Cashier Hua (Casanova Wong- The Iron-Fisted Monk, The Master Strikes) is a virtuous and generous man. Unfortunately he works for a bank that is run by secret underworld figure, Boss Mo, who used stolen loot to set up the business and is now using his clout to buy/cheat his way into ruling the town. After overhearing Boss Mo plotting with his goons to assassinate the mayor, Cashier Hua barely escapes a fatal beating thanks to local dumpling and manure salesman Fat Chun (Sammo Hung- Pedicab Driver, Eastern Condors, Millionaire's Express ).

Cashier Hua is taken in by Fat Chun's martial master, Master Tsan (Lueng Kar Yan- Legend of a Fighter, Sleeping Fist), and during Hua's convalescence Boss Mo's thugs search the town for him, kill his mother, and carry out the assassination of the mayor. While he's not too keen on teaching a man out for vengeance, Master Tsan gives in and begins to train Cashier Hua. Needless to say, Boss Mo isn't too keen on anyone harboring his enemy, so he sends thugs to kill Master Tsan, leaving the two Wing Chun skilled disciples and Tsan's daughter to take revenge.

Warriors Two is short on plot but long on action, which, arguably, is one of the finer points of martial arts entertainment. Director/co-star/action chirographer Sammo has all gears clicking on this one- sneering, scar-faced villains, a stalwart master and his disciples, and the revengeful hero. What more do you need? The story and action quotient is steady and high quality, so if you find yourself yawning, you need to seek help at a sleep disorder clinic.

Big kicker Casanova Wong is well utilized and, while usually a b-film hero, Sammo always got the most out of the awesome legwork and healthy physique of his co-star. In a career filled with jaw-dropping leg based fighting, in Warriors Two Casanova delivers one of my favorite kicks to slow mo. Sammo gets some good exposure and some comic moments too, like his peeking during a blindfolded training session. But, when it comes down to it, it is all about the action and training scenes which are top notch. You get some great stuff like staffwork training, pressure points, the one-inch punch, and one villains deceptive reveal of some serious mantis skills. It is a real popcorn and soda flick. A taste of old school kung fu at its best with physically skilled actors going toe to toe with impressive skill and vigor.

The DVD: Fox

Picture: Anamorphic Widescreen. Wow, a really fine job. This print is near-pristine and showcases a fine, detailed image. It is sharp with great, vivid color, and generally good contrast. The age and production shows some weaker moments, like in an underlit night sequence, but overall this is a great job and you cannot expect for a nearly thirty year old chop socky flick to look much better.

Sound: Dolby 5.1 or DTS English or Cantonese remixes, or "original" Mono Cantonese soundtrack. Optional English subtitles. Well, I'm not much for remixes and Fox misses the boat on this one. Past (and some current) Fox/Fortune releases offer the original mono soundtrack. This one deceptively says it does, however it is actually just a downmix of their 5.1 remix, complete with beefed up scoring and action fx, as well as, for some ungodly reason, a song in a teahouse scene replaced with a Cantopop cover of "Don't Be Cruel."

I understand- but still hate- that martial flicks get a less reverent reputation, thus these remixes. But honestly, aggressive bass heavy foley and scoring doesn't really help that much. A true fan will get past their original tinny audio and appreciate them like any classic/aged film. I seriously doubt Fox, Dimension, Celestial, and the like will make many new converts to the martial film world with cruddy, blatant audio remixing. But, this DVD is proof, they just keep on trying and failing.

The subtitles have a few awkward translations that are a tad bothersome but do not ruin the film. Also worth noting they use the Mandarin-y "Yung Chun" option instead of "Wing Chun."

Extras: Original and new trailer, plus new trailers for their current wave of Fox/Fortune Star releases.

Conclusion: Great kung film, solid cast, good action, and a last third that barrels along with thrills, fists, and flying feet. The transfer here is visually superb but aurally a letdown. Still, the rock bottom price makes it a worthwhile purchase for fans. I'm just hoping I can figure out how to patch my old Warriors Two Deltamac DVD's original audio track onto the Fox's cleaner print.