

A prophecy says a diseased orphan will dethrone a king. The prophecy doesn't know kung fu... yet.
Sammo Hung is a poor village orphan called 'Filthy Guy' for his unwashed / diseased head whose ambitious landlord's son becomes king and wants to kill him as a prophecy predicts Sammo Hung will replace him
Stunts
Sammo Hung's pre-diet agility is genuinely supernatural
Practical Effects
Every fight uses real locations, real pain, zero wires

Director
Tyrone Hsu
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This was one of Sammo Hung's first leading roles before he became the 'chubby guy who moves like smoke' in 80s classics.
The 'filthy beggar' trope here echoes Cantonese opera traditions where the lowest class character often possesses hidden martial mastery — but rarely gets to BE the hero.