In the last few months, I've become reacquainted with Jimmy Wang-Yu, whose movies I hadn't seen since Friday nights at the drive in back in the 70's. An authentic Asian superstar, Wang-Yu's movies usually have a simple plot familiar to any chop-socky fan. What sets him apart is that he had an appreciation of fighting styles from other countries that really liven up the fight scenes. (A great example of this is the movie "The Chinese Professionals".) This movie is one of the few to explain why karate fighters had an easy time with kung fu students but would always fall to the masters. If you're looking for a representative kung fu movie, this is the one. The plot is a template for most every kung fu flick that came after. Not as spectacular as his later films, but the climactic battle with Lo Lieh (star of another classic, "Five Fingers of Death") is well worth the price of the movie. Recommended.
Review of The Hammer of God
