The film that introduced kung fu to the West in 1972. More violent than its contemporaries, King Boxer‘s eye-gouging, skull-cracking fight scenes, paired with Quincy Jones’ Ironside theme and the power of ’Iron Palm’, makes it a treat not to be missed.
A 1970s kungfu movie packed full of eye-gouging, skull-cracking fight scenes. More violent than traditional wuxia films, kungfu films rapidly overtook these in the martial arts film market. King Boxer, a copy of the Hong Kong box-office smash The Bravest Revenge, went on to take the American and European markets by storm. The film sees traditional Chinese kungfu techniques exaggerated beyond the realms of human capability, creating scenes combining shocking violence with stunning feats of acrobatics. Each time the main character Chi Hao (Lo Lieh) uses his ‘iron fist power’, his hands glow red and the Ironside theme music starts to play – a tune so distinctive and atmospheric it came to be an integral part of the film’s overall success. —Rotterdam
For a Shaw Brothers kung-fu movie this is almost shockingly nihilistic. If only the entire movie was as good as the last half hour or so.
