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THE
EAGLE'S KILLER (1981)
Tai
Seng/Martial Arts Theater
Directed
by William Chung Kei
Produced by Chang Chuen
Written by Wong Jing, William Chung Kei
Cinematography by Lin Tse Yung, Chang Wei
Music by Eddie Wang
Fight Choreography by Ching Ming, Li Ta Min
Cast: John Chang, Hwang Jang Li, Fan Mei Sheng, Cheng Kan Yeh, Chin Pei
Ling, Chiang Kam, Kao Yuen, Chen Liang, Mei Chi
Video:
Full Frame (1.33:1)
Audio: Dolby Digital Mono 2.0
Subtitles: None
Packaging:
Keepcase
Chapter Stops: 8
90 Minutes
EAGLE’S KILLER is a martial arts
comedy starring John Chang, (Chinese name Chang Wu Lang), a talented
martial artist and character actor who worked for both the Shaw Brothers
and the various independent production companies. He played villains for
most of his career during the 1970s and 1980s (and a few heroes, too).
Chang had key roles in THE 36TH CHAMBER OF SHAOLIN, WRITING KUNG FU, and
SHAOLIN MANTIS. John Chang also starred opposite Jackie Chang in the
original DRUNKEN MASTER and SNAKE IN THE EAGLE’S SHADOW. John Chang was
one of Jackie Chan’s better on-screen adversaries, and Jackie liked him
so much that he recruited Chang to play his opponents in POLICE STORY 2,
WINNERS AND SINNERS, and the landmark PROJECT A series. Opposing John
Chang in EAGLE’S KILLER is Korean martial arts champion Hwang Jang Li,
the man who boasts some of the best high-kicking skills in the entire
realm of Kung Fu (but sadly he got typecast as a villain). Still, you can
count on Hwang Jang Li to steal pretty much every scene he has appeared
in, overshadowing such co-stars as John Liu (THE INSTANT KUNG FU MAN),
Meng Hoi (BUDDHA ASSASSINATOR), Jimmy Liu (DRAGON’S CLAWS), and even
Jackie Chan (DRUNKEN MASTER). Seeing as this is a comedy, EAGLE’S KILLER
features a capable supporting cast, including the venerable Fan Mei Sheng
(Black Whirlwind from SEVEN BLOWS OF THE DRAGON). The movie also stars
Shaw Brothers character actor Cheng Kan Yeh (THE HEROIC ONES, NEW ONE
ARMED SWORDSMAN, CHALLENGE OF THE MASTERS) as one of the flunkies. Chiang
Kam, the overweight loser from MAGNIFICENT BUTCHER, FLAG OF IRON, and KID
FROM KWANGTUNG also figures prominently in EAGLE’S KILLER. This English
version is owned by Ocean Shores hence the imminent release on Tai Seng’s
Martial Arts Theater series.
John Chang is Tai, an orphan who desperately seeks to learn the martial arts; so much so that it gets him into constant trouble. Tai’s got superb coordination and agility, but no guidance or leadership in the martial arts. One day Tai observes Lo Hsin (Hwang Jang Li) dispatching a team of hired killers, and begs the devious one to train him. Instead, Lo Hsin turns Tai over to a gang of slave traders. Tai is rescued by Chin Pai To (Fan Mei Shang) and the two of them fight their way out of the gang’s clutches. As his lackeys are unable to stop our heroes, the gang leader hires some professional fighters to dispatch Tai and Chin Pai To. Soon, the duo have their hands full when they are confronted by these fighters who each employ a different form of martial arts expertise. The gang leader is shocked to learn that Tai and Chin Pai To have defeated his hired fighters. Instead he vows to eliminate the duo by hiring the most ruthless and effective assassin in the land to do the job—Lo Hsin! The gangsters and Lo Hsin join forces to subdue the heroic duo and they are easily able to track down Chin Pai To and eliminate him. When Tai discovers the broken body of his comrade, he swears revenge against the cold and calculating Eagle’s Killer!
The director William Chung Kay (AKA Chang Chi) previously gave us DEATH DUEL OF KUNG FU, NINJA SWORDS OF DEATH, and NINJA VS. SHAOLIN GUARDS. Here, the emphasis is on humor, which there is plenty of since William Chung Kay is working from a script by the clown prince of Kung Fu, Wong Jing. But even the humorous moments here are stale bits we’ve seen before in a hundreds of these things. John Chang and Fan Mei Sheng engage in a martial arts chopsticks duel while eating rice. The rascally Chiang Kam and John Chang get involved in a sequenced kitchen brawl with a butcher knife, resulting in Chang nearly losing his toes and Kam nearly losing his genitals. Fan Mei Sheng battles the various gangsters with all the Yuen Woo Ping-isms that he can muster. Early on, John Chang desperately seeks a Kung Fu master leading to all sorts of awkward comic situations; and this becomes a tired joke throughout the film’s running time. The only original humorous moment comes when Chang first witnesses the killer himself, Hwang Jang Li in action. He is so amazed by Hwang’s agility that he begs to become his student. The Eagle Killer refuses of course, and the persistent Chang follows Hwang’s every move. Eventually, Hwang takes him under his wing to teach him Kung Fu, but it is all a trick so Hwang can sell Chang to a white slavery ring!
If you don’t like humor with your martial arts flicks—if you actually crave plot, characterization, and intelligence, then EAGLE’S KILLER is not the movie for you. Hwang Jang Li as the killer is perfect casting and he goes around dispatching his victims with a technique called the Secret Fist, which looks like a modified version of the Eagle’s Claw. Any film which features Hwang Jang Li is worth its weight in gold, but the Korean boot-master is barely in this one for more than 15 minutes (including the climatic 10 minute battle). The entire movie leading up to this final showdown is John Chang’s comedic escapades and how he runs afoul of a bumbling Chinese gang spearheaded by a stuttering Cheng Kan Yeh. The John Chang versus Hwang Jang Li showdown is pleasingly executed, yet not worthy of sitting through the first hour of EAGLE’S KILLER. Remarkably, the most entertaining part of the movie is the opening title sequence, which like most films of this era takes place on an interior soundstage. John Chang and Hwang Jang Li show their impressive skills by taking on an army of stuntmen. Too bad EAGLE’S KILLER does not live up to the potential of this demonstration.
SIGHT
EAGLE’S KILLER was filmed in 1981 on low grade film stock. So there is plenty of discoloration, blemishes, grain, etc. Having stated that, this is a solid technical transfer from Tai Seng. The full frame transfer sacrifices the movie’s low production values, yet fully retains the intensity of the fight choreography. The depth of the image provides unusual clarity, and the detail level is not compromised. The colors are subdued, but not to the point of distraction. EAGLE’S KILLER is a dark looking film and all the exterior shots look like they were filmed on cloudy days. The perfectly calibrated black levels help anchor the dark imagery. The fight choreography is overdone at times, with some over-cranked or slow motion sequences. Hwang Jang Li, as usual, looks superb with his limited screen action. The bulk of the battles consist of John Chang and Fan Mei Sheng making fools of the gang members. Remarkably, the choreography contains no swords, staffs, or any other weapons (other than a butcher’s knife done for comic effect).
SOUND
The sound on Tai Seng’s disc is Dolby Digital Mono 2.0. The frequency levels exhibit a broad range of highs and lows, resulting in crisp and clear acoustics. EAGLE’S KILLER is mainly dialog driven with the expected martial arts sound effects (such as kicks, chops, clanging blades, etc.). The English dialog is easily audible, yet the British and Australian dialects are sometimes distracting. There is no hiss, background noise, or other audio anomalies evident in the soundtrack. EAGLE’S KILLER also features an impressive original score by composer Eddie Wang. The music includes bits of Jazz, Lounge, and Electronica—unorthodox music for a Kung Fu flick but effective. The sound elements blend together equally for an overall pleasing acoustic experience that VHS tape cannot match.
FEATURES
There are English language trailers for upcoming Tai Seng special edition DVDs (all trailers are widescreen with Dolby Digital Mono sound):
- RUNNING OUT OF TIME
- DRAGON INN
- ARMAGEDDON
- THE DUEL
- FIST POWER
- BODY WEAPON
- DEADFUL MELODY
- THE ASSASSIN
- FISTS OF FURY (TV)
There is also the requisite 30-second Martial Arts Theatre compilation trailer.
CONCLUSION
EAGLE’S KILLER certainly contains some worthy elements such as John Chang, Hwang Jang Li, some fine fight choreography, and a pleasing score. At the core of this movie is goofy martial arts clichés and stereotypical characterizations. Hwang Jang Li, Fan Mei Shang, and Chiang Kam play the same characters as they have in other films, so EAGLE’S KILLER absolutely breaks no new ground in any way, shape, or form. The generic direction of William Chung Kei and lazy scripting of Wong Jing do nothing to elevate this one from the pack. Certainly, there is no lack of talent involved in the production of EAGLE’S KILLER, and keeping this in mind the end result is quite run-of-the-mill and unsatisfactory. On the bright side, Tai Seng delivers a solid technical presentation.
EAGLE'S KILLER is available from HKFlix.com
-- Tony Mustafa
| Movie: |
2.5 |
| Video: |
3.0 |
| Audio: |
3.0 |
| Extras: |
1.0 |
| Overall: |
3.0 |
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