Lethal Hunter Review

Screening antiquated martial art movies when nothing else is available is not uncommon to cinema halls in Hyderabad. The reason is simple - little investment and easy gain. Us gullible audiences seem game for almost any cinematic compromises. Lethal Hunter (actually Drunken Tai Ji) is supposedly the last traditional martial arts movie to be made in Hong Kong. Donnie Yen, who was to be the next Bruce Lee, debuts in this film. And since we have never heard of him before, it is no profound inference that he is no superstar.

Chin Do (Donnie Yen) is a happy go-lucky youngster who spends his time playing harmless pranks. In doing so, he accidentally rubs the son of a wealthy and influential businessman the wrong way. Killer Bird, an assassin, is hired to wipe out Chin Do and his family. This assassin is not to be taken lightly; he can drive steel nails through walls with his bare hands, and can fly in the air. As is expected, Killer Bird does his job very professionally, and kills Chin Do's brother and father.

Unaware of what happened, Chin Do thinks that their death was an accident. He aimlessly wanders the streets till an alcoholic puppeteer and his wife take him in. Then, one fine day, he stumbles upon the truth of his family's death. The puppeteer trains him in the martial arts, and it is time for a final showdown with Killer Bird. Finally, good triumphs over evil and Chin Do adopts Killer Bird's little daughter and there's a happy ending.

This movie on the whole is not that bad, but it is nearly 16 years old, so you can imagine the state of the print and quality of the sound. If you are willing to compromise on these, it is a tolerable flick. The stunts are great, and Donnie Yen is not all that bad. Some of the comedy scenes are a laugh.