Incredible Shaolin Thunderkick (1982) Review

“Incredible Shaolin Thunderkick” Korean Theatrical Poster

AKA: Water Retailer of Shantung
Director: Kim Seon-Gyeong
Cast: Benny Tsui, Eagle Han Ying, Chae Eun-hui, Nam Po-Dong, Choe Myeong-hui, Jang Cheol
Running Time: 78 min.

By Paul Bramhall

There can be no denying that the old-school Korean kung fu movie comes with a bad reputation, one which in my humble opinion isn’t entirely warranted. Sure they have a lot going against them, number one being that almost all were picked up for international distribution by Godfrey Ho’s Asso Asia Films, and subsequently chopped up, re-edited, and dubbed into atrocities rarely resembling the original version. However even without the legendary cut ‘n’ past ninja master’s interference, Korea’s output was decidedly different from its Hong Kong and Taiwanese counterparts. Bizarre humor, wire-work that can best be described as ‘imaginative’, and clearly low budget, all amount to a sub-section of the genre that’s an acquired taste. It just so happens that I’m one of the few whose tastes have been manipulated enough over the years to find a certain charm in Korea’s always unique take on the genre.

If I was going to attempt to make someone a fan of old-school Korean kung fu flicks though, lets establish now that it wouldn’t start with an introduction involving Benny Tsui (whose real name is Seo Byeong-heon). One of the many enigmatic stars of the kung fu genre, Tsui headlined 4 movies spanning 1982 and 1983, and disappeared. He pretty much played a simplistic idiot in all of them, and although his face was usually partly obscured by horrendous wigs, he has more than a passing resemblance to Korea’s current premier fight choreographer, Jung Doo-hong. 3 of the 4 movies made up the Shantung Trilogy, in which Tsui plays a bumbling vagabond water boy (although he plays a different character in each one) in a Korean speaking town in ancient China.

Water Retailer of Shantung was the first of the trilogy, re-titled Incredible Shaolin Thunderkick internationally (although Shaolin isn’t featured in any of them!), which was followed by Shantung Chinese Restaurant from the same year. In 1983 Tsui would make his final screen appearance in the 3rd entry, Gay Woman from Shantung, which was bombastically re-titled 7 Star Grand Mantis internationally, and would never be heard of again. Watching any of Tsui’s short filmography (even Bruce Lee’s is longer!) requires a certain amount of patience and tenacity. Much like most kung fu movies in the early 80’s, thanks to Drunken Master kung fu comedy was the order of the day, and the Koreans seemed to believe they were in a competition to see who could create the most annoyingly juvenile kung fu flick. Thanks to genre pioneers Elton Chong and Benny Tsui, many would argue that they won.

To watch any of the Shantung movies, it’s good to set some expectations. Staples include Tsui finding himself in a situation where he’ll have to dress up as a woman, and there’s usually always a fight which involves him distracting an opponent by kissing them. Oh, and the water, this deserves some kind of explanation. So Tsui’s character is able to down whole pails of water, which result in him developing a bloated stomach which he’s able to use as a weapon. If that sounds completely crazy, then bear in mind it was done first in the 1980 Elton Chong vehicle The Snakes Strikes Back (aka Dae-bok’s Martial Arts). Whatever illicit substances were circulating around the Korean kung fu filmmaking community in the early 80’s, I’d love to know what they were. With all this being said, you may be wondering why on earth anyone would subject themselves to such slices of the bizarre.

Well, there’s a good reason, and that’s the action! It’s rarely spoken about, but the choreography in Korean kung fu movies made huge leaps from the mid-70’s to early-80’s. While the mid-70’s choreography was ambitious, it was also clunky, with the likes of the Bobby Kim starring The Deadly Kick and the Casanova Wong vehicle The Mighty Four being perfect examples. By the early 80’s, the choreography had become faster, crisper, and there seemed to be a greater understanding of how to incorporate taekwondo’s kicks into intricate exchanges. Both Tsui and Elton Chong’s movies highlight the latter, with the fight scenes in their movies undercranked to just the right level of intensity, and featuring some truly stellar boot work. The price the audience has to pay, is that the increased quality of the choreography is only matched by the increased insufferable nature of the comedy. Some will see it as a worthy trade off.

All 3 of the Shantung movies are helmed by Kim Seon-gyeong, a director who was no stranger to the kung fu genre, having extensively worked with Casanova Wong on the likes of Black Dragon River and Magnificent Wonderman from Shaolin in the 70’s, and helmed the Korean shot parts of Killer Constable. Similarly, all 3 also co-star the legendary Eagle Han Ying. One of the most criminally underrated kickers of the golden era, Han Ying is one of those performers who brightens up any movie he appears in (ok, maybe with the exception of Return of Red Tiger), and also took on choreography duties for the first 2 entries. In all 3 movies he plays the Sam Seed styled beggar, who ultimately ends up teaching Tsui kung fu. In Incredible Shaolin Thunderkick he’s rather unceremoniously introduced resting at the bottom of a tree Tsui has climbed up, who proceeds to accidentally pee all over his face. Comedy gold in the first 5 minutes!

Really the plot is hardly worth going into, as it’s so scattershot and all over the place, that any attempt to make sense of it feels more troublesome than its worth. But to give a very brief in-a-nutshell version, a villain murdered Tsui’s father 10 years ago, and Eagle Han Ying agrees to train him so that he can have his revenge. Any further elaboration would be futile. Of course, to get his revenge involves enduring many tribulations. At one point, Tsui is defeated at the hands of Kwon Sung-young (who turns up in all of Tsui’s movies, and is perhaps most recognizable as the Bagua master who fights fellow Korean Won Jin in Operation Scorpio), who demands his lackey to “smash his manhood into pulp, chop it into pieces, and throw it away!” A harsh punishment for losing, but one that isn’t just threatened, it’s also carried out, as we see Tsui have his crown jewels repeatedly pulverised with a battering ram. Painful.

Thankfully Han Ying finds the left for dead Tsui, and helps him recover and adjust to his new life as a woman. Yes, I’ve seen a lot of Korean kung fu flicks and thought I’d become immune to whatever left of field surprises they can throw at me. I was wrong. Tsui then proceeds to spend a portion of the movie as an early portrayal of a transgender person on film, attempting to live life peacefully, until he realises he can’t take it anymore. It turns out Han Ying knows some secrets that his old master taught him, secrets that can help Tsui become a man again! I’m not sure gender reversals are high on the list of any kung fu masters teachings, so we have to assume Tsui was really in luck here. Cue scenes of acupuncture and intense expressions, and while it’s never confirmed if the pulp has become a fruit once more, it at least gets Tsui out of drag and in the mood to kick some butt.

As with all of Tsui’s filmography, Incredible Shaolin Thunderkick finishes with him letting loose with his clearly talented taekwondo skills. This is a guy that can kick (and for those wondering how he’d fare against someone like Hwang Jang Lee, the answer lies in his only other movie – Raging Master’s Tiger Crane), and the final reel is alight with both Tsui and Han Ying taking on all corners with their explosive skills. Indeed it’s the promise of a satisfying finale which always serves to make Tsui’s efforts worth sitting through, and Incredible Shaolin Thunderkick is no different. My only real qualm is that his fight against the main villain, played by Jang Cheol, features one of my personal pet peeves. It’s the trope where the villain is wiping the floor with our hero for a considerable length of time, and then, upon remembering a special technique, the hero is able to turn the tables and defeat the villain in a matter of seconds.

If you like Korean kung fu flicks, especially the latter ones from the early 80’s, then Incredible Shaolin Thunderkick is definitely worth a look. Outside of the action, the dubbing alone provides plenty of entertainment, with everyone speaking with a stiff upper lip and plenty of laugh inducing exchanges. I’m not sure we’ll ever get to see these movies in their original form, with the chances of a Benny Tsui 4K Remastered Blu-ray Boxset feeling quite slim, so ultimately any enjoyment has to be derived from the beaten-up state his movies are currently available in. Thankfully his kicks can still be appreciated, so if you’re in the mood for some taekwondo meets the Carry On movies type madness, look no further.

Paul Bramhall’s Rating: 5/10