Of The Iron Fist"! When will we be able to get an uncut original DVD of this classic movie? The "8" I rated it is for the full-length original, not this mess.Johnboy

Boasting a young production assistant by the name of John Woo, this knife-fighting film is considered by many to be the first HK-style gangster film. In fact Ti Lung would go on to star in "A Better Tomorrow". Ignore the shoddy production values, and enjoy this morality play. WARNING: Some US prints end with the government troops fighting Ti Lung and David Chiang in the rain. This is not the ending, the fight goes on for another 15 minutes! Enjoy the risible dubbing; at one point Ti Lung has 3 different accents in one sentence!