I've always loved the way that kung-fu movies seek to capitalize on the star power of the few names that are recognizable to Western audiences. Whether this is the product of desperate marketers at a time when obscure martial arts films didn't command the attention that they can now in Western markets or the industry itself needed this mechanism to move units just as much there I can't say. What I can say however is that giving Jackie Chan top billing in this movie is almost as ridiculous as the action since his role as Wa Wu-Bin is tiny to say the least.The Killer Meteors (1976; also billed as Jackie Chan vs. Wang Yu and Karate Death Squad) follows the story of Mi Wei, known as the "Killer Meteor" thanks to his secret weapon of (surprise!) the same name. Mi Wei is approached by Wa Wu-Bin when he discovers that his wife has poisoned him and he needs the antidote. Unfortunately for both of them, Wa Wu-Bin's wife is guarded by 5 of the world's "greatest fighters," each with their own unique power.
Like all movies of this particular genre of kung-fu the action is ridiculous and fun, with lots of obvious editing tricks. While that might be a turn off to some I am always intrigued to see the ways that filmmakers work around small budgets and a lack of technology. If you enjoy kung-fu, and perhaps more importantly enjoy slightly ridiculous kung-fu I definitely recommend this one. It reminds me a lot of some of the lesser known but still awesome Shaw Bros. movies like Chinese Super Ninjas (the title alone is amazing in it of itself) or 5 Deadly Venoms (reviews forthcoming).
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Rating: 9.0
2 comments:
I guess I need to get myself a Blogger dealie. Anyway, your post reminded me of and instance of the same phenomenon in another genre. Have you ever heard of Diamond Shaft? It's an action movie that has Richard Roundtree playing someone who is not Shaft, or even the main character. I haven't seen it, but the back of the VHS box I once saw at the video store makes this pretty clear. I believe they also use SHAFT-esque font in the logo, but only for the word "Shaft."
Also, have we ever discussed Rikki-O? It's also know as "that movie where the guy's head gets crushed that Craig Killborn used during the Five Questions segment on The Daily Show." I'd be interested to see a review if you have the time or interest.
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