Woodyanders Review of When Taekwondo Strikes

When Taekwondo Strikes (1973)

Typically sturdy Golden Harvest martial arts actioner

[8/10 · 7 July 2014]

The leader of a small resistance movement attempts to get information to sympathizers in China during the Japanese occupation of Korea in the 1930's. Writer/director Feng Huang relates the absorbing and exciting story at a snappy pace, maintains a serious tone throughout, and stages the wall-to-wall chopsocky fights with rousing rough'n'ready gusto. The top-rate cast of ace martial artists keeps this movie humming: The ever-awesome Angela Mao takes on a bunch of guys and displays her customary beautifully balletic grace, the lithe'n'lethal Jhoon Rhee totally tears it up, Carter Wong busts booty with his usual savage brio, Anne Winton likewise impresses as the feisty Mary, and Sammo Hung even pops up as a vicious lackey who gets trounced by Mao. The strong politically charged plot and an underlying theme on loyalty along with the exceptional fight choreography all ensure that this picture packs a considerable wallop. The villains are quite mean and hateful: They not only torture a priest, but also kill an old lady! Yu-tang Li's crisp widescreen cinematography makes exciting use of a frequently moving camera. Tsao Hua Li's robust score hits the stirring spot. Well worth a watch.