On the outside, KUNG FU - THE PUNCH OF DEATH is simply another in a long line of '70s period 'fu flicks. The storyline is completely unremarkable, telling the impossibly overdone tale of a guy seeking revenge for the death of his father, and the characterisation is virtually nil. The action sequences in themselves are passable, with a nice adult edge to them – no overblown comedy here, just guys absolutely beating the heck out of each other and nearly dying in the process. I enjoyed watching them, even if they lack the technical proficiency of a Jackie Chan flick.
No, the most interesting thing about this film is the direction, which is a cut above the standard. Chai Yang-Min is master of the roving camera and he always seems to frame his scenes in unusual, interesting ways. I enjoyed the visual impact of this film a LOT, and it made a nice difference to the usual set-up (choppy editing, static camera midway back, etc.). The quality of the acting is also worth noting – Meng Fei excels as the young, bratty hero and you can really get a sense of his newfound maturity come the climax. Yasuaki Kurata (MILLIONAIRE'S EXPRESS) makes an excellent foe and you never doubt his toughness for a second.
The film is flawed but I was in a forgiving mood. The storyline seems to expire after an hour or so, and there's about twenty minutes of padding which really didn't need to be here – I would have preferred a non-padded 70 minuter rather than a padded 90 minute offering. Still, the climax is typically good, complete with impalements and weapon play, and this is a fine example of an average kung fu film.