The Skyhawk (1974) – Jeong Chang-hwa.

Not long after revered martial arts master Skyhawk (Kwan Tak-hing) visits a beloved old friend, his earnest, troublesomely hot-headed students Fatty (Sammo hung) and Leo (Carter Wong) unthinkingly fall foul of a local hood, and his exceedingly bellicose side-kicker (Hwang in-shik), culminating in a series of bloody confrontations! A highly regarded 70s martial arts masterclass, The Skyhawk remains a spectacular showcase for veteran HK icon Kwan Tak-hing, with steely Carter Wong delivering an impressively forceful performance in the film's exhilarating climax! While the formula plot is undeniably familiar, the striking, lushly exotic Thai locations, superbly charismatic performances and electrifying kung fu are absolutely world class! Not only is The Skyhawk tremendously entertaining to watch, it has prodigious charm, along with ballistic displays of superbly orchestrated combat. I must confess that I often find myself in complete sympathy with the Kung Fu cognoscenti who rate certain essential kung fu titles far higher than others, especially since The Skyhawk is wholly deserving of its many ecstatic reviews!