Film #365: THE MAN FROM HONG KONG

The Man from Hong Kong
3 out of 5 stars
Brian Trenchard-Smith brings us the first collaboration between Honk Kong and Australian cinema. Starring Jimmy Wang Yu (ONE ARMED SWORDSMAN), the film is a sort of mash-up of James Bond films, martial arts epics and - in a weird way - Italian Poliziotteschi, The acting is exactly what you’d expect, but what’s surprising is how stilted the martial arts is. Wooden, overly-telegraphed, and clumsy looking, the fighting is - quite frankly - a disappointment. Still… the film moves quickly and it never tarries too long on any one bit. Well, the fighting seems to go on forever, but the story itself moves along nicely. Worthy of viewing, but just check your expectations at the door.