Overrated

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

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

THE EAGLE'S KILLER is one of many hundreds of low budget kung fu films to come out of Hong Kong and Taiwan in the wake of Jackie Chan's international success in the likes of DRUNKEN MASTER and SNAKE IN THE EAGLE'S SHADOW. This film is heavily indebted to the latter in particular and just so happens to share a villain with that film in the form of top-kicking Taekwondo master Hwang Jang Lee.The film's erstwhile hero is played by the undistinguished John Cheung, who occasionally surprises with his athletic abilities but is mostly overshadowed by his co-stars. The plot involves Cheung learning at the hands of a beggar mentor, falling foul of a stuttering bad guy, and finally finding himself the target of an expert assassin. The usual run of broad comedy, mugging, and fight action fuels this story. It's harmless enough stuff but with a fast pace the tired antics never become boring, and things pick up for the inevitable extended bout between Cheung and Hwang Jang Lee, which is worth the wait.

Yet another Snake in the Eagle's Shadow cash-in (but at least this one seems to have acquired quite a neat little cast), there are however very few redeeming features in this cheap kung fu quickie other than a delightfully evil Hwang Jang Lee and some nifty Hong Kong phooey near the end. Other than that, this typical tale of vengeance has little going for it. John Chang takes up the orphan do-gooder bumpkin type who's desperate to learn the arts but is ultimately disappointed in his choice of sifu: that is until beggar Fan Mei San saves the kid from some inept thuggies and summarily teaches him all he knows. Hwang enters the fray as an evil Eagle Claw assassin (surprise surprise) when he is hired to take out the two by the thuggie's stuttering boss. Fan is therefore slaughtered leaving our man Chang to go head-to-head with bootman Hwang in an extended duel to the death. It's not inspiring stuff, but I guess it makes do for a little idle entertainment to fill the hours.