122 - The Fearless Hyena

Connection To THE INVINCIBLE EIGHT - James Tien.

Before watching the remastered widescreen version of this in it's original language recently, I had only ever seen the full screen dubbed version on VHS, this mean't my opinion had been that to say it most diplomatic - this was one of Jackie Chan's lesser efforts - but seeing it how it was mean't to be seen - I have to say this film is a lost classic - in my humble opinion it deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as Drunken Master and Snake In The Eagle Shadow (seriously).

Going back to the VHS days - I hope I can explain this well, we are talking this is 1990 - 93ish my brother was starting his lifelong love for Hong Kong cinema and particularly Jackie Chan and with him buying the VHS means I got to see (albeit dubbed) classics such as Police Story, Project A and Wheels On Meals - and there was sort of 2 Chan camps, the early Chan and the more recent Chan, the early Chan where worse prints and worse boxes, everything means I saw them as the lesser films, that's what Spiritual Kung Fu was (called Karate Ghostbusters) or something like Half A Loaf Of Kung Fu, and of course (to remain relevant) The Fearless Hyena, and like I say these titles where lumped together as before Chan's prime - even though some films like this where made after Drunken Master - and was no way going to get as much play as Police Story.

The Fearless Hyena which was also Chan's directorial debut (from 1979, the year after Drunken Master) was I think him trying to prove a point - there's loads of fighting, comedy but also drama (just to prove he could do it), some of this was probably aimed at the director Lo Wei who he had up until then recently being under contract to just to say if you let me be - look what you could have had.

While it's not entirely original (even in the Chan oeuvre) hitting the marks as you would expect, there is both vintage Chan fighting and Chan comedy (and Chan in drag as the picture suggests), and while some scenes might echo say Drunken Master, Chan adds enough to them to make them seem fresh.

Overall, avoid the dubbed full screen and if you get a chance to see a decent print in the original language to me you'll be beyond pleasantly surprised. Recommended.

121 - The Invincible Eight

Connection To THE VICTIM - Sammo Hung who worked on the film and can be seen briefly.

Strictly (UK) speaking from my point of view here - The amount of Hong Kong cinema on DVD compared to what's potentially released is quite low, true a lot of the work from the HK superstars is available - but alas sadly it seems, a lot of the company that release these titles, end up going bust sooner or later including the awesome Hong Kong Legends, and even though it would be nice to have DVDs of many of the films, places online like YouTube have end up being awesome featuring stuff that is not necessarily the easiest to come by and best of all they can often come in the original language.

Which brings me to The Invincible Eight, an early film from Golden Harvest, at one point the homes for Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan among others, which I got the chance to watch online - this did get a release on the Legendary Collection in Hong Kong itself which all of sudden out of nowhere all went out of print - which is directed by Lo Wei who did go onto direct the first two Bruce Lee Hong Kong films and Jackie Chan (which wasn't a creative partnership), actually this was made the same year as The Big Boss with all signs pointing that it was made before.

I really did end up enjoying this - I was expecting something Magnificent Seven like, based on the title alone, and to be fair I think there is shades of a western movie influence in here, you tell me the last shot of the movie wouldn't be out of place in a western? The plot is basically 8 people who end up with revenge on their mind, and involves them eventually teaming together to take down the big boss.

To me this was Angela Mao's movie, it had the most energy whenever she was on screen, and are character was among the most enjoyable but it was pretty good the eight had distinct enough personalities to stand out from each other.

Overall, there is probably better kung fu movies with better fighting etc. but I was left satisfied and was rooting for the eight to get their revenge, if you like the old kung fu movies there is no reason why you won't like this. 

120 - The Victim

Connection To ENTER THE FAT DRAGON - Sammo Hung.

Sammo Hung like a lot the actors working in this time period in Hong Kong (let's say early 70s to early 90s) where often prolific, multiple films released in the same year where there American counterparts might have not have done half their amount. What is great though say - about Sammo Hung films is that you are discovering new films all the time, which never ever end up being quickies made around some of their most famous work, they stand up on their own as pretty cool flicks.

While it's fair in my mind to say 70's period kung fu can sometimes blur together because I think of similar locations/clothing and the inevitable of the same actors popping up - six degrees of HK cinema is probably the easiest game in the world - they are films that I want to see - there's usually a cool villain, cool fights, revenge (often the master or relative like the father) which make them reliable and fun.

And whilst The Victim doesn't stand out too much it's still a film I enjoyed thoroughly, maybe because it had a bunch of the hallmarks of these period kung fu movies plus the whole Sammo Hung-ness (yeah that's a thing... apparently) of the movie make the film a good watch.

I must say the villain with his eye-patch I kept thinking Bond villain, but I think it was subconscious in many way because it hit me that he looked like (a Chinese) Javier Bardem, who yeah was the most recent Bond Villain.

Overall, not a game-changer in it's genre but a solid movie with decent fight scenes and the occasional good laugh, recommended.