Heroes of the East (DVD) (Hong Kong Version) DVD Region 3

Angered by the arrangement, Kuda soon flees to Tokyo to consult her sensei and possible ex-lover, Sanzo (Kurada Honshou, a.k.a. Yasuaki Kurata). With his wife away, Ah To parties hard, but is later convinced by his sniveling servant Hsiao Kwan (Cheng Hong Yip) to send for her. Knowing she would be too proud to apologize, Ah To writes a letter mocking the Japanese way in the hope that Kuda will be so enraged that she will return to China immediately. Unfortunately, all does not go to plan as the jealous Sanzo ends up reading the letter instead. Viewing it as a slap in the face to all of Japan, Sanzo and the best fighters from his dojo head off to China for revenge!

The film boasts strong performances that really help hold the piece together, particularly from the two leads, Gordon Liu and Kurada Hoshou. Overcoming a goofy haircut, Liu takes center stage as Ah To, and unlike his later more iconic roles, he's a henpecked husband pushed to the breaking point. There's a saying that a hero is only as a good as the villain who opposes him, and that certainly is the case in Heroes of the East. With his rugged good looks and obvious martial arts skills, Kurada makes an excellent sparring partner for Liu. To his credit, Lau Kar Leung chooses not to use a stereotyped image of a Japanese male, opting instead to make Sanzo every bit as charismatic as Ah To. Although I wouldn't dare proclaim that Heroes of the East provides any serious insights into the historically contentious relationship between the Chinese and the Japanese, but ultimately,the film is fun, engaging, and it's got Gordon Liu versus Kurada Hoshou at the climax. For plenty of fight fans, those are reasons enough to check it out.

By Calvin McMillin - LoveHKFilm.com