A Hard Way to Die (1979) Transmedia/Action RT: 92 minutes Rated R (violence, language, racial slurs) Director: Shan Hua (as “Yi-Jung Hua”) Screenplay: Chan-Wei Lin Music: Cheung Wah Cinematography: Nico Wong (as “Wong Man Wan”) Release date: June 1980 (US) Cast: Billy Chong, Carl Scott, Louis Neglia, Joseph Jennings, Hsiao-Sung Liang, Chung-You Chang, Biu Gam, Alexander Grand, Chiu-Sing, Yan Hsiao, Ho-Chiu Kei, Shou-Chieh Lai, Ke-Ming Lin, Ting-Gou Meng, Chung-Hsiu Tsai, Hang-Sheng Wu. Box Office: N/A
Rating: ***
The first time I ever heard of A Hard Way to Die was on a 1981 episode of Sneak Previews. Roger Ebert picked it as his “Dog of the Week”. He said it was billed as “the first modern kung fu movie ever shot in America”. The poster states that it was “Filmed Entirely on Location in Phoenix, Arizona”. So if that’s the case, why did the makers deem it necessary to dub the American actors? They already speak English; it doesn’t make any sense. I might not have cared so much if the dubbing wasn’t so bad. It has to be the worst I’ve ever seen. It’s bad even by the low standards of the genre. The voices don’t match the actors at all. It becomes a distraction. Not that you need to pay too close attention to the plot.
A Hard Way to Die, also known as Sun Dragon, distinguishes itself from other cheesy Asian-made kung fun movies by tossing some blaxploitation and spaghetti western into the mix. The main character Shao-Tung (Chong, Jade Claw) might as well have been called The Chinese Man with No Name. He strolls into town and goes to war with the gang that’s been terrorizing the locals. That’s plot #1. Plot #2 centers on the other main character Tommy (Scott, Soul Brothers of Kung Fu), a black teen looking for revenge against the trio of racist thugs that killed his family and stole their farm.
The two heroes first cross paths when a badly injured Tommy appears in town in need of urgent medical care. Shao-Tung and his friend take him to the local doctor (Liang, Bruce Lee: The Man, the Myth) whose idea of helping the patient entails violently pounding him on the back until he spits up blood. Then he makes Tommy sit in a bathtub filled with some herbal concoction until he’s completely healed. As luck would have it, the good doctor is also a martial arts master. It takes some pleading on Tommy’s part, but he manages to convince the doc to train him. It must have been a crash course because the teen somehow becomes proficient in a matter of days.
Here’s a question. Does anybody really care about the acting in A Hard Way to Die? I’ll take the sound of silence to mean no. I wouldn’t know what to say anyway. The weird and inept dubbing renders any efforts made on the part of the actors irrelevant. HOWEVER, it doesn’t have any effect on their martial arts skills and that’s where the movie finds its niche. The players, Chong and Scott in particular, are amazing at what they do which is a definite plus because a fight breaks out every few minutes. There are some good ones. In one of them, Chong goes up against a guy all decked out in Native American gear. We’re talking full-on fake red-skinned Indian, just like the ones from old non-PC westerns. All that’s missing is a feather in his headband. He shows up at the town saloon with one of the head creeps, announcing his arrival by throwing a spear right into a beer barrel. WOW! I didn’t know they taught kung fu on reservations. You learn something new every day.
If anybody’s the main villain in A Hard Way to Die, it’s the leader of the three hoods that kill Tommy’s family. He’s played by three-time world kickboxing champ Louis Neglia. He looks like a buffed-up version of Chuck Norris. He’s one of those indestructible types that always show up in these movies. He’s rotten, mean and nasty. He’s also super-strong. Watch as he chops through thick slabs of ice with his bare hands and feet. He’s the one that our heroes will be up against in the finale. It’s cool how they do it. First, Scott fights him. He doesn’t do so well. Then Chong steps in. He doesn’t fare much better. Finally, they take him on together. I think you can take it from here.
I’m temporarily surrendering my critic card so I don’t feel obligated to review A Hard Way to Die like I would an A title. This way, I don’t have to talk about the numerous plot holes like Shao-Ting’s search for his grandfather. That’s the reason he comes to the States to begin with. He mentions it to his friend when he first arrives, but never follows up on it. How about this? The three criminals that kill Tommy’s family are looking for a place to lay low for a while. They have with them a bag of money that’s obviously stolen. But from where? And shouldn’t the police be hanging around asking questions? In fact, where are the police? So many unanswered questions, yet I couldn’t care less. In this particular instance, I don’t care about logic or reasoning or even intelligence. All I care about is people punching, hitting, kicking and chopping each other. I’m here for the kung fu fighting, period. To the film’s credit, the kung fu is good, damn good!
Being away from theaters during the pandemic made me realize how much I appreciate B-movies from the 70s and 80s. I’m not ashamed to say I get more enjoyment out of a cheap and cheesy flick like A Hard Way to Die than 90% of the new movies I see at the cinema. I realize I’m putting my credibility on the line by admitting this, but I like what I like and I refuse to apologize for it. Besides, I see nothing wrong with getting lost in dumb, poorly made kung fu movies like A Hard Way to Die. I like to think that’s what heaven on earth is about.
