7 Finger Kung Fu (1981)
Korean title: Chil-ji-su(translates
into English as: "For the Motherland")
AKA: Hand of 7 Fingers
Plot
During the Japanese occupation of Korea, freedom fighter Kim Dong-su tries to escape with a list of those who have donated funds for the nation's anti-Japanese liberation movement. However, a Japanese ambassador Saburo kills Dong-su and takes away the list and cuts three fingers off of the hand of Eung-bum(Casanova Wong), Dong-su's son. With the help of Buddhist priest Baek-wun, Eung-bum trains in Taekwondo and develops a new fighting skill of his own, 7 Finger Taekwondo, and grows into a masterful fighter. After the death of Master Baek-wun, Eung-bum leaves the temple to go avenge his father and his country. He meets a street peddler, who leads him to a woman, Kyung-ae, who belongs to Saburo's staff, as she changes sides and leads Eung-bum to Saburo, as Eung-bum avenges his father's death and fights for his country.
Review
This rare and fading Korean movie, made even worse without subs, is similar to those bizzare Korean movies Godfrey ho ripped off, such as Lone Shaolin Avenger(1977) and Warriors of Kung Fu(1979), Shaolin Drunk Monkey(1981), Magnificent Natural Fist(1982) ect, ect, where the fights are sped up, and story and plot are thrown out of the window for numerous, and usually uninspiring, ass kickings dashed with bad acting and a bizarre brand of comedy. However, 7 Finger Kung Fu plays it straight and serious, but still manages to be funny, unintentionally. Even though Casanova is missing his thumb and index finger, he still manages to kick ugly ass, even though he's sped up doing so, otherwise this would have been the biggest abortion of a movie, equal to the likes of David Heavener's Lethal Ninja: For Hire(1991, Carmine Delvecchio, you're my hero!), or Richard Harrison's Ninja Squad(1987; ooh, don't even bring that piece of trash up! Mouth warts that's all I think about when I accidentally set that crap in the player. Thanks, Video Asia and your 10 pack nightmare, for ruining my life!), as 7 Finger Kung Fu nearly succeeds in competing with these movies, literally. The best parts of the movie are the training scenes, as Casanova trains like an animal under the rough schooling of the Master Baek-wun, as Casanova does two fingered push ups, does walking hand stands on his two fingers while a Casanova's feet are attached to a torturous wire rail(a dreadful invention) his feet slides onto as he hand stand walks, punches his hands in hoat coal as Casanova really cries, and smashes his hands on stone, leaving indentations. Now, after excercises like that, even Woody Allen would be ready to take on the likes of Chang Shan, who plays the Japanese Ambassador.
Yeah, Chang Shan, with his bad haircut and evil winey American Idol reject of a voice, is the main villain in this movie, a year away from playing the lead main villain in Shaolin vs Lama. But, don't expect to see a Shaolin kung fu exhibition by Chang, as all he does in this movie is flail a samurai sword and does a few seconds of awkward kicking in a kimono against Casanova, in a very brief and badly shot and choreographed, finale fight. At least this is the only time we'll ever see Casanova Wong and Chang Shan ever met onscreen, and it should have been a much better affair, as Chang did awesome work in Of Cooks and Kung Fu(1979), enough to make a good impression with the choreographer, who is the director, as the choregrapher is usually the director in Korean movies. Nam Ki-Nam, the director of the movie, would go on to direct Chang Shan in the Korean version of Shaolin vs Lama(1982; NOTE: don't bother looking for the Korean version, as it's lost), so I don't know why Nam underused Chang Shan, unless Casanova had an ego, which was a possibility from what I've heard about him. Casanova's fight with baldy Kim Yu-haeng(the muscular mustached monk from Shaolin Drunk Fighter[1983]) is probably the best fight of the whole movie, even though there's more pro wrestling than Taekwondo, but the fight isn't even worth waiting for. Oh, did I mention that it stars Korea's Emeril Lagasse, that goffy cook who has appeared in almost every Korean martial arts movie ever made, and gets things thrown on him in all of these movies.....except in this one. Let's see........anythingelse.....Ah, never mind..........I rather not think about it. I'm still getting over the flashbacks. Arrrrrrrr. Oh, and there are alot of supporting actors with the cold blooded eyes of a wolf who walk around looking for trouble.
In total, the first 15 minutes of training scenes of 7 Finger Kung Fu are entertaining. After that, the rest of the movie is boring and badly shot mess, the fights are too sped up and are uninteresting, and the final is short and badly done to make up for anything. Although rare, this movie isn't worth looking for, as this movie is specifically for "die hard," emphasize "DIE HARD," Casanova and Korean movie enthusiasts ONLY! Any other kung fu fans, including some Casanova fans, like me, will use this movie to fall asleep. I lost $16.00 on this crap and I still fell asleep. That's how great this movie is. But, I stupidly gave this movie the benefit of the doubt, as I forced myself to stay awake(or should have forced myself to stay away), and man were my eyes glazed and the few working brain cells left were disintegrated. I already promised to myself that I'd never watch this crap again, unless Casanova comes to my apartment to watch this trash with me, and then kicks the tape to pieces after the viewing, if he is able to walk in a straight line after viewing an emotionally scarring experience called 7 Finger Kung Fu. The breaking of the tape would be a good extra if this is going to be released through those rare kung flash bash whatchamacallit thingamajigga sites.
TRIVIA
By 1983, HK producers stopped using Casanova because he would really kick the actors! And NOBODY wants to be kicked by this guy! Casanova was a two time Korean Taekwondo champion and it is said through the HK movie industry that Casanova was very quick, a real fighter with a quick temper and arrogant personality. So, Casanova earned the right to be really kick ass and act like a bad ass!
Director and Action Director:
Nam Ki-Nam
Producer: Han Sang-Hun
Cast
Casanova Wong Ho
Chang Shan(credited in his
Korean name as Sang Chun-jeon)
Kim Yu-haeng
Rating: 0.5/5, as the 0.5 rating is for the authentic training scenes ONLY.
Pictures of 7 Finger Kung Fu:
That inhuman foot rail thing as Casanova does the walking handstand.
Casanova kicks Chang Shan
Author: The Scratch Ticket Guard
Date: January 20, 2005