The Valiant Ones

It starts with the helpful narrator explaining to us about the pirate problem. If you suspect the pirates are Japanese then you have been paying attention.

There is not much to this movie. The plot, characters, backstory, are all simple. Yet there is a lot to this movie. That contradiction is because of the director. Enough has been said about King Hu so I will say only a little more. He took all the simplicity and made it rich.

It could be said Sammo Hung did the same for the fights. It's almost all swordfights and that could make the action repetitive and tiresome. Sammo keeps the action fresh by keeping it simple.

I am a hard core fan of martial arts movies of the golden age from 1967 to 1984. I have had this movie on DVD for years now and just realized I never watched it. That was a pleasant surprise. More of a surprise was the enjoyment. I will add this movie to my list of best of 1975.