The Victim (1980)
Reviewed by: magic-8 on 2002-03-01
Summary: When Old is New Again
When you get tired of watching the seemingly endless number of Hollywood influenced dross coming out of Hong Kong, or are just nauseated from the bad flicks, return to the golden age of martial arts films like "The Victim." Starring and directed by Sammo Hung, you can't go wrong. Sammo plays a bully in search of a master. Featuring Leung Kar Yan as the reluctant master, "The Victim" contains high octane kung fu, with a plot that offers a surprise or two as well.

The film breezes along at a nice pace with Sammo in top form, both as a martial artist and as a comedian. For a film that's over 20 years old, it is still as inventive and entertaining as ever. Sammo may be embarrassed by current movies like "The Avenging Fist," but he is vibrant and fresh in "The Victim." Granted, some of the directing techniques of that bygone era show their years, but the work by the Sammo Hung Action Group is top notch and peerless. So when your taste for CGI is sated and you really want to see how Hong Kong made its name in martial arts films, see "The Victim" for a dose of that old time kung fu.

(This film is available in videocassette, vcd and dvd, and also a dubbed version for English speakers. Seek it out. You'll be glad you did.)