Eureka Video UK Blu-ray Synopsis: From the director of The Skyhawk, Broken Oath and King Boxer, Jeong Chang-hwa’s The Double Crossers is an action-packed revenge story produced by Golden Harvest, starring South Korean martial artist Shin Il-ryong (The Dragon Lives Again) and featuring the legendary Sammo Hung (The Magnificent Butcher). Following his late father’s murder, police officer Detective Lung (Shin) discovers that both of his parents were involved in a smuggling ring – and that his father was killed by its leader, a violent criminal now living in Hong Kong under the name Wang (Chao Hsiung, The One-Armed Swordsman). Determined to avenge his father’s death, Lung resigns from the police force to take matters into his own hands. Teaming up with a smuggler who was once a close friend and partner-in-crime to his parents, Chang (Chan Sing, The Chinese Boxer), Lung heads for Hong Kong and sets about drawing Wang into a trap. Following in the footsteps of Golden Harvest’s earlier Bruce Lee vehicles, The Double Crossers was made in the years following Lee’s death, when the company was in search of a new generation of martial arts stars. Eureka Classics is proud to present the film in its worldwide debut Blu-ray from a brand new 2K restoration. (99 Mins)

 

Views: While investigating the murder of his father, Detective Lung discovers that he was part of a syndicate of smugglers. After learning that the murderer was his father's good friend and business partner Wang, Lung makes plans to lure him to Bali in the hope to get revenge while taking down the syndicate once and for all!

 

Upon it's release in 1976, this classic tale of revenge ran for just one week in Hong Kong cinemas, bringing in around $30,000 for Golden Harvest which wasn't a massive success. Inspired by the globe-trotting adventures of James Bond from around that time, The Double Crossers was filmed between Hong Kong, Singapore, and the beautiful island of Bali in Indonesia utilizing the best of its locations which are beautifully captured by cinematographer Wong Wing Lung. Having started in the Shaw Brothers studios in 1965 on Jimmy Wang Yu's debut film, Temple Of The Red Lotus, Wong was kept busy for a number of years hired to shoot sequels The Twin Swords and The Sword & The Lute, and films such as Magnificent Trio, The Thundering Sword, King Cat, and Twelve Deadly Coins, eventually going on to capture Six Assassins, The Swift Knight and the epic King Boxer – each of which were directed by the fantastic Cheng Chang Ho. Born in Korea as Jeong Chang Hwa, director Cheng Chang Ho had made many independent flicks in his home country before heading to Hong Kong to work with Shaw's. Here, Cheng would deliver some fantastic hits including films such as Heads For Sale, Temptress Of A Thousand Faces, Valley Of The Fangs, and the aforementioned King Boxer – also known in the west as Five Fingers Of Death. Although that film was a huge success for the studio and Cheng himself, the director would make the decision to move over to the fast growing, although still young, Golden Harvest studios. Here, Cheng was given a little more freedom and would go on to deliver titles such as The Devil's Treasure, The Skyhawk, The Association, Broken Oath, and this – most of which would also be captured by the aforementioned Wong Wing Lung.

 

For The Double Crossers, Cheng pulls together a great cast including popular Korean action-actor Shin Il Ryong who also starred in the fun Endless Fight with Don Wong Tao and Stephen Tung Wai, the crazy Dragon Lives Again alongside Bruce Leung, and the brilliant To Kill With Intrigue with Jackie Chan just a year after this. In The Double Crossers, Shin plays the vengeful detective who will stop at nothing to bring down his fathers killers. He is joined by the great late Chen Sing as his partner in crime; the Charles Bronson of the east who starred in over 140 films from many Shaw Brothers hits to other kung-fu classics such as The Himalayan, New Fist Of Fury, Shanghai 13, The Iron Fisted Monk, Big Boss Of Shanghai, Fatal Flying Guillotine, as well as modern titles like Aces Go Places, Visa To Hell, Caged Beauties, and Jumping Ash which would see him star with the prolific and popular Michael Chan Wai Man. Here, Chan faces off against Chen Sing as he plays the ruthless right-hand man of the kingpin responsible for the murder of Lung's father. Aside from his colourful lifestyle, kick-boxer Michael Chan quickly made an impression after he started acting in the early 70s, going on to appear in over 170 features from Broken Oath to The Handcuff, The Club to Five Element Ninjas, Dragon Lord to Project A 2, and Legacy Of Rage to Bad Blood. Once again, Chan does a fantastic job in The Double Crossers along with his co-stars, proving yet again to be a man you don't really want to mess with.

 

Helping to fill out the cast is Shaw Brothers actor Cheng Pei Shan, the legendary Sammo Hung, Wilson Tong, Tony Lou, Shirley Wong, Chiang Nan, Bruce Kong, Lee Man Tai, Sun Lan, and Leung Pasan among others, including a number of Indonesian actors. While the film is known as Kung Fu Killer in Germany, The Double Crossers is absolutely not a traditional kung-fu flick like many of director Cheng's other outings. Thankfully, the film does still offer plenty of action scenes to enjoy – although mostly in the basher way of things - allowing for some memorable moves and painful looking stunts. And while no fight choreographer has ever been listed on the production, there's a fair chance that young action-directors and bit-players such as the aforementioned Sammo Hung, Wilson Tong and Tony Lou may have been involved – with Sammo having directed most of Cheng's Golden Harvest films up to this point. Regardless, what's on screen is still highly enjoyable and just adds to the excitement of The Double Crossers – a forgotten little gem from Hong Kong cinemas heyday!

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Overall: Neatly made with a solid cast and some great action scenes, The Double Crossers is worth a watch and recommended!

 

Eureka Video Blu-ray Extras: 2K Restoration, Alternative English Export Version, Trailer

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