Hand of Death (1976) Review

Rating: 4 out of 5

Director: John Woo

Year: 1976

Plot:

“Hand of Death” is also known as “Countdown in Kung Fu”, and is a 1976 John Woo directed kung fu movie. The basic plot of the film follows Yun Fei, a student of Shaolin, as he has to take down a warlord that has led an attack against the Shaolin. However, before he can do that, he has to fight 8 bodyguards and a secondary boss before he can get revenge against Shih Shao-Feng, the warlord. Of course, he doesn’t just get in there and win, he loses at first, and must learn a new technique, the Goose fist fighting method in order to get the final victory. However, it’s not easy, and he must train hard to get there. It’s not just one on one either, there are sequences where the invading party catches up with the shaolin fighters that have scattered and attack. This builds the strength of the invading party, so that our hero must overcome something grand. Of course, it all builds to a larger final fight, but one must be patient sometimes.

Thoughts:

From the initial start of the film, you are in for a lot of kung fu action. There’s an initial attack on the Shaolin temple, and that gives you a great introduction on what’s to come, including several masterful points against the Shaolin. You see the bosses that will need to be defeated, and then the story continues. I noticed the film quality is top notch, restored and very good, with subtitles. John Woo’s direction is great too, focusing on the action without disastrous cuts that pull you away. There’s a heavy focus on setting up the story at first, so it’s not just a fight film. With that said, the pacing is a little slow before you get to action at times, pushing the storyline and getting background to the actions overall. This can be a downside if you’re just looking for pure fighting.

Overall, “Hand of Death” is a story driven kung fu movie that has a lot of depth to it. It has feeling, and is not your average kung fu film. It features a great deal of story, good fighting, and traditional elements throughout. It’s much more than a revenge movie, and John Woo’s direction really makes this a lasting film. Oh, and I almost forgot, Jackie Chan is in it too, although he’s got a minor role. I recommend this one for the build up and ending, and interesting story throughout. I rate it a 4 out of 5.

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