Duel of the Iron Fist, Da jue dou, 1971)

(IMDB Listing)


One of the first Hong Kong gangster movies (John Woo is even apparently a production assistant on it). Ti Lung has the main role as a guy who takes the rap in a big brawl, leaves behind family and girlfriend, only to be double crossed. David Chiang is "The Rover", a suave mysterious dude who keeps floating in and out of the story and exchanging interesting looks with Ti Lung.

Worth it if you're a fan of the two of them together and for a slice of HK film history...I didn't find it supremely engaging but then again the gangster-era martial arts movies aren't really my favorites. The print I saw also had some really atrocious dubbing, so be prepared.




SUMMARY:

Overall rating: C+ Not the greatest, but interesting enough, if only for the two lead guys.

Droolworthiness: A. Ti Lung flashes that bare chest a lot, showing off a big butterfly tattoo. David Chiang is pretty in a sleazy way here...I like him much better with short hair than in a bad wig!

Slashiness: B- Some interesting exchanges between Ti and Chiang, but not their slashiest movie by far.

Action: B- A number of big brawls, but not filmed all that well.




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