That doesn't make this a good movie, but it's a tiny bit better than his other pairing with Kurata, available through Netflix under the title "Rage of the Wind." So what's good about this one, and why would anyone want to watch it now?
First, there is the magnificent Chen Sing in his prime. As a short, powerfully muscled man, Chen was never a master of technique like Bruce Lee. Rather he carried his films with his burning intensity and what Lee called emotional content. The intensity is what made him a great villain in most of his films, and such a pleasure to watch in his few hero roles like this one.
Second, and equally impressive in a different way, is Kurata of the flamboyant eyebrows. Showing a constant air of boredom with the slow-witted Chinese around him, but turning instantly into a lightning-fast fighting machine when necessary, Kurata was the perfect counterpart to Chen's dogged tenacity.
Third, there's Irene Ryder, Hong Kong singing star of the early 70's, who made a couple of these movies as an adjunct to her main career. In this one, she had to act as well as look pretty. It doesn't work -- she couldn't act her way out of a paper bag -- but it's nice to see her at her most attractive.
Fourth, ladies, there's junior lead Bruce Leung at his most handsome. He gets to duel with Kurata's lieutenant, and handles himself quite well.
Fifth, there's slimy old Chiang Nan as the bandit chief working a human trafficking racket, who accepts Kurata as a paying guest, and Chen as a hard-fighting new gang member. Chiang was one of my favorite character actor villains in the early 70's, and it's still fun to watch him.
Finally, there's the great confrontation battle between Chen and Kurata. Endurance and courage against speed and viciousness. It's still worth waiting through the usual bad writing and endless series of small match-ups to see it.
There are some amusing continuity errors. The time frame is supposed to be the late 1920's, but at one point when the Hong Kong Police are about to make a raid, they arrive in vehicles of the 1960's. Also, clothing styles are a mixed bag (these films were very, very low budget) and never believable as period costumes. To show that Kurata and his bud are Japanese, they wear cheap summer vacation Happy Coats as a substitute for kimonos.
The worst part of the version available through Netflix, apart from the awful title "Kung Fu: the Invisible Fist" is the English dubbing. I first saw this film with a Chinese sound-track in New York's Chinatown in 1972. As awkward and unbelievable as the dialog is when you see it in subtitles, it seems much worse when you have to listen to it.
