Blood of the Dragon (1973)

To me, this movie is perfection.

Save your money for something good and enjoyable

Most undeservingly overhyped movie of all time??

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

Certainly vastly superior to the over-hyped MASTER OF THE FLYING GUILLOTINE (which has its moments, to be sure, but which also boasts as many negatives as positives), BLOOD OF THE DRAGON is Wang Yu at his heroic best. He was never nobler than he is here, and the storyline is reasonably coherent (not always the case with Old School kung fu movies). The only real problem I have with this one: I've seen it three times, now (once during its initial theatrical run and twice on DVD), and there's an abrupt jump-cut during the final showdown that's still jarring, after all these years. One would think that some enterprising distributor could find a decent print of this one after all these years... (And, no sooner do I lodge the complaint than I come across a print that features the missing action: it shows Wang Yu's opponent, impaled on the tip of the steel spear that he carries, being waved about like a banner before being discarded. It was worth the wait.)

A young boy plans to carry a bamboo, which lists the names of all the men who support a Chinese rebellion against Mongol occupation, to a young prince named Ma Tung, one of the leaders in the rebellion, at the dying request of the man who gave it to him. When two men working for the Mongol cause attack him and steal the bamboo, the "White Dragon" Lung Ti comes to his defense. Soon the two become good friends and the "White Dragon" agrees to accompany the boy on his journey to the palace of the young prince. However, when they arrive Ma Tung immediately recognizes Lung Ti as the man who defeated and humiliated his father Ma Chin, master of the "magic sword", in a previous duel which so shamed his father than Ma Chin shortly thereafter took his own life. Ma Tung makes the mistake of thinking Lung Ti has come for a fight and a battle between the two ensues leaving Lung Ti wounded but still standing. He and the boy then leave but when the "white Dragon" realizes just what the bamboo contains, he knows he must somehow get the information back to Ma Tung or at the very least keep it out of Mongolian hands or that of their supporters for Lung Ti also supports the cause of the rebellion and despite Ma Tung's feelings towards him, Lung Ti admires Ma Tung's stand against the Mongolians and plans to lend his support to the cause as only he can.Lung Ti is a master at controlling the spear and it is his weapon of choice in this story. This movie's true strong point is its many battles featuring Lung Ti's spear and/or Ma Tung's "magic sword" against an army of sword-wielding Mongolians, lead by General Tai who himself has a most unusual sword in that it can be turned into a whip, and their supporters. I've rarely seen more entertaining battles of this sort and they generally are very well shot (even if on occasion they do slip up and you see guys actually taking the spear under the arm). This story of patriotism and one man standing tall against an army is the stuff of heroic legend. This certainly doesn't fail to deliver in any fashion it promises. Wang Yu is fantastic as the "White Dragon" and the language barrier is not really a problem here as his actions and his body language speak so loudly.

White Dragon is an anti-hero in the truest form. A former fighter who only lived to wreak havoc and fight another day finds that the lifestyle he had once embraced is now hollow and only seeks to live a quiet life of wandering. When a young beggar runs afoul of Mongol warriors he steps in to save the young man and becomes embroiled in a plot of royal intrigue. I love the interplay between White Dragon and his protégé' as he strives to teach him in all too short a time the true meaning of heroism. The burgeoning feelings he has for the innkeeper who looks out for the boy is meaningful without getting in the way of the plot or the great martial arts action. While his enemies are somewhat uninspired the sheer amount of them will keep you at the edge of your seat to see what the ultimate outcome of this battle will be.

Ah-ha, foreshadowing! A strong lead, elaborate fight scenes, semi-bad dubbing, silly facial hair, and a weak musical score add up to Blood of the Dragon. I had never heard of Jimmy Wang Yu until I saw Screaming Ninja and this. He definitely deserves his status as a name in the martial arts genre. He is quite impressive both physically and in his acting. White Dragon(Yu) faces Red Wolf, Golden something, wussy prime minister, and Kang Fu(Fei Lung - Evil Betty). Of course, they are no match for the defender of the rebellion. Fun as only a seventies martial arts movie can be. The twenty minute final battle could have inspired a scene in Kill Bill. A different soundtrack and some less silly supporting vocal talent would elevate this a lot.