Knockabout
Review
Format: VCD
Stars: Yuen Biao, Sammo Hung, Lau Ka Wing, Leung Ka Yan

Yi Pao (Biao) and Tai Pao (LKYan) are 2 young guys looking for trouble, when they find it at a casino. So they find someone who will teach them kung fu, but he kills one of them, so the other takes revenge.

Perfect set up for an all-martial-arts movie. And this is just that, all martial arts. Fighting every 5 minutes. There is less story than fighting. Less dialogue than punches thrown. What story there is in Knockabout usually is leading up to a fight, too, so I have no complaints. Actually, I found Knockabout to be COMPLETELY entertaining, just like Drunken Master 2, Project A, Prodigal Son, Tiger Cage 2, and In the Line of Duty 4 (the 10 List (movies with a "10" rating)).

There are tons of styles in Knockabout, some of which are totally made up and are really cool. Useless Boxing, Impractical Boxing, Garbage Boxing, Snake, Monkey, and more unknowns, and I thought I saw a little Drunken in there by Biao somewhere. All the characters mix some extremely fast and intricate acrobatics into things. Biao, during the end fight, jumps up onto tables and does some moves for no reason. Very good stuff. Biao also amazed me with his ability to do 5 consecutive back handsprings in one place, on a small table. He can also do backflips repeadedly, while jumping rope. Sammo is able to do some great things too, like roundoffs and back flips, ... hell you know what he can do. If he was a part of the opera school, he can do it too.

The fights in Knockabout are all just on the verge of not being 2-beat, so you can still see what's going on pretty well, yet they're very fast and exciting, unlike those in the older Jackie Chan movies where 2 beat meant hit... hit... hit... fall.... Not the case here. Everything is done quickly and all is well woven into the movement. Biao is one of the best kickers I've ever seen. He can keep his foot in the air longer than I can hold my hand up. Leung Yan does a good job as well by using the useless boxing and it turns into something that looks like wing chun because he trains by rolling a ball between his forearms. Great stuff. Comedic as well. Sammo does some monkey techniques that dazzle, as does Biao. Lau Wing does snake using a pipe, and it's great. I have no idea where they got that idea, but using the pipe for blocking on the left hand and the snake for attack on the right makes a usefull combination. He takes on both Sammo and Biao at the end using that, which is impressive. Wing is also a pretty old person (it seemed) yet he moved so well. Rolls, flips, everything.

Did I mention that there was variety? Here are some specifics on the fights. It starts with: 1 on 1, 2 on 8, 2 on 1, 1 on 1, 2 on 10, 2 on 8, 2 on 2, 3 on 2, 1 on 1, 1 on 1 again, 2 on 1, 1 on 1, 1 on 1 again, 1 on 1 yet again, and 2 on 1. I might have missed something, but there are the fights in sequential order. Many many fights, some of which you'll be sitting there saying, "Wow... so much happening." But I felt as though I could fully concentrate on what was happening.



Oh, the other stuff. The music is classical Chinese, not some kid show music, and it doesn't occur too often. Acting is more comical, which gives the whole movie a higher note instead of being dark. The scenery accentuates it too, being mostly light and in the woods or plains. Subtitles weren't a problem, but I found at times that the film was cut in odd places where it seemed as though it shouldn't have been. Oh well, nothing big.

Extremely entertaining movie where everyone shows awesome skill. Everything flows well together as it should and it's very simple to understand. I bet had it been a silent film it would still be comprehensive.

Therefore, it deserves the highest mark it can get, a 10/10. Straight kung fu of a happier side, while something like Prodigal Son was more serious. Although there was some vengeance here, it still maintained a happy mood, even through the few killings. Great example of an all kung fu movie, I recommend to everyone.

UPDATE 10/9 - Rating System Change

5/5 - Awesome.

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