Exploitation cinema is filled with titles that can lead to expectations of how a film will play out, only to be frequently let down due to a lack of budget or just plain chicanery from the producers. “The Korean Connection”, to give this feature its United States distribution title, sounds very bland and is a rip off from one of Bruce Lee’s features “The Chinese Connection (1972) which is better known to audiences as “Way of the Dragon”. That inevitably leads to certain expectations of Kung Fu Korean style. That doesn’t sound so bad and there is every possibility it will deliver. Now in Korea it was released as “He Who Returned with One Leg” or in the version I saw “Return of Single Legged Man”. Now this is a completely different expectation all together. A one-legged Taekwondo exponent? We’ve had one armed boxers and swordsmen but a one-legged fighter that certainly sounds intriguing. Am sure there is no way the producers will avoid delivering on that will they?
Tiger (Park Yong-cheol) is considered a paper tiger, an alcoholic wanderer with no prospects. When three men come looking for him, everyone is surprised given his circumstances. Yamamoto (Bae Su Cheon) has sent these three men to kill Tiger. After being rescued by Kim Sung (Kwan Yeong-moon) it is revealed in a flashback that Tiger was the adopted son of gangster Wang. Tiger had wanted to leave the gang and marry Hyang Souk (Jeong Ae-jeong) but Wang requested one last job. Yamamoto and Tiger robbed an armored vehicle killing the driver that turns out to be Hyang Souk’s brother. Guilt ridden Tiger abandons his life only to be dragged back in when it is revealed the Yamamoto has killed Wang and taken Hyang Souk as his wife. Shaken out of his stupor, he goes in search of vengeance but Kim Sung also has his reasons for his involvement and a final battle will lead to tragedy.
1970’s martial art’s cinema was dominated by the presence of Bruce Lee and so the Taekwondo style would appear to be a decent fit for a Korean action feature. At the time, the Korean industry was lacking the choreographic talents that were emerging elsewhere and this is shown up in the frequent fight scenes we get. The early duel between Tiger and Hyang Souk’s brother features the trampoline jumping effects that would be so predominant of the era and cause of much mirth in modern audiences. It also has the absurd sequence where we get sound effects of punches being thrown as the camera pans across the river with them underneath as if they are battling along the floor! Later fights are a bit more grounded and feature some flashy leg combinations amidst the standard crash zooms and other effects that you will either love or hate depending on how much you enjoy the trashier side of action cinema. It actually feels closer to the style of action that would be seen in the Sonny Chiba karate features of the era as opposed to a Hong Kong influence.
For a film set in the 1930’s, the fashion senses seem in a number of cases to be a tad contemporary for the time it was shot. It also features some wonderful moments of unintentional hilarity. The three assassins all walking in unison and turning as one when someone shouts make them look like a Three Stooges double act. Which is only furthered when there is a four way punch up with Tiger. Yamamoto’s laugh is more maniacal snigger and some of the “effects” will make you burst out laughing.
Time to address the elephant in the room. The Korean title. Do we get one legged Taekwondo action? Of course not. When you watch Wang Yu in his one-armed movies it’s blatantly obvious his arm is strapped to his side. So how were they going to somehow achieve this feat with a character using one leg. Answer – oh he broke one as penance. At least that is what is in the blurb promoting it and you don’t actually see that happening during the course of the film. Does it effect Tiger’s fighting? Of course not. He doesn’t even just use one leg for fighting and standing on the other. So don’t be fooled by the title. Park Yong-cheol is a flashy mover so compensates in some respects but just don’t expect a random moment of leg chopping. Which makes you question how is it the return of the single legged man?
The performances range. Park Yong-cheol and Kwan Yeong-moon at least have a presence despite the limitations in their roles. Jeong Ae-jeong appears practically sedated apart from one moment of grief which ventures into soap opera acting at it’s finest. Bae Su Cheon certainly gives a performance it’s just played over the top and the aforementioned maniacal snigger. Watch out for a cinematic debut though of Hwang Jang-lee one of the greatest movie villains in martial arts history. He is one of the henchmen so aficionados of the genre can have fun trying to spot him.
“The Korean Connection” certainly delivers on the action quota and as ever for this era, provokes much unintentional laughter at the sheer hokiness of the proceedings. This, though, is part of the entertainment and can be accepted as such. If you ignore any expectations set by the Korean title then this is a wonderfully so-bad-it’s-brilliant example of pure cheese. It’s one that you would expect a RiffTrax or Mystery Science theatre over dub on due to the utter nonsense you see on screen. Entertaining but just not in the way it was intended. As a final note. Keep watching to the end credits as there may be an explanation of the title (No spoilers but there is a sequel out there).
