Bamboo Gods and Iron Men

"From Harlem to Hong Kong, they fear the name, the fame, the fury of Black Cal Jefferson, the Champ!" Cal Jefferson is on his honeymoon in the land of Bamboo Gods and Iron Men (i.e. Hong Kong) when they buy up a Buddha statue in a shop that a bunch of bad guys want, which leads to a bunch of boxing vs. Kung-fu fight scenes. BAMBOO GODS AND IRON MEN is a so-bad-it's-good kind of movie. The acting is embarrassing, the story is dumber than dumb, and worst of all, the fight scenes are soooooooo bad. Our hero even gains a mute helper buddy along the way after rescuing him, making the film even more stupid! This movie is strictly amateur hour, but like I said, it is so bad that I was able to enjoy it for its ineptitude. However, the movie did have a funky score that I legit enjoyed.

Grungy but likable AIP blaxpoitation/chop-socky mashup, produced in the Philippines and destined for the stateside grindhouse/drive-in circuit.

Genial beefcake James "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls" Iglehart toplines as a boxing champ honeymooning in Hong Kong who becomes the unwitting target of a murderous gang hellbent on recovering a priceless statuette. Needless to say, the bad guys get more than they bargained for since Brother Iglehart is one of the titular iron men. Our hero kicks ass, takes names, and wears the most eye-searing paisley shirts this side of Walter Matthau in EARTHQUAKE. Indeed, his threads alone seem weaponized to damage an opponent's optic nerves.

Bone-crushing action, mega-seedy locations and funkadelic music abound. Hardcore '70s action movie completists, take note.

Also in the house: Filipino comedy icon Chiquito as a cute mute, the ubiquitous Eddie Garcia (BEAST OF BLOOD's mad Dr. Lorca) and the inevitable and always welcome Vic Diaz.

This film essentially begins with a ruthless crime boss by the name of "Leo King" (Ken Metcalfe) hiring some men digging up the grave of an ancient Chinese scientist and then taking a pouch that supposedly contains a mysterious substance that can change the world. Once he knows that the pouch is being shipped to him, he then has the person in charge of the graverobbers killed. The scene then shifts to an American boxer by the name of "Cal Jefferson" (James Iglehart) arriving in Hong Kong on a honeymoon with his bride "Arlene Jefferson" (Shirley Washington). While touring the city Arlene decides to buy a wooden Buddha and, since it's a bit heavy, Cal asks the shopkeeper to have it sent to his hotel room. To that effect, the shopkeeper subsequently sends one of his employees with it but, on the way there, the young man carrying the wooden Buddha is accosted by some of Leo King's and a pouch is carefully placed within the box containing the merchandise before being delivered to Cal Jefferson's hotel room. The scene then shifts again to a young woman being sexually assaulted by three thugs when a local wanderer known simply as "Charley" (Chiquito) comes out of nowhere and tries to save her. Although the woman manages to escape, Charley is thrown into the harbor and is saved by Cal who just happens to be in a nearby boat with Arlene. Feeling indebted to Cal for saving his life, Charley willingly offers his servitude which Cal positively does not want. That eventually changes, however, when thugs working for Leo King come around and decide to take possession of the wooden Buddha and, if necessary, kill Cal in the process. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this low-budget, blaxploitation-kung fu movie suffered somewhat from its lack of financial resources as both the acting and some of the action scenes could have used a bit of improvement. To be sure, I don't consider this to be a bad film necessarily, but it didn't really impress me all that much and I have rated it accordingly. Slightly below average.

The Jeffersons' honeymoon night in Hong Kong will be troubled by a number of people wishing to get hold of a Buddha statuette that the husband offered her when window-shopping that day. When the going gets rough, it helps that Cal Jefferson is a top American boxer...

I was at a friend's house in Milwaukee and she had on a local station playing "Ghoulies". So far, so good. During the commercials, it said "Swamp Thing" was next followed by "Bamboo Gods and Iron Men". I was intrigued. I did not get to see any pictures or previews, and I had never heard of the movie (and judging by the ranking here, neither has anyone else). I had to see it.

Because of it being after the movies it was, I thought it was going to be a jungle adventure film, maybe some elements of fantasy or science fiction. I did not expect an amalgamation of martial arts and boxing... but I have no complaints! How did the station even find this movie? No idea, but I am glad it did.

James Iglehart (Randy Black in "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls") is front and centre for this amiable, goofy Filipino martial arts action flick. Iglehart plays Cal Jefferson, American prizefighter honeymooning in Asia with his new bride (Shirley Washington). While shopping, they obtain a seemingly worthless Buddha statue that actually contains something very valuable to some very bad guys. Leo King (Filipino exploitation mainstay Ken Metcalfe, who also co-wrote the story & screenplay) is chief among them. But Cal has an asset: a mute Chinaman (Chiquito) whom he dubs "Charley"; Cal saves Charley from drowning and the grateful Charley becomes Cals' constant companion.

"Bamboo Gods and Iron Men" is overall not a terribly memorable movie, but making it above average for a movie of this kind is its generous doses of comedy. It's often very funny, and director Cesar Gallardo and company play all of this material with real winks in their eyes. This movie has quite a bit of energy, and superb pacing. It also makes sure to be exploitative, of course, with a fair bit of eye candy for viewers. The fight scenes are generally well executed, and the stars all handle themselves capably. The story makes great use of a MacGuffin and concludes with a very bright gag, with several characters bursting into laughter at the absurdity of everything.

Iglehart could easily have had a more extensive career, as he has charisma and good chemistry with the sexy Ms. Washington. Chiquito is extremely appealing, and he and Iglehart likewise make a good pair. The supporting cast of familiar faces includes Metcalfe, offering a decent performance as the villain, Eddie Garcia, and Joseph Zucchero. Devotees of Filipino cinema will be pleased to note the presence of the always welcome Vic Diaz, in a cameo as a hotel clerk.

"Bamboo Gods and Iron Men" delivers solid, diversionary entertainment for 96 straight minutes, and deserves to be better known.

Eight out of 10.