The film begins with a rather nifty assassination by a top hired killer (Stuart Whitman). However, when he goes to collect his fee for this job, he's repeatedly attacked and learns that he supposedly bungled the job. However, it's very obvious there's a lot more to this and he's just a pawn--but can he discover the truth or will one of many, many hired goons put an end to his career...and life?!

While all this sounds very exciting and the film is set in Hong Kong with lots of martial arts action, it isn't particularly compelling. Too often the film just seems to meander and plot holes are filled in by lengthy expositions (a sloppy story telling technique). But the biggest problem for me is that Whitman just didn't make that interesting a character and he didn't seem very believable. Not a terrible film but certainly not a very good one--proving that Hammer Studios might have been much better off sticking with horror films and not venturing into this sort of genre. A time-passer at best.

SHATTER is Hammer's second attempt at a Hong Kong-backed movie after the cult classic that is LEGEND OF THE 7 GOLDEN VAMPIRES. Whilst not an inherently enjoyable film like the former, SHATTER is a mildly interesting diversion with a good enough cast to make it worthwhile. Although the film has a fair few slow patches where the interest wanes through lack of action, generally the plot, which concerns a hit-man trying to collect his fee, is engaging and the action realistic.

This isn't a James Bond-style adventure as the title might suggest; the movie strives for realism over comic book style and the result is a gritty, downbeat, sporadically exciting foray into the world of the international thriller. The unconventional lead is played by Stuart Whitman, who enjoyed a brief status as a leading action man in the 1970s after he appeared in this and some Italian thrillers. Whitman is hardly an athletic hero, but his hang dog looks and his steely determination go part way in letting the audience empathise with his character's situation.

Things begin with some stock footage of African race riots and moves into a bloody assassination scene, where Whitman uses a gun disguised as a camera to take care of his contract! From then on we see him hiding out in a seedy Hong Kong hotel room and biding time while he tries to figure things out. SHATTER isn't a film which shows Hong Kong in a very good light – in fact the film has a sleazy, depressing atmosphere and the crowded setting only makes things worse.

Whitman visits his German contact Hans Luber (played by genre favourite Anton Diffring) but is unable to collect his fee, and instead finds himself beaten up by violent policemen. These two scenes highlight two excellent cameo performances. The first is Diffring's; the typically sinister character of Luber is a great role to play and Diffring is his usual snide, evil self in the part. Secondly we have Peter Cushing in the role of Paul Rattwood, which is more like an extended cameo. Rattwood is an official in the secret police and a rather nasty character who knows more than he lets on and who keeps a gang of thugs under his command. Cushing is of course excellent in the role and gets some nicely sharp-tongued dialogue to himself; but sadly this proved to be his last role for Hammer Studios and a rather inconspicuous swan song for the golden age actor. Still, the moments when he is on screen sparkle and he seems to be enjoying himself, which is enough for me.

Whitman moves into a seedy massage parlour/restaurant owned by Ti Lung, at the same time beginning a tragic romance with Lily Li who works there. The rest of the film shows him basically hanging out and eventually doing a trade with Diffring (an unbearably suspenseful scene),who wants the top secret documents in Whitman's possession. But the treacherous Diffring betrays our down-at-heel hero, leading to an action-packed finale where Whitman and Lung storm the enemy's retreat.

Most of the action towards the end of this film focuses on Lung, who is portrayed as a young, unstoppable martial arts hero in the line of Bruce Lee. Lung is a tour-de-force in the action stakes and the scenes of him fighting are tremendously exciting and violent. Lily Li is also pretty good as Mai, although she doesn't get to fight in this movie. SHATTER isn't a very engaging movie, but the direction is solid, there is enough action and gore to satisfy the male crowd, and the cast alone makes it worthwhile. Don't be fooled, this is no classic, but it remains watchable enough if you're in the right mood.

So shooting this might have been a mess (according to the people involved that is, as they tell us in the audio commentary),but it's still more than fun to watch. So it's Hammer and Shaw Brothers in connection. Actually as the filmmakers reveal Shaw Brothers gave Hammer permission to use their equipment and personell. Which wasn't exactly what they delivered.

Now this seems something to dig your teeth into and find out more about (I might do some further research myself on a later date),but what is fascinating, that the movie still kinda works. All the trials and tribulations, all the sticks and stones thrown into their way, everything that made it more difficult to complete the movie ... and still they got their movie done. And the fight scenes (with a Shaw Brothers regular to complete a rather odd couple -Stuart Whitmann and Tung Li that is) are quite something.

The movie overall has dated and you can feel this is from a different era ... but it is fun to watch and isn't that what it's about after all?