Thunderfist (1973) User Reviews

Choppy, weak kung fu film

[Leofwine_draca · 3/10 · 25 August 2017]

THUNDERFIST is possibly one of the most confused and disappointing kung fu films I can remember watching. The complex storyline features multiple characters involved in multiple scenarios and none of it makes much in the way of sense. There's something about a gang of bandits kidnapping a French girl while a Chinese cop is on the trail of a stolen jewel. I'm never too worried about the story in an action film, but I do demand quality action and unfortunately THUNDERFIST just doesn't have that; it's stodgy and slow, choppy and weak, and entirely disappointing.

Bog standard martial arts movie with a memorable soundtrack

[mwilson1976 · 3/10 · 2 May 2019]

When a pagoda statue that is a priceless jewel, and part of China's national heritage is stolen and the daughter of a French banker abducted, a Chinese detective, Tchao Tchun, is called upon to rescue the jewel and the girl in this chop- socky actioner. The performances and the plot are rubbish, but there's lots of fight scenes and Jazz pianist LaMont Johnson (who worked with the likes of Jackie McLean and George Benson), was a producer and contributed to the movies funky music score. It's easily the best thing about this film which was originally titled ZE WANG but distributed in the U.S. as Thunderfist, and directed by Wing-Cho Yip to cash in on the worldwide market for martial arts action.

Uninspired '70s basher with a tasty (if discordant) jazz soundtrack

[InjunNose · 3/10 · 24 October 2017]

"Thunderfist" is one of those Chinese martial arts movies that someone (exploitation producer Harry Hope, in this case) exported to the United States in the wake of "Five Fingers of Death" and the Bruce Lee films. They went to considerable trouble with this crime drama about a stolen jade statuette, chopping off the original opening credit sequence and appending a lush soul jazz soundtrack by Lamont Johnson...which is odd, since it's a substandard film in every way. Steve Yu is a thoroughly ordinary male lead and the fights (despite being choreographed by members of the illustrious Yuen family) are routine, halfhearted affairs. The film's most memorable image is the absurd Boulanger mustache glued to the upper lip of veteran Hong Kong character actor Wei Ping-ou, who plays a corrupt police captain. Between the flat, unnuanced English dubbing and the fact that the luxuriant musical score (which, if we're going to be honest, sounds like it was written for a porn flick) plays over entire fight sequences, "Thunderfist" makes for a jarring viewing experience. Obviously, the distributors couldn't tell the difference between a good Chinese martial arts film and an also-ran. I'm sure the meager box office returns on this clunker set them straight.

Do movies get any worse then this...

[imosh4jesus87 · 1/10 · 19 November 2005]

Lord have mercy on my soul...I found this movie at my local library in the book sale and decided to check it out...what was I thinking!!

First of all...the people on the cover..aren't even in the movie!!! The first half takes place in a church where you learn that bandits don't like religion...wow...couldn't have guessed that. Someone gets kidnapped and the funny thing is...you never see them or hear about them before it happens...so you end up saying, "who on earth is that and why do I care?" The script was written by a two year old...I promise...

Don't waste your time with this filthy piece of crap...

If you cant find this movie and want a similar experience...clean the bathrooms of grand central station with your tongue!!!