Fang Shi Yu

THE PRODIGAL BOXER is yet another entry in the series of films on legendary Chinese hero Fong Sai Yuk (usually referred to as Fong Si Yu), although it wasn't produced by Shaw Bros., the source of several films in the 1970s featuring Fu Sheng as Fong, nor does it get into the Shaolin Temple phase of Fong's life.

Here the character of 'Fong Su Yi' (as pronounced by the English voice cast) is young, callow, and reckless and instigates a dispute with a corrupt rival martial school that results in his father's death and his and his mother's exile. When Fong (Meng Fei) goes after the rivals, Iron Fist Tan (Yasuaki Kurata) and his brother (Wang Ching), he is so badly beaten that it takes months to recuperate under the watchful care of his mother and a young girl he'd helped out. His mother puts him through rigorous training and an herbal bath that will make him invulnerable (no mention is made of the weak point--his rectum!--that figures in so many other films about Fong). Eventually he is able to take on Iron Fist and his brother.

The film is very well mounted and shot on lavish studio sets and sprawling locations. The tape available offers a beautiful widescreen print in all its letter-boxed glory. The action is quite good and the voice dubbing above average. The film pays a good deal more attention to cinematic technique than most kung fu films and offers unusual camera angles and several subjective point-of-view scenes, including a nightmare sequence experienced by Fong. There are also far more reflective moments than usual for the genre. The actresses playing Fong's mother and girlfriend are attractive but not conventionally pretty in the usual Hong Kong fashion. They have more character and display a more authentic look and give the movie a strong emotional undercurrent. The original Chinese music score is retained for the English-dubbed version.

While there are good fight scenes throughout, they usually wind up with the hero getting beaten. In the final bout with the Iron Fist brothers, Fong beats the two villains far too easily in a conclusion that's not as satisfying as this otherwise exciting film deserves. Even so, this is an above-average kung fu film available in an excellent-quality copy.