Operation Scorpio (1992) Review aka Scorpion King

"Operation Scorpio" UK DVD Cover

Director: David Lai Dai Wai
Writer: David Chan Chi Wai, Barry Wong Ping Yiu
Producer: Chan Pooi Wa
Cast: Chin Kar Lok, Lau Kar Leung, Kim Won Jin, Frankie Chin Chi Leung, May Lo Mei Mei, Wu Fung, Victor Hon Kwan, David Lo Dai Wai, Yuen Shun Yee, Yuen Tak, Fruit Chan Gor, Ricky Cheung Kwok Leung, Lau Sek Yin, Tiffany Lau Yuk Ting, Sai Gwa Paau, Sin Ho Ying, Tony Tam Jan Dung, Wang Han Chen, Yuen Mao
Running Time: 96 min.

By JJ Hatfield

The film is a period piece from China in the 1920‘s. A father and young son move from the country to the city for more work and scholastic possibilities. Draught, famine, chaos and invading marauders made life not only hell for millions of displaced Chinese it also took a toll of death. People were driven to the more populated areas just trying to survive. The film does not provide this background information however it helps the viewer understand the atmosphere that forced many people into very difficult decisions.

The pair find a tiny house and the father (Woo Fung) sets up a barber shop while he sends his son Yu Shu (Chin Kar Lok) to school. Unfortunately Yu Shu is bored with academics and prefers to spend his time day dreaming and drawing martial art super-heros. Naturally this causes a lot of trouble at school and the head master has warned him about not paying attention. Yu Shu knows his father will be very upset if he is thrown out of school. His father wants a better life for his son and he believes it is only through education will he grow up and be more responsible.

One night Yu Shu meets a young slave girl Mei Ling (May Lo Mei-Mei). His interest in her leads him to see a glimpse of – the amazing Master of Taekwondo, stunt man, and the absolutely best Boot Master – maybe ever – Sonny (Kim Won-jin Yuen/Yeung Jan). This is what you are here for! The movie isn’t bad but you want to see Won-jin! I have seen, well let’s just say many martial art movies. I have also seen a number of competitions, demonstrations and exhibits. I have not seen a man with the talents of Won-jin and neither have you unless you have seen this guy before!

Back to the story. Yu Shu is so overwhelmed at the talented moves of Sonny he has to draw them immediately. Most people would have stared in awe. Sonny usually wears white gloves. It’s not a problem keeping them clean as he does not use his hands to fight. He doesn’t need to.

Yu Shu overhears a conversation about selling girls into slavery and/or prostitution. He has to save Mei, and they run off and run into trouble. Yu Shu’s father knows they will be hunting for them and they take sanctuary with an old friend who owns a noodle shop. Of course he is put to work helping his “uncle” which he hates. He doesn’t want to learn to cook he wants to learn kung fu! Real Kung Fu, no weapons – except the human body. Just like he sees in his mind and draws on paper.

The young want -to- be hero trains with a new thinker (Don’t eat rice – eat meat!) in how to build up the body. He becomes friends with the head trainer Little John (Jean Pol) who lets him work for school dues. This segment of the film plays a little strange. Training camp is full of buffed guys in white shorts and shirts. Little John teaches Yu Shu what he needs to do to build up his strength. When he returns to the restaurant uncle (Lau Kar Leung) knows he has been letting Mei Ling do all of his work so he could be off training, and being irresponsible.

When Yu Shu returns exhilarated at his accomplishments he discovers Sonny and his gang friends were at the restaurant and well, it isn’t pretty. Yu Shu vows to give up drawing and his uncle stops him from burning all of his drawings. He agrees to teach Yu Shu “Noodle Kung Fu”.

Between Little John and the mostly patient uncle (Lau Kar Leung) the disruptive youth has grown into quite a fighter but he has lost none of his impetuousness. When his school mate’s slave is released she is captured again by the evil Triad run by Sonny’s father Wong (Victor Hon Kwan). Victor Han is the perfect villain with gold capped teeth, swathed in furs and wearing a lot of expensive jewelry and accessories, and sinister cackle ruling his organization from his home and a wheelchair. He is slimy, disgusting and has a thing for very young girls. His facial expressions are perfectly sickening – he makes a great villain!

Yu Shu gets Little John and his school friend to go with him to rescue the girls. Unfortunately their ruse is discovered leading the senior Wong villain to yell “Sonny” (a pre cursor to Sonny showing up and doing his truly awesome kicking!) Sonny also has a unique, to say the least form called “The Scorpion” and damned if he doesn’t scuttle around on the floor with one leg up in the air like the tail of a scorpion. Little John (who is anything but) holds his own against the lithe, agile Sonny with his Cantonese braid and hair over half his face. But Sonny kicks the shit out of Little John and they are forced to run away, and now the bastards have captured Mei Ling again!

Time to get serious. Yu Shu finds uncle and they return to Wong’s mansion, determined to save the girls! It’s going to take more than the kid’s skills and so we get to the really exciting part – The older experienced master (Lau) against a whole bunch of bad guys and then has to take on Kim. Lau choreographed this fight his signature is all over it and that is a very good thing! It must have a been a great feeling to be sparring with Lau Kar Leung on screen! Yu Shu helps out but it’s Sonny you really want to see. You really need to buy this film and watch it for yourself. Kim Won-jin is awesome in the truest sense of the word! He is absolutely freaking fantastic!!! Yes he is that great!

So where can you find more of this guy? Buyer be very very careful! I’m currently putting together a fact sheet on aliases and movie data on Kim Won – jin. This film was his first starring role! He sent the director and producer a demo tape and was hired immediately. Supposedly it was Sammo Hung who first said “We need this kicker!” And Sammo knows what he is talking about!

Kim Won – jin has spent years doing stunts and playing smaller parts in a few movies and did his own stunts except for one particularly dangerous jump from two floors and landing on stairs. The stunt man was seriously injured which led to rumors Kim was dead! Thankfully Kim is fine but I have never found out how the stuntman fared.

Why don’t I just tell you what movies he is in? Because I am still checking facts and need to make certain I give out the correct information. Don’t just trust a review or two, or even the IMDb. They do make mistakes, and they did with this film. (I sent them a nice note explaining their errors) I try to find three sources saying the same thing and I haven’t found that yet, but I’m working on it and will post when I have the data. In the mean time get this film and watch it a few times, you will anyway Hopefully I will be able to post a valid list of aka’s and filmography within the next couple of weeks.
If you buy a movie because Kim is supposed to be in it – you have been warned!

The movie as a whole is not perfect. Kim Won-jin is!

JJ Hatfield’s Rating: 8/10 (Kim Won-Jin 10/10)

By Yi-Long

Life is unfair! Why, easy! In a fair world, Kim Won Jin would have been a household name around the world by now, starring in movies with Jet Li, Jackie Chan and in movies like Crouching Tiger and The Matrix and Star Wars. In a perfect world, this guy would have been a millionaire, a legend, an idol…

Why!? Just watch him in this movie! After sending in a demo-tape showcasing his amazing abilities, he was asked to appear in this movie and what an appearance it is! Without this guy, this movie would have been BAD! It’s just another lackluster kung story about a young guy, played by Chin Kar Lok, who wants to learn Kung Fu to protect those who can’t protect themselves from evil.Nothing original there, just the typical boy-hood fantasy; become strong to defeat the bullies and make the world a happy happy joy joy place. Too bad for Chin Kar Lok then, but I was rooting for the bad guy in this one.

The kicking and athletic stuff Kim Won Jin shows here is simply incredible. This guy kicks like he’s in a computer game or something and jumps all over the place. Sure, some of it is wire-assisted, but a lot of it ISN’T! Forget about Ken Lo in Drunken Master 2 and forget about Whang Jan Lee; This is the new ‘Boot-master!’. It has to be seen to believe.

This movie shows why a talented guy like Chin kar Lok is totally unsuitable to play a leading man. He lacks the screen-presence, the comedy, the charisma, the ‘WHOOMP-THERE IT IS!’ other stars like Jackie Chan, Jet Li and Sammo DO have. I think his brother, Chin Siu Ho would have made a better leading man in this movie (considering his acting ability and charisma he showcased in Fist of Legend among some other movies). The supporting cast is also a mixed bag. The girl is non-impressive, the bodybuilder IS impressive, because although he’s amazingly muscular, he comes across as a confident, smart and bright guy. Lau Kar Leung plays his usual sifu-role with no surprises anywhere, although the fight he has at the end is pretty good against multiple assailants using a 3-sectional staff and a normal staff(especially considering his age; over 50 years old I guess).

The story, as I said before, is quite poor and you also shouldn’t expect any great cinematography. It’s pretty old-fashioned in style actually which is a shame because although Kim Won Jin is extremely talented and it certainly shines through big-time in this movie, the fight scenes could have been even better with some better camera-work. Another downpoint to the fight-scenes is that none of his opponents really look powerful, not even the lead Chin Kar Lok. In Fact, CKL looks like a wimp all the way through this movie, right till the ridiculous ending where he uses some weird crawling Eel-Fu (…yeah… the fish(!)…) to try and defeat Sunny.

I like Chin Kar Lok and have a huge respect for the guy and all the stuff he has done, action and stunt-wise, but he doesn’t make a good leading man.

So what we have here is a mediocre kung fu movie brightened up by the amazing kicking talents of Kim Won Jin. It’s a shame about the lack of charisma from the leading man, and a lackluster story, supporting cast and old fashioned cinematography, but it’s still enjoyable stuff nonetheless. Could have been much better though and ‘Sunny’ should have been a major star by now.

Yi-Long’s Rating: 7/10