Dirty Ho

Rating:
Summary: 5 Stars
Review: Definately a must buy for Gordon Liu & Liu Chia Liang fans. Liu Chiang Liang's excellent direction and choreography and Gordon Liu's perfect execution of stealth fighting make watching this film a delight. Wang Yu as the bungling disciple adds some humor to dark tone of the film. Best fight: Gordon Liu versus the art dealer. Funniest scenes: Wang Yu trying to heal his injured head.

Rating:
Summary: That Gordon Liu guy is pretty good
Review: Despite not being the title character, the movie is all about the eleventh prince played by Gordon Liu. Unfortunate for him he runs into a run of the mill, undisciplined, thief, who thinks he can out do everyone, Dirty Ho, played by Yung Wang Yu. Of course, you know what's going to happen next, the eleventh prince is going to not help Dirty Ho become a better fighter until he absolutely has to. However, Dirty Ho doesn't really want to follow the eleventh prince around either, it just so happens that in one of Dirty Ho's hijinks, he got himself poisoned (set up by Gordon Liu) during a very entertaining fight sequence.

There is a few parts of the movie that reminded me very much of Prodigal Son, and a few other parts (in the art gallery) that reminded me of Shaolin & Wu-Tang. In the end I don't think Dirty Ho is as good as either of the above mentioned movies. Nevertheless, it is a great movie in it's own right, worth owning, just to see Gordon Lius ability alone. Gordon Liu makes it three quarters of the way through the movie using fantastic sequences to hind his true kung-fu abilities.

In the end, it's not as good as Prodigal Son or Shaolin & Wu-Tang, but still a must see.

Grade: A-

Rating:
Summary: Creative kung fu with comic elements performed by Gordon Liu
Review: DIRTY HO (1979) is a successful attempt by director Lau Kar Leung to bring fresh touches to the kung fu genre. Here he has his hero, the 11th Prince, practice a form of "stealth" kung fu in which he fights off assassination attempts with cleverly disguised kung fu moves while engaged in more mundane activities, such as wine tasting and antiques appraising. Disguised as a merchant named Wang, the prince has to keep his identity hidden, even from his newly enlisted sidekick, "Dirty Ho," a petty thief and con man, until he can determine which of his brothers is trying to kill him. Only then can he undertake to share his kung fu skills with Ho in preparation for a grueling final battle with kung fu great Lo Lieh (FIVE FINGERS OF DEATH).

The stars are Gordon Liu (MASTER KILLER) and Wong Yue (YOUNG AVENGER), who had earlier teamed up in the enjoyable kung fu comedy, HE HAS NOTHING BUT KUNG FU (1977), directed by Lau Kar Wing, the brother of Lau Kar Leung. Also in the cast are kung fu regulars Wang Lung Wei and Kara Hui Ying Hung. The comic elements are seamlessly blended into the more serious story, creating an enjoyable if slightly far-fetched kung fu tale that lacks the excitement and intensity of Lau's other works, but boasts a high degree of charm. In addition, the film is very well mounted, shot on beautifully appointed studio sets, elegantly costumed, and well scored with original Chinese music. The version currently available is letter-boxed, enabling viewers to appreciate the full scope of the kung fu action.

Rating:
Summary: Gordon Liu and Wong Yue are quite the pair
Review: Gordon Liu and Yung Wong Yue star in this great classic. Gordon Liu plays the 11th Prince who is destined to take over the throne of his aging father. Undercover he go's to the city to enjoy what he love's, Wine and antique's. While there he runs into the small time thief Ho (wong yue), and befriends him almost against Ho's will. Finally the Prince and Ho become friends just in time to figure out that one of the princes 13 brothers is trying to kill him. After countless set ups and attacks they go into hiding until it is blown. An injured Prince and a newly taught fighter in Ho must now go to the castle and find out which brother it was, and deal him his just punishment. But can they make it without being stopped first. Great Comedy, matched by it's great fight scenes. Gordon Liu and Wong Yue work together perfectly. Talk about villians aswell this film has 3 of the best led by Lo Lieh this film also features classic villian's Wilson Tong, and Wang Lung Wei. A must see, emphasis on the MUST.

Rating:
Summary: Fighting while not fighting. Hilarious!
Review: Gordon Liu plays Mr. Wang, an art, jewelry, and wine afficionado who is travelling across China. He encouters Mr. Ho a jewel thief in a crazy party competition (as in who can attract the most girls to their party). These two continue to run into each other. Ho is wanting to get back at Wang, and Wang apparently thinks Ho is amusing. There is more to the plot, but you will have to watch the movie.

The fight scenes were very well done. There was a really cool fight between Ho and Wang where Wang was using a female musician to actually do the battle, but Ho couldn't see what was happening and thought that she was actually very skilled in kung fu. Really well done!

There were a number of encounters between Wang and various assassins. For some reasons these assassins did not just up and start wailing on Wang, they were carrying on normal conversations and steathily fighting under the table. Ho, who was present at these encounters had no idea that Wang was actually fighting! Also very cool!

The sound and video quality was pretty good overall. The dubbed voices were a bit corny in places, but that is to be expected. There was a bit of noise from time to time (it looked like tracking problems from a VHS), but this was on the DVD. Nothing that harmed the movie anyway.

This was a pretty good one if you want to see some unusual hidden combat.

Rating:
Summary: Fighting while not fighting. Hilarious!
Review: Gordon Liu plays Mr. Wang, an art, jewelry, and wine afficionado who is travelling across China. He encouters Mr. Ho a jewel thief in a crazy party competition (as in who can attract the most girls to their party). These two continue to run into each other. Ho is wanting to get back at Wang, and Wang apparently thinks Ho is amusing. There is more to the plot, but you will have to watch the movie.

The fight scenes were very well done. There was a really cool fight between Ho and Wang where Wang was using a female musician to actually do the battle, but Ho couldn't see what was happening and thought that she was actually very skilled in kung fu. Really well done!

There were a number of encounters between Wang and various assassins. For some reasons these assassins did not just up and start wailing on Wang, they were carrying on normal conversations and steathily fighting under the table. Ho, who was present at these encounters had no idea that Wang was actually fighting! Also very cool!

The sound and video quality was pretty good overall. The dubbed voices were a bit corny in places, but that is to be expected. There was a bit of noise from time to time (it looked like tracking problems from a VHS), but this was on the DVD. Nothing that harmed the movie anyway.

This was a pretty good one if you want to see some unusual hidden combat.

Rating:
Summary: A classic and must-own for martial arts film fans
Review: Gordon Liu plays the comedian, something you haven't seen him do before. This movie is filled with comedic moments and excellent martial arts sequences. The only version I've been able to find is dubbed and has imprinted subtitles in multiple languages. The quality isn't the best, but this movie shines anyway. Don't pass it up--you'll be missing out on one that will likely become a favorite.

Rating:
Summary: A Witty Gem From the Shaw Brothers' Film Vault
Review: No, this isn't a movie about a streetwalker with questionable bathing habits, its a hilarious kung-fu comedy. When you think of of Shaw Brothers martial arts films from the 60s and 70s, you sometimes think of unintentionally funny, dubbed fight fests; here is a wonderfully intentionally funny worth watching more than once.

You don't have to be a kung-fu expert to appreciate the witty, inventive fight choreograpy on display here. If you think Jackie Chan was the only kung-fu action star to use humor in 1970s martial arts films, think again. Here, the action is more economical, but is just a satisfying as many of Chan's. The early confrontations between incognito Prince Eleven, and thief, Ho are sly and reveals the men's differing characters. Some of the later fights are absolutely surreal, such as that fought during a wine tasting (I kid you not!)

If one thing remains in the memory, it's how good the team of director Lau Kar Leung and actor/martial artist Lau Kar Fai (aka Gordon Liu, the directors half-brother) was. You might want to watch their more serious Shaolin Master Killer (aka The 36th Chamber) after seeing this, to see how good "old school" kung-fu films can be.

Please note, while this is a fun, rewarding film, the source for the DVD transfer was a less than perfect--make that much less than perfect--video tape. Also note that it's dubbed, but the dubbing actually adds a bit to the fun, since this is essentially a comic tale. That being said, at this price you can't go wrong.