Director:
David Lai Dai-wai Year: 1992
Rating: 7.5
When this film was released in 1992 it
landed with a thud at 126th in the yearly Hong Kong Box Office roundup. There
were so many action films being released at the time that it got lost in
the crowd and soon disappeared from sight like a wanted man for murder. A
large part of the reason for this is that none of the actors were anything
close to box office magic. The leading man is Chin Ka-lok who we have all
seen dozens of times in action films - often related to Sammo Hung - but
never as the lead - he was usually much further down in the list of credits.
But he was a talented guy as were so many of the actors on Sammo's team -
and he became a very solid action choreographer as well. But as a leading
man? Not really. The sweetheart in the film is played by May Lo, a popular
actress but not really a box office draw. The villain who basically steals
the show whenever he is on the screen was Korean actor, Kim Won-jin, who
has an indifferent resume of Hong Kong films. And the secret ingredient is
Lau Kar-leung - very famous as a choreographer but a bit long in the tooth
to get the kids into the theater. So it sank like a dead man in concrete.
But over time on video it began to gather
a reputation as people recommended it to others like they were in the know
- hey man Operation Scorpio rocks, you have to see it. The three names associated
with the choreography should have given the rest of us a hint - all legends
- Yuen Tak, Corey Yuen and Lau Kar-leung. I have no idea how they split up
their duties - Lau probably choreographing his scenes. But whoever did what,
they did it amazingly well. The action in the film in fact does rock. Incredibly
inventive action scenes in which you can lean back and just go, how did they
do that. At the same time I was surprised that there wasn't more of it -
they actually have the nerve to take a big middle chunk of the film to develop
character and a story (with a faint resemblance to the Karate Kid). So you
end up with a film with some action in the beginning and a whole lot at the
end and with a plot in the middle. And it is all hand to hand martial arts
- with the use of wires at times but still a beautiful thing to see and a
wonderful display of forms - whether real or made up I don't know but the
Scorpion form from Kim Won-jin is the coolest thing you will see this week.
For reasons unknown, I have had this DVD on my shelf longer than the life
span of most species but finally got around to it.
It takes place in the 1920's with China
in chaos, rampant corrupt and little law that can't be bought. In an opening
scene we see a hero break up a gathering of rascals up to no good - but then
realize that it is just a daydream by Fei Yu-shu (Chin Ka-lok) while he is
in class. He draws super hero comics and is the kid everyone can beat up.
Circumstances allow him to come across Jade,(May Lo), a maid about to be
sold into prostitution. He also witnesses Sunny Wang (Kim Won-jin) take on
another Korean actor (Kwon Sung-young) in a wonderful little smack down.
Fei ends up rescuing Jade and finds refuge in the home of Bull (muscleman
Frankie Chan Chi-leung). And later with the slavers after him he, his father
(Wu Fung) and Jade hide out in the noodle shop of Master Lo (Law Kar-leung)
who as we all expect turns out to be much more than a noodle maker. Once
the action reignites with about 30 minutes to go, it is non stop happiness.
