Eastern Condors (1987)
Director: Sammo Hung
Starring: Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao, Ching-Ying Lam, Billy Lau
Primary genre: Action
Hailed by many as Sammo Hung’s best film (debatable), “Eastern Condors” was made during a time when the war and testosterone fueled cinema dominated the US big screens following the Vietnam conflict through pop culture icons (e.g., “Predator” (1987), “Rambo: First Blood Part II” (1987)) and in-depth gritty takes on the genre (e.g., Oliver Stone’s “Platoon” (1986), Stanley Kubrick’s “Full Metal Jacket” (1987)).
“It’s the Americans’s fault. They got us into this. Idiot Americans, fucking America, goddamn America!”
Hung pays homage not only to those aforementioned movies but also to “Dirty Dozen” (1967) type flicks featuring an ensemble team heading towards a dangerous and of course, top secret mission. A pedantic excuse for a story is being used as a vehicle to craft some outrageously dangerous stunts, plenty of mano-a-mano action, spray lots of bullets and set off numerous pyrotechnics. Technically “Eastern Condors” can be seen as a Hong Kong remake of “Rambo: First Blood Part II” only instead of Stallone, we have multiple Chinese-American convicts with the same bravado and attitude played by famous Asian stars (among them the legendary choreographers/directors Yuen Woo-ping (e.g., “Drunken Master” (1978), “The Matrix” (1999)) and Corey Yuen (e.g., “Yes, Madam” (1985), “The Transporter” (2002)) who never have to reload a gun and can kill simultaneously and instantly a dozen of opponents.
Whether this parody-leaning tactic is intentional, it remains unknown. What stays in memory is Sammo’s ability to stage crystal clear action in wide shots amidst a plethora of exotic locations (Philippines posing for Vietnam). Looking more expensive and expansive than your classic Hong Kong actioner, Hung has a large sandbox to play besides staging extensive martial arts sequences and he does not disappoint by incorporating a lethal tone through surprisingly shocking and violent deaths. However, the jarring for Western audiences tonal shifts can cause a degree of discomfort disrupting a sense of dramatic stakes whereas the really abrupt ending - a typical element of 80s Hong Kong cinema, will leave you scratching your head.
The large cast is likeable yet only few manage to register some level of personality before being killed off. Thus, the majority of acting rests on the shoulders of Hung and Yuen Biao who believe it or not, is more flexible than Jackie Chan in an entertaining role which does not make any sense in the 1970s Vietnam but you are not here for realism. Credit should be given to Hung also for pushing his female co-stars to conduct their own stunts, especially the gorgeous Joyce Godenzi demonstrating equal treatment in stuntwork and contact fighting. The lack of a truly intimidating villain though is strongly felt as our heroes face endless waves of goons scene after scene and when Yuen Wah’s evil communist exits the stage the moment he is introduced while Yasuaki Kurata and Dick Wei have nothing to do besides fall down.
Despite its serious tone and action overload, “Eastern Condors” still pretty much is a representation of Hong Kong’s mainstream cinema. Although it does not break new ground the way Hung’s “Wheels on Meals” (1984) or Chan’s “Police Story” (1985) did, its well crafted sequences are its main lucrative ingredient along with a charming and appealing ensemble of Asian stars.
Sammo Hung’s best(?) film
+Action staging
+Amazing stunts
+Girl power
+Charming ensemble
+Surprisingly violent
-Uneven tone
-No substance
-Non-existent plot
-Abrupt ending