THE HOT, THE COOL & THE VICIOUS
Rating:
Starring: Wong Tao, Tan Tao Liang, Tommy Lee, Sun Chia Liang
Director: Lee Tso Nam
1976, Hong Kong, First Films
 
A young rascal, Yuen Nam Shan, kills "Northern Leg" Lu’s (Tan Tao Liang) fiancée’s mother and hides. Lu, who also is security chief in the town of Black Stone, starts searching for him at his home. Yuen’s father, Mr. Yuen (George Wang) and also Black Stones major, claims that his son isn’t in the house and doesn’t let Lu search it. To save his son from jail he hires the renowned assassin "Southern Fist" Pai Yu Ching (Wong Tao), the only one capable of beating Lu. It then comes clear that Pai is a Government Officer and is in Black Stone investigating Mr. Yuen’s corrupt affairs. When the super-mean leader of all criminal aspects in Black Stone, "the living Pluto" Mr. Lung (Tommy Lee), gets involved, Lu and Pai have to face their ultimate kung fu nightmare.
 
Excellent kung fu classic!
Already from the cool old school intro with each of the characters doing their forms and their names appearing in bold white text, you know it's going to be a first class flick. It's very well done too.
Tommy Lee (or "Golden haired gorilla" as Wong Tao refers to him) is the scary, pale, hunchbacked and crippled Mr. Lung. Still, being crippled doesn't stop him from jumping down from huge trees laughing with an echo voice and kicking everybody's ass with his mantis fist and dragon kicks.
Wong Tao is good with his usual southern styles.
Tan with his leg skills is impressive too. He has amazing leg control, makes it look so easy.
 
The sound effects are neat too, especially when Tommy does his mantis fist, not to talk about Tommy's vicious echo-voice. As a plus Eastern Heroes have recently made a cool new sleeve for this and three other films ("Iron Monkey", Eagle’s Claw", "Snake Deadly Act") for the "late night classics collection".
The plot is great (well, good), the acting is great, and the kung fu is great, so go and buy it.

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