Bullet Points: The Thundering Mantis

One movie that really struck a chord with me on my journey through the Kung Fu Theater classics of yesteryear was 1979’s Sleeping Fist.

When I saw that Leung Kar-Yan (Beardy for those in the know) and Huang I-Lung, two of the three elements that made Sleeping Fist so enjoyable for me, collaborated once again in 1980’s The Thundering Mantis. That made The Thundering Mantis a must watch for me…

• Fishmonger: We meet our hero, Ah Chi (Leung Kar-Yan) working as a fishmonger. Ah Chi’s boss has him deliver some crabs to a local restaurant. On the way to the restaurant Ah Chi sees a local merchant getting shaken down by three members of the Jade Horse Gang. Ah Chi steps in and kicks some ass and that would prove to be the inciting incident for the movie.
• Sale of the Century: Ah Chi returns to the fish shop and his boss is none too pleased that Ah Chi was gone so long and informs him that he is going to dock his pay. Well two can play at that game, if his boss is going hit him where it hurts Ah Chi will do the same because he announces a buy one get one sale that is extremely popular with the local shoppers. Taking advantage of the commotion is The Kid (Huang I-Lung) who is catching fish right out of one of the fish shop barrels. When Ah Chi catches the little thief in the act, The Kid tells him a sob story about losing both of his parents and having to take care of his sickly grandfather. Ah Chi feels bad for The Kid and even throws in two extra fish so he and his grandfather have something to eat.

• Lies, Lies, Lies, Yeah: Moments later The Kid’s “sickly” Grandfather (Chin Yuet-Sang, The Lama Avenger) shows up looking for the little liar. Both Ah Chi and Grandfather find The Kid a few streets over selling the very fish he stole. Grandfather disciplines The Kid and takes him away. Ah Chi is watching the whole thing but is interrupted with news that his teacher wants to see him immediately. The Jade Horse Gang paid Ah Chi’s teacher a visit and demanded he expel Ah Chi from his school or else, they’d come back and kill all the students!

• Higher Learning: A despondent Ah Chi is wandering the streets processing that he no longer has a school to train at when he sees The Kid putting on a show for a captivated audience. When The Kid’s street performance is done, Grandfather goes around with a collection plate and that gets the attention of the Jade Horse Gang… once again Ah Chi can’t just stand by, so he stands up to the goons despite Grandfather’s protest not to… the first in several incidents that will eventually see Grandfather becoming Ah Chi’s new master and teaching him the ways of the Mantis Fist!

• The Eagle Has Landed: Ah Chi is going to need his new Mantis Fist if he has any hope of defeating the leader of the Jade Horse Gang and master of the Eagle Fist, Shiao Tse Tung (Eddie Ko, another Sleeping Fist alum). Shiao makes a big return showing off his pigeon killing skills then he turns his attention to finding the man who has humiliated his gang time and again, Ah Chi. This makes Grandfather and Ah Chi’s boss at the fish shop targets for Shian and the Jade Horse Gang… but when they go after The Kid, all bets are off. This leads to a multi-layered finale that culminates with a brutal and bloody back and forth between Ah Chi and Shiao Tse Tung.

Leung Kar-Yan and Huang I-Lung are like the Shabba-Doo and Boogaloo Shrimp of the Kung Fu world. The two have great chemistry and make for a fantastic on-screen duo… a duo I wish we got even more of. The story of The Thundering Mantis is not a story that had never been told before, quite the opposite really. But the execution of the story and having the right people in the right spots made this one to remember.

I remembered to include some Bonus Bullet Points, so you may as well read them…

• AKA: The Thundering Mantis is also known as Mantis Fist Fighter.
• Suggestion Box: Ah Chi’s boss should have instituted a “take a number” program to cut down on the chaos at the fish shop counter.
• If You Ever: …wanted to see Huang I-Lung cause three goons to have the shits and then see those three goons battle for who got to the toilet first, then The Thundering Mantis is the movie for you.
• Bastard Check: There were plenty of bastards to go around in The Thundering Mantis and most of the time that derogatory term was used in reference to The Kid. For example…
• Favorite Quote: “You bastard, you’re the one who gave me the shits. I’m gonna kill you!”