Bad to the Bone, Part 1: Johnny Wang Lung-wei

Heroes are important, but sometimes what really makes a great kung fu movie is the villain. From Shek Kin’s sneering, leering wuxia baddies to Sammo Hung’s startling turn as a cold-eyed psychopath in SHA PO LANG (KILL ZONE, 2005), the best kung fu villains are remorseless bullies with lethal skills. They may take a sick pleasure in inflicting pain or they may just not care, but when they’re around, innocent people are hurt or in danger until the hero steps in. Without a convincingly evil opponent, how can a righteous martial artist justify unleashing the full power of his or her art? This series will look at some of the great villains of the 1970s.

First up is Johnny Wang Lung-wei (aka Wong Lung Wei), a Shaw Brothers actor who worked with Chang Cheh and Lau Kar-leung before directing a series of well-regarded indie action films in the 1980s. Wang was born in 1949 in China. His family moved to Hong Kong soon after his birth. He was an indifferent student, and his formal education ended when he was expelled from school at age 14 for fighting. In his mid-teens, he played guitar in nightclub bands and studied karate. Wang broke into the film industry when he spotted an ad for an actor’s training program started by Chang Cheh, who was shooting a series of films about the Shaolin Temple in Taiwan. Wang applied and was accepted, and he debuted in Chang’s FIVE SHAOLIN MASTERS in 1974.

Johnny Wang Lung-wei (left) and Gordon Liu in FISTS OF THE WHITE LOTUS (1980).

My earliest memory of him is from THE NEW SHAOLIN BOXERS (1976), directed by Chang Cheh and his protege Wu Ma. This undeservedly obscure film features a stellar performance by Alexander Fu Sheng as the hero, a Choy Li Fut stylist. Johnny Wang Lung-wei played the main villain, the one who goes up against Fu Sheng in the final battle (it’s on Youtube here). Wang is stocky and square-featured, and his face seems to naturally fall into a scowl. (Evidently he’s extremely affable in person, so appearances in this case are deceiving.) Although he’s only five years older than Fu Sheng, he almost seems a different generation. He’s a menacing presence throughout the film.

In MARTIAL CLUB (1981).

Wang continued to work with Chang Cheh and also the Shaw studio’s premier wuxia director, Chu Yuan, through the 1970s, but his signature roles are found in the Lau Kar-leung classics DIRTY HO (1979), RETURN TO THE 36TH CHAMBER (1980), MY YOUNG AUNTIE (1981), MARTIAL CLUB (1981) and THE EIGHT DIAGRAM POLE FIGHTER (1983). His fighting style is more about power than finesse, but his movements can be precise when necessary. In a recent interview, he said he still practices kickboxing. That practical but unglamorous art definitely suits his no-nonsense persona. He’s solid and intimidating on screen, making him a good foil for smaller, more lithe opponents like Fu Sheng and Gordon Liu.

Johnny Wang Lung-wei’s career in the Hong Kong film industry spans almost three decades. He has continued to act, appearing in films like Sammo Hung’s SHANGHAI EXPRESS (1986), Yuen Woo-ping’s TIGER CAGE (1988), YOUNG AND DANGEROUS (1995) with Ekin Cheng and Simon Yam, and Yuen Biao’s MILLENIUM DRAGON (2000). Wang has also written, directed, and action directed a number of films. None of them are famous, but they are well-regarded by the lucky few who have had a chance to see them. HONG KONG GODFATHER (1985) was a tight crime drama with a terrific cast; WIDOW WARRIORS (1990), judging by the clips on Youtube (check out Kara Hui Ying-hung’s fight here), shows that Wang wasn’t afraid to give his actresses a full-on action scene. 

In BROTHERS FROM THE WALLED CITY (1982).

Here’s one more clip that will give you an idea of Johnny Wang Lung-wei’s style. It’s from an odd little sci-fi fantasy directed by Kirk Wong called FLASH FUTURE KUNG FU. It’s a rare example of Wang playing the lead, the hero part. In this scene, he fights the leader of a neo-Nazi group that has destroyed his teacher’s school (despite the futuristic trappings, it’s a very traditional plot). He probably designed his own choreography, using the kickboxing style that he personally favors. The great thing about being the hero is that he actually gets to win!

 
Thanks to Richard Cooper and Jade Screen magazine for permission to use material from their interview with Johnny Wang Lung-wei in 2004.

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