Very Cool!!!

If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

A routine Hong Kong beat-em-up, surprisingly entertaining thanks to the starring power of huge Chinese muscleman Bolo Yeung (ENTER THE DRAGON) who spends his entire screen time breaking down his opponents and ripping them to shreds. Although Bolo doesn't come into the film until halfway through the running time, his appearance immediately signals a stronger level of quality in the fight scenes as he smashes through enemy after enemy, never losing and destroying every opponent. My only major complaint with this film is the misnomer of the retitling, Chinese HERCULES; it makes it sound like Bolo is going to be the hero in the movie when instead he is more routinely (type)cast as the villain's henchman. Now watching Bolo in a traditional peplum-style Hercules film as the hero; that would be something really special.Aside from Bolo, it's hard to see why this film is so special. The production values are about average for a typical mid '70s Hong Kong kung fu film, meaning that the editing is sloppy and the music overbearing. The dubbing is either unbelievable or ridiculous and the transfer I watched was horrifically panned and scanned, ruining the spectacle of a number of the fight sequences. Speaking of the non-Bolo action, it is fairly routine and the film does take a long while to get going. The clichéd storyline concerns the skilled fighter who kills a man and vows never to fight again; of course we all know that eventually he will resume fighting so the various plot twists are never too surprising.Cast members put in commendable performances (especially from the lead, whose character surprisingly gets some depth, unusual for this genre) but nobody really shines. Apart from Bolo, of course, who makes do with a single line of dialogue ("First we kill them, then we dump them") for dramatic effect. The finale of the film consists of a massacre followed by a massive battle which really shows off Bolo's bone-breaking capabilities and as a result the entertainment value is far greater than it has any real right to be. My advice is to struggle through the slow build-up and then watch it for the violence and the coastal scenery alone. Grade C chop-socky at its finest.

Chinese Hercules in trailers, pictures and ads mainly show actor Bolo Yeung as the star of the film, however, he only emerges as the head henchman in the last half of the film. If you're a fan of his, I guess it's still worth the wait. He's as mono-syllabic as he was in Enter the Dragon, but he has the one great line in the film. Some reviews state that the "hero" (Chen Hui Min aka Wai-Man Chuan)kills his fiancée's brother - not quite true. It's established that the girl likes him, but not really clear what their relationship is. When she shows up later to give him some good news, she never does tell him, AND talks him into a fight that will most likely lead to his death. Being a Chen Hui Min fan, and this being the first one of his I saw, I like the film. You've got a hero with reason not to fight, placed in a situation in which he could partially redeem himself if he did; he's a stranger who steps up to help some kids, but is tortured by a promise made to himself. The bad guy is really bad and the only townspeople who can stand up to the boss face defeat if they don't have anyone backing them up. What more can you want? Most copies are washed out and tend to use a choppy version, so beware if you try to purchase one.

Version: RBC entertainment (and probably bootlegged) DVD. Dub only.Chan Wai Man is a fighter, and doesn't get along with his fiancé's brother. In fact, he accidentally kills him and runs away. He vows never to raise his fists in anger again, and finds work at a dock. The company owning the dock is down-right nasty, repeatedly cheating and abusing their workers. The workers try to fight back, but only Chan is strong enough to actually beat the company bosses and their henchmen. If you bought a movie called "Chinese Hercules" for $8, and the cover makes out the movie to be completely about Bolo Yeung, what would you expect? I didn't expect much, but I was rather surprised. The story is pretty solid, you really feel Chan, and the fights (though not frequent) are pretty good. My only complaint would be that there isn't enough Bolo. Bolo is cool.My only complaint is the dubbing. Sure, it is hilariously bad, but it does detract from what is otherwise a pretty good movie.8/10

A small village is under the thumb of the local cigarette-flipping Boss Chan (Liang Tim) and his hired thugs, including a giant of a man, Chiang Tai (Bolo Yeung). A man, seeking to run away from his past (he killed someone in a fight) seeks refuge there, vowing never to lift his hand against another man again.Memorable Quotes: "First we kill 'em, then we dump 'em"