Bolo (1977)

User Rating:

4.2/10   

Director:

Bolo Yeung

Genre:

Action | Comedy

Tagline:

Justice finds strange allies in a gruesome pursuit for revenge

Plot:

Two convicts get freed from prison and become lawmen in a corrupt village. |

Plot Keywords:

One Word Title | Character Name In Title

Cast

James Nam	...	Service charge captain
Jason Pai Piao
Bolo Yeung	...	Bolo

Also Known As:

Bolo the Brute
Fists of Justice (UK) (DVD title)

Country:

Hong Kong

Language:

Cantonese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Sorry, Bolo, But You Should Stick to Acting...

The only film directed by Bolo Yeung throughout his long, illustrious career kicking ass in Hong Kong - and later America - martial arts flicks, Fists of Justice is an action-comedy apparently based on the 'Trinity and Bambino' spaghetti westerns, and tells the tale of two small-time criminals freed from jail to become sheriffs of a small, lawless Chinese village. In typical slapstick fashion, one is thin and clever (Ma, played by Jason Pai Piao from The Black Dragon) and the other is big and dumb (in this case, very big, because he's played by Bolo Yeung, here sporting a beard and, surprisingly, suiting it!) and this film chronicles the hilarious slapstick encounters the pair get up to as they try to protect their town from the corrupt villains who have all but taken it over.

Well, thats what id like to say. I tried to like this film, i really did - I am a huge Bolo Yeung fan and have long wanted to see this, his directorial debut. To say i was disappointed is an understatement... The storyline is confusing, the humour makes no sense and just hasn't travelled the East-West culture divide at all, and the direction is all over the place. Also, the terrible DVD quality didn't help either.

However, i won't be getting rid of this DVD, for one reason. As a film it was hugely disappointing for me, but as a showcase for Bolo, it did the job just fine! In particularly huge form and with his long hair and a beard, Bolo looks invincible here! His fight scenes are good and well choreographed (he also did the choreography), especially his fight against two attackers where he wields a pair of wooden staffs, and the final battle.

Overall, although i am glad i own this film because of its importance in Bolo's career - apart from directing it, this was really his first starring role after spending years stealing the show as a thug-for-hire - it is ultimately a bad film. As i said above, its complicated, unfunny and boring - and if it hadn't starred a certain Mr Yeung, would have faded into obscurity or been spliced into a Godfrey Ho 'ninja' flick many moons ago. I'm sorry, Bolo, i tried so very hard to like it...