FU REVIEW #1: FIST OF FURY 2 (1976)

Where better to start than the first fu flick I ever saw at the innocent age of 10. Fist of Fury II.
Deep down I know that this is regarded as a bit shit. Some call it a poor clone of a better movie and someone somewhere has probably enjoyed hurling this tape into a tip, along with the other crap they spent a day clearing out of their dead uncles flat.
Fuck them though, they didn't wonder into cash converters on a sunny summer afternoon and discover a VHS, that for some reason, became the most important film I would ever purchase.

Lets face it, if it wasn't for this whore of a kung fu film, I wouldn't be projecting my thoughts to you on a kung fu themed blog.
I'd probably be doing something useful with my time.
In fact, I hold this film so close to my heart that I made a fan bootleg of this film, which at this moment, is the only english dub widescreen print of this film. Oh and its uncut.
Yours for free at Cinemageddon

The film stars Bruce Li, a man who reluctantly made his career as the actor who helped heartless fat cats milk the legacy of Hong Kong's favorite son, Bruce Lee.
The film is effectively the same as the first film, minus the screen presence of Bruce Lee and any of the spectacular fight sequences that the real Bruce gave us.
Sadly, for me though, it is still a fun film in its own rights and I can't help but enjoy it, right from the poorly compiled "catch-up montage" which features poorly framed screens from the first movie and a brief description of the events that have unfolded.

Bruce Li plays Chen Shen, the brother of the first films protaganist, Chen Zhen. He has arrived in Shanghai to discover the Ching Wu school is now free to be abused by the murderous japanese who beat, brand and generally dominate the chinese into submission and in some cases, alcoholism.
See, alcoholism. Don't ever tell me that kung fu films don't tackle tricky subject matter.
So the school is in shambles and close to a hostile takeover from the japs, the teacher is an alcoholic who spends his time anxiously wondering in and out of shot, looking at his shoes and essentially depressing the fuck out of anyone that goes near him.
What does Chen Shen do about all this heartless bullying?
He does two things, he restores national pride and beats the shit out of the japanese.
The same two things that his brother did in the first movie and the two factors that guaranteed the originals success.
Throw in an asian Dale Winton as the interpretor and you have yourself the first film, but without the impact or importance.

The fight scenes can best be described as completely average, but that doesn't phase me, I can handle poor choreography as I am completely biased towards this film.
The acting is completely average, bordering on shit, with a dub that makes every other line sound like a life changing statement.
You'll enjoy it if you enjoy exploitation films as this film falls directly into the bruceploitation category.
After reading back through this review, I realise I have presented absolutely no reason why somebody would like this film. But I just do and I'm sure i'll enjoy it for years to come.

SCORE: 5.5/10

Just a note, all the comercially available DVD's for this film are completely toss. Don't let that put you off though.