All right, let's just say it: this is not really a good film. The sound is mostly post-dubbed, the sound effects are amateurish. The plot is
well, almost nonexistent, something about a to-the-death contest for supremacy and personal salvation. However, if you are a fan of the genre, this is a back-to-basics martial arts classic. You won't find better-looking or fitter karate warriors, more exotic beach locales, or more genuine fighting. JD Rifkin is gorgeous, huge, and cut like a cover model for Men's Fitness. His pals and opponents are no less impressive. The fights are all well-lit and shot from a little distance back, so you can actually see what's going on. And unlike the current trend, neither computer graphics nor cables and fancy photography figure into this -- all the combat scenes are choreographed but completely genuine. In his other life, Rifkin is a martial arts instructor; everything you see these guys do, they can really do. I've seen them do it-- You'll just have to trust me on that. So if you're tired of the House of Flying Daggers and Kung Fu Hustle special effects and overproduced schlock in the theaters, kick back to the real thing.