Kung Fu Jungle

                                                  
Director: Teddy Chen
Year: 2014
Rating: 7.0
Before I forget, I just want to say that people should watch this film through the end credits. It identifies all the many cameos by well-known Hong Kong actors and filmmakers of the past. Some I had noted, others I missed. I wish all films would do this. It also gives thanks to Hong Kong action films. This is basically an old-fashioned Hong Kong action film and when I say old-fashioned, I mean going back to the generic kung-fu films of the 1970s. But set in modern times. If you have watched many of those old films, you have no doubt come across many in which the plot can be written on a postcard. A man wants to prove his martial arts ability by challenging the masters and beating them - to death. In those old films, there were no legal consequences for killing and moving on to another master - but it seems in our day that makes you a murderer and the police come after you.



That is the plot - Fung Yu-sau - for reasons that are never really clear other than he is a psycho, decides that he has to kill the people considered the best in various forms - fist, kicking, grappling, weapons. His motto is martial arts are meant to kill. None of this namby-pamby gentleman winning. The duel is not over till one of them is dead. His final goal is to face off against Hahou Mo, considered the best all-around martial artist. In fact, Hahou is in jail for killing a man in a duel. Shorn of all the police activity, the romantic relationships, this is what the film is leading up to from the beginning. Donnie Yen as Hahou against Wang Baoqiang as Fung in a hell of a good fight - in the middle of a busy highway. Just pounding the shit out of each other and dodging cars and trucks. There is a lot of action in the film - the one on ones as Fung challenges the Masters one after the other, Hahou taking out 17 jail mates, a big set-piece as the police try and capture Fung and the finale.  My only complaint is that the action should have been strictly done in the old way as well - no reliance on wires. Just pure kung fu.  



The film begins with a bloodied Hahou turning himself into the police after having killed a man in a martial arts duel. He is an instructor for the police and has a martial arts school. He is sentenced to three years in prison. When he sees the news that one of his martial arts colleagues has been beaten to death, he knows that something is up. He fights 17 inmates to get the attention of the Inspector in charge of the murder case. Played by the wonderful Charlie Yeung. She was a much-loved star in the 1990s but went into semi-retirement in the 2000s. Hahou gives her a list of names of people who may be next. When he is proven right, she gets him out of prison to help track down the killer. 



Yen is his usual dour unexpressive self but after all these years I have come to expect no less. I would be shocked if he showed any real emotion. You can see him try at times, but it is like watching a man give birth. It is delightful seeing Yeung again in a pretty one-note role.  Yen's girlfriend who has a few nice minutes with a sword fighting Fung is Michelle Bai Bing. Wang Baoqiang is an interesting actor. Not a handsome typical leading man by any means, but he has become a big star on the Mainland with roles in Lost in Thailand, Monk Comes Down the Mountain and the Detective Chinatown series. I have actually seen him in a few films but had forgotten him, but he makes for a good villain here and his martial arts skills are used to good advantage. Some of the other actors in cameos are Alex Fong, Bey Logan, Fan Siu-wong, Mang Hoi, Kirk Wong, Alex Cheung, Cheang Pou-soi, Tsui Siu-ming, Yuen Cheung-yan, Sharon Yeung, David Chiang, Raymond Chow, Dion Lam, Yuen Bun, Bruce Law, Billy Chan, Andrew Lau, Peter Kam and others - all identified in the end credits. It is directed by Teddy Chen - I guess I can forgive him all these years later for Downtown Torpedoes and Purple Storm.