Sent to Australia to extradite a drug smuggler, a Hong Kong detective takes matters into his own hands after his prisoner is assassinated en route to court in this fast-paced action film. This was the first full length cinematic feature from 'Turkey Shoot' director Brian Trenchard Smith and the film is assembled with all the energy of a young director willing to experiment. There are some great tracking shots courtesy of Oscar winner Russell Boyd and there are several effective low camera angles throughout. Some nifty editing also leads to decent comic relief, such as two Aussie cops declaring that the Hong Kong detective has "probably gone to lunch", followed by a cut to a restaurant brawl. On that note, the drawn-out restaurant fight is one of the best choreographed scenes in the film, and the action is generally solid here, but that is about all. The actual story is very bare bones and talented though star Yu Wang may be at martial arts, he lacks leading man charisma. The film also tends to get distracted from the drug smuggling plot too often for its own good. A romance with an Australian paraglider adds nothing to the tale other than an excuse for a brief topless scene. The film also does not give a nicely sinister George Lazenby enough to do as the chief antagonist in the tale. The theme song "Sky High" is excellent though, and fans of martial arts, Boyd and Lazenby will probably find enough of interest here, but this is a definitely a step down from the Bond movies that 'The Man from Hong Kong' most often feels like it is trying to emulate.
... View MoreWho could forget the sound track by Ace, and the action of this movie, never mind the fact that George Lazenby, the dejected Bond, who really could have been one of the best was also in the film.In the era of remastering and re-issuing of so much crap, why not get this classic off the shelf, blow off the dust and put it onto DVD! I'll buy it.Even though I had trough finding it in the USA as it was under a different name! This is a great action film, with all the stunts, kung fu, you could possibly want in a movie. Released in 1975 it captures all the best of the Bruce Lee films but with good sound and picture quality. A not to missed film.If you can find a copy on tape, let me know.
... View MoreIt's quite a trip watching 'The Man From Hong Kong' almost thirty years after it was made. Writer/Director Brian Trenchard-Smith went on to make the Aussie trash classic 'Turkey Shoot' and the early Nicole Kidman vehicle 'The BMX Bandits' so you know it's gonna be class all the way. 1970s buffs will get a kick out of seeing the One Armed Boxer himself (Jimmy Wang Yu) battling it out with "the Aussie Bond" George Lazenby. Their scenes together are very cheesy but a lot of fun. I almost kept expecting Jim Kelly to appear on screen at any moment ('Black Samurai' anyone?) The rest of the cast includes legendary Aussie camp icon Frank Thring, martial arts veteran Sammo Hung Kam-Bo, and half the cast of the biker classic 'Stone' (Hugh Keays-Byrne, Roger Ward, Rebecca Gilling, Ros Spiers, Bill Hunter). Yeah, that's right - BIKER CLASSIC. Keays-Byrne is a great favourite of mine. He's probably best known as Toecutter in 'Mad Max' (in which Ward played Fifi Macaffee), but was also in 'Mad Dog Morgan' and 'Salute Of The Jugger', two movies that have pride of place in my DVD collection. This man deserves a web page NOW! 'The Man From Hong Kong' is stupid but hugely entertaining martial arts schlock, and highly recommended. And boy, isn't that theme song catchy! I haven't been able to get it out of my head since 1975!
... View MoreI've seen this movie many years back, and still looking for it to have it on CD, DVD or tape. This is realy the most wannahave movie I know. The entire movie is filled with action all action is also captured on a way you get the feeling you are right there like a spectator in the scene. The best part yet must be the scene in which our leading role player jumps of a skyscraper just seconds before the penthouse is blown up. Look how he jumps down grabbing a robe on the way down and securing him to fall all the way untill he is almost on the ground to grab the robe again to slow him down. His feet hit the ground and in the penthouse the **** hits the fan, BANG and the skyscraper is a little bit shorter. A real MUST SEE Movie.
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