The Kid with a Tattoo (4 Stars)

I've been watching a lot of Shaw Brothers films recently – this is the sixth in two weeks – and they're not quite what I expected. There's a lot more comedy in them than I recall from watching them when I was younger. I don't say that as a criticism. Comedy and kung fu go well together, as any Jackie Chan fan knows.

Li Bao Tang is the son of a successful cotton merchant. His father wants him to take over the family business, so he has to study hard, but is heart isn't in it. He secretly practises kung fu, tutored by an undercover policeman who's disguised as a beggar. Bao Tang isn't a noble person. He uses his fighting skills to bully others. There's a dilapidated Buddhist temple just outside his village, where a group of young men hang out and practise martial arts. Bao Tang goes there to beat them up, for no other reason than to show off.

A vicious gang arrives in the village, the Red Spear Gang. The picture should show you the reason for the name. They've been hired by a secretive crime lord codenamed Sword In The Cotton, who wants them to deliver a large shipment of opium. Bao Tang overhears a conversation that tells him his father is Sword In The Cotton. This gives him greater respect for his father, because he would rather become a criminal than a businessman.

Then Bao Tang witnesses his policeman friend being killed by the Red Spear Gang. He's torn between his desire for revenge and his loyalty to his father.

And yet it's a comedy!

The actor Wong Yu, who plays the lead character, is an amazing acrobat, and from what I've read of his biography he was also a talented fighter. His fight scenes are hilarious, the way he uses chairs to fend off attacks with swords. He can pick up any object for use as a weapon.

The damaged Buddha statue in the run down temple features in several scenes. Bao Tang hugs and kisses the statue when his enemies have mishaps. Is this offensive to Buddhists? I don't know how much of a sense of humour the Chinese have. My attitude is strange. I'm not a Buddhist, but I'm very cautious about insulting Buddhism, even though I have no qualms about making fun of the Christian religion of my own country.

This is Bao Tang's tattoo, an eagle to make him look tough. It isn't a real tattoo, though. It's only painted on his chest. He washes it off when he finds out that his father doesn't approve.

I love the film, and I'll be watching more Shaw Brothers films in the coming weeks.