Iron Chain Fighter

Yuen Chor doing what he does best. While Chor didn't mind jumping between different genres, few will contest that he made his best work when he stuck to doing martial arts cinema. Though there aren't any fantastical elements here, the atmospheric lighting immediately betrays Chor's hand.

The plot offers a rather basic revenge story. Teng Piao spends 15 years in jail after being framed for drugs trafficking. When he's finally out, he cares about only one thing: getting back at the guy who framed him. Piao knows he goes by the name Black Leopard, but he doesn't know what the guy looks like.

Iron Chain Fighter is a pretty typical Shaw Bros production, except that Chor adds tons of visual flair. The action scenes are cool, the sets look stylish, the plot is simple but fun. If you don't like Shaw Bros films this one won't change your mind, but fans of the studio will find a very accomplished film here.