You are currently displaying English
蠍子戰士 (1992)
Operation Scorpio


Reviewed by: mrblue
Date: 08/29/2010

Don't let Operation Scorpio's silly title and generic cover art fool you -- this isn't a dopey cheap spy thriller. Rather, it's a modern martial arts movie with a liberal dose of old-school flavoring that serves up tons of hard-hitting and high-flying action that should please fans of classic kung fu releases.

Reviewer Score: 8

Reviewed by: ewaffle
Date: 12/18/2007

“Operation Scorpio” has all but flawless martial arts action, an exciting story of loss, humiliation and ultimate redemption, bad guys so loathsome you can't wait to see them defeated and a hero who has to learn to be heroic through his trial and error attempts to emulate the gallant men around him. It has an unnecessarily clumsy structure, told as the fantasy of a Hong Kong schoolboy who would rather draw action cartoons than study Shakespeare but it is so involving that it is easy to miss the obvious markers and references to the cartoons.

The action choreography is done by three members of the royalty of Hong Kong films. It blends wire work with traditional martial arts practice and does it so well (and is executed so perfectly by the three main combatants) that watching Korean bootmaster Kim Won-Jin tumble over a high wall makes one think for an instant that he did the stunt on his own.

Kim is Sunny Wang, the son and main enforcer for Mr. Wang, a wheelchair bound criminal who buys young women from their impoverished families to work as maids. Since the sellers are illiterate the contracts are whatever Wang says they are and when women are shipped to foreign brothels neither they nor their families have any recourse. Wang is an especially malevolent and disgusting character even by Hong Kong movie standards where creating evildoers has become an art. Sunny is indispensable to his father; whenever a situation looks dire Sunny is summoned, being always near at hand and having unreal but credible in this context fighting skills. His joining a fight is always as decisive as the introduction of a modern armored brigade into a cavalry clash from the 19th century—his opponents simply don’t have a chance.

Liu Chia-Liang is perfect as Master Lo. He runs a restaurant and serves the best noodles for miles around. Master Lo is quietly competent and insists that Fei Yu Shu learn the most basic kitchen skills—scrub the pot, flip the noodles—and learn them perfectly. While it becomes clear that Master Lo expects his pupil to learn more than how to cook, his pride in his work shows through. There is honor in performing even simple seeming tasks correctly. We aren’t surprised when Master Lo turns out to be the last master of the Green Dragon clan, only that it took so long for him to decide to shed his disguise.

Chin Kar-Lok is also a martial-arts professional, overshadowed here only because Kim and Liu are so dominant. The movie revolves around him and his quixotic quest to learn kung fu well enough to protect Jade who is played with quiet intensity by the drop-dead gorgeous May Lo Mei-Mei. It isn’t surprising that he isn’t able, no matter how hard he tries and how much he practices, to match blows with Sunny Wang and it is when all seems lost that Master Lo takes off his shirt to show the distinctive tattoos of the Green Dragon Clan.

The fights are sublime, the action exemplary. Seeing Liu Chia-Liang wield the three section staff is like seeing Olivier do “Henry IV”—someone may do it better or even as well but it is hard to think who. Kim’s scorpion pose, solidly supported on his hands and one foot, body parallel to the ground and a few inches above it and his free leg curled forward so that his foot points at his opponent, was astounding when we first saw it, a real “What the hell...?” moment. The audience’s amazement was a reflection of how Fei Yu Shu felt and put us in the same frame of mind as our hero.

One theme that runs throughout “Operation Scorpio” is the power of imagination in the face of tyranny. The only blurring of the line between the schoolboy fantasy of saving the beautiful girl, defeating a despot and showing China the way forward and the “reality” of fear, pain and ultimate victory comes when Master Lo uses Fei’s drawings to illustrate to Fei how to counter the tornado kick and when to use the shadowless kick. Fei has been using every moment he could spare from learning kung fu, learning to cook and mooning over May to draw various stances and moves that he either witnesses or invents and he stretches the limits of his creativity in his ultimate test.

Highly recommended

Reviewer Score: 9

Reviewed by: j.crawford
Date: 12/09/2006
Summary: an inventive action comedy.

When a movie has a title like Operation Scorpio, it conjures up a military or a police action type film. Don't be fooled this time around. This film is an action comedy about a young man's interest in comic books, martial arts, and developing his drawing skills. A new R1 DVD presents the film in a sparking version that fans of the martial arts genre will want to check out. Chin Kar-Lok does a good job with the comedy and works well with Master Liu Chia-Liang. Action Direction by Master Liu, Yuen Tak, and Corey Yuen Kwai is quite inventive and impressive.



Reviewer Score: 8

Reviewed by: kiliansabre
Date: 09/11/2006
Summary: Check it Out

Yu Shu (Chin Kar Lok) fantasizes of being a hero, something that becomes his chance at a reality when facing against scorpion kung fu master Sunny (Kim Won-Jin in his best role). Training under Mast Lo (Liu Chia-Liang) and teaching himself his own eel style kung fu, Yu Shu attempts to right wrongs in his final battle against Sunny and his cronies.

Although no where near to the par of his 70s hits, Liu Chia-Liang attepts once again, with some success, to bring the old school martial arts feel to modern day film making. Kim Won-Jin is amazing as master of the scorpion style who has perfected his own brand of exaggerated martial arts, though weak in concept, high in style. Chin Kar Lok holds well as the lead, though the very end "bouncing" sequence was a bit of a lame wire-work finale. Overall very worth the recommend. A last chance to see Liu Chia-Liang handling the three sectioned staffed amongst other genuine martial arts practice mixed with new wire-work philosophy. If you love martial arts, check this film out, due credit based on Kim Won-Jin's unique style all of it's own. Also notable is a different version of eel kung fu than Dirty Kung Fu, practiced this time around by Chin Kar Lok, instead of Wang Yu.

Reviewer Score: 8

Reviewed by: Sydneyguy
Date: 09/18/2004
Summary: One of the best martial arts movie out there!!

Very under rated movie. I heard this movie did not do well at the box office, maybe because of teh lack of star power, but DAMN people missed out seeing this on the big screen.

A can not stress enough that this is a must see. Where else will you see Scorpion style, and fish style kung fu?? Where else will you see a fight between strength vs finesse.

Chin Kar lok doesn't look like much of a fighter but he does very well here. Frankie Chan the body builder vs Yuen Jung the korean is a must see fight. I think one of the best one on one fight scenes around.

The movie is also funny!! So whats your excuse, A must watch for all kung fu fans!!

8.75/10

Reviewer Score: 9

Reviewed by: balstino
Date: 07/04/2003
Summary: Involving and Uplifting definitely worth a watch!

This film is very old school in it's student/teacher approach but with some nice new ideas. I liked it a lot, the action is very flamboyant in places though. Errm, it's quite hard to describe really but this film is not all about a geezer who fights like scorpion, it has much more to it. Summary = Good.


Reviewed by: MrBooth
Date: 03/08/2003
Summary: Good

Operation Scorpio suffers a little from an overly cheesy and naive script and some embarrassing cinematography, but brings to the table sufficient strengths to make bearing its weaknesses worthwhile. It's chief strengths are two:

Lau Kar Leung
Kim Won Jun

Because these are simply two of the most accomplished martial artists out there. Lau Kar Leung is one of the greatest choreographers Hong Kong has ever known, and a profound influence on the development of HK martial arts cinema. Even at his relatively advanced age here, he still has incredible skills.

Kim Won Jun is several generations younger, but one of the most physically incredible martial artists I've ever seen. His speed, precision, flexibility and power are all jaw dropping. I'm really surprised we didn't see a lot more of him in HK movies after Operation Scorpio.

The plot for the movie is largely forgettable, though it does at least try to have some depth and feeling. The action scenes, however, are fantastic - the movie must be seen for these alone.

Reviewer Score: 8

Reviewed by: pjshimmer
Date: 01/21/2003

This is one of the coolest movies I have ever seen. While not perfect in reality, it's flawless in my book. Involved are one of my favorite directors (David Lai), my absolute all-time favorite action director (Yuen Tak), the most dynamic on-screen kicker (Kim Yuen Jung), the most profound martial artist in the industry (Liu Chia Liang), as well as Chin Kar Lok. No other modern-day film can match the superb action sequences of Operation Scorpio, the ultimate treat for action fans.

[9/10]


Reviewed by: danton
Date: 01/03/2002

Fun movie. Harkens back to the martial arts movies of old, and while most of the film/story is pretty forgettable, the fight scenes are well done, especially the extended final confrontation. Recommended for fans of the genre, especially considering that the pickings have been slim lately.


Reviewed by: Inframan
Date: 11/08/2001

A modern old school kung fu flick. All the classic elements are there, the underdog hero learns kung fu from a master, develops his own style and proves himself by taking on the bad guy.

It moves kind of slow, but is entertaining enough to keep you on for the finale. And what a finale it is, some of the most over the top fight coreography since Drunken Master 2. A must see for action fans.


Reviewed by: hellboy
Date: 08/29/2000

An old fashioned chop-socky. Unfortunately the film suffers a bit from a weak lead character, but delivers more than it's share of stand out fight scenes. Not since The Five Deadly Venoms has the scorpion stance looked so good!


Reviewed by: MilesC
Date: 12/09/1999

Although this film doesn't really take off action-wise until the end, I'd recommend it for people who want more of the same but a little different. There's enough here to keep action fans happy, but the setting and story are different enough to keep the more jaded viewers from writing it off as just another kung fu flick. Chin Kar-Lok has a very small hand in the action, but that's made up for by the fact that the villian is one of the coolest I've ever seen. Very charming and enjoyable movie.


Reviewed by: hkcinema
Date: 12/08/1999

The story revolves around a comic illustrator who's life takes adramatic turn when he gets involved with an escaped house servant of an evil tyrant. The tyrant's son, who is proficient in scorpion style, takes on all comers in a beautiful display of acrobatics and kinetic footwork. Different off-the-wall martial arts philosophies are explored when the illustrator hooks up with masters of two completely different styles: one focuses on power/strength and the other focuses on "Wok-Washing" techniques. When the two are combined with a third add-libbed "Eel" style, the results are funny and jaw-dropping. The movie never takes itself too seriously. The story, humor, characters, choreography, and stuntwork make for a great double feature with say ... Project "A". Check it out.

[Reviewed by Anonymous]