Sammo Hung is a legend in the Kung Fu movie world and rightly so, starring and directing some of the greatest Kung Fu movies in the genre. Sammo as been acting since a some child during his days at the Peking Opera school, we later seen him taking on Bruce Lee at the beginning of the classic Enter The Dragon.
So i wanted to do a run down of my favorite Sammo Hung classics, kung fu style.
Warriors Two (1978)
Starring:Casanova Wong, Leung Kar Yan, Fung Hak On, Lau Kar Wing
Verdict:One of the best wing chun movies ever made, Sammo really was on top of his game in terms of choreography. Casanova Wong is fantastic as usual with his kicking ability, Fung Hak On plays a fierce villain and Leung Kar Yan is in fine fighting form.
Casanova Wong performs a brilliant jumping spinning back kick over a table, landing on his opponent. The training scenes are very well done, with the movie going in depth about the art and training for Wing Chun. You will notice other actors popping up throughout the movie playing small roles as thugs such as Yuen Biao, Lam Ching-Ying and Eric Tsang. This is a great movie, classic.
Odd Couple 1979)
Starring:Lau Kar Wing, Leung Kar Yan, Lee Hoi San, Mars
Verdict:Some say this is the best traditional kung fu weapon movie ever made, Sammo Hung vs Lau Kar Wing, what more can you ask for? I know, two lots of Sammo and Kar Wing, as both play masters and students of different generations. They meet for a duel every ten years to see whos weapon work is the best, both stars produce some excellent weapon work including the sword and the pole. Leung Kar Yan pops up later on to take revenge on the masters with a superb performance, which ends in a great fight between the three. The end fight brings more classic weapon work, the only guy who can match them for that skill is Lau Kar Leung.
Knockabout (1979)
Starring:Yuen Biao, Leung Kar Yan, Lau Kar Wing, Mars, Lee Hoi San
Verdict:Yuen Biao at his very best, his first official lead role and he goes all out, thanks to Sammo Hung. We know about Yuen Biaos background at the Peking opera school, years of acrobatics, well in this movie you witness them at the highest level. Biao and Leung Kar Yan work very well together, playing happy go lucky thief's which turns quickly into fighting and murder.
Lau Kar Wing plays a great villain, who helps the pair and teaches them, until something happens and they part. Sammo plays a begger who pops up throughout the movie and a lot more towards the end. The training sequences are the best i have seen, with Yuen Biao performing somersaults, back-flips, jumping spin kicks over the rope tied to the pole and Sammo Swinging it. In the final fight Sammo and Biao team up using monkey Fist to take on Lau Kar Wing.
The Victim (1980)
Starring:Leung Kar Yan, Chang Yi, Fanny Wang, Peter Chan, Wilson Tong
Verdict: The Victim is an out right classic. This movie has it all, a great story line with a nice plot twist at the end, great characters, superb fight scenes, makes this one of Sammo's best. Leung Kar Yan descried working on this movie, the toughest movie he has ever made, the fights are incredible with plenty throughout the movie. The end fight is brutal for all involved, the choreography is top class.
The movie has many great moments, just scenes between Sammo and Leung Kar Yan are funny and also deep at points. Early in the movie Sammo fights with a 3-section staff, showing some great weapon work, before ending the fight with a front flip kick to the face off Yuen Miu and then doing another back flip. The choreography is excellent, just fight after fight and keeps getting better and better until the ultimate climax between Leung Kar Yan and Chang Yi (Who plays a great villain). One of the best kung fu movies ever made, not just for the fights, but as a whole movie.
Magnificent Butcher (1980)
Starring:Kwan Tak Hing, Yuen Biao, Lam Ching Ying, Wai Pak
Verdict:When you have a team of people like this in one movie, it means only one thing, classic and it certainly is just that. This movie has many highlights, some incredible fight scenes, one of my favorites is the scene between Yuen Biao and Lam Ching Ying. The skill and timing between them both is out-standing and that's what you get with Sammo and Yuen Woo Ping doing the action.
We have some great villains on board also which include, Lee Hoi San, Fung Hak On, Lam Ching Ying, Chung Fat and Yuen Miu. The fight between Samo and Lee Hoi San as some great moments, Kwan Tak Hing vs Lee Hoi San doing the calligraphy is very well done. Another Sammo Classic.
Encounters Of The Spooky Kind (1980)
Starring:Lam Ching Ying, Wu Ma, Chung Fat, Peter Chan
Verdict:Crossing over Horror and Kung Fu was a great move for Sammo, gifting us this gem of the movie with excellent fight choreography. Sammo throughout the movie is trying to convince the police he didn't kill his wife, the copper being played by Lam Ching Ying. Sammo as to take on a fighting corpse, fighting the police in a restaurant due to his hand being possessed, taking on the spirit gods in the form on the monkey, also using a long spear against a haunted swordsman, it as many highlights.
If your looking to cross over from Kung Fu movies to Horror Fu then this is the perfect and best one. It had many movies come afterwards, such as the sequel Spooky Encounters, the Mr.Vampire series, Dead And The Deadly pus many more.
Prodigal Son (1981)
Starring:Lam Ching Ying, Yuen Biao, Frankie Chan, Dick Wei, Peter Chan, Chung Fa
Verdict:One of the best traditional kung fu movies ever made, superb fights, great characters, tension, comedy, everything. There is a nice mix of Sammos Peking Opera days being brought to the screen, with superb choreography which shows in fights such as Lam Ching Ying Vs The Ninjas, Lam taking on Frankie Chan, the end fight and some great training scenes.
Lam Ching Ying is great in his role, showcasing some great acting skills, switching from serious to funny very easily. Frankie Chan plays a good villain also coming into town challenging all the best fighters with 2 henchmen (Dick Wei and Chung Fat). Peter Chan and Yuen Biao work very well together also and Sammo is on hand in the later part of the movie in some brilliant scenes, Classic.
Other titles to look out for are: Hapkido, The Skyhawk, Hand Of Death, Iron Fisted Monk, Dirty Tiger, Crazy Frog, Incredible Kung Fu Master.
You need to go back to school and learn spelling, punctuation, and grammar now since all three are atrocious here.