Returned A Single-legged Man: 2 [1974] 속 돌아온 외다리

[J.J. Hayden]

Great news.

 

The KMDB/KFA have released another rare Korean classic, the sequel to The Returned Single-Legged Man. It isn't too often they release any of the many martial arts films they have locked in their vault so it's a cause to celebrate. Even if you're not that interested, could you please give them some likes and or comments on their YT page, the more interest there is around these kinds of films, there more likely they are to release more in the future. Cheers

 

 

[De Ming Li]

Wonderful. I liked the first film and this sequel looks just as good.

[One Armed Boxer]

On 2/3/2024 at 1:11 AM, De Ming Li said:

I liked the first film and this sequel looks just as good.

I actually liked the sequel a little more. I gave it the full review treatment over at COF - 

https://cityonfire.com/returned-a-single-legged-man-2-1974-review/

[Super Ninja]

Well, RSLM2 changes things. Korea did indeed have its crippled hero fighter and a great one, so the comparisons with Zatoichi and One-Armed Boxer are fully justified. As impossible as it may sound, Han Yong-cheol is a one-legged taekwondo fighter. 

This looks to be the fifth entry in Lee Doo-yong's Taekwon series, I'm not yet sure if Betrayer was a part of the series or not. The synopsis on KOFA's YT channel is confusing, as it's never mentioned in the movie that the gold was intended to finance the Korean Independence Army, though I expected that must be the case and that sooner or later in the movie, someone will reveal to be cooperating with Korean freedom fighters. This makes RSLM2 different as the patriotism is missing this time. What also makes RSLM2 different is we finally get a training scene. It's short, but you gotta love it. I do.

RSLM2 throws comedy into the mix, every bit intentional I should add, and it proves to be a brilliant move since it makes the final third all the more shocking once Lee Doo-yong turns the tone of the movie on its head, guaranteeing a drastically different, brutal and bloody finale. Despite the argument that Doo-yong's taekwon-action films with Han Yon-cheol belong to the same cinematic universe, I find them to be quite different in tone, which is surprising. They were quickly made and you can bet there'll be shots out of focus and questionable sound effects, but Lee Doo-yong managed to add diversity and play with the style; I love how he turned the "ordinary" scene where the four henchmen get killed after turning on their boss who now favors the Osaka three, into something extraordinary. 

I wonder if Hwang Jang-lee's character, karateka Yamamoto Masamitsu, is described as a fighter "who can fight off 100 men single-handedly" as a reference to Kyokushin karate's famous 100-man kumite? Karate and judo add to the variety of the fights, Im Eun-ju is the "sister streetfighter" to Han's taekwondo badass whose fight in the park is undercranked; I don't recall undercranking being used in the previous two films. Also, this is the first time I doubted Koreans really know how to frame their action and get the angles right. Han's first fight in the movie is an obvious example. 

Whatever good or bad can be said about these films, I'm a fan. I do hope KOFA will share more and soon.

 

[DrNgor]

Returned Single-Legged Man 2 (South Korea, 1974: Lee Doo-yong) - Set in Shanghai circa 1930, this sort of deals with rival club owners, played by Kim Moon-joo and Bae Soo-cheon, the latter once again playing a Japanese criminal.  Kim plays Mariner Park, a former ship captain who owns a nightclub in Shanghai that is subject to constant harassment from Kimura (Bae) and his cronies. Kimura is convinced that Park is hiding a cache of gold in his establishment and hopes to hamper his business to the point that he closes shop and has to move the gold. His schemes are thwarted by the appearance of a Taekwondo expert everybody refers to as "Left Foot." Left Foot fights for Park and eventually humiliates Kimura and his goons. Kimura responds by hiring the "Three Brothers from Osaka," a trio of Japanese martial artists (including Legendary Superkicker Hwang Jang Lee). Their first fight does not go as planned for Left Foot, ultimately leaving him literally unworthy of the moniker...if you catch my drift (and I think that you do).

The tone for Returned Single-Legged Man 2 is decidedly more comedic than The Manchurian Tiger and Returned Single-Legged Man. Kim Moon-joo plays his role as a complete drunken boob, although a scene early on with his employees suggest he might be hiding something. Han Yong-cheol plays a worthless drunk for much of the film, although when push comes to shove, he will kick you multiple times in the face without lowering his foot. I feel bad for Bae Soo-cheon for being typecast as a Japanese baddie, but I get a kick out of the man's scenery-chewing performances. The film predates Crippled Avengers by four years in having the protagonist lose a leg and get it replaced with an iron prosthetic one. The choreography this time fell to Kwon Il-soo, who later choreographed Champ vs. Champ and Grandmaster of Shaolin Kung Fu. I think Kwan Yung-Moon did a better job with his fighting, than Kwon, but his work is fine overall. My favorite fight was the one between Han Yong-cheol and the Osaka brothers the most, which ends up marking a complete change of tone for the entire movie.  

Edited April 18 by DrNgor