TIGER AND CRANE FISTS (1976)

(Directed by Jimmy Wang Yu)

"Also known as "Savage Killers", but you probably know it better as "Kung Pow""- Signed by MartialHorror.

 

Plot: A warrior must master both the tiger and crane arts of fighting in order to defeat a powerful Manchu fighter.

Review:

Jimmy Wang Yu made “Tiger and Crane Fists” immediately after “Master of the Flying Guillotine”, one of his most beloved cult classics. Unfortunately, whereas that film bristled with wild creativity, “Tiger and Crane Fists” was uninspired and rather forgettable. Wang Yu must've poured all of his imagination into one project, so the other was merely by the numbers. It was lazy, confused and one felt that everyone was just going through the motions. "Tiger and Crane Fists" was just a low brow kung fu film that was doomed to fade into obscurity. But “Tiger and Crane Fists” got what few bad kung fu films ever achieve: a second chance. Whether you have seen the movie or not, you probably are at least somewhat familiar with it. Because these days people tend to know “Tiger and Crane Fists” as “Kung Pow: Enter the Fist”.

Jimmy Wang Yu stars as the Chosen One...yeah, honestly, I can't remember any of these characters names and imdb didn't bother to record them. So yes, I am referring to them by their “Kung Pow” names, because it amuses me. The Chosen One witnesses his master getting owned by the ferocious, mighty warrior known as Betty (Fei Lung). They flee to Master Tang (Hui Lou Chen), a master of crane fist who was a rival of the Chosen One's master (who practiced tiger fist). His master dies and the Chosen one joins their school, earning a rival in the surprisingly talented Wimp Lo (Chia Yung Liu). He must combine the Tiger and Crane Fists in order to bring down Betty once and for all.

First off, if you've seen “Kung Pow”, it will be impossible to take this movie seriously (which is a good thing). Second, if you don't like “Kung Pow”, you probably won't care for this either. I love “Kung Pow”, but I do feel that it goes too far at times. It is full of many funny moments, but I don't like a lot of the additions. The tongue, the cow, the one boobed chick, the evil council...they were just so 'loud' compared to the rest of the movie, which was fairly clever. The best thing about “Tiger and Crane Fists” is watching the original footage and thinking about how these scenes played out in “Kung Pow”. The comparing and contrasting the two films is what really makes it funny.

 

Seriously, I found myself laughing nonstop. In fact, I actually might even say that “Tiger and Crane Fists” is even funnier because it lacks “Kung Pow”'s stupider moments. Steve Oedekerk really did go out of his way to make fun of this movie directly, even though no one likely saw it before “Kung Pow”. The voices are eerily similar at times, and I love how he perfectly mimicked the awkward dubbing (everyone pauses mid sentence, presumably to match the mouths). The end result is every line, action and situation is side splitting. I'm pretty sure I shouldn't be laughing when the old master dies, but it is hard not too. A few things did surprise me. For one, “Wimp Lo” has a bigger role in the original cut and is even the Chosen One's equal. Much of the movie focuses on their rivalry, whereas “Kung Pow” is more interested in the romance (which is hardly present in the original form). Sometimes Oedekerk even digitally inserted his face onto Wimp Lo. Other scenes take place out of order too, and many scenes weren't even used in Kung Pow. Example, Betty's chain claw is overcome differently and he gives chase to the Chosen One and his master at the waterfall scene (which is where the film opens). You might think I'm overdoing the “Kung Pow” comparisons but let's face it, that's the only way to watch this movie. Because of “Kung Pow”, I was able to laugh a lot during this movie. Without it, I would've been sort of bored.

Beyond it's parody value, “Tiger and Crane Fists” has a few things going for it. The score- especially the slower moving one- is beautiful to listen too. I wish I owned it. The fight choreography isn't bad, with the fight between Wimp Lo and the Chosen One standing out as being pretty good. There is also one really epic stunt in the waterfall (you see it in “Kung Pow”). But beyond that, it's just sort of bland. They constantly reuse the same sets, they never explain their own plot devices (why do those triangles give Betty power?) and worst of all: Jimmy Wang Yu is BORING! He can deliver a genuinely good performance (“The One Armed Swordsman”) and he can be highly charismatic (“Blood of the Dragon”), but here he's got a boring role. He's just the straight guy who wants to become stronger. Wang Yu doesn't showcase any of his personality, which is a shame. Wimp Lo was far more interesting and dynamic. I would've preferred him to be the main character.

The only reason to watch “Tiger and Crane Fists” is to see where “Kung Pow” came from. If you watch it with that in mind, you will find it to be a hilarious compliment to that film. “Kung Pow” gave it energy and made it highly enjoyable. You will be recalling all of its lines and situations throughout your viewing of "Tiger and Crane Fists". Otherwise, on its own it's a very mediocre kung fu feature. Strangely, this is a very difficult movie to find. You'd expect some sort of release when “Kung Pow” came out, or at least as a bonus on the “Kung Pow” DVD. I couldn't find it on amazon or on ebay (at least for a reasonable price). You can find it on youtube, however, which is how I saw it. As its own entity, I'd say its a 2 star movie that's elevated a whole star thanks to what “Kung Pow” did for it.

Violence: Rated R worthy I guess. It is pretty grisly at times.

Nudity: None.

Overall: Watch “Tiger and Crane Fists” only if you're a fan of “Kung Pow”. If you're anything like me, you'll find it hilarious.

 

3/4 Stars