In den Krallen des Adlers

EAGLE'S FIST is a big story, with a complex plan launched by a dying kung-fu teacher to stop an awesome white-haired super-villain trying to destroy the teacher's Eagle's Claw school. Cha Ma-Wu, the super-villain, is a master of Eagle's Claw, and Mantis Fist, and his thugs are out-fitted with his cruel pragmatism. In a way the kung-fu technique on-screen is secondary to the emotional and intellectual battles going on, as students betray their teachers, become outcasts and then enemies of their one-time allies. There are so many twisting, turning motivations that

are required in order to combat the evil Cha Ma-Wu, due to the super-villain's brainy approach to destruction: I've read elsewhere that Cha Ma-Wu is above all a James Bond villain, vastly superior and egotistical, using genius to subvert others to his will. That's what's going on for most of this movie.

It will be noted also that Chang Yi, the actor playing Cha Ma-Wu, looks a lot like John Hurt (ALIEN, ROB ROY), slightly reptilian, definitely

radiating a higher class of murderous butcher.

This is a very top-level kung-fu film, longer and meatier, with some interesting character development and a superb final battle with Cha Ma-Wu. There's flying bodies and enough animal kung-fu and spurting wounds to match every plot point. Solid.