Xiong zhong (1982) Online

Intresting international co-production producer Dick Randall has put together! Hong Kong Bruce Lee clone Bruce Le takes on Ninja's, Harold "Odd Job" Sakata, and Bolo Yeung! The film even uses stock music from ENTER THE DRAGON, CASSANDRA CROSSING and JAMES BOND films! (did they get permission to use it?) The begining credit is amusing, and the film has some real good action scenes and plenty of nudity. And the filmmakers billed someone as CHICK NORRIS!

Several US video print (usually titled EYE OF THE DRAGON) released the TV prints of this film (maybe due to fact the TV print doesn't have a copyright or something), and all the nudity and gore is cut out. Randall went on to produce the GYMKATA KILLER with Lee and some international cast!

Warning; spoilers.

Admittedly a mess, The Ninja Strikes Back is nevertheless tremendously entertaining, delivering sleazy and action-packed incidents from start to finish. A fight on the steps of Rome, a freeze frame decapitation, a balding businessman being overpowered by drug addled nymphomaniacs and a topless woman sunning herself on a beach only to then be shot at by a sniper are but some of the many highlights.

The kidnapping of an ambassador's daughter by two thugs, one of whom is dressed in drag for no particular reason, is the main raison d'etre for the globe-trotting exploits of Bruce Le. He's sometimes assisted in his quest to find her by an Italian policeman and a gun-toting woman with a huge, Gloria Brittain style hairdo. Quickly the plot goes from being barely coherent to completely obscure, lost in an endless succession of fight scenes and travelogue shots of Rome, Hong Kong and Paris where Bruce takes a detour to the fleshpots of Pigalle and ends up exchanging blows on the set of a French porn film. In the latter scene raunchy snippets of sex film within a film are juxtaposed with Bruce running to the location and a shot of Bruce punching a man abruptly cuts to a huge close-up of a hand making its way over a woman's backside, a memorable if unintentional piece of editing. Generally though the Paris section of the film seems to consist of scenes of Bruce and the Italian policeman threatening various Frenchmen; including one who has a gun pressed against his head and his face forced into a urinal. Bruce shakes each of the Frenchmen down for information as to the whereabouts of such and such a person, then tracks that individual down to ask them about the whereabouts of someone else and so on and so on. The film could be re-edited with all the scenes in the wrong order and it's doubtful anyone would be the wiser.

After his trip to Paris, Bruce takes a plane to his native Hong Kong where he discovers his father has been killed and his sister kidnapped by a pair of Japanese brutes. As coincidence would have it the two brutes in question, namely Harold 'Oddjob' Sakata and Bolo Yeung, are also responsible for the kidnapping of the ambassador's daughter. Still modelling the same lethal bowler he first wore in Goldfinger all those years ago, Sakata's character also boasts a gold plated glove which he uses to tear strips out of his enemies. Both Sakata and Bruce's former boss -depicted at one point by a close-up of a cat on his lap a-la Blofeld- have harem set-ups thus allowing the filmmakers to indulge in numerous shots of topless women emerging from pools or being dragged around by henchmen. Whenever Sakata walks into frame the James Bond theme plays in the background. The soundtrack also audaciously (and needless to say illegally) samples the Enter the Dragon theme and includes cover versions of everything from Boogie Wonderland to Chanson D'Amour and even Cat Stevens' Morning has Broken. Bruce eventually catches up with Sakata during a speed boat chase, and abruptly finishes him off by severing his arm and tossing him into the water.

Having seemingly exhausted the Bond villain references, the film's finale provides a recreation of the ending of Way of the Dragon and sees Bruce summoned to the Coliseum in Rome and challenged to a battle to the death by someone identified on the video box as 'Chick Norris'. Cartoon inserts of breaking bones and a pulsating heart symbolise Chick taking lethal blows from a victorious Bruce.

The Ninja Strikes Back was produced by the late exploitation workaholic Dick Randall, who also steps in front of the camera to play the ambassador, an honest man whose refusal to bend to political corruption has resulted in his daughter's kidnap. Erroneously billed as 'Dick Randal' in the credits; he spends most of his screen time pacing about a villa in a red smoking jacket, sucking on his trademark cigar and nervously awaiting news of his daughter's fate. In an autobiographical touch Dick is seen writing out a cheque that enables Bruce Le's adventures. It's a novelty to find Dick playing such a socially redeeming character, even so the use of pseudo-stars, the grey area soundtrack and the fact that the titular ninjas appear in the film for all of three minutes means The Ninja Strikes Back is more than a fitting testament to his shameless reputation.

When the "American Ambassador" (Randall) gets a call that his daughter Sophie (we don't know her name but she looks like Elizabeth Hasselbeck) has been kidnapped, there's only one man suitable for the job: Bruce (Le), of course! Using his expertise in Martial Arts, Bruce travels to many countries in search of the girl. He has to face the evil Sakata (Sakata) - you can see how much effort was spent in naming the characters - and his henchman, portrayed by Bolo Yeung. But after many fights, trials and tribulations, will Bruce achieve his goal? This is classic "Drive-in Kung Fu" action at its most wonderfully nonsensical and implausible. The silly fun never really lets up. Starting with the very cool title sequence, and continuing on with Bruce Le's bowl haircut and awesome shades as he takes on giant men in shirts advertising flour, and of course "Chick Norris" (actually producer Dick Randall's wife Corliss). The movie jumps all over the place without a care in the world, and would you really want it any other way? Whenever Harold "Oddjob" Sakata is on screen, the James Bond theme plays, and he even throws a deadly hat at Bruce. Are they allowed to get away with this? How were they not sued? But in addition to a killer hat, he also has an iron spiked glove, predating Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) but sadly not Blood and Black Lace (1964). The enjoyability of this movie even filters down to the sound effects and noises the characters make. "Yaaaaaaahhhh!!!!" seems to be the integral noise to Bruce's fighting style.

And the music is incredible - it features plenty of songs you might recognize! One of our favorites was "Disco Magic" - does anyone out there know who performs this song? Naturally it was in the disco scene which we're always on the lookout for. But there are plenty of other funky tunes on the soundtrack as well.

There are plenty of fights, and the climax certainly doesn't skimp on the Martial Arts action. Something happens in this fight that we won't give away, but is awesome. It also turns up in the must-see Challenge of the Tiger (1980), AKA Gymkata Killer (!), another Bruce Le/Dick Randall extravaganza. C of the T is on DVD thanks to Mondo Macabro, and Ninja Strikes Back was released by Media Blasters/Code Red in a very nice looking widescreen print. Both are worth owning, if your taste runs toward the more bizarre end of the Martial Arts spectrum.

All hail Bruce Le! The wannabe, typecast actor here stars in one of his finest performances yet – as a Bruce Lee imitation! Forget the clichés – this is an international adventure with Le as a globetrotting hero, forever karate-fighting the various bad guys that the script throws at him. Ignore the cheapness of the production and instead focus on the coolness of Bolo Yeung as the muscle-rippling henchman of doom, killed off far too easily by Le and his bearded sidekick – unsurprisingly, the fatal kick that ends his life is excised from the UK print! Focus on the aged, overweight Japanese guy, Harold Sakata, typecast again as villain. Whenever Sakata's around, stolen James Bond music plays! Yes, the film really is that cheap.

THE NINJA STRIKES BACK has plenty to recommend it, including especially the ultra-cheesy opening credits, which steal music from ENTER THE DRAGON and have to be the best/worst that I've ever seen! Topless women fill the screen from start to finish. Guys get decapitated in the woods and there are hard-knuckle fight scenes galore. And I haven't even mentioned the ninjas yet! Disappearing ninjas, cartwheeling ninjas, ninjas flying in the trees. Forget CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON, this is the true and secret magic of the martial arts! The plot skips along at a fair old pace and concludes in a finale at the Colosseum, ripped off from Bruce Lee's WAY OF THE DRAGON. The coolness factor is upped by the appearance of Hwang Jang Lee as the high-kicking bad guy of the piece. The resulting fight scene is ferocious and fun and even features some cheesy animation, an idea copied from THE STREET FIGHTER. Although Bruce Le isn't much of an actor, revel in the cheese that is THE NINJA STRIKES BACK. And I haven't even mentioned Chick Norris, another pseudonymous billing from Dick Randall, the producer who dreamed up Boris Lugosi…

Reformed criminal Bruce (handsome, charismatic chopsocky film star Bruce Le) decides to go straight and settle down with his girlfriend after he gets released from prison. The gang he used to work for kidnap the fetching young daughter of an American ambassador (co-producer Dick Randall in a small role). Bruce goes trekking all over the world in search of the lady. Directors Le and Joseph Velasco (the latter also wrote the cheerfully ridiculous script) relate the lively and eventful narrative at a nonstop brisk pace, toss in a pleasing plenitude of tasty gratuitous female nudity and lurid soft-core sex, and cram this baby with more frantic knock-down, drag-out kung fu scuffles than you can shake a pair of nun-chucks at. Perenial Asian bad guy thespian Harold "Oddjob" Sakata portrays his usual nefarious lead heavy who this time sports a lethal steel claw hand while the ubiquitous Bolo Yeung once again essays his umpteenth flunky part. Randall's hot redhead wife Corliss pops up in a handful of scenes as a tough female detective (she's billed under the choice pseudonym of Chick Norris!). The glossy widescreen cinematography and exotic globe-trotting locations give this flick a nice sense of scope. Better still, the neatly eclectic film library score alternates between schmaltzy elevator music-style instrumental versions of popular hit tunes (which include the famous James Bond theme!) and funky, syncopated, groovy-jammin' discoid funk. The rousing and lengthy climactic confrontation between Bruce and erstwhile best buddy Ron (wiry Wang Jang Lee) likewise hits the stirring spot. Hugely entertaining trash.

Bruce Le stars in this globe trotting martial arts fare as a character called, surprisingly enough Bruce, who finds himself on the receiving end of the mob's wraith after he attempts to leave their employment and make a new start.

Added to this, the police recruit Bruce in order to find and rescue an ambassador's kidnapped daughter who is being held by none other that Harold 'Odd job' Sakata and Bolo Yeung (who as coincidence would have it, also happen to have kidnapped Bruce's sister and murdered his father back in his native Hong Kong)

Cue lot's of fairly well choreographed fight scenes, naked breasts aplenty and some woeful dubbing/voice over work as Bruce set's out to destroy the mob (who along the way managed to murder Bruce's girlfriend) avenge his father's death and take back his sister and the ambassador's daughter.

It all culminates in a final hand to hand showdown in the famous Colloseum in Rome between our man Bruce and perennial super kicking bad guy Hwang Jang Lee (and even contains some superimposed animation to elaborate the devastating physiological effects of Bruce's blows!)

Overall: Whilst a highly derivative movie in more ways than one, this is nonetheless certainly worth a watch if you can get hold of a copy and should definitely appeal to B-Movie lovers everywhere.