One-Armed Boxer

Shaw Brothers films always seemed to waffle between serious historical action epics and down-n-dirty kung-fu exploitation.  Of the latter, a disabled hero always upped the ante, turning the typical underdog tale into a superhero origin story that granted said character inexplicable powers after the loss of a precious limb…or eye…or ear…or favorite appendage.

1972’s One-Armed Boxer (released in the U.S. as The Chinese Professionals) sets up the chessboard in typical fashion with rival gangs vying for over bragging rights for martial arts superiority.  The fighting starts practically from frame one, but it’s a full hour before star student Tien Lung is separated from his right arm by a single blow from a Taiwanese vampire mercenary (!) and starts training for his revenge.  The finale is a Shaw Brothers favorite, pitting our hero against a rogues’ gallery of merciless thugs each with their own inventive fighting style.

 

Having proven himself adapt at one-armed combat already in The One-Armed Swordsman, star Jimmy Wang Yu takes over writing and directing reigns here and is convincing enough as a born-again lefty (his arm was actually strapped behind his back).  But he wisely lets the bad guys steal the show, allowing each character go as outrageously over-the-top as possible:  Tibetan fighters who “inflate” themselves when angry (a gag repeated later in Big Trouble in Little China), Muay Thai kickboxers with iron feet, an elastic Yoga master from India and the aforementioned vampiric karate expert.  It’s go-for-broke entertainment that rarely lets you take a breath.  But it is admittedly goofier than the studio’s more highly praised output.

 

Arrow Video’s Blu-ray special edition makes no apologies for this love letter to the days of grindhouse-style kung-fu.  The 2K restoration is as dirt and speck free as previous Shaw Brothers titles and extras include a commentary track, career retrospective with Wang Yu, trailer gallery and new artwork.

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