CHALLENGE OF THE TIGER - GYMKATA KILLER

What do you get if you mix together a Bruce Lee clone, some chap who was supposed to play 'The Man with No Name', and a soft-core porn-star? Yep. That's correct. This film. This one Directed by and Starring: Bruce Le; with Richard Harrison, Jang Lee Hwang, and Bolo Yeung. It was made in 1980, and lasted for 86 minutes.


Challenge of the Tiger

THE STORY:

Oi! Richard Cannon (Richard Harrison). Stop canoodling with those three naked ladies, you dirty f*cker. Cause I want you and you're high-kicking partner, Huang Lung (Bruce Le), to do something very important for the CIA.

No, silly. I don't want you to punch a bull in the face. Huang can do that in his own spare time if he so wishes. What I want you to do instead, is to shag the super-spy called Maria (Nadiuska) in her bath, whilst your floppy-haired accomplice swipes a secret formula she currently has in her possession.

You know. That secret formula those devilish scientists devised during the title sequence.

Huh? What's that you say you bloody sexual deviant you? Maria has tricked you both! Managing to get away with the formula by cleverly fraining her own death?  Oh, sh*t!

Well, go and get after her then! But please remember, once you eventually reach your CIA contact, not to have sex with any strange looking oriental women, OK? Or otherwise what next transpires will all kick off when Comrade Yang (Jang Lee Hwang) kicks the living cr*p out of Yang Sze (Bolo Yeung) for not being able to do what you couldn't. As tits are on show - a plot-line is a no go - a fight is ready to blow - and an adventure ends with a slow crow that's not very nice to know.

Whatever that means?

THE REVIEW:

Now before I give 'Challenge of the Tiger' a bloody good kick in the head, please allow me to say that this film isn't a bad-bad film. Honestly. Parts of it were very amusing and dynamic to watch. Especially those jovial segments that reinforced the comradeship inserted into it.

It's just -- well -- I have a sneaking suspicion that the only reason this project was devised in the first place, was because it gave Bruce Le the platform to do his best Jackie Chan imitation, and Richard Harrison the opportunity to grope a lot of pretty naked ladies.

Yep. I'm afraid to say that this is one of those movies you wouldn't want to watch in front of your parents, folks, unless they're into naturist-slanted action-adventures with a dash of kung-fu thrown in for good measure.

Here. This is what you will expect to see if you ever decide to watch it. (1) A story-line that's so sparse in exposition and character growth, it'll make CSI: Miami look like a period drama. (2) A pointless fight scene between Bruce Le and a Bull situated in an arena. (3) Quite a bit of full frontal nudity that doesn't drive the plot in any way shape or form. (4) An introductory sequence that makes Richards character appear like James Bonds pimp. (5) A strange scene where Bruce Le shock hands with Jack Klugman and Jane Seymour whilst they were both waiting in line at a film premier. (6) Three sets of bad-guys -- or is that two? -- which aren't clearly defined until you reach the end of this movie. (7) A pretty decent on-screen partnership between Bruce and Richard. (8) Jang Lee Hwang killing nigh on everyone he touches. (9) Four or five well choreographed fight scenes involving Bruce Le. (10) Nadiuska's tits and oriental ass.

Now do you see what I mean when I say 'Challenge of the Tiger' is a somewhat jovial yet bi-polar film?  Granted, it wasn't all doom and gloom. As I've previously mentioned, certain fight scenes and the on screen chemistry between Bruce and Richard does make it a fairly good film to sit back and relax to. Yet, in the same breath, I have to state that it's pretty naff as well.

But hey! I won't dwell on this facet, folks. What I'll do instead is present you with these filmic-facts. (1) The 'Dragon Film Company' first released this production in Hong Kong and Taiwan sometime in 1980. Then, for some unexplained reason, they waited five years to release it in West Germany and France next. (2) Loosely translated, this project was entitled 'The Death of Karate Fist Tigers' in Germany; 'The Relentless Challenge' in France; and 'The Challenge of the Tiger' in Italy. (3) This was the first of fours films distributed by the 'Dragon Film Company' in their ten year history. (4) Bruce Le's real name is Kin Lung Huang, and throughout his thirty year career, he has also been known as: Liang Chien-lung, Kenneth Rivero, Chien Lung Huang, Shao-Lung Lai, Bruce Ly, Bruce Li, Huang Chien Lung, Kin Lung Wong, Lu Siu Lung, Lee Shiao-Lung and Ho Chung Tao. (5) During the late 1970's and early 1980's, the nice lady that plays Maria in this movie, Nadiuska, was a soft-core film-star in both Italy and Spain. (6) Richard Harrison once said that his greatest contribution to cinema was to recommend Clint Eastwood to Sergio Leone for 'A Fistful of Dollars'. (7) Once he gave up fighting in films -- sometime in 1990 -- Jang Lee Hwang became a businessman, and ran a golf-tee manufacturing company, a bodyguard agency, plus a hotel in Seoul. (8) Fan Poon, who co-wrote this film with Bruce Le, was originally a second unit director / actor.

Overall I'd say that 'Challenge of the Tiger' was a rather yo-yo film all in all. Parts of it were fun. Parts of it were bum. And parts of it are something you should not watch in front of your Mum.

Say no more.

THE RATING: B-