Lee Hsi (a solid performance by Yeh Fang) accidentally kills his fiancé's brother in a fight. Lee promptly leaves town and vows never to fight again. He gets a job unloading boats in a small village. The ruthless Boss Chan (a perfectly hateful portrayal by Liang Tin) closes down the docks and puts everyone in the village out of work. It's up to Lee to face both Chan and his army of nasty flunkies. Director Ta Huang and writer Kuang Ni deliver a strong and compelling story about courage, morality and redemption that moves along at a steady clip, offers an interesting array of colorful characters, and certainly doesn't skimp on the copious raw, brutal and exciting martial arts fisticuffs. Moreover, the harsh, serious tone and bleak coastal community setting add extra grit to the absorbing narrative. The film earns bonus points for its realistic and unglamorous depiction of violence. Fang makes for a sympathetic tormented protagonist, with sturdy support from Di Chin as tubby, amiable bumbler Wa Ah-mao, Tien Ying Li as the hot-tempered Chu-heng, Wang Chung Tsung as tough, friendly foreman Uncle Lo, and Fan Chiang as Chan's sultry mistress Miss Ho. Top acting honors go to the ever-fearsome Bolo Yeung as the savage and intimidating Chiang Tai, who's the seemingly unbeatable henchman for the main bad guy. The climactic confrontation between Lee and Chiang is a total vicious corker. A worthy chopysocky flick.
Review of Chinese Hercules
