Though 'The Fearless Hyena (1979)' has many similarities to 'The Drunken Master (1978)' and, indeed, many other martial arts movies from the era, the piece sets itself apart with some absolutely phenomenal choreography and a flashy focal style that really comes through in an explosive one-on-one finale. The story centres on a revenge plot that doesn't really begin until well over half way into the runtime, yet the plot never feels poorly paced because it's peppered with set-pieces and establishes that its lead character's choices have tangible consequences. It starts to lag ever-so-slightly in its mid-section but it is entertaining throughout, a funny and exciting adventure that constantly surprises with just how good its fight scenes truly are. Seriously, there are a couple in here that easily sit among the best of all time - including a sphincter-tightening, three-on-one sword fight - and they deserve to be recognised as such. It's a testament to the thing's quality that its downright awful dub (subs aren't available on Amazon Prime) doesn't really dampen its effect. The dub is certainly its worst aspect, though, with voice work that sounds like something from a Monty Python sketch and one character in particular who sounds like Richard Ayoade. Despite this, the film is really fun throughout. It's easy to recommend to any fan of martial arts cinema. 7/10
Review of The Fearless Hyena
