What are the best, most action packed, modern day setting Shaw Bros movies?

[blue_skies]

I was just doing a search of the forum and found some modern day set Shaw Brother films, but a lot of comments were they were not action packed. What are the best films that fit the description? I'm also more interested in martial arts action as opposed to gunplay.

[One Armed Boxer]

I'd say you already have the best Shaws movie that fits that description - 'Hong Kong Godfather'!

Other picks, and modern of course being a 70's setting for most Shaws, I guess would be 'The Lady is the Boss' - an unintentionally hilarious mis-fire from Lau Kar Leung which has to be seen to be believed, but if you want to see the likes of Kara Hui & Gordon Liu strutting around in 80's fashion and spouting ridiculous English, you can't go wrong - oh, & of course, it really delivers in the fighting department.

Other stuff of interest - Chang Cheh's 'Duel of Fists', a Thailand based movie which must be one of the first to feature muay thai, and Chang Cheh's 'The Angry Guest' which has Yasuake Kurata on bad guy duty,

'Shaolin Hand Lock' is another Thailand based Shaws movie, which features an early appearance from Dick Wei!

[blue_skies]

Cheers OAB, does Dick Wei actually get to showcase his skills? I've seen him pop up in a number of Shaw Bros movies, usually getting killed off very quickly.

[TibetanWhiteCrane]

Mercenaries From Hong Kong is a fun romp! A mix of gunplay, stunts, blades, bazookas, hand to hand and a boatload of 80's cheese!!!!!!

[blue_skies]

Mercenaries From Hong Kong is a fun romp! A mix of gunplay, stunts, blades, bazookas, hand to hand and a boatload of 80's cheese!!!!!!

Sounds fun TWC I'll also check the youtube trailers for this and OAB's suggestions .

[Chinatown Kid]

I really liked Chinatown Kid and The Delinquent, two good modern day (70's) stories of rageful young men seeking revenge on the hoods who betrayed them in bloody Chang Cheh style fashion.

[One Armed Boxer]

Cheers OAB, does Dick Wei actually get to showcase his skills? I've seen him pop up in a number of Shaw Bros movies, usually getting killed off very quickly.

In 'Shaolin Hand Lock' in terms of martial arts showcasing, he doesn't get to do a whole lot, this is David Chiang's show, and as such he gets pretty much all the action scenes.

Regarding 'The Lady is the Boss', this is a pretty spot on review from the main site -

http://www.kungfucinema.com/lady-is-the-boss-1983-471

....& it's worth posting a link to the previous thread about it, just so you can check out the screen shots that teako170 posted, gives you a good idea of what you're letting yourself in for! -

http://www.kungfucinema.com/forums/showthread.php?p=50080

Mercenaries From Hong Kong is a fun romp! A mix of gunplay, stunts, blades, bazookas, hand to hand and a boatload of 80's cheese!!!!!!

Agreed! Damn, back in the day (the day being about 4 years ago) I actually had a review of this movie as part of the main site, along with a bunch of other Shaw flicks....unfortunately when the site changed it's reviewing format to the one it uses currently, along with it's frustratingly complex listing system, my reviews never got carried over....and the computer I wrote and saved it on is over the other side of the world! Definitely worth a look though!

I really liked Chinatown Kid and The Delinquent, two good modern day (70's) stories of rageful young men seeking revenge on the hoods who betrayed them in bloody Chang Cheh style fashion.

Yeah 'The Delinquent' is pretty good, but I don't remember it containing any particularly entertaining kung-fu action. Wong Chung of course also starred in another Chang Cheh directed modern day actioner, 'Police Force', which also contains the screen debut of Alexander Fu Sheng, who plays a character taking part in a karate tournament.

I'm ashamed to say I've yet to see 'Chinatown Kid', I remember I was all setup to but the Celestial remaster, then I read this review which came out around the same time by site master Mark Pollard, and I decided to give it a miss....I've never had the opportunity to see it since, but think I'd rather have the chance to see the international print once I do -

http://www.kungfucinema.com/chinatown-kid-1977-183

[Pai Mei]

The Drug Addicts comes to mind when I think of modern day Shaws. Here Ti Lung plays a local drug addicted kung fu instructor that tries to take down a drug lord with the help of his old drug dealer. I would classify it as a drama, but it does have some good martial art scenes.

[ShaOW!linDude]

Personally, I was disappointed in THE CHINATOWN KID. I found the MA in it to be along the lines of the "flailing arm basher" style. Been along time though since I've watched it. Maybe I remember it wrong.

[AbeRudder]

Hong Kong Godfather is the best ive seen so far. The finale is just pure madness, gets me pumped everytime. The Lady is the Boss is ok, the fighting is spectacular, the movie as a whole is kinda silly though.