L'uomo di Pechino

Made in 1973 as THE PEKING MAN and released in Italy 1976 with a fake tagline ("The Man who dared to challenge the deadly fury of Bruce Lee"), THE PEKING MAN is a cut above the usual revenge-formula of these movies: the story opens with a documentary tone showing the Peking Man skull, a discovery Japan wants to steal from China, because the specimen could destroy the myth foundation of Jap Emperor. Tons of fistfights ensues between secret agents from everywhere. Korean Yeung C.Lee (cat-yelling like Bruce Lee) plays a chinese partisan initially dressed like a sort of Kato: he looks like a driver but then becomes the most dangerous fighter on the scene. Actor Yee Yuan plays as usual the moustached Japan officer, while stuntman Tsai Hung is the most die-hard opponent: the final duel between him and Yeung C. Lee is the longest and better staged of this low-budget Spy-Vs-Spy martial extravaganza. Photography is very dark (I dont know if it depends to the italian print I saw 40 years ago or if intentionally), rythm is fast-paced, with just some boring moment (as the sex scene in the Japan headquarter). I recommend this if you like unrelenting action with no FX, just real stuntmen and martial artists. With a real budget and a better script, it could have been a great movie, nonetheless it's still enjoyable. Director Chang Mei Chun made also DYNASTY, the first Taiwan's 3D movie; stuntmen To Wai Wo (the one-armed evil in TOWER OF DEATH/GAME OF DEATH II) and To Man Bo (who directed delightful trash like DRAGON LEE FIGHTS BACK), served in this as Kung-Fu coreographers. A not-so-guilty pleasure.