The Man From Hong Kong (1975) was one of the few attempts that film makers and producers have made in trying to market Wang Yu as an international star in the same vein as Bruce Lee. Even some film markets have began calling him "The Next Bruce Lee" despite already being an action star a few years before Bruce Lee made a Kung-Fu film. Wang Yu has a certain aura about. Unlike Bruce Lee, he's characters have a cocky attitude with a streak of sadism. Whilst Bruce was always about doing the right thing, Wang Yu was about getting the job done and if he has to but quite a few people in the hospital so be it.

Wang Yu stars as a Hong Kong cop who has to go to Australia to capture a wanted convict (Sammo Hung). Whilst in Oz, he comes across a real shady crime lord (George Lazenby). Realizing he's behind the actions of the convict, he sets his eyes on him and watching all of his "activites". Not liking this unwanted pest and condescending him in public, "JImmy" gets on the Boss' bad side. One night he decides to snoop around the Boss' office building. Inside he finds a few dozen karate "students". Jimmy asks them to leave but they want to take him out. A long brutal fight ensues. Despite their impressive numbers and cache of weapons, Jimmy beats they snot out of them. Re-enforcements come and after dispatching a few more guards, Jimmy is severely wound.

A van load of Samaritans give Jimmy a ride to safety. One of the woman has a father who's a doctor. Jimmy spends the nest few days convalescing and romanticizing his heroine. But is heavenly bliss is cut short when the Big Boss' men find him and try to whack him. After a nasty accident, Jimmy's new lover is dead. This causes Jimmy to snap and he begins to wage a one man war on the Big Boss and whoever get's into his way. The big boss waits for Jimmy and sends all of his available guards outside to great his arrival. A ticked off Jimmy is too much for the ill prepared henchmen. Jommy makes quick work of them and races towards the top floor. The Big Boss is tired of holding back his "awesome" fighting skills and attacks Jimmy. He's no match for Jimmy who decides to have fun with him. Noticing the police and fire fighters outside, he goes into the Boss' arsenal and picks up a couple of grenades. After binding the beaten boss's hands, he shoves the grenade into his mouth and pulls the pin. The boss freaks out running around his office to and fro. Jimmy jumps out the top building before the office explodes.

A sadly overlooked film. I thought it was great. Unfortunately very few people do. George Lazenby was great as the evil boss and Wang Yu was perfect as the Hong Kong inspector. They make a perfect pair of foes. This unlikely duo also appeared in A QUEEN'S RANSOM. Watch out for Toecutter from MAD MAX and Frank Thring from MAD MAX 3. Directed by "JimmY" Wang Yu and Brian Trenchard-Smith. Fight scenes were directed by Sammo Hung. This movie also features the cheesy 70's pop song SKY HIGH.

Highly recommended.

The great cult filmmaker Brian Trenchard-Smith strikes again, with this lively international crime / kung fu picture, which he also scripted. Yu Wang stars as Chinese police inspector Fang Sing Leng of the "Special Branch". He travels to Australia for the purpose of extraditing a drug dealer (Sammo Kam-Bo Hung, also the martial arts choreographer). Before he is silenced by an assassin (legendary Aussie stuntman Grant Page),the dealer gives up the name of the man for whom he works: Wilton (one-time James Bond, George Lazenby),a prominent gangster. Our intrepid hero takes on all comers (and there are a lot of them) as he attempts to take down this Mr. Big.

"The Man from Hong Kong" is simply grand entertainment. There's no deep thinking involved; it's just plain fun. It serves up one glorious action set piece after another, even opening the movie with some action as Hung is apprehended. It's pretty damn violent, but it's also stylish and amusing and never, ever boring. The various locations (including Aussie landmark Ayers Rock) are well photographed, and the script by Mr. Trenchard-Smith is often humorous as it throws in everything but the kitchen sink.

Yu Wang is an amiable hero who shows remarkable indestructibility; he has more lives than nine cats. He even takes time to make sweet love to ladies such as reporter Caroline Thorne (Rosalind Speirs) and the adorable, pretty Rebecca Gilling. A couple of Aussie icons have supporting roles: future "Mad Max" cast members Hugh Keays-Byrne and Roger Ward as detectives, Frank Thring as an underling named Willard, and Bill Hunter as Peterson. Lazenby is an enjoyably smug, smarmy villain. The incredible fight between Yu Wang and Page goes on for quite a while. Look for the director in an extended cameo as one of various thugs.

The movie may be best known for spawning that hit song "Sky High", performed by Jigsaw. It accompanies the opening credits and sure gets you in the proper mood for this diversion.

The finale with Lazenby might well have inspired the makers of "Wanted: Dead or Alive" a dozen years later.

Eight out of 10.

THE MAN FROM HONG KONG is another splendid 'Ozploitation' classic from British director Brian Trenchard-Smith, and one of my three favourite movies that he made (along with TURKEY SHOOT and THE SIEGE OF FIREBASE GLORIA); all offer endless entertainment value. This one's a Bond knock-off that mines the-then craze for kung fu madness with the tale of a Hong Kong cop who comes to Australia on the hunt for a massive drug lord. Said drug lord is played by former Bond George Lazenby, who acts up a storm as one of the screen's biggest and most imposing heavies. The hero of the hour is none other than former Shaw man Jimmy Wang Yu, an actor who I've always enjoyed seeing on screen, and he's certainly an electrifying presence here, doing the majority of his own stunts and proving versatile and athletic throughout. The film is a straight-up action classic and limited plotting, but tons of great and bloody fights and vehicle chases that are huge fun, especially the gruelling extended fight between Wang Yu and the assassin. Supporting stars include those familiar and humorous Aussie actors Roger Ward and Hugh Keays-Byrne and a wealth of Hong Kong talent, not least Sammo Hung in a surprisingly big role. I loved it!