tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5013834191197749232.post8989182092577810685..comments2023-05-20T07:11:52.364-07:00Comments on Fang Shih-yu and the "Trivia Wing" of the Shaolin Temple!: Police Force (1973), starring Wong Chung, Lily Li, and Fu Sheng. Directed by Chang Cheh and Tsai Yang-ming.R.A.M.'67http://www.blogger.com/profile/12817535165296807817noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5013834191197749232.post-69482648832907243472011-03-18T21:30:09.892-07:002011-03-18T21:30:09.892-07:00I did, of course! It's not one of my favorites...I did, of course! It's not one of my favorites, but it does stand out just because Wang Chung finally gets a well deserved leading role. I just wish he would have gotten more, perhaps better, roles as well. Chang Cheh's misuse of great female costars will never stop pissing me off. There.. I said it. Thanks for listening!Amberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07759239595071666263noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5013834191197749232.post-7516238864541329442011-03-18T07:55:04.556-07:002011-03-18T07:55:04.556-07:00I agree, Amber; not counting the brief flashback l...I agree, <b>Amber</b>; not counting the brief flashback later on, <b>Fu Sheng</b> appears in just under 15 minutes of the film (I timed it)!<br /><br />Another way the <i><b>PF</b></i> story could've been redone to have more Sheng in it is have him and <b>Wang Chung</b> join the HKPF after <b>Lily Li</b>(!) was killed by the robber; the two wind up as partners and track down the murderer. As it goes, it seems <b>Chang Cheh</b> and <b>Shaw Brothers</b> were truly warming people up to Sheng! (Happily, he and Li would move on to better roles in bigger movies, but Chung would do less so, which has to be why he turned to directing.)<br /><br />I take it you did like <b>Wang Chung</b> in this, too?<br /><br />Thanks for reading the review!R.A.M.'67https://www.blogger.com/profile/12817535165296807817noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5013834191197749232.post-46171326482099413562011-03-17T19:04:01.281-07:002011-03-17T19:04:01.281-07:00Couldn't believe how fast Fu Sheng disappeared...Couldn't believe how fast Fu Sheng disappeared from this movie. Maybe I need to watch it again to really enjoy it more. But you're right, Lily Li DOES deserve better!Amberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07759239595071666263noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5013834191197749232.post-2435134034302008942011-03-16T18:41:50.096-07:002011-03-16T18:41:50.096-07:00@ achillesgirl: Thanks for reading the review! ;o)...@ <b>achillesgirl</b>: Thanks for reading the review! ;o)<br /><i><b>PF</b></i> is mild stuff, in contrast to, say, <i><b>Dirty Harry</b></i>, so any bad rep it gets must be due to that HKPF <i>"seal of approval",</i> which restricted the story's content. Its entertainment value is along the lines of <i><b>G-Men</b></i> (with <b>James Cagney</b>) or the <i><b>Dragnet</b></i> TV show (and their respective endorsements from the FBI and the LAPD), except for the dramatic interludes and the finale where <b>Wang Chung</b> takes on <i>all</i> the bad guys! (The ending's a stretch, but it's laid out in a believeable presentation.)<br /><br />I got <i><b>PF</b></i> for <b>Fu Sheng</b>, but Chung and <b>Lily Li</b> (not to mention <b>Fung Hak-on</b>) are why I return to it again and again! (Though Chung did do other cop roles, I wish he and Cheh did a <i><b>PF</b></i> sequel. Overall, it stinks Chung is so undervalued as a Shaw performer, but the legends of Sheng and the <b>"Venoms"</b> loom larger than his, so....)<br /><br />@ <b>venoms5</b>: Chung getting an award from the HKPF makes sense, regardless of if the movie was a hit or not! Good luck finding the article!R.A.M.'67https://www.blogger.com/profile/12817535165296807817noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5013834191197749232.post-397279533545615852011-03-16T13:06:53.340-07:002011-03-16T13:06:53.340-07:00I liked the ending a lot. Wang Chung ended up gett...I liked the ending a lot. Wang Chung ended up getting some kind of award(?) recognition from the police force for his role. I'll have to find the magazine article.venoms5https://www.blogger.com/profile/13655919099947763891noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5013834191197749232.post-6735071034066641262011-03-16T09:32:00.605-07:002011-03-16T09:32:00.605-07:00I don't know anyone who really likes this movi...I don't know anyone who really likes this movie. Still, as you point out, the cast is classic. I think Fung Hak On's jacket and hair is awesome! :)achillesgirlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04205640762395962293noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5013834191197749232.post-47760098479610552342011-03-15T18:31:56.824-07:002011-03-15T18:31:56.824-07:00First time I sat through this, venoms5, I thought ...First time I sat through this, <b>venoms5</b>, I thought it was OK, but once I saw <i><b>The Delinquent</b>,</i> and took into perpspective the order in which these were released, it's grown on me with additional viewings (including the ending)! Still, if Cheh and Kuang had no restrictions on the story, I think this had the potential to be bigger than <i><b>TD</b>!</i> <br /><br />One notable bit is the last stand of Gao Tu; his brutal demise, intercut with Guan's dying as he rolls down the road, is a powerful scene. (If <b>Fu Sheng</b> were unavailable for playing Guan, I think <b>Wong Kuong Yue</b> would've made an ideal substitute!)<br /><br />As I once said elsewhere, Cheh and Kuang should've dropped Guan's girlfriend and recast <b>Lily Li</b> as a fellow cop who graduates with Guodong at the academy and becomes a detective under his charge! Her acting was quite good here (a <i>lot</i> of crying), but she deserved better.<br /><br />Favorite location shot: the roof with ALL those TV antennas!R.A.M.'67https://www.blogger.com/profile/12817535165296807817noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5013834191197749232.post-50133262225610331972011-03-15T13:34:47.420-07:002011-03-15T13:34:47.420-07:00Nice assessment of this one, Fang. I was generally...Nice assessment of this one, Fang. I was generally underwhelmed by this movie, but the ending did grab me. It will definitely be one I will revisit eventually.venoms5https://www.blogger.com/profile/13655919099947763891noreply@blogger.com