Fist of Power

This is a series that has all of TVB's recent faults and none of its redeeming merits. Based on the true story of Wong Fei Hung's father Wong Kei Ying, it stars Terry Fan Siu Wong, Moon Lee Chirh Fung, Patrick Tam Yiu Man, Vivian Leung Siu Bing, Mak Cherng Ching.

The plot is slow and monotonous. It begins with stating the specialized kungfu techniques of the North and South. Wong Kei Ying (Terry Fan) is a Southerner who is challenged by Moon Lee, a Northerner who could really fight and kick. Their kungfu teachers are friends. Somehow, they fall in love, while Moon attempts to kill her father's murderer (her sifu). She poisons both sifus (hers and Terry's) and then learns that her father committed suicide from humiliation. The reason: he challenged her sifu and lost, while her sifu uncovered his secret metal shoes that gave him the illusion of great kungfu. Thus, Terry and Moon can't be together, yet they get back and forth together various times.

Then there's a mysterious Red Sect that has great kungfu and uses drugs to enhance their strength. Turns out they are acolytes of the corrupt Manchu government that is trying to hold onto a dying dynasty. And the secret of the Red Sect's leader's great kungfu? An inner metal jacket! (Notice a trend here?)

Vivian Leung plays a smart, wealthy girl who came home from studying abroad. Although she is friends with Terry's character, she has no purpose in the film except as the object of affection of two other useless characters.

Then there's Patrick Tam, an opportunistic Japanese businessman who forces Moon to marry him. His role has no purpose either, except to keep Moon and Terry apart, which seemed inevitable anyway since they didn't have that romantic spark.

Moon Lee established no connection with the viewer whatsoever. You don't root for her; you don't hate her; you just don't care. Despite a cast of some talented actors: Terry Fan, Patrick Tam, and Vivian Leung, this series failed to make any use them. It even managed to eclipse Vivian's good looks, since she had to wear a hideous fur hat most of the time.

This series was boring and tedious. It doesn't even have the virtue of lacking originality, since unoriginal series copy from other series, not from itself. The plot is repetitive of itself (the metal theme), there are no memorable characters, even the impactful events came off as not impactful at all.

The costumes were drab and did absolutely nothing for anyone, except making Vivian look worse. The themesong was also sub-par. Kungfu choreography was kind of average for the 90's, minus the special effects. This is probably a bonus, since those most likely would have been messed up as well, considering everything else in this series.

Conclusion: I'm very sorry I saw it. Waste of money and precious time.