The Thundering Mantis (1980)

I saw this kung fu movie under the title THUNDERING MANTIS and as other reviewers have mentioned, it has very poor picture quality and some appalling dubbing which doesn't make it a very easy film to sit through. Narrative-wise, it's a simple riff on the plot and ideas of DRUNKEN MASTER, with Beardy giving an energetic performance as a kung fu novice who gets into trouble with some bad guys led by screen veteran Eddy Ko.Beardy trains his physical strength by lugging giant fish around but is out of his depth in the fights until he befriends a precocious kid and the kid's wise old uncle who just so happens to be adept in the Mantis style. You can guess what happens next, and indeed THUNDERING MANTIS plays out exactly as you'd expect, at least up until the last twenty minutes. Beardy engages in horseplay and knockabout comedy (as in the previous year's KNOCKABOUT) while the Wong Fei Hung theme plays.The last twenty minutes is something else, however. A tragic chain of plot events sees Beardy's grasp of sanity finally snap and he goes completely berserk in the final fight scene, turning into a spitting, biting maniac with a performance that's completely off the wall. I know Jackie is sometimes pushed over the edge at the end of his movies (memorably in POLICE STORY) but Beardy's transformation here is something else entirely. A shame the rest of the film couldn't match it.

'The Kung Fu Connection' videotape has hilariously bad dubbing, the picture quality is poor and the sound scratchy, so the film has to work hard to impress. It also has a range of mood from goofy comedy to slow motion tragedy. The plot is basic and almost unsurprising. Yet there is a lot to admire.The action is brisk and the actors perform it well. Eddie Ko is great as always. Leung Kar Yan as Ah Chi is in overdrive. He doesn't walk down the street, he leaps and his face and hands are always mobile. He is convincing when he goes from gurning clown to vengeful fighter. The last fifteen minutes of the film are a sting in the tail and you wonder how such a film that has such a silly start ends with such intense pain. A corker of a finish to a good solid fu film

"Thundering Mantis" gives you what you expect from a Chinese kung fu movie--poor dubbing, lots of fighting (much of which is obviously fake), and a fairly predictable plot. The main musical theme is like something you'd find in "ChiPs", not really belonging to the movie, but rather amusing. And the introduction, oh boy, if you like cheesy fighting, you'll be rewinding like anything.This movie does do a few things right, better than most kung fu movies. I actually wanted the villains to get their butts kicked. The movie does a good job of showing how Hsia and his henchmen are increasingly cruel and sadistic. Moreover, I actually cared when the good guys suffered(!), especially the boy. "Thundering" even has some pretty funny scenes which are actually supposed to be humorous.Overall, it's worth viewing at least once. Some people may be repulsed by the ending, and there is a bit of swearing, but I still give it 6/10.

As the movie starts, you rapidly become aware of the fact that it's supposed to be a comedy. Not from any perceived attempts a humour, but from the ridiculous faces that are pulled by our protagonist as he gets into 'wacky' situations. Plot? Well, not really. Our bearded hero goes through the traditional ritual of making friends, beating up some bad guys, watching his friends die horribly and revenging them in a long and tedious manner. The kung-fu, while not as stilted as it would be in, say, a Chang Cheh movie, is nonetheless unconvincing and unspectacular. Even by the lowest of standards this movie has nothing going for it, and it should be avoided at all costs.