cityonfire.com | Kickboxer

	Kickboxer "Clearly one of the many under-rated little gems that Yuen Biao has packed quietly away into his filmography." - Reefer Kickboxer (1993) Director: Wu Ma Producer: Yuen Biao Cast: Yuen Biao, Lui Sau Ling, Yuen Wah, Yen Shi-Kwan, Wu Ma, Sheila Chan Suk Laan Running Time: 92 min. Plot: Being forced by his Dad, Lau Zhai (Biao) joins a kung fu school call Po Chi Lam which was held by th legendary Wong Fei Hong. This is the heroic story about how Zhai became the famous "Kickboxer". Availability: This title is available at HKflix.com Reviews REEFER'S REVIEW: After the first thirty minutes of Kickboxer, it becomes obvious that this film would never have existed were it not for Tsui Hark's Once Upon A Time In China. The film seems to entirely unfold in the movie universe created in Hark's masterpiece. Along with borrowing some of Hark's visual style, there are pissy ponytailed gwailos who prove to be a problem, and a daughter of a local police chief who looks amazingly like Rosamund Kwan's cousin Yee (she even has one of the those cameras), and much of the costumes are the same (Yuen in one scene wears the round glasses and hat that Jet Li made famous). All these elements might be an attempt at parody that was completely lost on me. Never fear though, this is a Yuen Biao movie after all. This isn't the Jean Claude Van Damme pile of crap that you catch on the Superstation every other week. Eventually, we get to what he does best, which is comedy and ass kicking. Biao's Zhai arrives at Po Chi Lam School to train under the legendary Wong Fei-hong. Master Wong is gone on a trip and Zhai must contend with his other followers as he learns the ropes. Chaos awaits. Just about everything Zhai does backfires somehow, causing comic unrest in the rest of the group. This is a source of frustration for me, because in the many attempts at humor, Zhai is considerably dumbed down and not just naïve, only to be smartened up quickly when the story needs him to be. Nonetheless, Zhai gets himself mixed up with an opium trader played by Yuen Wah. To clear his name, he infiltrates Wah's gang and works with the police chief played by Wu Ma (I think its him, not completely sure), who is wonderful as a no nonsense cop. The cop also dons a pair of metal slippers that serve him well in the various fights. The fights are what you would expect. Fast, skillful, and acrobatic. Never boring. Unfortunately, a couple bouts unfold in dim lighting. I will continue to be confounded by these movies of decent budgets wasting film on murky fight scenes. But on the whole, there is plenty of eye-popping kung fu to go around. Catch another classic Yuen Biao-Yuen Wah duel here and know that these guys are at their best when pounding each other mercilessly with fists and feet. Clearly one of the many under-rated little gems that Yuen Biao has packed quietly away into his filmography. REEFER'S RATING: 7/10

Kickboxer

"Clearly one of the many under-rated little gems that Yuen Biao has packed quietly away into his filmography."

- Reefer

Kickboxer (1993)

Director: Wu Ma

Producer: Yuen Biao

Cast: Yuen Biao, Lui Sau Ling, Yuen Wah, Yen Shi-Kwan, Wu Ma, Sheila Chan Suk Laan

Running Time: 92 min.

Plot: Being forced by his Dad, Lau Zhai (Biao) joins a kung fu school call Po Chi Lam which was held by th legendary Wong Fei Hong. This is the heroic story about how Zhai became the famous "Kickboxer".

Availability: This title is available at HKflix.com

Reviews

REEFER'S REVIEW: After the first thirty minutes of Kickboxer, it becomes obvious that this film would never have existed were it not for Tsui Hark's Once Upon A Time In China. The film seems to entirely unfold in the movie universe created in Hark's masterpiece. Along with borrowing some of Hark's visual style, there are pissy ponytailed gwailos who prove to be a problem, and a daughter of a local police chief who looks amazingly like Rosamund Kwan's cousin Yee (she even has one of the those cameras), and much of the costumes are the same (Yuen in one scene wears the round glasses and hat that Jet Li made famous). All these elements might be an attempt at parody that was completely lost on me.

Never fear though, this is a Yuen Biao movie after all. This isn't the Jean Claude Van Damme pile of crap that you catch on the Superstation every other week. Eventually, we get to what he does best, which is comedy and ass kicking. Biao's Zhai arrives at Po Chi Lam School to train under the legendary Wong Fei-hong. Master Wong is gone on a trip and Zhai must contend with his other followers as he learns the ropes.

Chaos awaits. Just about everything Zhai does backfires somehow, causing comic unrest in the rest of the group. This is a source of frustration for me, because in the many attempts at humor, Zhai is considerably dumbed down and not just naïve, only to be smartened up quickly when the story needs him to be.

Nonetheless, Zhai gets himself mixed up with an opium trader played by Yuen Wah. To clear his name, he infiltrates Wah's gang and works with the police chief played by Wu Ma (I think its him, not completely sure), who is wonderful as a no nonsense cop. The cop also dons a pair of metal slippers that serve him well in the various fights.

The fights are what you would expect. Fast, skillful, and acrobatic. Never boring. Unfortunately, a couple bouts unfold in dim lighting. I will continue to be confounded by these movies of decent budgets wasting film on murky fight scenes. But on the whole, there is plenty of eye-popping kung fu to go around. Catch another classic Yuen Biao-Yuen Wah duel here and know that these guys are at their best when pounding each other mercilessly with fists and feet.

Clearly one of the many under-rated little gems that Yuen Biao has packed quietly away into his filmography.

REEFER'S RATING: 7/10