The Chinese Mechanic

Another early martial arts outing for unknown actor Barry Chan, who fails to distinguish us with any kind of real presence. This Taiwanese-lensed movie reminded me a little of similar Jimmy Wang Yu films from the era, with lots of outdoor scenery and fights taking place in interesting surroundings. Our hero is a young idealist who finds himself in trouble with local criminal gangs and must fight for survival.

Cheap kung fu films like this either live or die depending on their quality of martial arts. There are plenty of bouts in this film, but the choreography is resolutely cheap and the film never really exhilarates the viewer. There are some fun, imaginative elements in the story, however, including the arresting opening sequence in which the assassins arrive in barrels being rolled down a hillside! There's also time for some cool beach action although for the most part the director seems obsessed with motorbikes and features them being ridden around at every opportunity.