When Taekwondo Strikes
Director: Wong Fung
Year: 1973
Rating: 7.0
Aka - Sting of the
Dragon Masters
Angela Mao has the fire in her eyes in this film and is allowed to go the
full measure in her fighting scenes. She has a number of fights and is absolutely
tremendous in them. The look that she gets when she goes for the death blow
is quite something to see. The film takes place in Korea during the period
of Japanese occupation. A small group of Korean rebels under the leadership
of Jhoon Rhee are training in the martial art of Taekwondo to fight the Japanese.
As in most of these types of films, the Japanese are portrayed as evil monsters.
Angela Mao and her mother run a restaurant
and though she is Chinese, she sympathizes with the plight of the Korean people
and certainly has no love for the Japanese. She is asked by Jhoon Rhee to
do them a favor and is soon involved in the action. She comes face to face
with Sammo Hung who plays one of the Japanese henchmen. Poor Sammo, he gets
kicked around more than an old soccer ball in this film. At one point he
even gets a big chunk of his leg bitten off.
Angela is absolutely fierce in this film,
especially in a scene in which the Japanese hurt her mother. It’s a great
fight as Angela is surrounded by a roomful of Japanese with drawn swords.
She flicks her ponytail behind her and goes to work. Need I say who leaves
the room still standing? She puts the art of Hapkido to good use in this and
other excellent fights. Other than
Angela’s scenes, much of the rest of the film is fairly mediocre. The dubbed
dialogue is almost painful to listen to and the music belongs in soundtrack
hell. But for Angela it is well worth it.
My rating: 7.0
