Considering the iconic status ofEnter the Dragon, it’s not easy to find a suitable follow-up that doesn’t involve Bruce Lee, butHeroes of the Eastis one film that can fill that void. Easily the most famous ofthe five movies that Bruce Lee starred in,Enter the Dragonis credited with helping shape the martial arts genre into what it is today. Its decision to follow three fighters of different backgrounds helped provide the setup for one of thegreatest martial arts tournament movies ever made, if not the best kung fu film of all time.
Another film that explores that particular martial arts subgenre isHeroes of the East, a lesser-known release from 1978.Heroes of the Eastwas made by Shaw Brothers, the biggest kung fu movie studio in Hong Kong as well as the main rival of Golden Harvest, the company behind all of Bruce Lee’s movies. Helmed by prominent martial arts movie director Lau Kar-Leung,Heroes of the Eastwas an old-school kung fu film set in the 1930s. Headling the movie was Gordon Liu, who played Ho Tai, a Chinese practitioner of kung fu who finds himself fighting karate experts in Japan.
Heroes Of The East Borrows Some Of Enter The Dragon’s Best Story & Action Elements
Heroes of the Eastbegins with Ho Tai arriving in Japan for an arranged marriage he’d rather not be a part of. As a result of a misunderstanding, he winds up in a martial arts competition where he has to contend with some of the best fighters in the country. Ho Tai’s shenanigans inHeroes of the Eastset in motion a story that’s reminiscent of the best parts ofEnter the Dragon.Part of what madeEnter the Dragonso special is that it effectively tries to become more than just a kung fu movie; its tournament format and premise allowed it to offer a mix of styles of techniques, creating some interesting challenges for its characters.
Gordon Liu’s 10 Best Kung Fu Movies, Ranked
Gordon Liu has left an impressive legacy in kung fu filmmaking, with both obscure and well-known titles showing off his martial arts and acting skill.
Heroes of the Eastleans in a similar direction. It forces Ho Tai to go up against a multitude of Japanese fighters, each of which being a fighter with their own specialty, including spear-fighting, judo, Ninjitsu, and more. But ultimately, Heroes of the East - likeEnter the Dragon- is a movie where the kung fu expert is the real star. Just as Bruce Lee triumphs over all his foes with kung fu, Ho Tai uses Chinese martial arts to overcome his opponents in a series of amazingly choreographed fight scenes. One of these even utilizesBruce Lee’s trademark nunchuk fighting style.
Heroes Of The East Is One Of The Best 1970s Kung Fu Movies
Gordon Liu Is In Top Form in Heroes Of The East
Despite not having a reputation on par with that ofEnter the Dragon,Heroes of the Eastcertainly deserves to be counted among thebest kung fu movies of the 1970s. Of course, that’s owed in large part to the exceptional performance of Gordon Liu, who makes the action more than worthwhile with his genuine talent as a martial artist. But ultimately what makes its fights so fun to watch is the masterfully choreographed fight scenes overseen by Lau Kar-Leung, one of thegreatest martial arts movie directors of all time. The diversity of the action sequences in terms of the weapons and styles incorporated only add to the excitement.
