Zhong guo tie ren (1973) User Reviews (4)

genre fans will love this one!

[ryan-277 · 7/10 · 22 March 2004]

The video version available in the US doesn't do it justice, but this is actually a pretty enjoyable kung fu film. Tons of lengthy fights, all sorts of weapons and even a couple of "special techniques"! One of the heroes fights with a three section staff (you remember it as the weapon Gordon Liu invented in Master Killer) which is in my opinion a totally underused weapon in most martial arts films, and there is tons of great, over the top swordfights!

Fairly standard revenge plot, but still warrants multiple viewings at my place for the last couple of years, this movie fits it along the lines of other Joespeh Kuo films like "Shaolin Temple Strikes Back" however the ending is a bit of a let down but there's some interesting camera techniques that probably influenced films like "Ninja Hunter".

It'd be nice to see a widescreen version on dvd...

COOKS OF FURY! A GEM IN "MARTIAN" ARTS!

[[e-mail] · 7/10 · 26 December 2020]

Directed by Taiwanese vet director Guo Nanhong, this is a Fist of Fury rip-off with the dynamic Wen Chiang Lung aka George Wen as the cook of a restaurant troubled by the usual japs invaders. Nothing new aside the fact the hero is a cook and in one scene he fights with his Chef hat on and sticks to spread the dough! Very funny and very energetic trash movie. The climatic duel with Jap master played by taiwanese vet Yee Yuen is a riot. Blink and you miss Bruce Li/Ho Chung Tao as one of the japanese thugs. Curiously the leading star George Wen Chiang Lung (aka Man Koon Loong, star in dozens of quicksilver kungfu actioners) quit the industry in 1980 and went to open a chinese restaurant in Tempe, Arizona, since he loved cooking in real life. All in all a cult classic in campy MARTIAN arts movies.

GEORGE WEN CHIANG LUNG WAS THE TAIWANESE BRUCE LEE!

[[e-mail] · 7/10 · 27 December 2020]

A funny low-budget imitation of Fist of Fury (that was a low budget itself), directed by Taiwan action helmer Guo Nanhong with good sense of rythm and a cast of specialists, including the main star Wen Chiang Long (Man Koon Loong in cantonese, a kind of Taipei's Bruce Lee) who plays the revengeful cook of a chinese restaurant vessed by the usual japs. Martial action is old style and totally "swinging arm", but the cast is crowded of regular of the genre, including character actor Yee Yuen in his recurrent role as the Jap master. Curiously the leading actor retired in 1981 and opened a real chinese restaurant in Tempe, Arizona, where he was still in full activity in the 90's; and the only movie photo he kept in the restaurant wall was from this really cultish movie. I saw it at a theater in Italy 1973 and then, in 2007, I found a VCD copy whilst in Hong Kong to meet Gordon Liu. Highly recommended for 70's fans like me.

Better than average fights using the "evil Japanese" as the story line.

[ckormos1 · 6/10 · 2 July 2019]

A group of Japanese fighters molest the Chinese waitress. The staff tries to stop them but it escalates. Wen Chiang-Long, our hero, comes out of the kitchen with his chef's hat on and serves up a banquet of Japanese kicked asses. The Japanese will not let that go and the leaders come back to the restaurant looking for our hero. He is at the park with Nancy Yen Nan-See. The Japanese are beating up children and he comes to the rescue. The plot is the basic "evil Japanese" and things keep getting worse until they culminate in the final fight.

Wen Chiang-Long's career spanned from 1968 to 1981. I have never found a biography so know nothing of his background or personal history. He does a good job in the fight sequences. Specifically the power and focus is there. It gets better than average when he does 12-16 moves without a cut. Weapons are also mixed in. My favorite is the three section staff. I consider it the ultimate weapon because it is effective at short, medium, and long range. It can also disarm a sword. The fights start as brawls but as the story advances to the tournament finale the fights demonstrate more specific martial arts style.

My copy is the DVD and it is true wide screen. Attention to the other reviewer who watched this back in 2004 and wanted to see it wide. The dialog is Chinese with English subtitles.

I rate this movie just a bit above average for the year and genre. I also recommend this movie to all fans of martial arts movies of the golden age from 1967 to 1984.