Ah-san is a troubled youth. His family fortune has been stolen by their long trusted family servant. Ah-san must track down the servant who just happens to be a master of disguise. Ah-san will recruit a couple of hoodlums to assist him in his search. As a master of disguise, the servant will ultimately send Ah-san
and assistants off the beaten path several times before the final showdown. ?What type of kung fu is that???Leper kung fu.? Liu Chia Yung, director of Master of Disaster, Odd Couple, and City Cops, delivers Fists and Guts. The storyline for this martial arts classic is marvelous (better than described above). Gordon Liu is brilliant as the main character; however, the film is well enhanced by the infamous Lo Lieh (Dirty Ho, Born Invincible, Master Killer, Executioners of Death, The One Armed Swordsmen, and 5 Fingers of Death). ?Our house is ruined, what are you going to do about it???I apologize.? The firing line, the head stuck in the roof fight sequence, the bag stealing sequence on the wooden path, Ah-san?s first fight with the housekeeper, the cinderblock and spear stunt, the assistant ruining the Shaolin monk exhibition, the leprosy island sequence, the ?dirty little slut? reference, Ah-san pretending to be the general, the ?always shitting? reference, the fight for the jewelry box scene, the gauntlet with the bars, and the final fight sequence were amongst the better portions of the film. ?You can?t read a thing, so stop pretending.? The soundtrack for this film is wonderful. The martial arts genre is not well known for creative soundtracks. The action scenes, comedic sequences, and scheming elements of the picture were all enhanced by this wonderful soundtrack. The action sequences are astonishing. The final fight is perfect. Fists and Guts finds itself amongst my top 5 favorite Gordon Liu pictures. Gordon Liu is an all time martial arts legend, and this lesser known film only enhances that claim. ?Why didn?t you hit me???No need to do that.? Grade: A
April 19, 2007
