Murder of Murders (1978)

Chief Inspector Chow Zhi is tracking a master thief known as the Jade Dragonfly and he’s in for plenty of murder, mayhem, and kung fu action.

In this enjoyable kung fu crime caper, a thief named the Jade Dragonfly goes from town to town, robbing jewelry stores with impunity. He finally meets his match in Chief Inspector Chow Zhi who vows to catch the Jade Dragonfly after a heist where six extremely valuable gems have been stolen. Pan Chang Fung, who had been at the scene of the crime, is the chief suspect but is poisoned to death and the gems remain lost. His brother, Pan Ying Fung arrives to find the killer and avenge his brother’s death. Ying Fung’s search leads him to discover that his brother was indeed the Jade Dragonfly while suspects of Ying Fung’s brother turn up including two cooks, a master forger, and a wealthy business man. Meanwhile, a mysterious fighter clad in black is trying to stop Ying Fung while killing off anyone who might provide clues. The whereabouts of the gems and the truth about Chang Fung’s killer is finally discovered in a surprise ending.

The Murder of Murders is actually a clever whodunit packaged in kung fu wrap. Right from the beginning, the viewer is left asking questions that are only explained further in the film. The thief is uncovered early on when he attempts to to steal the gems but how he gets away with them is left a mystery. Then he turns up dead and the protagonist up to this point, Inspector Chow Zhi takes a sidestep to Pan Ying Fung who seems to be doing the real detective work. From then on, little bits of truth come out while Ying Fung finds himself challenged at every step. The final revelations about the main characters’ involvement with the heist are a satisfying payoff for the viewer.

There isn’t much fighting early on but as the tension mounts, so do the engagements. Several weapons get star treatment here such as the nine-section sword, a rod that shoots 499 poisonous needles, and a spear with a spinning head. Equally interesting, several colorful characters make an appearance such as The Light in the Dark, an assassin who always carries a lantern. Unfortunately, some of these elements are not fully utilized. Yet, the compelling mystery elements to the story make the film massively fun to watch.