Triple Irons

As a beginning martial artist at the time I saw this film,I was amazed at how realistic the fight scenes were.This man could handle a sword and to this day I wonder how they made it look so real.

THE NEW ONE-ARMED SWORDSMAN (aka TRIPLE IRONS, 1971) follows director Chang Cheh's earlier one-armed swordsman films (ONE-ARMED SWORDSMAN, RETURN OF THE ONE-ARMED SWORDSMAN) but replaces departing star Jimmy Wang Yu with the director's newer find, David Chiang, who is joined by frequent co-star Ti Lung. It's a colorful, occasionally moody historical adventure shot on Shaw Bros.' sprawling Hong Kong backlot and features a climactic battle in which the titular hero takes on an army of bad guys single-handed.

David plays a swordsman tricked into a duel to defend his honor with a corrupt swordfighting teacher (Ku Feng) who causes him to cut off his own arm. He leaves the `gallant fraternity' and broods in isolation, making a living as a waiter at a roadside tavern. When a wandering swordsman, played by Ti Lung, learns who he is and gives him a pep talk, David is stirred, but refuses to take action. When Ti is killed by the same corrupt teacher, who uses a lethal three-section staff, David is finally spurred to action and, armed with a dead warrior's sword given to him by the tavern owner's sympathetic daughter (Li Ching), he goes after the offending gang of fighters and figures out a 3-sword move designed to beat the 3-section staff. Before he's through, he leaves a trail of corpses littering a massive bridge leading to the gang's fortress.

David Chiang may not have been the best martial artist, but he had a wiry, energetic quality that served him well in this type of slashing and swirling fighting style. He also exuded a brooding intensity that came in handy in his portrayal of the onetime swordsman, who is crippled both physically and psychologically and has turned his back on his calling. Chiang and Ti Lung worked well together in violent tales of male bonding in turbulent eras. The villains here, Ku Feng and Chen Sing, both excelled at playing devious and crafty characters capable of unctuous charm one minute and great cruelty the next.

Famed martial arts director Lau Kar Leung worked on the fight scenes, in which kung fu takes a back seat to swashbuckler-style sword- and weapons play. (Lau was an expert in both styles of fighting.) This was one of a group of costume epics made by Chang Cheh prior to his series of Shaolin-themed martial arts films, dating from 1973-76, which put kung fu in the foreground and were made initially in collaboration with Lau, who broke off in 1975 to direct his own films.

Chang Cheh had already directed an iconic "One-Armed Swordsman" (Jimmy Wang Yu) a few years earlier but for reasons unknown to me decided to 'reboot' with "The New One-Armed Swordsman", featuring David Chiang as the protagonist. Unlike stern and stoned-faced Wang Yu, Chiang plays the ever-jolly, jovial Lei Li, a very skilled traveling swordsman who is forced to cut his own right arm off after loosing a fight with villainous mastermind Lung I-Chih (Feng Ku), leader of the "Tiger Gang". Li retires from being a fighter and resigns himself to becoming an aid at a local restaurant, constantly subjected to the mockery of the patrons. When fellow traveling swordsman Feng Chun-Chieh (Lung Ti) rides into town, he and Li bond almost immediately but Feng likewise looses a battle with I-Chih and is killed in the process. Li swear vengeance and goes up against I-Chih, his supposedly unbeatable weapon, an interlinked, triple-iron staff (a weapon that "can only be bested by three swords") and his army of goons.

"The New One-Armed Swordsman" was one of the first Hong Kong films to become a hit in (West)-Germany (under the title "Das Schwert des gelben Tigers" or "The Sword of the yellow Tiger"), sparking a wave similar-minded films to flood the market. Indeed, during the early 1980s you'd have been hard-pressed to pass a cinema that was not showing at least one Kung Fu flick or a video store that wasn't stacked.

Especially David Chiang does an amazing job, being very charismatic, at the same time makes the viewer believe that he could pull it off and decimate a legion of fighters with only one arm. Like in many other movies that feature this duo, Chiang and Lung Ti have a very good chemistry, something like the Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis of martial arts movie. Perhaps even too good a chemistry: As some may have pointed out, the constant gazing at each other and assuring themselves of their friendship, at times reminds one of "Brokeback Mountain" (and relegates the supposed love-interest, the cute-as-a-button Ching Lee to a mere sister-figure). Feng Ku is a reliable baddie and is well versed in changing from an almost fatherly figure to a menacing fighting machine within an instant.

The special-effects are bloody but may seem a little dated, especially in times where most martial-arts-movies are saturated with CGI and actors flying around on wires. But for those interested in honest, hard-working Kung Fu and sword fights, there can be few better recommendations than "The New One-Armed Swordsman".

8/10

Compared to the other movies in the One-Armed Swordsman series, this isn't quite as good as the first, but I feel like it's an improvement on the second. It features a new actor playing the titular role: David Chiang, who I feel is one of the best leading actors who frequently headlines these old Shaw Brothers movies (it's either him or Gordon Liu - I honestly can't pick a favourite between those two).

This delivers everything you'd want from an old-school martial arts movie without truly excelling at everything. It's like the movie equivalent of a classy - but not super fancy - burger place: a step above mass-produced, fast food slop, but not exactly gourmet. Still, the action is good, the story is competent, and the ending features the main character taking on a small army worth of henchmen, and I'm always a sucker for seeing that kind of fight scene play out on screen.

This is 1 of the best movies I have seen so far!

Its always nice to see david chiang and ti lung playing togheter with eachother !

Like some guy explained before , you can learn from this movie , because although you have a handicap you can still be improving your skillz.

This story is well made , like mentioned before a guy Lei Li losing his arm to a corrupt "held" Lung. After being retired for a year a brother Feng come to his place where he acts like a bartender. While he was demolished by some people from the Tiger Fort , Feng teached Lei Li to appreciate himself again. Then one day Feng is losing his battle in the Tiger Fort against Lung , Lung used the same trick he used to do to Lei Li to with his sticks. After that Lei Li sworn revenge and the ending is amazing ! He defeats a whole squad of fighters from the Tiger Fort! And once again he meets Lung , the man that made him retire for a year. A very nice battle at the end !

Anyway just watch the movie then you know what I mean ! :-)

Greetz!