“Mysterious Footworks of Kung Fu” Promotional Ad
Director: Chen Wah
Cast: Charles Heung Wah-Keung, Michael Chan Wai-Man, Chiang Tao, Fan Mei-Sheng, Betty Ting Pei, Gam Ming, Mang Hoi, Do Ping, Kong Do
Running Time: 95 min.
By Matija Makotoichi Tomic
After starring in Eagle Claws Champion, James Heung realized he preferred working behind the scenes, so he founded Super Win Film with his brother Charles. Heung’s company produced only two films, Mysterious Footworks of Kung Fu and Goose Boxer, both of which didn’t do well at the box office, forcing brothers to leave the film business for a while. When they returned in the ’80s, it was with the newly founded Win’s Entertainment, which (next to Golden Harvest) became one of the most lucrative Hong Kong movie studios of its time. With Mysterious Footworks of Kung Fu being the worse of the two Super Win-produced films and one that didn’t get a lot of love from the fans, it would be a shame not to acknowledge what little good it has to offer.
Before cooperating with Heungs, Wah co-directed Bruceploitation biopic Bruce Lee’s Secret, second only to Ng See-Yuen’s genre classic Bruce Lee: The Man, The Myth. Without William Cheung Kei this time, Wah returned to the director’s chair only once more for a solo effort Mysterious Footworks of Kung Fu. Having Ng See-Yuen on board, Ni Kuang on the script, and Tommy Lee as the action director, Chan Wah had the chance to direct a minor classic of the genre but has instead made a fairly uninspiring kung fu movie whose strong point is its cast. What adds value to Mysterious Footworks of Kung Fu are some of the more unique kung fu styles Tommy Lee created for the movie and the intriguing historical background of one of the characters.
Though very loosely based on historical facts, Wah’s film is possibly the only kung fu movie to feature legendary Lau Sam Ngan as its central character. Lau is a kung fu master credited as the Lau Gar Kuen (Lau Family Fist) founder. Considered one of the oldest kung fu schools, Lau Gar Kuen is also one of the five ancestor styles on which all southern systems are based. Derived from a form of boxing practiced at the Kuei Ling temple located in Kong Sai Province in western China, the style is believed to be taught to Lau by one of the monks from the temple. Better known as Three-Eyed Lau, tiger hunter Lau Sam Ngan got his nickname thanks to the scar on his forehead, which resembled a third eye. According to the legend, Lau earned it in a close encounter with a tiger.
Sadly, Ni Kuang didn’t care much for the style Lau created or its founder, and in Wah’s movie Lau (now Three-eyed Liu) earned his scar after being hit with a hoe in a fight at a young age. Liu (Charles Heung) arrives in the town looking for luck but instead meets Beggar Su (Fan Mei-Sheng), who robs him of his money and then treats himself with a nice meal. Liu refuses to be a beggar like his newfound friend, believing his kung fu will provide him both the food and a job. And he’s right, as soon enough he is employed by Master Shang (Lam Kau), who’s secretly fighting the opium smugglers Yang (Tommy Lee) and Po Fang (Chiang Tao), masters of Shrimp and Crab techniques trying to restore the Qing.
Soon, both Liu’s benefactor Mr. Shang and his helper Hsiao-hung are killed because of Liu. The one behind their deaths is a homosexual assassin Leng Cheng-shan (Chan Wai-Man), who uses boobytraps and kung fu when eliminating his targets, for a price of five hundred dollars per kill. Realizing what he’s done, Liu swears revenge, but not before he’s been trained by a Shaolin master (Chan Siu-Pang). Being no stranger to Shaolin roles, Chang Siu-Pang had previously portrayed the treacherous monk in Fatal Flying Guillotines, as well as blind Abbot in Chang Peng-Yi’s directorial debut Shaolin Kung Fu Mystagogue.
Despite the trend, Wah’s film takes a more serious approach and even has a solid plot, introducing new characters and adding some humor along the way. The scene with Liu and Beggar Su spitting on their food is hilarious, as well as Liu’s scene involving two prostitutes. Telling him they are skillful at kung fu, Su goes off to gamble with Liu’s money while Liu starts warming up for the fight. Caught off guard, Liu runs from the room confused when his supposed sparing partners start taking their clothes off. Appearing in the role of Mr. Shang’s wife is Betty Ping. Seeing her cast here and taking the producer’s choirs comes as no surprise, as she married lead actor and future movie mogul Charles Heung in 1976.
After showing off with animal styles in a fight against an old uncle and a Monkey style fighter with a mustache, Liu’s Snake style proves inadequate to defeat the Shrimp and Crab duo. As his Shaolin teacher explains, Yang and Po Fang use northern techniques aiming at the weak spots of southern kung fu, and the only way to defeat them is to combine all 36 southern styles. Liu’s training focuses on strength and footwork and includes one-handed push-ups, among other methods.
Surprisingly, Tommy Lee’s action is nowhere near what he came up with in Goose Boxer, but some of his skill and creativity can be seen in the final fight where he and Chiang Tao take on Charles Heung and Fan Mei-Sheng. Tommy Lee’s character can’t stand dirt, something that Beggar Su uses to his advantage. After throwing cow dung into his opponent, he sticks his hands in it and then charges him. Lee couldn’t resist using undercranking, making his fight more ridiculous than impressive, but the final fight is no doubt a highlight here, however far from his best work it may be. Chan Wai-Man put on a solid show, adding a few kickboxing throws to the mix, and served as a temporary villain, as Wah saved Tommy Lee and Chiang Tao for the finale. Fan Mei-Sheng is doubled, most likely by Mang Hoi, who probably doubled for Lam Kau as well, and not just for the acrobatics.
While Goose Boxer stands as one of the better Hong Kong indies, Mysterious Footworks of Kung Fu sadly failed to meet the expectations. What’s even sadder is that Ni Kuang didn’t find Lau Sam Ngan interesting enough to consider writing a script for a biopic, which might have resulted in a more intriguing movie. As it is, Wah’s final movie is sadly a very forgettable one.
Matija Makotoichi Tomic’s Rating: 4.5/10
