Fist and Guts (1979)

Fists and Guts was a frustrating combination of inane comedy and entertaining, well-choreographed fights. How much you enjoy this film may depend on your ability to tolerate slapstick and haphazard storytelling.

Gordon Liu in a terrible wig worked with two inept conmen to try and recover family heirlooms stolen by a treacherous housekeeper. The conmen were played by the director Lau Kar Wing and usually bad guy Lee Hoi Sang. The story wandered around even going so low as to have the conmen travel to a leper colony. The story itself was redundant as they searched for the “housekeeper” who could disguise himself, with Team Inept choosing the wrong people or being led astray by the real thief. Most of the pointless endeavors were designed to highlight the comedy which fell flat for me.

Just past the halfway mark the fights kicked into gear, if not the story. You had to slog through a gross poop scenario to get that far though. Gordon Liu and Lai Kim Hung had an inventive silent fight as they both tried to steal a jade Buddha from a general’s well-guarded home. They stifled cries and prevented vases and furniture from crashing to the ground as they engaged in a desperate fight. Later, Gordon had to teach the two conmen moves that would help them beat the booby-trapped system in the “housekeeper’s” secret lair. This was one of the few times the fools came in handy. The highlight of the film was the life-or-death fight between Gordon and Lo Lieh. By this time the real identities of both men and their motivations were revealed and the ridiculous wigs were removed. This was one of Lo’s best fights I’ve seen, Gordon and the Laus brought out the best in him. The moral of the tale wasn't as righteous as they might have thought it was.

The story was aggravatingly circular and the comedy could be irritating, albeit those who love old kung fu comedies may be enraptured by the comedy in this film. Regardless of your threshold for slapstick, if you enjoy kung fu movies from this era, the second half of the film shone through with at least two worthy fights to watch.

6 Dec 2023
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