88 Films UK Blu-ray Synopsis: Not to be confused with a science fiction disaster movie, The Killer Meteors is a wuxia-style martial arts feature that brings two legends of the screen, Jimmy Wang Yu and Jackie Chan together in an explosive kung fu cult classic. Known as 'Killer Meteor', local hero Mei Hsing-Ho (Jimmy Wang Yu) is invincible due to his 'secret weapon'. However, when his services are sought by another powerful figure, Hua Wu Ping (Jackie Chan), he finds himself drawn into the deadliest challenge of his life. From the golden age of Kung Fu features, this epic movie delivers a killer plot peppered with high-flying, quick-as-lightning fight scenes. (104 Mins)

 

Eastern Heroes UK DVD Synopsis: Jackie Chan's first collaboration with Hong Kong superstar Jimmy (One Armed Boxer) Wang Yu delivers a straight paced Kung Fu sword slasher flick as Jackie takes on the uprising of the Japanese. Director Lo Wei decided to use Wang Yu's box office appeal to widen the appeal of Jackie Chan. Their on screen charisma and different fighting styles forge a unique chemistry when confrontation arises. This is a classic movie with two of the biggest stars of the Jade screen coming face to face in mortal combat. (99 Mins)

 

Transglobal Pictures UK VHS Synopsis: Jackie Chan stars as Hua Wu Pin; and Jimmy Wang Yu features throughout as his adversary Mei Hsin Ho in this tale of double-crossing masters of the martial arts. Jackie and Jimmy Wang Yu have a number of exciting confrontations until a fierce battle to the death results. Their can only be one victor, in the films thrilling climax! Will Jackie survive? (91 Mins)

 

Views: Often hailed as a skeleton in Jackie Chan's closet and a disappointing movie overall, Lo Wei's Killer Meteors is actually a pretty damn good film and a genuine classic of kung-fu cinema! While it may not seem quite as polished as the competing Shaw Brothers classics from the same period, this Korean-shot old school flick certainly puts up a challenge with its lavish set-pieces, detailed costumes, gorgeous cinematography, and collection of brilliantly choreographed fights – which prove to be even more exciting when Jackie is on screen. Thankfully, the film has finally gotten the release it has so well deserved with a beautiful 2K restored print released on Blu-ray by 88 Films. It shines a whole new light on The Killer Meteors and definitely makes for the best viewing experience of the movie in over 40 years!

 

The late Jimmy Wang Yu plays Mei Hsing Ho, the titular character of the story who is also known as the hero called Killer Meteor. Wang had been a massive star of Hong Kong cinema for a good decade by this stage with over 50 titles to his name including Shaw Brothers hits like Tiger Boy, The One-Armed Swordsman 1 & 2, and The Chinese Boxer which was also his directorial debut, as well as The One-Armed Boxer, Beach Of The War Gods, and The Man From Hong Kong. The early 70s saw him work with Lo Wei on a number of titles starting with A Man Called Tiger – a modern day martial arts thriller set in Japan. I actually quite enjoyed him here, in the role of Mei, and felt that it gave him the chance to be a little more physical when it came to the fight scenes - doubled, of course, for the more acrobatic moves. Its hard not to enjoy a Wang Yu film at the best of times, but to have him face off against Jackie is always a bonus. Of course, Jackie had been in the business just as long as his co-star – although mostly as a child actor, extra, and highly regarded stuntman – and while there had been attempts to make him more of a star in films like Cub Tiger From Kwantung and Not Scared To Die/Eagle Shadow Fist, things only started to look-up in in 1976 when he signed on with Lo Wei Productions. Aside from being loaned out for a role in John Woo's Hand Of Death with Golden Harvest, Jackie led the way in New Fist Of Fury and Shaolin Wooden Men, as well as co-starring here with Wang Yu in The Killer Meteors. Although they have shared the screen a few times – from this to the hilarious Fantasy Mission Force and fantastic Island Of Fire – this movie has to be the best in regards to them fighting each other. It's just a shame that Jackie didn't take up Sammo's offer of starring in the awesome Millionaires Express, where he and Wang Yu would have shared the screen once again – with the latter making a guest appearance as the famed Wong Fei Hung. But instead, that role went to Kenny Bee so we can only dream of what could have been I guess. In The Killer Meteors, Jackie Chan plays the main villain known as Hua Wu Ping- the Immortal Meteor. As most fans will know, it's a rare thing to see Jackie in the role of a villain, and it's perhaps my only gripe with this film. When we are first introduced to Jackie, he looks so young and fresh faced that I found it hard to accept him as a bad person. Maybe someone older and harsher looking would have made the role work a bit better, but it's a minor gripe at the same time.

​

Fans of old school kung-fu films will recognise the same old faces running around in the background, from co-starring roles to that of extras, with smaller henchmen and stunt players going on to become recognisable action stars of the 80's and 90's in their own right. This includes the wonderful Phillip Ko Fei who stars as Go Yuen So, the villain with the hilarious magnetic-hand-technique. Although he had been in the industry for 6 years already by the time this role came about, Ko Fei had already starred in over 30 films from small appearances in Shaw Brothers titles such as The Heroic Ones, The Boxer From Shantung, and The Water Margin, to Bruce Lee's Enter The Dragon, The Furious Monk From Shaolin, and Four Real Friends alongside Jimmy Wang Yu once again. 1976 would prove to be a busy year for the star with no less than 11 titles on the go including Shaolin Kung Fu Mystagogue, Super Dragon, Seven Man Army, The Eight Masters, The Hot The Cool & The Vicious, and Shaolin Death Squads – with his career really taking off from this point. Popular actor Ma Chiang stars alongside Ko Fei (and not for the first time) in just one of his 14 roles from 1976. While not a name known to many, Ma went onto star in almost 200 productions through to 2004 and starred alongside Jackie once again in the brilliant Fearless Hyena as the hilarious Iron Head. The more recognisable Lee Man Tai also joins Ko Fei's team of devils as the Devil Monk – going on to join Jackie again in films such as To Kill With Intrigue, Snake & Crane Arts Of Shaolin, Spiritual Kung Fu, Magnificent Bodyguards, and Half A Loaf Of Kung Fu as well as playing one of the gangsters in Chan's superbly directed, Miracles. And Taiwanese actor Chen Hui Lou stars as Iron Palm – a man more widely known to Hong Kong cinema fans as the Unicorn in Jackie's aforementioned Fearless Hyena. As well as appearing in To Kill With Intrigue and Fearless Hyena 2, Chen would also star in films such as King Hu's Raining In The Mountain & Legend Of The Mountain, Big Boss Of Shanghai, World Of The Drunken Master, A Book Of Heroes, Funny Family, and play the grandfather in the popular Kung Fu Kids series...

 

I guess I could push the boat out and say that The Killer Meteors is like a low-budget 1970's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon with its similar storyline, fantastical weapons, array of characters and kung-fu super powers. In fact, I wouldn't say no to a modern day remake. The exciting kung-fu action is handled by Chen Hsin-I, a recognisable bit-player who has appeared in almost 70 films from the late 1960s including Wang Yu's One-Armed Boxer and Jackie's awesome Snake & Crane Arts Of Shaolin. Chen doubled-up as a martial-arts director in the early 70s starting with Cold Wind Hands and One-Armed Swordswoman, going on to choreograph almost 30 films including Marco Polo, Seven Man Army, Shaolin Avengers, New Shaolin Boxers, Shaolin Temple, and Filthy Guy as well as returning to work with Jackie the following year on To Kill With Intrigue. It's also worth noting that Chen also directed one movie – The True Game Of Death in 1979, with co-star Lee Man Tai appearing. In The Killer Meteors, Chen provides a healthy mix of battles from hand-to-hand combat to fantastical swordplay, blending some fun wire-work with impressive moves and acrobatics. While the majority of fans will be watching for the showdowns between Jackie and Jimmy, there is really only two to speak of – both of which sit as the action-bookends of the film. And while I did enjoy the final battle quite a bit, I have to say that the opening fight between the two stars was definitely the better one as Jackie displays a wide range of impressive flips and kicks. I also enjoyed how Jimmy looked more like a kung-fu master during his fight scenes, rather than the uncoordinated basher-boxer he so often plays. Each of the aforementioned co-stars get the chance to trade moves with our hero, with the majority of the fights proving to be more than a little exciting for the most part -especially when Jimmy gets to use his deadly titular weapon.

 

While Lo Wei gained an unhealthy reputation for himself among fans of Hong Kong cinema due to his treatment of Jackie Chan in the late 70s, there's definitely no denying just how much of a presence he really was in the film world. As an actor, Wei made his debut in 1948 in The Soul Of China before going on to appear in over 130 films. Five years later, he would make his directorial debut with Diary Of A Husband – a romantic drama of which he also played the lead – and in the mid-60s joined the Shaw Brothers studio where he would eventually find his place as a director of wuxia flicks such as Death Valley, Dragon Swamp, and Brothers Five. Wei would soon jump ship to join the newly formed Golden Harvest studio where he would deliver a host of exciting titles such as The Invincible Eight, The Shadow Whip, The Comet Strikes, Seaman No.7, Back Alley Princess, and the Bruce Lee box-office hits, The Big Boss and Fist Of Fury. As it turns out, the few years Lo Wei spent producing and directing Jackie would also be the catalyst for ending his career as a director; with the fantastic Dragon Fist being his last. But Wei would continue producing right through to the 90s from Chen Kuan Tai's Big Boss Of Shanghai to The Rebellious Reign, Fearless Hyena 2, Energetic 21, Devil Foetus, Taoism Drunkard, Death Cage, Wizard's Curse, and Sammo Hung's wonderful Blade Of Fury starring Ti Lung and Cynthia Khan. With The Killer Meteors, Lo Wei delivers a highly enjoyable wuxia adventure that, while not perfect, still holds its entertainment value today and was beautifully captured by Chan Chung Yuen – a cinematographer who also shot the most of Jackie and Lo Wei's titles, as well as Chan's Dragon Lord, Yuen Biao's The Iceman Cometh, and Red Pirate starring Jonathan Ke Quan. He is joined by Chris Chen who was behind the lens for films such as The Big Boss, Fist Of Fury, A Man Called Tiger, The Valiant Ones, and The Young Master – with both guys being supported by Lu Chin Long who provided some gorgeous lighting that really set the tone. The Killer Meteors may not be the greatest film in Wang Yu or Jackie Chan's filmography, but it's definitely worth checking out and has never looked better than the 2K restoration provided on this 88 Films Blu-ray release!

 

Overall: For me, The Killer Meteors is worth a watch for any kung-fu fan and definitely not a disappointment!

 

88 Films Blu-ray Extras: 2K Restoration, Audio Commentary by Mike Leeder & Arne Venema, Trailer

​

Eastern Heroes DVD Extras: Jackie Chan Interview, Trailer

​

Watch my unboxing video of this 88 Films release HERE