CrazyFrog
08-08-2008, 04:01 PM
Invincible Armour (1977)
Starring-Hwang Jang Lee, John Liu, Tino Wong, Phillip Ko Fei, Lee Hoi San
Director: Ng See Yuen
Synopsis
John Liu plays a General Chow who witnesses a man being chased by bandits. Impressed with his skills, he invites him to be recruited to fight with the Ming Rebels. It turns out to be a setup when the man kills his master and the General is framed for his murder. Decreed a traitor, General Chow flees for his life while trying to prove his innocence by capturing the true murderer. The murderer seeks refuge with his compatriots but is found by his old teacher, who uses him for his own ends. Meanwhile, the Minister of State (HJL) uses every resource to track down Chow, who he blames for the murder. To assist in this, he calls upon Shen Yu (TW), a skilled kung fu expert to traqqck him down and kill him. Shen Yu manages to find Chow but his innate sense of honor allows Chow to stall for time to track down the real killer. The murderer leads them both towards the mastermind behind the plot, an Invincible Armour and Eagle Claw master. Who could this be???!?
Review
This is my first John Liu film but certainly not my first Yuen Woo Ping film. The plot of this movie is solid and hangs on intrigue and political maneuvering. It certainly is bit better than the usual revenge stories but it ultimately is just that. What really makes it stand out is the relatively high-caliber cast which gives this movie its spark. Putting HJL in the silver fox role is like fishing with dynamite- guaranteed success. I don't know if there's anything else to say except that I like how he restricted his style to Eagle Claw until the end fights where he unleashes his devastating arsenal of kicks. Lee Hoi San is good in a pivotal role as the murderer and you get to see his expertise early on in the film. This guy should have the equivalent of a Best Supporting Actor Oscar in kung fu for all his excellent support roles. I think this is the first time I've seen Tino Wong ina movie (not sure...) but his greatest asset is his screen presence. While he is noticeably doubled for some fight scenes involving weapons and acrobatics, his persona is suitably somber and restrained. He looks like you shouldn't mess with him. Phillip Ko is the other silver fox, a brother to the Minister of State who covets his power. Solid acting and he has some crazy eyes that are really expressive- you can always tell when he looks pissed!
And finally, John Liu. To me, he's a mixed bag in where you have a charismatic charm, goofy smile, excellent legwork (wow, he really uses his right leg a lot) and good physicality combined with a slightly wooden acting style, some Bruce-style expressions (in vogue at the time), and at times a painful earnestness (maybe a character thing, I don't know). His kicks are dramatic and quick, however, I can see how an AC might have to work with him to mix it up a bit. I liked him in this role but to be honest, it felt like about ten minutes could have cut from this movie, most of them with him in it. Parts with the girl and her brother were essential for the plot but a little silly. His build-up to the end fight where he encounters the Yuen brothers as the Band of Three(?) displays some excellent weapons skill work, of course, but it went on a little long (can't believed I just typed that). And what the hell did they have to do with this plot?!? Typical Yuen randomness, for sure.
Other things that I liked- well, HJL. It was like he was born for these roles. His athleticism, skill, and glowering charisma bleed off the screen. I almost found it sweet when he said he would kill the murderer with one blow, so quick and accurate he wouldn't feel a thing! Awwww! His Eagle Claw looks top notch but I certainly wouldn't know. And I love these movies where the one vulnerable point has to be found- why do they always show eggs dropping and breaking to stand in for a man's sac? It makes it even worse to watch IMO!
As for things I didn't care for, well, the direction and cinematography are pretty amateur at times. The direction, I should clarify, is solid enough but there are obvious shortcomings. Unnecessary close-ups, close-ups that crops part of the face, film stock that changes color, and odd camera angles contribute to a feeling that this was done on the cheap. It isn't overwhelming but it distracts from the movie at times. And I loved how the ***SPOILER**** kid and his sister drop in at the last second to help the heroes out. These movies definately have their share of deus ex machinas but this just bugged me. ***END SPOILER***. It doesn't help that this release (VideoAsia) suffers the from poor audio (volume goes in and out) and poor-to-fair video transfer. Another Woo Ping movie in need of a good release (Dance of the Drunk Mantis please!).
Overall, a pretty good movie with a really good cast and some great action scenes. My favorite scenes are the last fight for sure and the dust-ups between John Liu and Tino Wong. I wished they could have used Lee Hoi San more in the action department, well, because we all know he's pretty good. And another Yuen Woo Ping movie that should be essential viewing.
Four out of five vulnerable points (the head, temple, armpits, and throat but not the groin)
Starring-Hwang Jang Lee, John Liu, Tino Wong, Phillip Ko Fei, Lee Hoi San
Director: Ng See Yuen
Synopsis
John Liu plays a General Chow who witnesses a man being chased by bandits. Impressed with his skills, he invites him to be recruited to fight with the Ming Rebels. It turns out to be a setup when the man kills his master and the General is framed for his murder. Decreed a traitor, General Chow flees for his life while trying to prove his innocence by capturing the true murderer. The murderer seeks refuge with his compatriots but is found by his old teacher, who uses him for his own ends. Meanwhile, the Minister of State (HJL) uses every resource to track down Chow, who he blames for the murder. To assist in this, he calls upon Shen Yu (TW), a skilled kung fu expert to traqqck him down and kill him. Shen Yu manages to find Chow but his innate sense of honor allows Chow to stall for time to track down the real killer. The murderer leads them both towards the mastermind behind the plot, an Invincible Armour and Eagle Claw master. Who could this be???!?
Review
This is my first John Liu film but certainly not my first Yuen Woo Ping film. The plot of this movie is solid and hangs on intrigue and political maneuvering. It certainly is bit better than the usual revenge stories but it ultimately is just that. What really makes it stand out is the relatively high-caliber cast which gives this movie its spark. Putting HJL in the silver fox role is like fishing with dynamite- guaranteed success. I don't know if there's anything else to say except that I like how he restricted his style to Eagle Claw until the end fights where he unleashes his devastating arsenal of kicks. Lee Hoi San is good in a pivotal role as the murderer and you get to see his expertise early on in the film. This guy should have the equivalent of a Best Supporting Actor Oscar in kung fu for all his excellent support roles. I think this is the first time I've seen Tino Wong ina movie (not sure...) but his greatest asset is his screen presence. While he is noticeably doubled for some fight scenes involving weapons and acrobatics, his persona is suitably somber and restrained. He looks like you shouldn't mess with him. Phillip Ko is the other silver fox, a brother to the Minister of State who covets his power. Solid acting and he has some crazy eyes that are really expressive- you can always tell when he looks pissed!
And finally, John Liu. To me, he's a mixed bag in where you have a charismatic charm, goofy smile, excellent legwork (wow, he really uses his right leg a lot) and good physicality combined with a slightly wooden acting style, some Bruce-style expressions (in vogue at the time), and at times a painful earnestness (maybe a character thing, I don't know). His kicks are dramatic and quick, however, I can see how an AC might have to work with him to mix it up a bit. I liked him in this role but to be honest, it felt like about ten minutes could have cut from this movie, most of them with him in it. Parts with the girl and her brother were essential for the plot but a little silly. His build-up to the end fight where he encounters the Yuen brothers as the Band of Three(?) displays some excellent weapons skill work, of course, but it went on a little long (can't believed I just typed that). And what the hell did they have to do with this plot?!? Typical Yuen randomness, for sure.
Other things that I liked- well, HJL. It was like he was born for these roles. His athleticism, skill, and glowering charisma bleed off the screen. I almost found it sweet when he said he would kill the murderer with one blow, so quick and accurate he wouldn't feel a thing! Awwww! His Eagle Claw looks top notch but I certainly wouldn't know. And I love these movies where the one vulnerable point has to be found- why do they always show eggs dropping and breaking to stand in for a man's sac? It makes it even worse to watch IMO!
As for things I didn't care for, well, the direction and cinematography are pretty amateur at times. The direction, I should clarify, is solid enough but there are obvious shortcomings. Unnecessary close-ups, close-ups that crops part of the face, film stock that changes color, and odd camera angles contribute to a feeling that this was done on the cheap. It isn't overwhelming but it distracts from the movie at times. And I loved how the ***SPOILER**** kid and his sister drop in at the last second to help the heroes out. These movies definately have their share of deus ex machinas but this just bugged me. ***END SPOILER***. It doesn't help that this release (VideoAsia) suffers the from poor audio (volume goes in and out) and poor-to-fair video transfer. Another Woo Ping movie in need of a good release (Dance of the Drunk Mantis please!).
Overall, a pretty good movie with a really good cast and some great action scenes. My favorite scenes are the last fight for sure and the dust-ups between John Liu and Tino Wong. I wished they could have used Lee Hoi San more in the action department, well, because we all know he's pretty good. And another Yuen Woo Ping movie that should be essential viewing.
Four out of five vulnerable points (the head, temple, armpits, and throat but not the groin)