(1975)
Reviewed By-Paul Cooke Director : Tommy Loo Chung Scripted : Norbert Albertson Jnr Starring : Ron Van Clief , Charles Bonet , Thomson Kao Kan , Jason Pai Pow & Angie Meng Fu
Lamb Chop sideburn wearing Seventies villains look out ‘cause the Black Dragon himself Ron Van Clief will whip them off with more style than a wet gel blow dried perm. Fleet of foot and fast of hand this Fred Williamson brotha of Fu is built like an outhouse , and capable of cleaning out a bad system more effectively than an overdose of bran.
When the death of Bruce Lee is announced Van Clief is immediately hired to find out who is responsible. Torn right from the front pages of the San Francisco newspaper spreads of 21st July 1973 the self named star of the movie steps from the very hospital where legend Bruce Lee is pronounced dead. With a contract for $100,000 Van Clief steps on a plane bound for Hong Kong armed only with his own set of emergency ration bushy side cheek hair chops. Upon arrival he seeks out and hooks up with an old Vietnam war buddy named Charlie , co star and highly watch able fellow student of the arts Charles Bonet , fronting as an antiques store owner and purveyor of fine jade under the guise of Lee Po.
The Action kicks into street fight Kung Fu right from the off as Van Clief and Charles Bonet start asking questions to which no one wants to give answers. A steel pipe incited affray by a local gang allows for the two friends to reacquaint their combination moves of old , as together they prove to be a deadly strike force duo. Organised gangs come thick and fast as investigations uncover the murky dealings of movie producers , and money making from big investments in the film industries franchises. Ron Van Clief is a one man star they can’t sign off as his signature moves kick in like a more flexible version of Chuck Norris in his prime , and when it comes to taking out the bad guys he doesn’t go ‘Missing In Action!’.
Van Clief’s question is ‘What organisations wanted Bruce Lee dead ?’ and the word amongst the underworld comes back that the crime syndicates expected to buy / own him , but he refused. A plot to kill him came about , using narcotics as an distraction to try and publicly disgrace the legend. The Black Dragon and partner Lee Po hook up with a crooked reporter with a penchant for cowboy hats , who leads them to their High Noon rendezvous atop a vantage point overlooking Kowloon. A large gathering of weapon wielding antagonists surround them and its time for another round kick of body brawling , where this time things get bloody with the introduction of knives and Nunchukas. Help is not too far away for the intrepid pair as a group also seeking the truth come onto the scene in the form of students from the Bruce Lee school of Kung Fu.
Things start to get nasty as Lee Po’s shop boy turns up dead on a beach front having been first blinded by a custom made metal glove fist eye punch , and the band of Bruce followers are beset by professional dealers in death. Ruthless martial artists take them down one by one along with particularly sadistic snake throwing femme fatales , deadly accurate in their aim and dangerously seductive in their assault. It’s time for big Ron Van Clief and the Bruce Lee followers to join forces and stand up to the ruthless organisation , fist for fist and eye to eye. Van the man is the ‘Shaft’ of Fu and his street law is throw away the badge and let righteousness brand the mark of justice. There’s no messing with a Seventies Hong Kong Honky pumped up for the fight and nothing sparks Van Clief off more than when he clashes with the top hood who hits him with the name assault of ‘Jive Turkey !’. Time to knock the stuffing out of the main suspect and clip his wings like a Fourth of July big bird reject.
Cue the big end fight finale as Van Clief and the Bruce brigade take on the evil forces of Fu that include lethal snake lady and enough drugs to snow cap a mountain with. Hard Action aplenty flows forth , which is very well choreographed by credited lead star Van Clief and his stunt Action Team , in a fighting sequence that spans across a broad stage both inside a mansion and outside its surrounding grounds. In seeking the truth behind the death of Bruce Lee the conspiracy unravels itself back to the films very beginning as the organisations head is unveiled. The Fu fuelled ending packs a double whammy dual ending , spectacularly culminating in a beach front fight that ebbs and flows with the back drop ocean. Classic Seventies Cult that stands the test of time very well , and even by today’s standards holds credence with its mighty ‘X’ rated stamp for sustained violence.
Presentation : Wide Screen Ratio Approx 1:66:1 Release : Inter Ocean Coding : PAL Sound : Mono
Film-3.5 Bitch Slaps Picture-3 Bitch Slaps Sound-2.5 Bitch Slaps Overall-3 Bitch Slaps
