Game of Killers | Blu-ray (Terror Vision)
Director: Hui Sing-Yue
Cast: Barry Chan Wai Ji Wan, Lung Chan, Chu Shao-Hwa, Chun-Eah Lung, Su Kuo-Liang, Tu Kuei-Hua, Lin Wan-Chang, Lin Kuang-Yung
Running Time: 81/90 min.
By Will McGuire
Recently I reviewed Dark Forces’ kung fu double feature Shadow Fist Hunter and Deadly Kung Fu Factor those of you who were shopping discs on Black Friday last year may recall that at the exact same time those discs who going up for pre-order venerable label TerrorVision was dipping its toe into the kung fu physical media pool with Game of Killers, which was being restored from a previously unknown 35mm print. The film was supposed to drop in January but with the concurrent discovery of the original Mandarin language track, TerrorVision wisely delayed pressing to get absolutely the best version of the product they could onto your shelf.
Game of Killers is a loosey-goosey kung fu comedy released in the wake of the immense success Sammo Hung and Jackie Chan were having with kung fu comedies. Barry Chan (The Black Tavern, this film marks his only turn as action director as well as star) plays a principled assassin who dresses like one of the Venoms and is paired in the opening scenes with Chu Xiao Hua playing a filthy ragamuffin and this relationship between the two is what is most notable and fun about the film. You get a sense instantly that they just love one another’s moxie and when they square up for a mock showdown to the saxophone of Henry Mancini’s Pink Panther theme, you know you’re not in for an odyssey of stoic revenge.
Game of Killers is a “shapes” film and it takes an anarchic pride in having fun with the archetypes of this genre. There’s a really fun fight with the “Yin Yang” bandits- a male/female duo of one eyed killers drinking complementary red and blue potions. My personal favorite is the blind swordsman who seems for all the world like a loving parody of Shintaro Katsu’s Zatoichi. The actual plot of a treasure map is just a thin excuse to hang a selection of themed fights together leading up to the final battle with a gray-browed Eagle Claw specialist who can kill with a single strike.
TerrorVision did an excellent job with the release which features an excellent interview with Barry Chan as well as a really superlative video essay from Shaun “FuForThought” Williams. The transfer is extremely workmanlike but the first five minutes are a measure worse than everything that follows so don’t get discouraged when you first start the film.
As for the quality of the film itself…I’m very happy to have a lost kung fu film restored like this, and I agree that barry Chan is someone who should come up for critical re-evaluation more based on the supplemental materials but this specific film has neither the workmanlike excellence of Shadow Fist Hunter nor the bizarre “slice of life” sleaze of Deadly Kung Fu Factor. It is a brisk 87 minute kung fu comedy with a lot of action and a lot of jokes but the jokes are very broad and other than the final showdown there isn’t really a standout brawl to be had here. There is nothing wrong with Game of Killers and if you’re a completionist or a fan of the old school kung fu film, I’m sure you’ll find the piece enjoyable but to me like a disposable film. Light, fun, and forgettable but if you’re looking to be blown away by fights you’re not going to find that here.
Will McGuire’s Rating: 6.5/10
