The Deadly Duo

This is a good old-fashioned kung fu movie, featuring the always entertaining pairing of Shaw Brothers stars David Chiang and Ti Lung. While it may not show the polish and lightning-fast kung fu of later martial arts movies, this one has a simple but engaging storyline and enough action to keep the viewer watching.

DEADLY DUO (1971) is one of a group of historical near-epics from 1970-73 directed by Chang Cheh and starring Ti Lung and David Chiang. This one's considerably shorter than the others (THE HEROIC ONES, NEW ONE-ARMED SWORDSMAN, BLOOD BROTHERS), with less in the way of characterization and plotting and more in the way of fighting, action and adventure. All the fights involve various weapons, mostly spears and swords, but also some pretty exotic ones, such as a pair of lethal cymbals and a container that shoots out incendiary balls. The co-director of the action scenes is Lau Kar Leung (aka Liu Chia Liang) who had a special interest in spear and stick fighting and went on to direct some of the best kung fu films of the late 1970s and early '80s.

The plot involves patriots during the Sung Dynasty and their attempts to rescue a kidnapped prince from Ching troops who have invaded the north of China. The patriots are led by Ti Lung who recruits a mysterious but seemingly superhuman fighter played by David Chiang to find a way to cross a perilous bridge to enter an impregnable fortress to locate and rescue the imprisoned prince. The big confrontation at the end involves trickery on the part of the heroes and the self-sacrifice of one of their number as David, who is not known to the enemy, brings in Ti as his `prisoner' to turn over to the Chings, as a way of gaining entrance. Then he cuts Ti's bonds and all hell breaks loose.

The fight scenes are generally pretty fanciful but always fun to watch. The patriots' opponents have names like Fire Man, Tree Man, Mole Man, Gold Mongol and Water Dragon. One particularly clever scene finds the patriots on log rafts crossing a river when Water Dragon and his cohorts attack and cut the binding on the logs, causing the rafts to fall apart in the water. There are several underwater action shots here.

David Chiang and Ti Lung are both extremely agile and energetic and carry the action forward with great verve. Some good villains are on hand as well, including such dependable players as Ku Feng, Chen Sing, Bolo Yeung (as Water Dragon) and Liu Chia Yung. It's not a terribly deep film, but it's colorful and exciting and plays like a pumped-up swashbuckler. Although kung fu purists may prefer Chang Cheh's later Shaolin series, fans of sword- and weapons-play will enjoy this.

I'm a bit in the middle at the moment watching this classic Shaw Brothers movie, it starts with a very bloody series of executions. A few men get stabbed to their deaths with spears, later on they get saved. Like in any other kung fu movie this goes together with a big fight, the movie is quite enjoyable like any other of the most movies from Shaw Brothers. I don't remember watching any bad ones, anyway i was a bit bothered when i read that Deadly Duo received a PG13 rating in the US. I'm watching the dutch subtitled vhs and it's really bloody, so the only thing i could think of is that you guys got a heavily cut version. Come on there's spraying blood, someone gets axed in the neck. Bloody stabbings, an R rating would have been more suitable for this movie. Don't expect a gorefest, but it's just all very bloody. Just the way i like my action movies.

Like other people mentioned it is always nice to watch Ti Lung and David Chiang playing together. The story is already explained in a early reaction from someone so that I dont have to do anymore :)

Anyway go watch it !!! Its worth it !!! ;)

The Deadly Duo title IS WRONG, The title Double Hero Matches the movie synopsis contained here. The cast stars are the same in both movies. Also Both movies are about the Sung versus the bad guys Ching.

The Deadly Duo synopsis should start with a Sung spy getting poisoned.. then Sung clan followers traveling to the Sung fortress to where said spy retreated. The Ching gangs badger them on the way. Several Sung are assassinated along the way with 3 Sung traitor betrayals.