CHALLENGE OF THE MASTERS (Hong Kong, 1976)
Directed by Lau Kar-leung
Starring: Gordon Liu, Kuan Tai Chen, Lily Li, Lau Kar-leung

Appearing in over 100 films before 1976, Wong Fei-hung, the real-life martial arts master and avatar of Confucian virtue, was always depicted onscreen as a pompous stiff. But in Lau Kar-leung’s second film, Wong is recast as a bratty street punk whose dad won’t let him learn kung fu because it’ll make him an even bigger pain in the ass. An injection of youthful energy, this flick comes straight from the heart: LKL’s dad was a student of Wong Fei-hung’s student, and this family affair is pays tribute  to Wong’s real-life legacy. Lau himself plays a criminal on the run, his brother, Lau Kar-wing, plays a cop who’s after him, and his god-brother, Gordon Liu, plays the brash Wong Fei-hung. Full of high energy mayhem, it’s the first martial arts movie to focus on respecting your enemy, not just kicking his ass.