A mysterious and powerful woman hires a man and his band of mercenaries to go into Cambodia, find her father’s killer, and bring him back to her.
Written and directed by Jing Wong, this Shaw Brothers film brings together a varied group of characters and actors to create an action film with a bundle of different skill sets and fight styles. The way this film brings these characters together is somewhat cliché these days, but it works, so why fix something that isn’t broke. In the case of Mercenaries from Hong Kong, the cliché wasn’t so used back when this came, in 1982, and the film really does the most out of it, having a bunch of fight sequences and making those entertaining as they can here.
The case for Mercenaries from Hong Kong is what sells the film really. The group of mercenaries hired by the first man brought onto the job is varied and they each have specialties, which are then used to good effect. The acting by these men is passable in most cases and a bit above that from the rare few. The performances are generally serviceable and work for the film in terms of giving the level of entertainment one would expect from an early 1980s Shaw Brothers film. On-On Yu plays a great Madam or boss lady here, being both powerful and charming. She’s a good stand out here.
The film overall looks a bit dated, maybe even older than its release year’s fellows. The film looks and feels more like an action film from the early to mid 1970s, but was released in 1982. The cinematography by An-Sung Tsao and the editing by Hsing-Lung Chiang and Shao Kuang Liu come together to create this style and are responsible for a lot of this feel to the film. Also responsible for the 1970s feel are the décor, costumes, and a few of the lines here and there. In the end, this does not matter all that much as the film is not about when it’s set and more about the story itself. And the fights.
The fights here are what most people come to this movie for and most of them are a lot of fun. The fight choreography was clearly done with each performer in mind, working with their strengths and making their styles shine while giving the viewer something to have fun with and to look forward too. These fights help a lot here as the pacing is not the best. There are some dull moments which lead the viewer’s attention to stray from the film, so the fights and punches and other scuffles are what brings them back in.
Mercenaries from Hong Kong is an interesting view on where the Shaw Brothers films were going at this point and the fights really are THE reason to watch this one. The performances are passable, but not many of them rise above that. The film looks dated and most likely did back in 1982. The pacing is a bit off, but it’s still an interesting action film from that time.
Fantasia International Film Festival 2022 runs from July 14th to August 3rd, 2022