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Eastern Condors
Cantonese Title: Dung Fong Tuk Ying
Mandarin Title: Dong1 Fang1 Tu1 Ying1

(1987)
[Actor] [Action]

Producer:
Director: Sammo Hung Kam-Bo
Action Director: Sammo Hung Kam-Bo, Yuen Biao, Lam Ching-Ying, Corey Yuen-Kwai, Yuen Wah
Cast: Sammo Hung Kam-Bo, Yuen Biao, Joyce Mina Godenzi (Ko Lai-Hung), Lam Ching-Ying, Chun Cheung-Lam, Billy Lau Nam-Kwong, Yuen Wo-Ping, Corey Yuen Kwai, Yuen Wah, Ha Chi-Jan, Chiu Man-Yan, Chau Wai, Cheung Kwok-Keung, Ng Hon, Yasuaki Kurata, Chan Lung, Billy Chow Bei-Lei, James Tin Jun, Phillip Ko Fei, Wu Ma, Melvin Wong Gam-San, Dick Wei Pei, Miu Kiu-Wai, Chung Fat, Ken Tong Jan-Yip, Max Mok Siu-Chung, Dung Chi-Wai, Kenny Ho Ga-Ging, Poon Wang-Ban, Ben Lam Kwok-Bun, Lee Gin-Sang, Wan Chi-Keung

A classic war story (classic like Dirty Dozen classic/cliche) that's well done in nearly every way. Lam Ching-Ying is a military officer ordered to put together a suicide squad from army convicts to destroy an arms cache left behind by American troops withdrawing from Vietnam. Over the drop zone, Lam receives the order to cancel the mission, but his team has already deployed. Faced with the very real probability of abandonment by the government and no mission extraction, he jumps after his team to take on what was supposed to be a diversionary assignment. The action starts right up from there and never stops. The fights are fast and furious, with excellent action from Sammo, Yuen Biao, Mina especially, along with a couple others I'm not sure of, playing villains. Lam shows some moves too, but the physical fighting isn't focused on him. Although Lam Ching-Ying gets a break from his Taoist Priest, many of the others are playing just the type of characters you'd suspect. Sammo Hung is Big Brother to the team, naturally enough, and is running lean and mean, with emphasis on the mean; Yuen Biao is the brash young villager, not one of the hardened squad; Yuen Wah is absolutely slimey as the enemy general; and Dr. Haing S. Ngor shows the acting skills that won him an Oscar with his half-wit character. And if you want to see Sammo's wife in action, this is one of your best chances to see Mina Godenzi really savage. Good storytelling, beautiful action choreography, and strong performances all around. Definitely catch this one when you have the chance. -gg-

LCY and Yuen Wah are probably the only reasons to watch this rather brainless anti-communist drivel. It's set during the period after the Vietnam War, and the careless Americans have left an entire army installation complete with missiles and other weapons. LCY's job is to lead a group of prisoners, all on long sentences, to destroy it before the evil Vietcong captures it and does something. What they want to do with it is never stressed. Yuen Wah almost steals the show with his turn at the evil general, and LCY is solid as the hard-as-steel leader. Great stunts almost, but not quite, atone for the cliche plot. I would recomend this as something to watch when you're bored. -Cissi-

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Eastern Condors Trailer