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ÅK¤û¥ñªê (1974)
Iron Ox, the Tiger's Killer


Reviewed by: Gaijin84
Date: 07/10/2006
Summary: Horrible until the last 15 minutes...

Unfortunately, I felt that Iron Ox fell into the trap of a typical revenge kung fu movie too quickly, and then only tried to right the ship in the last scene of the movie, far too late to change my overall negative impression. Chan Ming Lung's vengeful quest to find the killer of his master was something I've seen too many times to be interesting. The acting is wooden and the fight scenes, although plentiful, are either once again under cranked or slow and poorly choreographed. One factor that may have lent to my disappointment in the film was the horrendous transfer that I watched. At least 20% of each side of the film was cut off, leading many scenes to simply be a shot of the set, with voices heard from non-existent actors. Add that to the sub-4th generation VCR tape quality, and you have a pretty un-enjoyable viewing experience.

This review refers to the Video Asia DVD release of the film, partnered with "Jade Hairpin" as a double feature.

2/10

Reviewer Score: 2

Reviewed by: STSH
Date: 12/28/2005
Summary: Keeping a promise

The story here is about promises, revenge and misunderstanding. In other words, the classic motivations for a kung fu movie. This one is a bit offbeat, in that the hero is also somewhat of an anti-hero. Wong Goon Hung plays a hero who takes some pretty villainous actions, as exemplified by his character's relationship with the Intelligence Chief who of course represents law and order. Ming Lung, in keeping his promise, becomes a vigilante, and resorts to kidnapping to find out who killed his Sifu.

The action is plentiful and of pretty good quality. There are even a few gimmicks, such as a well-performed fight on a runaway cart, and a dominos game at a casino where the stakes go from money to a cup of blood to the dealer's life.

If you're looking for something just a shade off the beaten track of 'you-killed-my-master-I-must-take-revenge' rut, then this one is worth a look.

Reviewer Score: 6