Search - The Face Behind the Mask on DVD

Best Rarescope release yet

morgoth | omaha, NE | 07/09/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I like Showdown at the Cottonmill almost equally, but the picture quality was way better in this.



Now the dvd case does a lot of "video asia" type pumping up of the film, BUT IT IS ALL TRUE!!!!!!!! The director is a mentor/director of jackie Chan, and Jackie Chan does appear in this movie. I WILL EXPLAIN.



So the movie takes a page form "the Lost Swordship" where it starts by showing the members of this clan taking out other fighters from other clans. Don't get it, well sorry, these are Ku Lung movies. Very good made up storylines that produce fight after fight after fight. So first Yuen Hua, then a girl, then Lo Lieh go around takign out top fighters. Then the movie begins with a party in their mansion with their master to celebrate their victory. A masked assasin shows up and it is JACKIE CHAN HIMSELF!!!!!!!!!!1 I didn't believe it when I read it on the back of the box, but it is true. You can tell by his acrobatics and movement that IT IS him. He is the best fighter in the movie. Also proof that this is him is that the movie is from 1974, the time when Jackie was totally unknown except as a stuntman which explains the mask. SO JACKIE IS IN THIS AND SHINES BRIGHTLY!!!!!



And if you wanna know how truly brilliant this film was for it's time, let me elaborate. In Jackie's scene where he pulls out a sword, "hero", jet li's movie actually copied this! And then Jackie can use his sword as a bow and arrow! I haev already watched this movie 5 times becasue of tons of little parts like that.



Now the story has all types of betrayal and will finally solve itself in the end for you . The only thing I can think of to improve this movie would be to have the master played by a better martial artist. He was extremely slow btu was a good actor. But the weapon work and choreography is what gives this movie a 5. The movie comes close to rivalling say "return of the one armed swordsman" in terms of action. I can't really think of a movie that is frmo 74 or before that comes close to matching the uniqueness of this flick. At least in kung fu cinema that is.



Like I said the story is brilliant, and the comedy is perfectly done. Put in great acting, great music, and a superb directing job, you have a "true" old school classic. Thsi didn't take a week to make.



Special features are unfortuately nothing except a trailer of the movie and the same olsd rarescope trailers. Somebody bvetter have an update of Ninja's in Ancient China and 3 Famous Constables pretty soon."