Lau Siu-Ming opens the film with some nifty gambling skills, a trait that soon sets up one of the cooler character to come out of this genre in combination with the heroic bloodshed one. Namely Lam Wai (Long Arm Of The Law), who plays a number crunching invincible one who puts his particular skill to use in various creative, acrobatic ways. Too bad King Of Gambler can't shine a better light on this character emphasis and the film ends up playing out more like a stock genre picture, with the typical exaggerated gangster types all too visible (including the usually growling Alex Man). There is some slight positives to take away from the film though, especially the last 30 minutes or so that is an almost constant assault of gunplay. The biggest joy here comes from the extensive weaponry used and hordes upon hordes of robot-like henchmen up for slaughter (somewhat reminiscent of the various Agent Smith's of The Matrix movies). Lam Wai continues to shine in these scenes and the momentum sees director Johnnie Kong's (Madam City Hunter) minor quirky skills come to life. But with this comes the price of the quite extensive action being devoid of style and even good technical execution largely so what could've been an eventual classic merely ends up as being noticeable. Also with Kathy Chow, Jimmy Lung (in the villain role as always), Tommy Wong and a confused looking Roy Chiao.

A meatier and more dramatic side to Joseph Kuo's filmmaking side can be found via Fusian's unearthing of his 1969 swordplay drama. Compared to latter fan favourites such as 7 Grandmasters and Mystery Of Chess Boxing, King Of Kings is a welcome, different beast indeed. Sure it's basic story telling and partially crude filmmaking but in this case, even crude emotional impact is actual emotional impact. Witnessing their father being killed by the swordsman Thunder Sword after just having been appointed the escort for the emperor, young Siao Tung and Siao Chun are subsequently separated. We meet with the adult Siao Tung now known as Ku Chung (played by Peter Yang) and he's on a relentless, bloody quest to kill Thunder Sword in the name of revenge. He meets up with a blacksmith (Ma Kei) that sees the uncontrollable anger in the young man and wants to teach Ku Chung to stop spilling blood. The interesting dual nature to the young swordsman starts here. The portrayal of being driven by blood coupled with a twisting plot that you can spot a few miles off for sure is adequate and no staple presented (such as split items that are paired up for the finale of the film so that characters truly know who they are facing) is a letdown for the film. In fact, Kuo easily rises above them to deliver the surprising impact to Kings Of Kings where even the theatrical ending in terms of performances rings true to intended, valid intentions. With fight action on display making sense in the context of the story and also being quite fluid for 1969, Joseph Kuo's early gem is no longer destined for obscurity. Nor is his skill at providing substance.

Ye Kuan (Simon Yam) is on the top of the most wanted list, thanks to his robbery- and AK-47 exploits. Together with his gang, they roam the streets of Hong Kong, leaving much blood and mayhem behind. The cops chase, lead by Bowie Lam and director Billy Chung churns out a a trashy dud. He does use the opportunities to be nasty as the robbers do pretty much annihilate everything they see but the whole affair manages to creep over to the shoddy, embarrassing side Hong Kong cinema can often walk and when Chung also adds some truly bizarre editing techniques (having to do with repeating scenes but in different color grading), he doesn't crawl over to the fun side cheap cinema like this can. In fact, it's barely cinema and the expected story beats of doubt within the gang, a possible undercover among them and the role of a woman (Anita Lee) within all this doesn't... just doesn't. The sole "what the..."-moment that does register is the sight of Yam going "undercover" on the streets as the wanted man he is but in a buddhist monk robe. Also with Roy Cheung and Chin Kar-Lok.

Fu (Richard Ng) is a regarded clothes salesman in Stanley Market but when a rival (Sylvia Chang) tries to outshine his business, the new competition generates hatred. Hatred turns to friendship and friendship into love...

Jamie Luk (The Case Of The Cold Fish) injects a pleasant enough tone into this romance, getting simple but sincere chemistry from his leads. While Richard Ng is carrying his comedy persona at times (a highlight comes when he's relegated to being a referee in the soccer game between the markets but keeps playing it into his team's favour), he's allowed more to lean back on a character afraid of commitment. A childish sweetness Ng conveys quite well. The script later invents situations that does very much feel manufactured for the sake of closure though and King Of Stanley Market loses a bit of its pleasant touch eventually. Lowell Lo, Charlie Chin, Elaine Kam, Lydia Shum, Wu Fung, Sandra Ng and Derek Yee also appear.

Lin Huo-Shan (Jimmy Wang Yu) is a taxi driver who gets into fights, willingly or not, to the point of ruining his family financially at a time where they want to save money to cure the blindness of Huo-Shan's sister. Creating strains between him and his father (Ngai So) therefore, fights will have to come to the forefront as three Japanese fighters (Yasuaki Kurata, Lung Fei and Shan Mao) arrive to claim revenge on Huo-Shan's father...

Modern day effort with Jimmy Wang Yu but nonetheless a versus Japan plot is constructed yet again, Knight Errant fits more into standard tactics that thankfully features Jimmy. More often than not the bashing on display doesn't dazzle but from the saw mill sequence and onwards where the revenge driven Japanese are revealed to be both rapists and inept killers, the fury of Wang Yu gets to shine... albeit only fairly well. Using the structure of this location well, veteran Taiwan director Ding Sin-Saai saves the best for last as Wang Yu goes head to head with badass kung-fu grandma played by Tse Gam-Guk (Queen Of Fist and credited on the English print of Knight Errant as Lady With An Iron Fist). Strong beyond belief, even getting run over by a car doesn't stop this woman! You tally up the elements and get a favourable grade out of the uneven Knight Errant easily therefore. Also known as Dragon Fist.

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A partly superb swordplay drama examining the feeble notions of revenge and how you ultimately may earn nothing from it, director Li Su offers up plenty of well-staged atmosphere, using among other things the weather elements to his advantage as a secretive mystery slowly is unveiled when Peter Yang Kwan's character goes on his path of revenge. Equally adapt at letting this atmosphere build within very slow passages of film, this is approaching King Hu levels of direction, especially evident in an outdoor fight scene where Yang is outnumbered along with his sword fighting wife. Problem is though that once everybody sits down to slowly talk, talk, talk AND talk, the narrative fizzles out to the point of pure incoherence. Simply put, we're lost and frustrated since director Li Su clearly has a classic firmly in his hands that slips away way too easily. The final emotional push is very good though and Peter Yang Kwan shows what an acting strength he is for this genre in development at the time (see him log some of his best work in Joseph Kuo's King Of Kings).

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A hilarious contradiction occurs right up front when the filmmakers claim The Kung Fu Fever is not based on any real persons or events yet it DEPICTS THE DEATH OF BRUCE LEE! Who said Bruceploitation was logical but many rightfully claimed it was a lot of fun. Dragon Lee (here credited as Bruce Rhee) stars as Rickie Chan, one of Bruce Lee's students and after circumstances that leads to his master's death (circumstances that are not very clear which is a sign of respect by the sensationalist filmmakers as they refrain by putting forth a theory thankfully), he and friends are chased by various people in search of the book of finger techniques as developed by Bruce. After some all too familiar footage from Bruce Lee's real funeral (making these sensationalist filmmakers lose all respect they gained a sentence ago), Rickie fights through various dumb henchmen of Shu Mu's (Martin Chui) including an opponent using the Iron Head-Technique but flown in from the US of A, enter Ron (Ron Van Clief - Black Dragon)...

One group of thugs even leads a cabaret troupe. Yep, a lot of amusement comes packaged with The Kung Fu Fever which may not be competently staged, is definitely overlong but has enough goofy details to make it memorable. One starts with the student of Bruce Lee's, Rickie Chan, who apparently feels he has to or has been made to act just like Bruce. He appears in the Game Of Death tracksuit for no reason, he of course owns the glasses and ghastly shirts and when it then comes to mimicking the mannerisms... oh boy. Dragon Lee is possibly the one impersonator taking it TOO seriously. Really looking more mentally handicapped when in fight mode than sincerely paying tribute, somehow there IS sincerity in Dragon Lee, albeit a bit misguided. The dubbing is classic stuff with a variety of wacky voices, accents and lastly, Amy Chum (My Mother Is A Belly Dancer) has a sexy leather suit on all throughout the film. It's likeable stuff as well as shameless but god, it's hard to stay angry at the film. Director Kim Si-Hyeon helmed several Dragon Lee vehicles including the South Korean movie IFD acquired and re-titled Secret Ninja, Roaring Tiger (hence Godfrey Ho getting a directorial credit on that one).

Despite gathering up a cast that had performed under master Lau Kar Leung's masterful eye for martial arts action, Wilson Tong's Kung Fu Genius never sparkles. Stock plot aside (rivalry between martial arts schools), Tong fills the running time with wall to wall action (including spirit boxing, monkey style and most bizarre of all, duck style) yet overall never achieves an exciting flow to the choreography, sometimes even leaning towards sluggish. Some of that can be due to Cliff Lok's obvious rough transition from real life martial artist to on-screen fighter and him as a lighthearted hero never is a choice that gels either. One of the fights that does work well however is a weapons one between Lok and Hsiao Hou. Kung Fu Genius also co-stars the alternate Dean Shek of the time, Cheng Hong Yip as well as Lee Hoi San, San Sin and Wilson Tong.

If I'm hearing the English dub right, Chin Kar-Lok plays Fong Sai Yuk who gets caught in a rebellion (headed by Lam Ching Ying's character). Fong Sai Yuk or not, it doesn't much matter as this production falls short of humble goals of being poor even! While the martial arts is often grounded, there's no energy, excitement or flow to support that worthwhile stance on choreography and even when outrageous concept like surfing on spirit tablets occurs during the finale, it's still lacking. Poorly added foley effects NOT done by ones with a hard on for a Dolby Digital 5.1 remix and unfunny interludes between Fong and his mom (acclaimed actress Siqin Gaowa) makes one want to reach for the Jet Li/Josephine Siao chemistry as found in the Fong Sai Yuk movies instead. Kwan Hoi-San and Wu Ma also appear.

Released on dvd by Tai Seng under the title Shaolin Avengers, Chin Kar-Lok and Lam Ching Ying are credited on this print as Jean Carlo and Mark Lim respectively.

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Dicky Cheung and Aaron Kwok are scholars both attending the same college. Then farce happens. Then Leung Kar-Yan enters as a newly appointed teacher. Then people start to fly. When all's said and done, no laughter or marvel at the feats have been uttered from an audience. The local perhaps but The Kung Fu Scholar is not THE vehicle to rival period kung fu comedies in the higher divisions. When you try to be mou lei tau without Stephen Chow and instead place Dicky Cheung in his place, you know it's a recipe for disaster in the making. Playing the wisecracking scholar with a skill for talking his way out of most situations, nothing on display rings of any sincerity or comedic skill. Adding straight man Aaron Kwok and Ng Man-Tat doesn't elevate in the slightest. The latter goes on to prove how tough going of a comedic presence he is without Chow. A quiz and athletic competition between the colleges, lots of comedy with added sound effects and a decent Leung Kar-Yan/Gordon Lau fight later, it's merely later and absolutely nothing gained or saved. Also with Kingdom Yuen, Vivian Chow and Kent Cheng (in a role referencing his Fat Cat character from Why Me? and The Beloved Son Of God).

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As the narrated opening tell us, there are various ways to transport dead bodies and vampires across the land and various stories that accompany these rituals. Yuen Cheung-Yan ends up directing the most unbearably crap one out of those. Draining all sense of fun that the vampire movie used to have, the Mainland visuals are at times attractive (in an automatic way obviously) and certain scenes quite gleefully gruesome (including rodents being set on fire and potions being mixed up consisting of snakes blood and maggots). "Fun" ends there and the proceedings where our grating male lead and uncharismatic leading lady gets in various troubles with the locals (and some ghastly, lame romance finds its way into the torture as well) registers irritating because it doesn't go anywhere. No Yuen clan distinction or madness. You're no fun anymore, Yuen Cheung-Yan! Ji Chun-Hua (Red Sorghum, Fong Sai Yuk II) appear as the lead villain Zombie King.

Taylor Wong revisits the magic buddha's palm (previously seen in his 1982 Shaw Brother's movie Buddha's Palm), transferring the spectacle to modern day Hong Kong. Kung Fu Vs. Acrobatic opens with some wonderful clips from the old Tso Tat Wah Buddha's Palm-movies and it's a nice reminder of how Hong Kong really hadn't progressed in terms of its special effects usage (in this case, when employing animation) by the time 1990 came along. Taylor doesn't really make more of a mark from this point in the film and instead Wong Jing's script takes over.

Andy Lau and Nat Chan therefore gets to be thoroughly silly and stupid, with stupid also being the grade of the comedy. Wong Jing's insistence on trying to be clever by taking past dynasty characters into the modern era while poking fun at the popular culture of its day is far from it and falls flat completely. Some low-brows jokes gets to your funny bone but it's really shameful that that even happens. Within these loony Wong Jing shenanigans, co-star/action director Yuen Wah and the animators manage to entertain slightly whenever it's magic powers battle time. It's a long trek though to get the even slightly good stuff though.

Taylor Wong never really was a good director outside of fair promise showed in Sentenced To Hang and Buddha's Palm. Kung Fu Vs. Acrobatic has its title as the most prominent trait, which is obviously not a good final tally. Also with Joey Wong, Lau Shun and Tso Tat Wah.

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