But that doesn't matter. Watch it any way you can get it, because this is among the best martial arts movies ever made. Good acting, direction and unparalleled fight choreography by Yuen Wo-Ping. There are a few moments of obvious wirework and undercranking, but nothing that diminishes the amazing hand-to-hand boxing. I should note that this is not a kung-fu comedy, and some of the fighting is fairly brutal.

The anti-Japanese sentiment here is far less overt than that found in the movie's inspiration, Bruce Lee's 1972 brawler, Fist of Fury. Japanese characters are played by Japanese actors, unusual for a Hong Kong production. All in all, a familiar plot is given new life by a superb cast and crew.