The Tongfather isn't a particularly great martial arts movie: the plot - a pair of special agents attempt to smash an opium ring - is instantly forgettable and the fighting fairly routine, at least until the more rousing final showdown. But what makes the film remarkable is its anti-hero (played by the film's director Roc Tien), a lawman who makes Clint Eastwood's Dirty Harry seem positively liberal in his approach. Rather than arrest or interrogate the bad guys, the guy simply kills everyone in his path, making The Tongfather a surprisingly brutal watch.
On the way to the inevitable fight against the big boss, we are also treated to the sight of an opium dealer breaking his own leg to compensate for his behaviour, a Japanese guard who orders passing people to become human chairs, and what I can only describe as a 'nipple twist of death' (which would make a great title for a kung fu film!). Also keep an ear out for the repeated use of 'Papa Was A Rollin' Stone' on the soundtrack (no royalties paid, I suspect).
