To Kill a Mastermind (1979)

Directed by
Good fun, but not essential
Reviewed by Simon on 2023-07-07

After a series of foiled plans an Evil Clan starts to suspect that one of its members might be a spy, but after misfortune continues to dog them following his elimination, their suspicions begin to turn on each other.

This wuxia from Sun Chung feels a bit like a Venoms film at times - especially when a dude turns up in a mask straight out of The Five Venoms, for instance - but it fits in with other Sun Chung wuxia such as The Avenging Eagle too... especially the guy with the golden Eagle-talon gloves... hmm, I guess this was made on a budget and they had to make do with what they had.

The film is packed with action, and Tang Chia seems to be enjoying himself choreographing some quite fanciful wirework for the time, and Yuen Wah gets one of his more substantial early roles with plenty of chances to show off his undeniable talent - though unfortunately all while costumed in a rather unflattering bald cap.

It's perhaps not quite up to the same quality as the best of Sun Chung's films overall, but it's plenty of fun to watch.