Fearless Master Fighter (1979) User Reviews (2)

Another forgotten classic from the 1970s

[ckormos1 · 8/10 · 18 June 2016]

Lau Ga-Yung makes some goofy bets for $20 outside the temple then gets into a funny fight with the kung fu chick Yuen Qiu (future star of Kung Fu Hustle). In his next fight a kung fu master comes to his rescue. The kung fu chick and her mother explain to each other how they are on the run hiding from enemies. Our guy begins his training sequence with his new master. The two women also train together. After an escapade with ghosts our guy goes to town to buy tobacco for master. Hwang Jang- Lee's boys slip opium into the tobacco to addict the master. The girls reunite with the master as he is their long lost uncle. A marriage is also planned. Hero has problems consummating the marriage. The master finds out about the opium in the smoking tobacco.

I found and watched a copy of this movie based only on the name Yuen Qiu. Fans of the genre should remember her fabulous role as the land lady in "Kung Fu Hustle". Her career began in the 1970s. She was one of the original "real deal" martial arts movie stars who had genuine martial arts skills first and foremost. In this movie she does an excellent staff fighting sequence at about 45 minutes. I did not see a stunt double used at all, even for the acrobatics. She is the real deal! Lau Ga-Yung is also the real deal, at least by family as he is related to the grandmaster of all martial arts movies – Lau Kar- Leung.

I rate this movie way above average and highly recommend it for all fans.

Mean-spirited comedy and not much in the way of action

[Leofwine_draca · 3/10 · 21 January 2017]

I saw this film on Amazon Prime under the title FEARLESS DUO. It's a pretty nondescript kind of kung fu film that doesn't really have enough action to hold the attention, the result being that there are long stretches of boredom where not much really happens. One of the most surprising things about it is that as a comedy it's surprisingly mean-spirited, with a hard sexual angle in places that I don't know whether was added in for the English version or existed in the original too.

The cast is largely undistinguished and the action quite poor, with kicks and hits barely connecting with their targets at times. Hwang Jang Lee is a typical saving grace but as is normal by genre standards he only really features at the lively climax. Yuen Qiu, best known to modern audiences for her role in KUNG FU HUSTLE, bags the most interesting part as a woman not to be underestimated.