This early supporting role by Jackie Chan will leave you wondering how he ever got another. In this he plays a resistance fighter during WW2 against the eeeeeeeeeevil Japanese, and his acting is so bad that you're almost relieved when the Japs finally kill him near the end, in one of the goriest death scenes ever. This film is relentlessly grim and gruesome, not even worth the price of a rental unless you're a crazed, masochistic fan who just can't get enough Jackie.
Reader Reviews
aka: "Not Scared to Die"The only thing to understand about this early 70's movie
is that it was very early in Jackie's career (he
looks like he was about 20) and that he has a 'very'
minor role. The lead star is actually a guy named
Wang Ching, an old Shaw veteran who typically played
villain roles (he's recognizable by his gap teeth), which
is part of this movie's novel appeal for me. The story is about a chinese opera troup who get brutalized by some (typically
evil) Japanese soldiers - actually the soldiers are brutalizing
everyone and Wang steps in. The fights are particularly bloody
and the tone of this movie is quite heavy (more than usual - hong kong and the mainland would eventually turn to making kung-fu comedies), but it grows on you.
Those tender souls hoping for some of Jackie's peek-a-boo
boxing and light-heartedness had better role on and huddle up with their copies of Rush Hour, because this is not the movie to get for all of those antics! If you like old-skool, or are a Chan die-hard, or just curious, this movie is worth checking out.
I just wish I knew who played the two main villains!
-hc
