King Boxer (1972)

King Boxer was a fun bucket of popcorn. Not much story or plot to get in the way of the fighting. Two schools prepare for the big tournament-one by training hard, the other by cheating and taking out the rival fighters.

Lo Lieh plays the earnest competitor who gains the confidence of his kung fu master and is taught the secret iron palm technique.

Along the way there are betrayals, decapitations, eyes gouged out, and a little romance.

The fights felt a little overly staged at times but were entertaining nonetheless and Lo Lieh is always a smoldering delight to watch. It’s worth watching to see the iconic shot of Lo’s glowing red hands.

Though the plot was thin it never got in the way of some good kung fu fighting. And that’s primarily what I watch these movies for. It also paved the way for another kung fu fighter who would set the bar higher later that year-Bruce Lee.

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