Slow pace in the most part of the movie.

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

Sammo Hung's epic Vietnam war movie is a three-genre effort that seamlessly combines hard-knuckle martial arts action with battle shoot-outs and typical Chinese comedy. It's a great, fast-moving film with plenty of action to recommend it for genre fans; all of the Vietnam movie clichés are present and correct, and used to good effect. From underwater cages to jungle warfare and a bridge that needs to be traversed, Hung is in his element and the result is an eminently rewatchable film that stands as a minor classic.Hung famously lost a load of weight for this role and he's never been better as the lean, mean, death machine, and the machete seems to be his weapon of choice this time around – lopping heads and limbs is par for the course for Sammo in this movie. He's supported by an exquisite Yuen Biao, acting at the peak of his career, and both men are top-notch in the many martial art fights that punctuate the movie. An effective supporting cast fleshes out the rest of the roles, from Lam Ching-Ying as the heroic colonel to Haing S. Ngor (straight from THE KILLING FIELDS) as a village idiot. Also on hand is Yuen Wah as the scene-stealing giggling general; he's a particularly nasty piece of work in this one, and enjoys punishing people's muscles and bones (when you watch the film, you'll see what I mean).The plot is taken straight from THE DIRTY DOZEN and there are some great tragic deaths that would benefit any war classic. The violence is also a lot harder than usual for a Hong Kong flick, with some truly cringe-making moments. Lots of people are shot, lots of buildings are blown up, and the twists and turns in the movie's plot are endless, so you can never predict what's going to happen at any one time. As is typical for a Hong Kong flick, the finale is a huge set-piece in a munitions warehouse, featuring Biao and Hung battling it out with the ubiquitous Dick Wei, Billy Chow, Yasuaki Kurata, and Yuen Wah's surprisingly sprightly mega-villain. EASTERN CONDORS is a perfect treat for action fans and really can't be bettered.

This movie is described as a cross between the Dirty Dozen, the Deer Hunter, with a James Bond ending. I have not seen the Deer Hunter at the time of writing so I am not too sure what that is about except that it deals with mates going off to the Vietnam War together. This movie is like the Dirty Dozen as it involves a group of criminals being dropped into Vietnam to find a cache of American weapons and to destroy it. True to the Dirty Dozen fashion, the crims drop like flies (pardon the cliché) and only a handful make it out alive. While they are travelling across Vietnam, they must also rescue the general's brother who is a captive and they are also being pursued by a very large number of Viet-Cong.This movie would fall into the category of a "did we win this time" film. Being made in the late 80's it appeared at a time when numerous Vietnam movies were being made in the United States, and this is Hong Kong showing the United States how a real action film should be made. This is a movie where they try to rewrite the ending of the Vietnam war so that the United States does come out victorious, rather that slinking out like they did.Eastern Condors is not a political movie: Hong Kong movies tend not to follow that line. Nor is it a movie questioning morality or exploring characters: rather it is an action movie. It is a heaps good action movie, but an action movie nonetheless. When you come to watch this movie, you generally don't look for deep themes as there are none. Rather it is showing American Cinema what action movies really are like and how they really should be made.

I prefer only Sammo Hung's PEDICAB DRIVER to this pic, but I'm not saying that to take anything away from the sheer brilliance of this action pic. Sammo really knows how to direct an action scene. That means he permits the audience to know where everybody is and where the "action" is moving. Unlike directors like Tony Scott, Richard Donner and Michael Bay, Sammo does not blur the dynamics of a good action scene with too many cuts and too many pointless camera moves.Sammo is solid.With EASTERN CONDORS you also get a film that looks amazing with its cool, green surfaces and filter-free clarity.The plot, though simple, is not moronic, and allows for plenty of action and lots of fascinating interplay between the characters -- especially the females.Joyce Godenzi (Mrs. Sammo Hung) met Sammo making this movie and she's really terrific in a tough, gritty part. Yuen Biao demonstrates why he was such a big star in the 70's and 80's and Sammo himself, looking lighter than ever, performs in some amazing fight sequences.If you haven't seen many Hong Kong movies, this is a great place to start. It's one unbelievable sequence after another.Then catch PEDICAB DRIVER.

Sammo Hung's action film Eastern Condors (1986) tells the story of group of Chinese convicts, who get a chance to get free if they accept to go to deadly mission to Vietnam to destroy one American weapon stock before Vietcong finds it. The group arrives there, but soon learn there are spies among them and everything is not quite as it looks like. What follows is plenty of martial arts and gun fire mayhem.This film has great cinematography and editing and the action scenes are definitely intense, as can be expected from Sammo Hung and other talents who worked on this film. There is plenty of kung fu and different weapons they make in the jungle, and then there's plenty of the usual fire fights and bullets. The last 20 minutes have been said to be extremely over-the-top action, but I don't think it is so strong and intense, but maybe after seeing films like Heroes Shed No Tears I had little too high expectations.The main problem with Condors is its stupidity and naive elements as the whole thing is not too believable and the film glorifies war too much. Also, the underlining attitude towards Western culture and America is too gratuitous as characters say things like "Westerners are so stupid" and so on. The characters are not deep but very shallow and uninteresting. The film doesn't have any soul and thus becomes a delight to the eye only.I appreciate clever action films very much and Hong Kong has produced very much of those films, too. Eastern Condors offers very fast action and martial arts, but lacks the depth and message this kind of film should and could have. Still I found this worthwhile to watch since I like Eastern cinema much and can also forgive some of their films' mistakes and flaws easier than some other films'. Many will without a doubt think this is among the greatest action films ever, due to its kinetic and occasionally brutal action, but anyone waiting for little more intelligent or symbolic piece of cinema will slightly disappoint. Still I think 7/10 is the right rating for this film. If you're interested in this kind of Asian adventure, I'd recommend John Woo's Heroes Shed No Tears, which is much more interesting film and has really incredible action scenes and also symbols borrowed from the Japanese Baby Cart films.