Eagle vs. Silver Fox | aka Flying Martial Arts (1980) Review

“Eagle vs. Silver Fox” Theatrical Poster

Director: Park Yun-Gyo
Co-director: Godfrey Ho
Cast: Hwang Jang-Lee, Gwak Mu-Seong, Sarah Sit Chi-Lin, Nam Chung-Il, Chiu Chun, Kim Yu-Haeng, Pok Chung-Sit, Choe Mu-Ung, Kim Gi-Jong
Running Time: 95 min.

By Paul Bramhall

If there’s one aspect of the kung fu world that’s more deadly than any secret technique, it’s the IFD Films distributed kung fu movie. Virtually every readily available Korean kung fu movie from the 70’s and 80’s is likely to be viewed in the form of the IFD (or Asso Asia) version, a distribution label helmed by Tomas Tang and Joseph Lai. The pairs modus operandi was to take these kung fu flicks, reconfigure the plot (usually in its entirety) via an English dub, re-edit and cut like it’s going out of fashion (and occasionally even throw in scenes from different movies all together), and finally create new opening credits that replace whoever the original director was with their buddy Godfrey Ho.

The 1980 production Eagle vs. Silver Fox is about as classic an example of this as you can get. Not only do we get all of the above, but there’s also an element of Silver Fox-sploitation thrown in with the title, named after the villain of the piece played by Hwang Jang Lee. It was the role of Silver Fox in 1976’s Secret Rivals that put Jang Lee on the map, and on a couple of occasions the name would be resurrected in an attempt to make a movie more marketable. 1979’s Rivals of the Silver Fox was the first to use this approach, also a slice of Korean kung fu, although rather flagrantly it didn’t feature Hwang Jang Lee at all, with the name instead referring to a character played by Phillip Ko Fei. Eagle vs. Silver Fox does at least offer up Hwang Jang Lee as the villain, although there’s no silver wig in sight, instead opting for a spotted sliver robe that he’s decked out in for the finale. Does that count? Debatable.

Originally titled Flying Martial Arts, the director is in fact Park Yun-gyo. A journey man director who worked in Korea’s studio system from the mid-60’s through to his retirement in the mid-80’s, Yun-gyo would occasionally dabble in the kung fu genre. He directed Nang-hwa Secret Martial Arts in 1979, and acted as the Korean co-director on co-productions like Hitman in the Hand of Buddha and The Ring of Death (both of which also featured Hwang Jang Lee). It’s clear though that his real passion was horror, with such entertainingly titled entries in his filmography of over 30 movies like Witch Castle, Resented Spirit of Baby Bride Groom, Song of the Dead, The Haunted Wedding Dress, and Thousand Year Old Wolf.

It’s probably fair to say that in its form of Eagle vs. Silver Fox, it may not be entirely representative of Yun-gyo’s original vision, however anyone that regularly subjects themselves to the niche that is the Korean kung fu movie will be in familiar territory. 1980 was the busiest year in Hwang Jang Lee’s career, turning up in a total of 8 kung fu flicks that were released throughout the year, many of them cementing the trope of being the villain that turns up for the finale, regardless of how little he’s been in the movie until that point (Lackey and the Lady Tiger being a prime example). It’s also the only movie that he’d make in Korea that year, however as the 80’s progressed he’d work in his homeland more and more (in 1981 alone he’d make Hitman in the Hand of Buddha, Buddhist Fist and Tiger Claws, and Hard Bastard).

Despite Jang Lee understandably being used to promote Eagle vs. Silver Fox, he’s actually not in it all that much, mostly there to sit on a chair in the middle of a temple barking out orders to his subordinates (yes, the same chair you’ll see him sat on in a number of other Korean kung fu flicks) and provide the occasional evil laugh. His dubbed voice here is a particular highlight, seemingly being voiced by a Kenneth Williams soundalike, it’s a distinctive nasal rasp which I don’t think I’ve heard being applied to the legendary leg fighter in any other movie outside of this one. While similar voice work made the performance of actors like Dean Shek even more unbearable than they already were, here it adds a certain sense of hilarity to proceedings, with Jang Lee’s clearly poker faced line delivery serving as a ridiculous juxtaposition to the voice that comes out of his mouth.

The main actor (who we’ll assume is Eagle, although its never implicitly stated) is Gwak Mu-seong (hilariously credited as Mario Chan in the opening credits). A familiar face from the Korean kung fu movie scene, Mu-seong can usually be found in supporting roles in more popular Korean kung fu stars movies like Dragon Lee’s The Last Fist of Fury and Casanova Wong’s Lone Shaolin Avenger. In 1978 he got the chance to strut his stuff as a leading man, headlining Dragon from Shaolin, Return of Fist of Fury, and Four Infernos to Cross, and it’s easy to see why. While he may not be the most charismatic actor to have ever graced the screen, he had the moves, and could exchange kicks with the best of them.

Here he plays the son of a murdered freedom fighter looking to seek revenge for his father’s death (who was in possession of a “secret message”, which gets increasingly forgotten as the runtime progresses). As is par for the course, after narrowly escaping death he’s rescued by an old kung fu master played by Nam Chung-Il (Return of Red Tiger, Golden Dragon, Silver Snake). Chung-Il teaches Mu-seong the flying fist technique, in some of the most unconvincing training sequences ever committed to film, and he’s ready to go. Of course, to flesh out the runtime beyond the 20 minutes that the above would take up, Mu-seong also meets a girl played by Seol Ji-yeon (Lady Snake Fist, Raiders of Buddhist Kung Fu). Ji-yeon’s parents were also killed by the Silver Fox and his lackeys, and to top it off, it turns out that they’re betrothed to each other. So, the stage is set, they’ll kill Silver Fox and then start their lives together. Kung fu and romance! 

Godfrey Ho must have thought that romance alone wasn’t enough to fill out the runtime, as we also get some randomly inserted scenes of Hwang Jang Lee kicking trees and coconuts from 1982’s Blood Child, indicating that at least in the west, Eagle vs. Silver Fox was released a couple of years after it was made. Of course it could also be that he felt like Jang Lee just doesn’t do enough in the movies original form, so a couple of extra kicks were needed. Indeed on the action front he’s actually outshined by an earlier fight that takes place in a restaurant between Mu-seong and a kicker who I can’t for the life of me identify. Both go at each other with some fierce displays of footwork which incorporates Mu-seong also seeing off several of his lackeys at the same time (this is possibly the only fight scene that features someone being kicked up the stairs). 

It’s a shame to not be able to name the opponent, as he and his gang get the greatest introduction ever, in a scene which sees them strolling through a field while randomly busting out cartwheels, flying kicks, and random yells for no reason whatsoever. It’s masterful. Naturally regular Korean kung fu baldies Cho Chun and Kim Yu-haeng also make an appearance as Hwang Jang Lee’s bodyguards. I don’t know what it is with Korean kung fu movies and themed bodyguard pairings, with Enter the Invincible Hero’s peck flexing bodybuilders being another great example, but I like it. Their fight against Mu-seong is clunky and comedic, however the biggest surprise is that the final fight which pits Mu-seong against Hwang Jang Lee isn’t that much better. 

Jang Lee is also on fight choreography duty (the titles amusingly credit the Martial Arts Director as Silver Fox), a role he’d only take on one more time in the following years modern day set Buddhist Fist and Tiger Claws, and he does himself a disservice when it comes to his own showdown. As expected, Mu-seong takes a pummelling, and while many of Jang Lee’s villainous roles involve the tables being turned on him in varying degrees of credibility, the way he’s defeated here provides a wet leaf of an ending. Eagle vs. Silver Fox definitely isn’t in the higher echelons of the Korean kung fu genre, not out there enough to be entertaining in a so bad it’s good kind of way, and not fight heavy enough to recommend as a straight-up dose of kung fu goodness. If you’re left recommending a movie more for Hwang Jang Lee’s dubbing than for his kicks, then it’s fair to say Eagle vs. Silver Fox can safely be skipped.

Paul Bramhall’s Rating: 5/10