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What Price Honesty?

Original title: Mu wu wang fa
  • 1981
  • 1h 29m
IMDb RATING
6.8/10
99
YOUR RATING
What Price Honesty? (1981)
ActionAdventure

3 Idealistic officers, He Zhong Heng (Piao), Luo Zhnag (Chien) and Ying Hao (Sau-Yin), find corruption and deceit rule the department, magistrate and jailers. Will they succumb to corruption... Read all3 Idealistic officers, He Zhong Heng (Piao), Luo Zhnag (Chien) and Ying Hao (Sau-Yin), find corruption and deceit rule the department, magistrate and jailers. Will they succumb to corruption? What cost must be paid to stay true to ideals?3 Idealistic officers, He Zhong Heng (Piao), Luo Zhnag (Chien) and Ying Hao (Sau-Yin), find corruption and deceit rule the department, magistrate and jailers. Will they succumb to corruption? What cost must be paid to stay true to ideals?

  • Director
    • Hao-Chuan Yuan
  • Writers
    • Kuang Ni
    • Hao-Chuan Yuan
  • Stars
    • Danny Lee
    • Chien Sun
    • Lieh Lo
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    6.8/10
    99
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Hao-Chuan Yuan
    • Writers
      • Kuang Ni
      • Hao-Chuan Yuan
    • Stars
      • Danny Lee
      • Chien Sun
      • Lieh Lo
    • 5User reviews
    • 1Critic review
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
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    Top cast

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    Danny Lee
    Danny Lee
      Chien Sun
      Chien Sun
      Lieh Lo
      Lieh Lo
      Jason Piao Pai
      Jason Piao Pai
      Hsiu-Chun Lin
      Hsiu-Chun Lin
      Lily Li
      Lily Li
      • (Guest star)
      Hung Chan
      Leung Chan
        Shen Chan
        Shen Chan
        • Prison Governor
        Ping-Tsan Chang
        Han Chiang
        Han Chiang
        Nan Chiang
        Nan Chiang
        Szu-Ying Chien
        Szu-Ying Chien
        Tien-Chu Chin
        Tien-Chu Chin
        Chin-Hai Chou
        Kin-Ping Chow
        Kin-Ping Chow
        Ming Fung
        Ming Fung
        Chi-Wai Ho
        • Director
          • Hao-Chuan Yuan
        • Writers
          • Kuang Ni
          • Hao-Chuan Yuan
        • All cast & crew
        • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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        Storyline

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        User reviews5

        Review
        Review
        Featured review
        5/10
        "What Price Honesty" - Corruption drama with some martial arts
        An obscure film from a two time only director, this feature one of the "venoms", Sun Chien, and solid martial art actor Danny Lee and a whole lot of familiar Shaw supporting actor faces. Lo Lieh has a modest role as the "King of Robbers".

        Three graduates from constable academy are sent to their rookie jobs in a modest sized town. Instructed to enforce a royal edict to end all gambling, the three friends immediately run afoul of a corrupt magistrate and his crooked police force. The police captain regularly confiscates criminal's loot and shares it with the police officers, he also gives some back to the criminals and lets them free! The three new officers are taken aback by the rampant corruption and are not sure what to do. One wants to fight the system, Sun Chien doesn't want to endanger his family's income and the third rookie just wants to quit. Finally they take a vow to uphold justice but immediately are sent to capture the "King of Robbers". The wicked police captain doesn't back them up hoping that the "King" will kill the idealistic rookies for him. The third rookie is killed but the "king" is captured. The King is given a light prison sentence and the two remaining rookies are distraught at the injustice of the system. Meanwhile the corrupt magistrate and the police captain are conspiring against them.

        Despite the cast, this film is heavy on drama and while there is a good amount of action it's rather uninspired unless Shen Chan, Sun Chien or Lo Lieh are in the action. The action highlight is a duel between Lo Lieh and Danny Lee. Unfortunately Sun Chien's character is sort of a coward and therefore the script doesn't allow him to do anything like he does in the "Venom" films.

        An interesting story gets a Shaw assembly line treatment. Nothing terrible, nothing special. The film is choppy in several places and goes off track about 40 minutes in with an unnecessary, extended attempted rape that has some actress running around naked for a couple of minutes. Once that's over the film goes back to the story and is watch-able again. There are some gory scenes and a lot of scenes of men getting beaten.

        Nothing to go out of the way to see.
        helpful•3
        3
        • ChungMo
        • May 18, 2007

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        Details

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        • Release date
          • 1981 (Hong Kong)
        • Country of origin
          • Hong Kong
        • Language
          • Mandarin
        • Also known as
          • Muk miu wong faat
        • Production company
          • Shaw Brothers
        • See more company credits at IMDbPro

        Technical specs

        Edit
        • Runtime
          1 hour 29 minutes
        • Color
          • Color
        • Sound mix
          • Mono
        • Aspect ratio
          • 2.35 : 1

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