646f9e108c During the Japanese occupation of Korea in the 1930's, the leader of a small resistance movement attempts to get information to sympathizers in China. "Sting of the Dragon Masters" features Jhoon Rhee in his only martial arts film role. Rhee, who is known as the 'Father of American Tae Kwon Do' and counts Muhammad Ali among his students, plays a humble, unassuming man living in Japanese-occupied Korea in the early twentieth century. He makes every effort to conceal his martial skill, but is eventually forced to lash out against the Japanese oppressors. (In this regard, and also because it is a Golden Harvest production, "…Dragon Masters" bears more than a passing resemblance to Bruce Lee's "The Chinese Connection".) Fighting alongside Rhee are chop-socky stalwarts Angela Mao Ying and Carter Wong, while the seemingly endless array of villains includes Whang Ing-Sik (dressed in a very loud kimono) and Sammo Hung. As is the case with many martial arts films, the storyline is simple and exists primarily to link the fight scenes together. But, good god, what fight scenes they are! "Sting of the Dragon Masters" offers spectacular, jaw-dropping action, with a special focus on kicks (as you might expect from a film whose alternate title is "When Tae Kwon Do Strikes"), and you'll certainly feel that you've gotten your money's worth by the time the closing credits roll. The leader of a small resistance movement attempts to get information to sympathizers in China during the Japanese occupation of Korea in the 1930's. Writer/director Feng Huang relates the absorbing and exciting story at a snappy pace, maintains a serious tone throughout, and stages the wall-to-wall chopsocky fights with rousing rough'n'ready gusto. The top-rate cast of ace martial artists keeps this movie humming: The ever-awesome Angela Mao takes on a bunch of guys and displays her customary beautifully balletic grace, the lithe'n'lethal Jhoon Rhee totally tears it up, Carter Wong busts booty with his usual savage brio, Anne Winton likewise impresses as the feisty Mary, and Sammo Hung even pops up as a vicious lackey who gets trounced by Mao. The strong politically charged plot and an underlying theme on loyalty along with the exceptional fight choreography all ensure that this picture packs a considerable wallop. The villains are quite mean and hateful: They not only torture a priest, but also kill an old lady! Yu-tang Li's crisp widescreen cinematography makes exciting use of a frequently moving camera. Tsao Hua Li's robust score hits the stirring spot. Well worth a watch.
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