DEAD END OF BESIEGERS is a kung fu period film made in 1992, during this particular subgenre's resurgence. It was produced outside of Hong Kong, apparently one of the few movies shot in Quanzhou, and seems to be an all-around respectable little adventure. Not being a frequent patron of Chinese flicks, I may not be able to judge this picture with an opinion as astute as when I review western martial arts pictures, but there are enough aspects here that appeal to me on a base level, and I think I can safely state that while far from perfect, this is a fun time-waster worth tracking down for fans of the involved performers.
The story: After being humiliated in combat in his native Japan, martial artist Wuwechimato (Rongguang Yu) travels to China to learn kung fu, but is mistakenly associated with a group of murderous pirates (led by Chun Hua Ji). His only ally is a precocious little girl whom he relies on to forge a connection with his sifu-to-be: the lethal Cui Gu (Cynthia Khan), heir to the Dog Fist clan.
I can't find a complete record of the casting, but some of the major role decisions are rather strange. Wonderful as she looks in all of her fancy dresses, I don't think that Cynthia Khan is best suited to play period parts: she has a contemporary edge about her that defies the context, and while certainly serviceable when it comes to kung fu, there's no denying that she looks more comfortable in movies where she can use tae kwon do. Making a surprise appearance is champion kickboxer Dale Cook, wearing a truly embarrassing costume as the foreigner who disgraces Wuwechimato in a flashback; I have no idea what he's doing in this picture, but perhaps it's the trade-off for teaming with Cynthia in FIST OF STEEL.
The writing is more entertaining than I'm used to. Not all of the humor hits home, but it's intriguing to see Wuwechimato undergoing culture shock. There's a good deal of cultural comparison, and it's pleasing to see that Japanese martial arts aren't entirely downplayed. During an exhibition against kung fu practitioners, Rongguang Yu surprisingly holds his own, making it unclear why he wants to learn this other style, but allowing for a silly joke wherein the mother of Khan's character takes offense to him "embracing" her during a judo maneuver. Yu delivers an enjoyable dramatic performance, as does Yu Hai as the lovestruck patriarch of an opposing clan.
The action content is sort of a middle-of-the-road thing for me, but could easily be valued more highly by connoisseurs. The nine fights feature some wirework but tend to remain grounded, and are split between hand-to-hand and sword fights. Disappointingly, almost all of them - even the one-on-one encounters - occur during mass battles, which makes it a bit difficult to focus on single exchanges. The Dog Fist style, with its many ground-fighting applications, seems to be relatively well-represented, but it's mainly Cynthia Khan demonstrating it and, again, she only appears half-comfortable with traditional kung fu.
I was glad to be able to catch this one on TV, but it's probably worth paying a reasonable price for if any of what I've written appeals to you.
