Story: Yipao (Yuen Biao) and his brother Tipao (Leung Kar-yan) make a living on the streets, working different small time scams and hustles to pick up cash. The two aren’t expert grifters however, so while some of their efforts produce results, their antics often fail or even backfire. That is certainly the case when the brothers cross paths with Silver Fox (Lau Kar-wing), an old man they assume will be an easy mark, but instead he puts a beating on both and in the process, earns their respect. After all, if they want to survive in the mean streets, why not have a master that can teach them high level martial arts? But when their new master proves to be more than the brothers bargained for, can they escape his brutal methods?

Entertainment Value: Knockabout is a martial arts classic and beyond that, a wildly entertaining and over the top movie experience. The narrative has all the elements the genre demands, but everything takes wacky turns or there are oddball characters, so it always has some off kilter vibes involved. Which is one reason the movie works so well, as it is such an eclectic sense of humor and if there’s a chance to entertain the audience, the filmmakers here were willing to roll the dice. Some of the humor falls flat, but the vast majority of the comedic elements are hilarious and often quite creative. This is true of the dialogue, sight gags, and even some of the martial arts showdowns, all of which are saturated in laughs. That doesn’t lessen the impact from the fight scenes either, instead it adds to the fun and makes the choreography even more impressive. Not only are these fantastic, entertaining fight sequences, but most of them integrate the humor seamlessly, using that side of the material to add fresh spins on the fast paced, relentless action. I always have a wonderful time with Knockabout and without question, this one earns a high, high recommendation.

The performances in this movie are in line with the wackiness of the material, which means some wild, over the top efforts are showcased here. Yuen Biao has the lead and is a rock solid anchor for Knockabout, as he is likable, throws himself into the role, and makes the most of both the action and comedy opportunities. He is able to get the most of the humor in the script, delivering the dialogue in a dialed up fashion and able to use mannerisms and facial expressions to maximize the laughs. But Sammo Hung tends to steal the show, which is no surprise and his turn here is beyond over the top, not to mention immense fun to watch. He plays a beggar and he is so good in the action scenes, blending in humor so naturally and really adding to the entertainment value. The two also work so well together, especially in the epic finale battles. The cast also includes Leung Kar-yan, Lau Kar-wing, and Lee Hoi-sang.

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