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Brilliant and touching

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

Review: For a movie that was made in 1976, the quality is brilliant and the vibrant scenery and amazing landscapes were great. The movie doesn't look dated at all but you can tell how old it is when you see the young Jackie Chan and skinny Sammo Hung, with some strange looking teeth. I was expecting hard hitting action from this John Woo movie but I was quite disappointed. You can tell that the actors knew exactly were the next hit was coming from and it all seemed a bit slow. The storyline was quite good and most of the actors put in a decent performance but the main character really needed to loosen up a bit. Anyway, an ex-Shaolin student, Shih (James Tien), leaves the temple and creates his own clan called the Manchu. He then sends his army to destroy all of the Shaolin members, including the master but there are still a few members left, who are in hiding. Yun Fei (Tao-Laing Tan), who is the most promising Shaolin student, goes on a mission to kill Shih but he knows that he can't do it alone because he is heavily guarded by the Manchu army, led by officer Tu Ching (Sammo Hung), who was also an ex-student at the Shaolin temple. Yun Fei recruits Tan Feng (Jackie Chan) who is seeking revenge after the Manchu killed his brother. He also recruits a brilliant Swordsman who is also seeking revenge after the Manchu killed his girlfriend. They then go into hiding and they plan the perfect attack to kill Shih and destroy the army. Its a well put together storyline which is pretty intense throughout but the action scenes really did let the movie down. There isn't any silly comedy throughout the movie, thank God but the sound effects were pretty bad during the action scenes and some of the fighting seemed to go on forever. With that aside, I have seen worse Kung Fu movies and I was quite impressed with Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung. On the whole, it's a watchable movie which won't go down as a classic but it's still quite enjoyable. Watchable!Round-Up: This is the 4th major release from John Woo, 69, who has become famous for his detailed action scenes and unique gun movement styles. He first came to light back in 1986 with A Better Tomorrow I & II, which was a worldwide hit and then he hit the big screens again with The Killer, Bullet In The Head, Once A Thief and Hard Boiled, which made Chow Yun Fat a household name. He then started to make films for the western market, like Broken Arrow and the great Face/Off. In 2000 he made Mission Impossible II, which does have some impressive action scenes and he made Windtalkers, with Nicolas Cage and the poor Paycheck with Ben Affleck. In 2008, he went back to his native country and released Red Cliff I & II and he seems to have gone under the radar since then. For the time, this movie was a great achievement as there wasn't any special effects or fancy camera equipment but you can definitely see a difference in his work today. Personally, I think that he is definitely one of the best action directors because of his unique style but now that he has been out of the picture for some time, I can't really see him coming back to the Western market anytime soon.I recommend this movie to people who are into their action/martial arts movies starring Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, Biao Yuen, James Tien, John Woo and Wah Yuen. 4/10

This movie is amazing. You will NEVER laugh harder. It's a target. No, I think it's...yes it's...A BOOB! This movie gets funnier by the second--like when Jackie Chan's character finally dies in his final fight scene. This movie is velly velly seekwet like treasha! Congrats if you buy or rent this. You'll never return it, in my opinion. I didn't, and I haven't found it in a store since. I watched this movie once and I was forever in love with Kung-Fu action flicks. If you're looking for an amazing film in the realm of great production value, good or even mediocre acting, and good special effects...this is NOT that movie. If you're looking for laughs and timeless wonderment, pick this up for a dollar and you'll probably never let it go. With friends, popcorn and drinks, it's the perfect evening.

THE HAND OF DEATH most definitely rates a ten on a scale of one to- due, in no small part, to John Woo's masterful direction, coupled with Kat's superb cinematography: some of the leisurely tracking shots alone are worth the price of a rental; there are moments when this one borders on becoming an art-house film. Both James Tien and Sammo Hung make for the kind of villains you can't help but love to hate. Tien is particularly good as the baddest of the bad. It's a role reversal the likes of which I don't think I've ever seen before (Tien normally played a hero and, in fact, with his moustache, I didn't even recognize him at first). Sammo's goofy "buck teeth" only make an already unsavory character seem even more flawed; that he also happens to be a skilled martial artist makes him even less likable- in a villain you love to hate kind of way. His choreography of the fight scenes throughout is fantastic. Jackie Chan appears briefly (early on and late in the going) as a blacksmith, and I believe I actually glimpsed Yuen Biao somewhere along the way. Tan as the lead is nothing less than magnificent.

The Hand of Death aka Countdown in Kung Fu (1976) is a vastly underrated early work by director John Woo. The film stars Dorian Tan (Tan Tao-liang) and features Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung and James Tien in significant supporting roles. Many people believe, or have been lead to believe by deceptive advertising, that this is a Jackie Chan film. This is not a Jackie Chan film, Dorian Tan is the star but Jackie gives one of his best (most serious) early performances.The Hand of Death is about a Shaolin disciple named Yunfei (Tan) who is sent on a mission to assassinate a Shaolin traitor named Shih Xiaofeng (Tien) and protect a revolutionary named Zhang Yi (Woo). Along his journey Yunfei meets up with a young woodcutter named Tan (Chan) and a disgraced sword fighter (Chang Chung) known as "the wanderer." Both men have suffered at the hands of Shih and want to take revenge. The three team up to defeat Shih and his eight bodyguards and escort the revolutionary to safety.The martial arts action is above average under the direction of Sammo Hung. Dorian Tan uses his trademark high kicks very effectively as the "Northern eighteen styles kicks" along with some "Southern five styles boxing." Sammo Hung and Jackie Chan provide excellent martial arts performances as well. James Tien is not the greatest martial artist on the Jade screen but does an acceptable job. Some of the early fights are a bit slow and seem over choreographed but the final showdowns featuring Chan, Tan and Hung are very good.Director John Woo provides plenty of interesting character development in the film, which is refreshing. The cinematography by Leung Wing Kat is very stylish, unique and beautiful for a kung fu film of this era. Joseph Koo's music: a combination of soft flutes and 70's "Shaft" style orchestral pieces is kung fu cinema at its best. Hand of Death is not Jackie and Sammo's usual kung fu comedy. Hand of Death is a serious, straightforward revenge driven story.Hand of Death aka Countdown in Kung Fu is an underrated classic in the old school kung fu genre. The film is one of the best artistically of its time and a preview of the great things to come from Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung. Hung's great choreography is put on display here before his directorial debut and Chan's early charisma and talent can be clearly seen.Hand of Death is a solid, stylish old school kung fu film and a brilliant early work of the legendary John Woo.Kung Fu Genre Rating 7.5/10 Wanderer to Tan (referring to his new weapon): "The Little Eagle Wing God Lance." Tan: "Just a knickknack."