A Storm is Coming: Casanova Wong’s Top 10 Fight Scenes

Out of all the old-school kung fu stars, arguably nobody lives up to their nickname more than Casanova Wong, the Human Tornado. A name bestowed upon him during his time in the Korean Army for his incredible spin kicks, it was a talent which saw him destined to be one of the legendary boot-masters to grace the silver screen.

Born in Korea as Kim Yong-ho, his kicks lit up the screen for 20 years from 1974 – 1994, warranting any title he appeared in worth a look. Starting out in Korea’s burgeoning martial arts genre, after featuring alongside fellow super-kicker Hwang Jang Lee in the likes of Secret Agent and Black Dragon River, in 1977 Casanova tried his hand (or rather, foot) in Hong Kong. Under the tutelage of Sammo Hung, his small but high impact role in Shaolin Plot saw him become a mainstay of kung fu cinemas golden era, going onto work with Sammo again on the likes of The Iron Fisted Monk and Warriors Two.

In the mid-80’s Casanova would return to Korea but continued to work, featuring in a number of co-productions between Korea and Taiwan, before directing and starring in his 1994 swansong, Bloody Mafia. Now, 26 years later, in 2020 Casanova will return to screens in the Korean production Tiger’s Trigger. He may be in his 70’s, but proving that age is nothing but a number, in the movie he’ll face off against the Scorpion King himself, Won Jin.

To celebrate his return to the screen, here at COF we’ve brought together 10 of his best fight scenes, listed in the movies they appear in from oldest to newest, as a timely reminder of the Human Tornado’s legendary bootwork. Check them out below – 

Four Iron Men (1977)

It would be a crime not to kick things off with one of Casanova’s early Korean kung fu flicks. Sure, compared to their Hong Kong counterparts the Korean kung fu genre was a little rough around the edges, but that’s also what give it its charm. Here Casanova unleashes against Kim Ki-ju in a scene which ticks all of the boxes from what you’d expect in a Casanova Wong starring 70’s slice of Korean ‘fu – bare chested heroics, kicks aplenty, and hilariously goofy wirework. What it lacks in technical polish, is more than made up for with the raw power behind Casanova’s arsenal of kicks. 

The Shaolin Plot (1977)

If you’re going to make your Hong Kong debut, doing it in a Sammo Hung choreographed Golden Harvest flick isn’t a bad start. Although it’s a supporting role as a warrior monk (alongside fellow Korean Kwan Yung-Moon), some say that Casanova’s fight scene in The Shaolin Plot is one of the finest displays of kicking ever put on screen. Unleashing in a battle which pairs him with Yung-Moon to take down the legendary Chan Sing, his piston kicking in this scene is a sight to behold, displaying balance, speed, and power in equal measure.

Warriors Two (1978)

Without a doubt Casanova’s most well-known role, as the lead in what’s considered Sammo Hung’s first Wing Chun movie, it’s ironic that his kicks are kept in check more than any other role he’s been in. However with a choreographer like Sammo, the action is expectedly top notch, and even though the focus on Wing Chun means it’s not a kick-fest, there’s clearly a principle of quality over quantity at work here. This is proven by the inclusion of possibly the most famous flying kick in kung fu cinema, performed against Fung Hak-On in the climatic scene, where he leaps over a table to deliver the finishing blow.

Duel of the 7 Tigers (1979)

In a movie already stuffed to the brim with 70’s kung fu stars and real life kung fu masters (it was financed by the Hong Kong Kung Fu Council – who admittedly sound like a group of old school villains), Casanova still left his mark in a flashback fight scene. Going up against Cliff Lok in that classic kung fu showdown location – the quarry – if you’re only going to appear in a movie for a couple of minutes, then this is a perfect example of how you make them count. Unleashing more kicks than it’s possible to keep count of, Lok does a great job of keeping up, resulting in a classic old-school fight scene.

Magnificent Wonderman from Shaolin (aka Golden Gate) (1979)

Another of Casanova’s Korean efforts, and in this one the crazy is cranked up to 11. One of the elements I enjoy about Casanova’s Korean output is that the fights often pit him against fellow Taekwondo practitioners, and here he’s pitted against a dangly earring adorned Hyun Kil-soo. Pitting Casanova’s Fire First (which literally means he’s powered by the sun, leading to several tense scenes involving cloud cover) versus Kil-soo’s Wind Blade, their fight sees them both delivering some high level bootwork, and rivals Four Iron Men for its inappropriate (but hilarious) use of wirework.

Avenging Boxer (aka Method Man) (1979)

Coming a whole 3 years before Jackie Chan and Mars lured Whang In-shik to a barn in Dragon Lord, its safe to say that Peter Chang and Hwa Ling did it first when they applied the same tactic to defeat Casanova in Avenging Boxer. The first time on the list for Casanova to appear as a bad guy, it was a stroke of genius by director Jimmy Shaw Feng, as he appeared even more unstoppable as a villain. Flexing his kicks against two opponents, in a barn rigged with traps to pacify his bootwork, the finale is a joy to watch for its inventiveness and skill on display.

The Master Strikes (1980)

A movie in which Casanova has a mental breakdown, goes insane, and puts in one of the most annoying performances ever committed to film. Until that is, the final fight. Set up as a 3 vs 3, featuring Casanova teamed with Ching Siu Tung and Meng Yuen Man to take on Yen Shi Kwan and a pair of lackeys, the plot sees him so out of it that at times he takes on all 5 of them! Featuring some amazing aerial kicking displays, and even a dose of sexual harassment, the finale of The Master Strikes may be a team effort, but Casanova’s contribution ensures its place on the list.

Tower of Death (aka Game of Death II) (1981)

Depending on which version you watch, this scene can appear in both Game of Death (the Sammo Hung edited Asian release), and its sequel. The closest we’ll get to a Casanova Wong versus Bruce Lee fight scene, here he’s called upon to face off against fellow Taekwondo practitioner Kim Tai-chung, standing in for the Little Dragon. It’s a ferocious fight, with Casanova recalling in an interview on the Hong Kong Legends DVD how it was particularly painful to repeatedly smash the plant pots with his kicks! Arguably one of the best fight scenes of the Bruceploitation genre.

Enter the Invincible Hero (aka Secret Bandit of Black Leopard) (1981)

Two of Korea’s best kickers go at it in the finale of Enter the Invincible Hero, as Casanova (here in villain mode again) faces off against Dragon Lee.  As expected the confrontation is as epic as it is goofy, it’s a Korean production after all, so Dragon Lee’s squeaky strikes are a given (and don’t even ask about the stickers stuck on the end of Casanova’s finger tips). What’s important is that it’s satisfyingly lengthy, and Dragon Lee gives as good as he gets. Watch out for the important lesson about not climbing a tree during a fight. For those left wanting more, they’d go at it again 12 years later in 1993’s Blues of Jongro.

City Ninja (aka Ninja Holocaust) (1985)

Half softcore porn, half kick-ass kung fu movie, City Ninja is one of those anomalies which we sometimes come across as kung fu fans. While both halves are equally enjoyable as the other, no scene quite tops Casanova’s assault on a gang of villains enjoying some downtime with a game of pool. It’s a rare treat to see Casanova throwdown in a contemporary setting, and here his kicks look particularly lethal. Steven Seagal and Jet Li have both attempted pool table beatdowns, but neither comes close to Casanova kicking a pool ball mid-air into some poor lackeys mouth, then punching it down his throat. Brutal!

If you have a favorite fight scene of Casanova’s which hasn’t been mentioned here, please give it a shout out in the comments!