CHINATOWN KID (1977)

Aspect ratio: 2.39:1 (Shawscope)
Sound format: Mono

Fleeing from vengeful gangsters in Hong Kong, a young fighter (Alexander Fu Sheng) relocates to San Francisco, where he falls prey to Triad duplicity.

Often regarded as the late Fu Sheng's signature role, this action-thriller from prolific director Chang Cheh uses the standard martial arts framework (ie. any excuse for a punch-up!) as backdrop to an entertaining - though lightweight - examination of the pitfalls often experienced by Chinese citizens abroad, and the circumstances which can divide even the staunchest heart. Chang's screenplay (co-written with Ni Kuang and James Wong) makes a virtue of these old-fashioned motifs, pairing loose-cannon Fu with mild-mannered Taiwanese student Sun Chien (playing the role behind geeky glasses, though his broad frame and handsome features generates an entirely different impression from the one intended!), who clings desperately to his ideals and suffers accordingly, while naive Fu takes the easy route to success (acting unwittingly as a gangster's stooge) and almost loses his soul in the process. However, the characters' emotional angst soon gives way to numerous episodes of unarmed combat, as Fu is forced to defend himself against all-comers, and the fluid choreography (by Lee Ka-ting and Robert Tai) is a joy to behold. The movie is also historically significant for its introductory teaming of five superb martial artists who would later comprise a formidable screen partnership known as the Venoms (Sun, Chiang Sheng, Lu Feng, Phillip Kwok and Lo Meng), though the group wouldn't be 'officially' recognized as such until the following year, in Chang's THE FIVE VENOMS.

On this evidence, at least, it's easy to see why Fu is still regarded as one of Shaws' most beloved stars: Charming and athletic, without being remotely conceited, he commands the screen through sheer force of personality, and his fighting prowess (so ably demonstrated in countless similar films) is second to none. Sun is equally attractive and dynamic, though he takes something of a back-seat until the climactic showdown between Good and Evil, at which point he cuts loose with an awesome display of combat skill. Shirley Yu and Jenny Tseng provide glamorous female counterpoint to Chang's fixation on magnificent kung fu heroes, and while the ladies play minor roles in the unfolding drama, fans will doubtless appreciate the diversion, however slight. Production values are sparse but solid, and cinematographer Kung Mu-to conspires with art director Johnson Tsao to charge the panoramic screen with gleaming colors and richly-textured images. Some critics have derided the film's unsuccessful attempts to recreate San Francisco locations on the Shaw Bros. backlot, though the project is strong enough to survive these minor blemishes.

Sadly, the narrative is compromised by edits imposed on domestic prints by Shaw executives, sacrificing entire scenes and a major subplot involving a gangster played by Choi Wang. As such, the film seems a little choppy and incomplete in places, partially resolved by video prints which have restored much of this absent material, to general acclaim. Given the movie's inherent quality, it would be nice to see all extant versions made available to the general public, to settle the long-running debate over which is the 'definitive' edition.

[Cantonese and Mandarin dialogue]