Member Takuma Posted October 31, 2013 Member Share Posted October 31, 2013 A sister (brother) thread for Princess Yang Kwei-Fei. You may have seen my thread on another forum already, but I suppose it won't hurt to have one here, too. I recently caught the 35mm Nikkatsu print of Asia-Pol which is the Japanese version with no Wang Yu in it! The film was shot for Japanese and Chinese markets with two main actors playing the same role. In the Shaw version it's Wang Yu, while in the Nikkatsu version Hideaki Nitani plays the same role. Both actors even do the same poses. The versions seem otherwise almost identical with the same running time. Opening credits are a bit different, and there are some differences in the soundtrack (at least one stereotypical "China melody" is removed from the HK print). The spoken language is also different: the Shaw print is in Mandarin while in the Japanese version everyone speaks Japanese. The one exception is the meeting with another Asia-Pol agent near the end, which is in Taiwanese in the Shaw print and in French (with English subtitles and no Japanese translation!!!) in the Nikkatsu print. Some other differences may also exists, as I'm relying on my notoriously bad memory, but the exact same running time should be a good indication. The Japanese print is not available on dvd anywhere, but Spannic noted on another forum that the German dubbed VHS was based on the Nikkatsu print! Despite the partly misleading "Shaw Brothers reputation" Asia-Pol is mainly a Nikkatsu product. It's very much in the vein of the hundreds of modern, ultra cool action film Nikkatsu was churning out in the 50's and 60's, a features some of the studio's biggest stars of all time: Hideaki Nitani, Ruriko Asaoka, and Joe Shishido. Sadly, most of those films remain entirely unknown in the West, even though Nikkatsu has sometimes been given the credit for anticipating James Bond movies with their early 60's action films. Even then, the Shaw print is actually better! Hideaki Nitani may be a screen legend on his own right, but his reputable and slightly wooden performance cannot compare with the youthful, energetic and campy performance by Wang Yu, who does one of his earliest roles here (superstardom followed the next year with One-Armed Swordsman)! Joe Shishido (with amusing fake accent) and other Japanese cast members fare better in the Nikkatsu print, though, because of the language. The film clearly benefitted from being a co-production, allowing the film a much bigger international scale than what was common to Nikkatsu or Shaw Brothers action films. The Shaws also produced a whole load of other spy films, such as The Black Falcon, and Inter-Pol, many of which where directed by Japanese directors who had worked for Nikkatsu before. It's a fun film full of Nikkatsu coolness in any version, though I didn't remember how gloriously stupid it can be at times (the car bomb scene defies all logic)! Note: although the Hong Kong version was released in 1967, the Japanese version came out in Japan already in 1966. The Japanese title is "Asia himitsu keisatsu" (Asia Secret Police), coupled with an official Japanese English title "Asia-Pol Secret Service". Below is a brief comparison between JP and HK version. More JP images here where I stole them from. The original Japanese poster. And a still photo with Hideaki Nitani as agent J9 (if I remember the character's name correctly). I wasn't sure whether to put this thread in JP or Shaw section, but I think people will find in easier in the Shaw section. Mods feel free to change if necessary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member spannick Posted October 31, 2013 Member Share Posted October 31, 2013 there are some little differences, a short dialogue is exclusive to the Japanese Print in the Agency Bureau somewhere after the opening credits from what i remember. also, even if only Japanese Actors are together onscreen, the Scenes were still shot twice. they are NEVER 100% identical to the Shaw Print! i tried to dub the German Scenes for them once to try that out and indeed the Audio would not fit even in the same shots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member mpm74 Posted October 31, 2013 Member Share Posted October 31, 2013 Did they film these at the same exact time? I'm surprised their the same poses, same locations, etc. That's bizarre! Great write up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member The Dragon Posted October 31, 2013 Member Share Posted October 31, 2013 I have the Jimmy Wang Yu version... I'd like to get the other just for novelty. "Wang is out!!!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member mpm74 Posted October 31, 2013 Member Share Posted October 31, 2013 I have the Jimmy Wang Yu version... I'd like to get the other just for novelty. "Wang is out!!!" Now we can get some action around here! *smiles between two guys while blood is dripping down my mouth" (isnt it's "Chow Wei is out") =D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member KyFi Posted June 18, 2015 Member Share Posted June 18, 2015 This was back in stock at DDDhouse a few months ago, and I finally picked it up. The last few years I've really gotten into the Nikkatsu action movies (check out the recent blurays of Massacre Gun and Retaliation), so I appreciate this movie a lot more now than I would have when it was first released by Celestial. It's a fun movie, and unlike many of the studio-bound Shaw productions, this is largely shot outside on location. It's great seeing all these shots of HK in the 60's! Honestly, I probably wouldn't rank this one up there with the best from either Shaws or Nikkatsu, but it's fun seeing this collaboration---and come on, a fistfight between Jimmy Wang Yu and Jo Shishido! A very cool, hip and stylish (if slightly silly) film---great fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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