Knockabout

For a comedy, this takes one SERIOUSLY dark turn in the second act. I also have no idea how or why Hong Kong audiences see so much humor in hairy moles or hemispherical bumps on the head. But for what one actually watches these films for, this one delivers. It has dynamite Sammo Hung/Yuen Biao action with surprisingly heterogeneous fights. I also never thought I'd see the day when I'd see a film with Chekhov's jump-rope.

Easily one of the best kung-fu movies I've seen. Hung was great at combining action and comedy, and while this isn't my favorite of his films, it has some incredible moments. The action is almost non-stop, and Yuen Biao is very charismatic.

Some dark and surprising turns in an involving story for the genre, with special guests amusing conman antics, inspired visual humour, and bravura escalation--paying off a training sequence with a barb-wire jump-rope battle finale is some chef's kiss ridiculousness. Sammo in action is one of cinema's truly singular sights: a man with a 25+ BMI fluidly performing expert martial arts, elaborately, gymnastically choreographed (usually by himself). Best I've seen from Yuen Biao in the lead.

These characters are almost entirely irredeemable and it's fascinating to watch these two petty swindlers become mixed up in something beyond them which inspires a crisis and moral upheaval.

The 'comedy' bits earlier on almost ruined this for me, but the story overall, the fights, and the spectacular climax made up a lot of lost ground.

At first glance a lighthearted, but in closer look offers an interesting elements. Firstly the two clearly are petty career criminal, who don't want to learn kung fu for some righteous reason but to take advantage of it, Secondly in an especially for China major subversive twist their master actually turns out to be the ruthless killer. On top of that it has first rate fight sequence. Meant as the launch of Yuen Biao, he gets amble opportunity to showcase his breathtaking skills.

my fav classic hong kong martial arts thing. snake in the eagles shadow is the runner up.

Hands down a good exhibition of Yuen Biao's talents. Contains far and away some decent kung-fu jump-roping. This is easily by far a recommended Sammo Hung movie.

Absolutely wonderful fighting and training scenes. Everyone and everything here is incredibly ill-natured and mean-spirited, with what tries to pass for slapstick humor likelier to make one weep than laugh... but it just keeps getting grittier and culminates in some astounding and highly varied kung-fu.

76.000

Yuen Biao's finest moment. The dual monkey style he displays with Sammo Hung is awesome.