Kung Fu Genius (1979)

Strictly average movie

Self-important, over-dramatic, uninspired.

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

If you're a Cliff Lok can like I am,see this movie. Cliff is the Kung Fu genius - he's able to copy anyone's style of Kung Fu after seeing them fight, thus gaining the ability to whoop their asses.With a doofy sidekick,he opens a Kung Fu school and that's when the trouble starts. With a simple,basic plot that's understandable, this is one of the better martial arts movies out there. Plenty of fighting that's pretty good, a story a six year old can understand, Cliff Lok, AND Lee Hoi San, you can't go wrong. Grab a beer or three and watch with friends.

The movie starts with Cliff Lok showing off for his student Cheng Kang-Yeh. But when no one can beat you and you can master every style is it showing off? It is too soon to be serious so the movie has a lot of fun first. Many are offended by the new guy in town who dares to open up a new kung fu school and many challengers come. Cliff defeats them all. Real kung fu has animal styles then these movies came along and added many more. I tried to make a list once but lost track. Let's just say that these movies came up with a kung fu style for pretty much every living thing. Plus a hierarchy was invented: monkey beats snake and drunken beats monkey and so on. Styles were invented just for comedic effect. In this movie we have reached peak style and it is time to get back to the spirit of martial arts.If you get this movie (and most people do not) you will feel the spirit of Bruce Lee in the final fight. Cliff Lok and Wilson Tong achieved in this movie what Bruce Lee intended to do with The Game of Death plus they made a comedy out of it. A true kung fu genius, like Bruce Lee, is like water – adapts and overcomes. This movie is non-stop fights. It is all about the martial arts, there is no other plot. It has comedy. Back to the non-stop fights – every fight is unique, nothing is repeated. I consider it one of the best ever and rate it nine out of ten.

some spoilers? I am a huge fan of Kung Fu movies, and I've seen plenty of Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Donny Yen, and now I've gone on to watch all of those movies with Hsiao Hou in them. In my search I stumbled across Kung Fu Genius and I have to tell you, it is BEYOND BAD. Now, Kung Fu movies aren't exactly known for great plots or story lines, though we are fortunate enough to get them from time to time. I have watched Kung Fu Genius and I still can't figure out what it's all about.There's a Kung Fu "master", who calls himself "GENIUS" because he can emulate other styles, particularly those used by his opponents. He has an idiot sidekick, and together they plot to open a Kung Fu school in town.A rival Kung Fu school gets wind of the news, and a trouble making student and his friend go to Genius to pick a fight.The Kung Fu fights in this movie and the techniques are pretty standard, not much is ground breaking, or exciting except DUCK STYLE (which was pretty awesome and surprising) and DRUNKEN MONKEY (used by Hsiao Hou).The thing that bothered me was that, it was like the director pulled Hsiao Hou off the set of Mad Monkey Kung Fu (made the same year) and dumped him in this crappy movie. Nearly all of the same moves, though I noticed a few new ones in the ring fight.The lead, Cliff Lok, whom I've liked in other movies, I did not like in this one. I wasn't convinced that he could be a genius Kung Fu artist, nor was I convinced that he could be a Kung Fu master. He smirked from scene to scene, and it was quite annoying. He seemed almost invulnerable, which robbed the plot of any excitement.Hsiao Hou was the most brilliant Kung Fu artist in the movie, even if he had very few lines against three fight sequences and a drunken monkey demonstration. I wasn't convinced that Cliff Lok's character could match Hsiao Hou. I also find it funny that Hsiao Hou, who had a smaller part with only few lines, is on the DVD/VHS cover. What does that tell you? It tells you that he was the best fighter in the movie. Comparatively, the other actors were thoroughly outclassed.Summary? The movie and its plot is beyond bad, and beyond bad for a Kung Fu flick is really scraping the bottom of the trash bin. Watch it for the duck style. Watch it to grab a glimpse or two of Hsiao Hou. Otherwise, it's pretty worthless.

This is a pretty standard chop socky flick for most of the movie. Actually it's meant to be a spoof of kung fu movies. There's lots of action all the way through and well choreographed fight scenes. But if there's one reason to see this virtually unknown title it's to see the Charles Bronson look-a-like guy as the teacher of all methods of Kung Fu. Towards the end he breaks out the Duck Method. The Duck Method is by far one of the most hilarious scenes you will ever behold no matter how many movies you see.