Two ageing masters of the spear and sword engage in an epic mountaintop battle every ten years, but the outcome invariably ends in a draw. Realising that neither one of them will ever outclass the other, they each agree to take on a younger student and train them to champion their cause, thus putting an end to their longstanding rivalry.
Stunts
Sammo Hung performing his own brutal, balletic spear work.
Direction
Lau Kar-Wing's split-screen mastery showing dual roles simultaneously.
Practical Effects
Every weapon is real, every hit connected, zero CGI nonsense.
Director
Lau Kar-Wing
Sammo Hung Kam-Bo
King of Sabres / Ah Yo
Lau Kar-Wing
King of Spears / Stubborn Wing
Bryan Leung Kar-Yan
Laughing Bandit / Scarface
Dean Shek Tin
Master Rocking / Playboy
Lee Hoi-Sang
Handlebar-Moustached Thug
Huang Ha
Single Sabre Wu Li
Peter Chan Lung
Pak Chow / Cloud Sabre
Mars
Potato
Billy Chan Wui-Ngai
Humpback / Tien
Ho Pak-Kwong
Playboy's Assistant
Karl Maka
Challenges Cloud Sabre
To Siu-Ming
Lam Ching-Ying
Ha (Scarface's Fighter)
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Sammo Hung designed every fight sequence himself, often choreographing against his own performance as the other master.
This film cemented the 'weapon swapping' trope in kung fu cinema — masters fighting with each other's signature tools became a genre staple.
HK
