Return of the Chinese Boxer (1977)

Foreshadowing the climactic fight scene- which takes place in a barn crammed with life-sized dummies that look like Wang Yu-, the opening sequence of RETURN OF THE Chinese BOXER features Wang taking out his frustrations on a bunch of life-size training dummies. There are several firearms used throughout the movie, including an eight-barreled shotgun, wielded in the end by Lung Fei (who played the mysterious "man from Okinawa," a.k.a. The Kung Fu Beast, in Wang's epic THE Chinese PROFESSIONALS- a.k.a., THE RETURN OF THE ONE-ARMED BOXER). The highlights include yet another martial arts tournament with yet another assortment of wacky but oh-so-cool contestants (which include yet another pair of Thai kick boxers who don't hesitate to dole out the punishment, firearms that include a chained weapon with a trigger that allows the user to blow his opponent's leg off once the chain has ensnared said limb, and suchlike). Flying Dagger, another assassin gunning for Rabbit Fist (figuratively: he throws darts affixed with sticks of dynamite!), is busily refining his technique for his next confrontation with Rabbit Fist- but ends up accidentally providing Rabbit Fist with the means to overcome the vampires raised from the dead to hunt him down. (If that sounds like a mouthful, keep in mind that this is another Wang Yu masterwork, and is chock full of these little touches...) The scene where the trio of vampires are resurrected is worthy of Mario Bava himself (see PLANET OF THE VAMPIRES). The final battle features "robot dummies" of a decidedly STEAMPUNK nature: steam hisses from them when they are shot. Wang Yu was ahead of the curve when it came to steampunk, too. (Note: Wang Yu plays Rapid Fist; I prefer to think of him as Rabbit Fist...)

I found this to be a confusing at times martial arts period piece. The story has to do with Japanese and Chinese rivals, a pair of swords, and some pearls. Star Jimmy Wang Yu as the title character shows up only sporadically and doesn't get any real screen time til the end of the flick. There are still plenty of fight scenes without him though. And that's what this movie is all about. The fight scenes. Fans of his MASTER OF THE FLYING GUILLOTINE will find much to enjoy and much in common with this film. Outlandish villians with equally outlandish weapons. Unique fighting styles and interesting arenas of combat. Highlights include the trio of long-haired kung fu zombies as well as the showdown at the end in the barn of many Wang Yus.Crash Cinema's DVD is ok. Picture while wide-screen is a little scratchy and washed out at times. This english dub though is probably the only place to see this bit of 70's martial arts action.

This is the most brilliant piece of kung-fu rubbish I've ever seen. Horrible dubbing, such as how the japanese refer to the country of "Chiner" and the 5 sound effects used in the movie all add up to a delightful movie experience. It is without a doubt the most stirring actor-driven emotional drama I have ever seen. Plus, the more people you have, the more fun it gets! I totally recommend it!

While the world was transfixed with Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, and their countless clones, "Jimmy" Wang Yu was creating several minor masterpieces that have been overlooked by many fans, but still remain as an enormous influence upon today's martial arts films. Along with Jimmy's now classic "One Armed Boxer" series is another under-rated Shaw Brothers epic, "The Return of the Chinese Boxer."Jimmy has a style all his own. He is not, by any stretch of the imagination, a clone of Bruce Lee or Jackie Chan (Indeed, he was a star before either of these actors were well-known). Jimmy excelled in playing a kung-fun Everyman of sorts -humble, resourceful, and wearing a bemused smirk that acknowledged the ludicrous situations that he found himself in. He has been described as "the Cary Grant of Kung Fu," and for good reason.In "Return of the Chinese Boxer," Wang Yu is a one-man wrecking crew who finds himself the only man up to the task of stopping the Japanese invasion of Qing China. His enemies are formidable - batallions of riflemen, ninjas, and other assorted assassins who all want to kill the Chinese Boxer. Jimmy's enemies are hilarious, colorful, and well-armed...a signature of Wang Yu's films. The Chinese Boxer has to deal with a host of exotic weaponry, including a dozen-barrel shotgun! Of course, Jimmy is able to outfight and outwit them all.The ending scene is similar in nature to Wang Yu's other masterpiece of 1975, "Master of the Flying Guillotine." Like "MFG," Jimmy the Hero uses his wits as well as his fists to overcome his enemies. The last scene is superbly shot and you can sense Jimmy the Director laughing his head off as this scene was shot.If you're an Old School Fu fan, then "Return of the Chinese Boxer" is a must-see. Enjoy!