Hao xiao zi di xia yi zhao

Also known as Fighting Ace - Master Of Death was another one of my £1 purchases over the years. One of the better films from the distributors collection of 'rediscovered masters' certainly does have its moments in regards to the kung fu. I must also mention that it is often confused online with one of Liu's other films, Struggle Through Death - a film about slavery and freedom, whereas Master Of Death is a revenge tale of sorts.

There's no denying John Liu is an incredible kicker... he's just not the most handsome of men! That said, he has managed to carve himself a great film career in the 70's/80's kung fu world giving us some great classics along the way.

Showered with a soundtrack heard by many a kung fu film fan in many other films, and a host of recognisable faces from that era, Master Of Death tries to deliver some comedy but ultimately is a drama with a decent dose of kung fu action. Saying that, certain characters dubbing helps bring a laugh or two on throughout!

The fight scenes themselves are pretty well done and are spread out evenly across the film, with lengthy one-shots that highlight the skills and choreography of the fighters. The end fight scenes come close to about 15 minutes, with some great kicks and moves gracing the screen - including a fantastic scene in which John Liu takes on 2 spear-men that reminded me a lot of Jackie Chan's classics, Fearless Hyena and, Snake And Crane Arts Of Shaolin...

Overall: While not the best film ever, Master Of Death still provides great kung fu action and entertains!