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Ninjas vs. Ming Dynasty rebels — because subtlety died in 1979.
TMDB
40
IMDb
53
Watch(US)

A Pretended Rebel (1979)

retro cheesewire-fu chaosshoestring epic

Overview

Action

The Japanese ninja secretly invade China in the time of the Ming Dynasty.

Flag of TWTWChinese
Content warning
martial arts

Standout Aspects

Practical Effects

Fight scenes filmed in actual locations that definitely weren't ninja-approved.

Costume

Japanese 'ninjas' wearing whatever black fabric was cheapest that Tuesday.

Stunts

Actors clearly doing their own falls because safety regulations hadn't reached Hong Kong.

Best for:Friends: Riff with friends who appreciate glorious 70s martial arts jank.·Rewatch: Gets better once you accept the ninjas are just guys in pajamas.·Background: Perfect chaos for folding laundry to — you'll look up for every kick.
Heads up:Violence: Frequent martial arts combat with theatrical blood squibs.
L

Director

Law Chi

ReleasedJun 22, 1979
Runtime1h 28m
StatusReleased

Vibe

Pacefast
Intensityhigh
Tonemixed
Feellight
Magnificent Tower Film Co.

Top Cast

Chang Yi

Chang Yi

Ma Tung

Elliot Ngok Wah

Elliot Ngok Wah

Japanese

Eddy Ko Hung

Eddy Ko Hung

Fang Hsiao Hu

Miao Tian

Miao Tian

Ma Tung's assistant

Wang Hsieh

Wang Hsieh

Master Kao

Sun Jung-Chi

Sun Jung-Chi

Ah Wu

Shih Ting-Ken

Shih Ting-Ken

Siu Gam

Siu Gam

Ask about A Pretended Rebel

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Deep Dive

Trivia, insights & behind the scenes

Trivia

Director Law Chi was reportedly paid in cash and dinner vouchers. The film's entire budget wouldn't cover one Marvel extras lunch today.

Cultural

This belongs to the 1970s Hong Kong 'guerrilla filmmaking' boom, where studios churned out martial arts films weekly to compete with television. Quality control was a myth.

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