Samo doesn't waste any time, getting right down to the business of kicking butt - the excuse here, his character's quest to find someone worthy of being his guru. When he does, said new master (Leung) is rather unenthusiastic, to say the least - until Samo proves to be useful protection. For Leung and his new wife had to flee from the lustful attentions of an elder brother (Chang Yi), who is now out to get both of them and has an unknown hired killer on the trail... The main plot twist there will perhaps not be any surprise, but is not necessarily less shocking for it, and most of the storyline turns are adeptly dealt out. I say most, for the last one is silly, and dilutes the impact of a fairly grim final reel in which it's hard to tell who is "the victim" of the title, since there are a number of contenders. The comedic side has the upper hand in the first half, and mostly works well, in particular the interplay between the exuberant student and his reluctant master. Hung's kung-fu is excellent, and in my opinion, surpasses Leung's, being more fluid and already possessing the tongue-in-cheek edge which has always been Samo's trademark. A fine mix of drama, humour and excellent martial arts, deserving to rate only slightly below Pedicab Drivers in his filmography.
B
