Bullet Points: Hapkido (1972)
After a rough finish to my movie reviews in 2024, I decided I would play it safe for my first movie review of 2025 and go to the old school Kung Fu well once again!
This time out, I turned to my physical media collection and Arrow Video’s release of the Golden Harvest classic, 1972’s Hapkido!
- Seoul Train: Our story begins in 1934 in Japanese occupied Korea. Three students, who five years earlier made the journey from China to Korea to train at the Eagle School of Hapkido, are fellowshipping in the park, when they are approached by a Japanese “gentleman” and his muscle. The “gentleman” makes it known that Chinese girls are his favorite as he harasses one of the three students, Yu Ying (Angela Mao, Lady Whirlwind). This angers Yu Ying’s hot head friend, Fan Wei (Sammo Hung, Wheels on Meals) and next thing you know… Yu Ying, Fan Wei and their friend, Kao Chung (Carter Wong, Rage of the Dragon) are in a fracas with the Japanese bullies. The incident in the park prompts their Hapkido Master, to give the trio their black belt tests and his blessing to open a Hapkido school of their own back in China… he also warns them that there is an even heavier Japanese presence in China.
- Welcome Back: The trio of Yu Ying, Fan Wei and Kao Chung returns home and immediately begin work on opening up their school. As a sign of respect, Fan Wei and Kao Chung go around to the existing martial arts schools in their town to let them know of their intentions of operating their own school… all of the existing martial arts schools with the exception of one, the Japanese run Black Bear school. If Toyoda, the head of the Black Bear school, wasn’t pissed off due to the snub. He could not overlook the fact that two of his guys (one of which would be played by the man who would go on to become Bruce Leung) got their asses kicked at a local restaurant by Fan Wei and his new buddy from the local Shaolin school, Tiger (Chin Ti), after the Black Bear students refuse to pay their tab AND sexually harass a female patron, who was there to pick up an order.
- Bad Blood: Things continue to escalate between the Hapkido trio and the Black Bear school… Fan Wei rips one dude’s hair out, helps lead a merchant uprising against the Black Bear bullies he previously encountered at the restaurant that has a definitive end… Kao Chung has an unpleasant meeting at the Black Bear school that makes him a one armed man… Yu Ying eventually makes her way over to the Black Bear school where she kills a guy with an umbrella!… Before it is all said done, the Hapkido trio reach out to the Master in Korea for help, the body count continues to rise, and Toyoda even pitches a Black Bear/Hapkido merger!
The selling point for Hapkido is certainly not a unique storyline. There are plenty of classic Kung Fu movies that deal with rival schools and the Japanese oppression of the Chinese in their quest to rule all of Asia.
The selling points for Hapkido are the quality of the fight scenes AND getting to see numerous Kung Fu superstars, early on in the careers. Hapkido was an early starring role for Angela Mao, for Sammo Hung it was a big step up as a supporting player and for Carter Wong, Hapkido was his first role ever!
If this isn’t the first time you’ve read one of my review, you know that the Bonus Bullet Points are coming up next…
- AKA: Hapkido is also known as Lady Kung Fu.
- Familiar Faces: Three men that would go on to become major players in Hong Kong cinema had small roles in Hapkido. Corey Yuen played one of the Hapkido students, while Jackie Chan and Yuen Biao played Black Bear students!
- Bastard Count: I am disappointed to say there were no bastards said aloud in Hapkido (although I did read one on the subtitles).
