Hong Kong Superman (1975)

Hong Kong Superman (1975)
aka Bruce, Hong Kong Master ; Hong Kong Strongman
Chinese Title: 香港超人大破摧花黨
Translation: Hong Kong Superhuman Destruction Flower Party

 

Starring: Bruce Leung Siu-Lung, Sylvia Chang Ai-Chia, Stanley Fung Sui-Fan, Dean Shek Tin, Carter Huang Chia-Ta, Gam Chuen, Ou-Yang Sha-Fei, Helen Poon Bing-Seung, Sammo Hung Kam-Bo, Bolo Yeung
Director: Ting Shan-Hsi
Action Director: Bruce Leung Siu-Lung

 

I caught this obsure film on Youtube, being dubbed by one Russian guy talking over the English dub. Thankfully, he was always a second off, so I was able to get most of the dialog and know what was going on the whole film. This basically a kung fu version of Death Wish. Hong Kong, 1975: The economy is bad and lots of people are out of work. That has turned Hong Kong into cesspool of muggings and sexual assault, by young men who have nothing better to do, or by drug addicts needing money to buy drugs. Bruce Liang plays the top student at his martial arts school (whose instructor is played by Carter Wong in a brief cameo), who is hired to be the chauffeur and bodyguard of a famous politician, who simultaneously helps the poor and tries to bring back the death penalty. Both men suffer tragedies in their lives when the politician's wife is raped and little son is violently beaten by drunken revelers on Christmas Eve. Then, Bruce's future brother-in-law (Dean Shek) and his wife are assaulted. The wife is kidnapped, repeatedly raped and eventually dies. Dean Shek goes crazy and tries to go all Paul Kersey on the culprits, but is arrested for unlawful possession of a firearm. Bruce reaches his breaking point and decides to take out the trash, kung fu style. Or to quote Cobra: "Crime is the disease, and Bruce Liang is the cure."

While the early scenes of muggers running rampant around Hong Kong have the "kung fu fodder" feel to them, the film becomes surprisingly somber in the second half. The first rape sequence, while not explicit, is extremely suspenseful because it feels like Bruce's employer's wife will successfully get away from the hooligans at some point. And even when they catch up to her, Bruce is already on his way to help out. So you keep on rooting for her to hold out for a few more seconds until Liang can dish out the kung fu goodness. He does, but by then, it's too late. The second rape sequence is less suspenseful and just flat-out disturbing, because you know that there's nothing the woman or her husband can do to stop it. Watching Dean Shek lose his marbles and then get arrested and threatened with 10 years in prison for trying to right the wrong committed against him is even more nerve-racking. By then, you want to see those rapists DIE!

The last 25 minutes or so is just pure action. Bruce Liangs fights his way from one band of hooligans, thugs, ruffians and hoodlums to the next. As a calling card, he leaves an Ultraman toy in the mouth of one of his targets, thus gaining the nickname "Superman" by the media. The fights aren't anything we haven't seen from Bruce Liang in other films: just a barrage of spin kicks, roundhouse kicks, reverse punches and machine gun punches. Sometimes we even get a jumping hook kick. He even does a Van Damme spinning jump kick in one fight.  There's no doubt that the man knew his bootwork, although people wanting less serious fare could get much of the same thing somewhere else. The climax has him finally facing off with the rapists, who are part of a gang of drug dealers led by: Bolo Yeung and Sammo Hung. If you want to see Sammo Hung as a slimy villain pulling the shirt off of a woman strung out on heroin, this is the film for you!

It's not a bad film and if you like Bruce Liang's fighting, you'll enjoy his work here. But there are other, less disturbing films to get a dose of his brilliant bootwork out there.