My copy has "He Who Returned With One Leg" on the opening screen under Korean text. It is a digital file that plays as wide screen but small on a HDTV. The video is good resolution with few scratches or other signs of deterioration. It has English subtitles. Yes, this movie does have a sequel. I have never as much as seen a copy of it.
The movie opens with three men enter a restaurant searching for the hero, "Yong-Cheol". A fight breaks out due to lack of manners. The three men defeat all and continue their search. Our hero wants to marry but his father disapproves of the woman. The main plot is the evil Japanese against the Koreans.
Charles Han Yeong-Cheol, also appeared in nine other martial arts movies in 1974. He seems to have been South Korea's dream of the next Bruce Lee. It's easy to assume he was picked by movie producers from a large sample of Korean Tae Kwan Do experts simply because he was the tallest guy at the audition. He did have the looks and the moves but his name has since faded to obscurity. I have been a fan of this genre for years and just recently discovered his movies. The great Hwang Jang Lee is also listed in many of his movies.
The fighting is a bit different compared to Chinese kung fu. The fighter's posture is more upright and they stand taller. The punches are more direct, more in a straight line, and focus more to the head or midsection. The kicks are more frequent and mostly to the head. Weapons and props were also used. There is a big final fight of about 15 minutes.
This is the first South Korean movie from the early 1970s I am rating as above average. This is solely on the fights. I recommend it for all hard core fans of martial arts movies of the golden age from 1967 to 1984. This is also the first Charles Han Yong-Cheol movie I have watched. I have a few more and it will be interesting to see if his movies live up to this one.
Finally, I found no explanation for "single-legged" as in the title. All the fighters had both legs.
2 out of 3 found this helpful