The Angry Guest (1972)

"It's difficult to dodge bullets in the dark" Better to dodge this movie altogether

The Angry Guest was another Iron Triangle production with director Chang Cheh and actors Ti Lung and David Chiang. This film was a sequel to Duel of Fists which means (spoiler alert!) both men survived the previous film. One or both of their characters usually died horrific deaths in Chang Cheh films. Chan Sing returned as the baddie from the last film only to be engulfed by the Yakuza bad guys led by Chang Cheh and Kurata Yasuaki.

Chiang Ren escapes from the Thai prison where he was incarcerated for his actions in the previous film. He heads straight to Hong Kong to settle his score with Fan Ke and Wen Lieh. He’s stopped by Akiko who has had Wen’s mother murdered and girlfriend kidnapped. Her boss, Yamaguchi, wants the boys to work for him and is using Yu Lan to lure them to Tokyo.

This film did something a martial arts film should never do. It bored me out of my mind. It was more Tokyo travelogue with endless drives through town than kung fu flick. For a Ni Kuang film it made almost no sense. There were few fights until the very end and all of them were dreadfully choreographed. I’ve never been a big Tang Chia fan, and maybe because the characters were set in their present, the moves looked slower and clumsier. In modern clothing David Chiang appeared even more petite and less threatening than usual. Kurata could always bring the menace but he didn’t have many chances to show off his skills. Ti barely spoke through the movie. Bolo made a guest appearance as part of the yakuza brute squad. Unless you have a big desire to tour 1971 Tokyo or are a completionist of the Triangle, this one is easily skippable.

8 July 2025

Trigger warning: partial nudity and a sex scene. Apparently, Shaw Brothers didn’t pay Chang Cheh enough money to go to the dentist, his black teeth were frightening.

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