Iron Dragon Strikes Back (1979)

Four friends discover a stash of smuggled Vietnamese gold left by a crime organization. When the gold comes up missing and a bar is found with a pawn shop owner, the criminals stop at nothing to get it back and see that the men who stole it are dealt with.

Iron Dragon Strikes Back is a brooding, snarling classic that should not be overlooked, either because it stars a former Bruce Lee clone or because it lacks other big name stars apart from Phillip Ko. It stands out from most independent films of the day by discarding comic and acrobatic antics in favor of mean and gritty action akin to hardboiled kung fu classics of the early ’70s such as Bloody Fists and Rage of the Wind. Its almost shocking how accomplished Gwai Chi-hung’s raw direction is in building tension. Then again, this is the man who directed The Tea House and its sequel Big Brother Cheng, both gritty Shaw Brothers’ gems. Too bad poor dialogue and pacing tempers the enjoyment factor.

Ho Chung-tao, or Bruce Li as he is better known proved once again why he should not be discounted as one of the genre’s brightest lights. By this point, he was definitely looking beyond playing in cheap, Bruce Lee knock-offs. Iron Dragon is a huge step in that direction.

Chung-tao plays a kung fu instructor, who with three friends discovers a stash of gold while scuba fishing. Recognizing that its likely smuggled goods meant for criminals (which it is), he advises them all to throw it back. But his pal, Hon Gwok-choi returns to collect the gold and unwisely attempts to sell it. This draws the attention of San Kuai and his thugs who have been instructed by their criminal boss to get the gold. Hoping to find Gwok-choi, the thugs instead kidnap his buddy, while slowly tightening the noose around Chung-tao and his friends. The two sides finally meet for an exchange, but Chung-tao has other plans and a deadly clash ensues. Chung-tao and two of his friends escape with the gold still hidden. The criminals raise the stakes by hiring a professional killer (Phillip Ko) who begins stalking the three men as they vainly attempt to ride out this nasty business. Matters come to a head when the killer confronts Chung-tao in his apartment. A brutal fight in the small confines of a room cluttered with furniture and sparring weapons begins.

There is so much to like about this film. Let’s begin with the strongest aspect which is the direction. Gwai Chi-hung (AKA Siu Kwai) is one of very few Hong Kong filmmakers capable of putting kung fu into the ‘real world.’ This is best exemplified in the sets. The film is shot right on location from city streets and shanty towns to a moving bus and a derelict shopping mall. The characters are fleshed out enough that we know they live in the real world as a bus driver or a kung fu instructor. The way in which Chi-hung weaves this tense plot through their seemingly mundane lives makes the action throughout the film all the more plausible and substantial. Getting down to technical matters, the camera work and editing are excellent. Tilted shots in tight spaces, unusual angles at various heights, and well-timed cuts make all the difference in raising the quality of this film. Sadly, what looks like cuts to the print or lapses in the story break up what is otherwise great direction. A glaring example is where Chung-tao and his friends talk about going to Macao in order to lay low. The scene cuts to a crime boss plotting his next move and then we’re back in Hong Kong where our heroes have just returned from their stay in Macao. This is where the pacing of the film overall flounders on several occasions. Its as if the writer couldn’t think of enough things for our heroes to do while they attempt to evade the criminals. But at least there is plenty of screen time for fighting.

The old school kung fu action in this film is spectacular. There are no wires, no trampolines, and plenty of long, unedited takes. The style of martial arts used is what I would call ’survival techniques.’ Apart from some license taken in the plethora of high kicks and one-versus-many scenarios, most of the fighting is less fanciful and more desperate, as one would expect it to be in reality. Ho Chung-tao looks as good as he ever has and is arguably better. There is a great little sparring session early on between Ho and Gwok-choi that makes use of gymnast’s rings. He mixes it up throughout the rest of the film, but doesn’t really take center stage until the final fight. A really interesting scene for genre fans midway through has Phillip Ko posing as an old school kung fu actor complete with white hair in an attempt to assassinate Chung-tao who is working on set as a choreographer. Though unresolved, Phillip reappears at the end wearing surgical gloves and wielding a shiv, and later an axe against Chung-tao in a fight that benefits as much from the meticulous direction as from Luk Chuen’s competent choreography. A brilliant moment occurs when the fight slows midway through and Ko hides the shiv in his hands, daring Chung-tao to guess which hand he will attack with. It’s a nice little touch in a film peppered with similar inspiration that manages to outweigh the trouble spots.