Half A Loaf Of Kung Fu (HK 1977)

Rating: *
Director: Lo Wei
Cast: Jackie Chan

Another dreadful early Jackie Chan vehicle from Lo Wei. The film's title makes about as much sense as the film itself does. Jackie (with REALLY bad hair) is a bumpkin who's looking for a job. When he finally gets one, he gets in trouble and his boss ends up dead. While he's on the run, he learns kung fu from a beggar, and a cast of villains are slowly introduced. At the end of the film, Jackie and his friends take out all of the bad guys in an exhausting free for all, full of fascinating choreography and silly sight gags. Unfortunately, the film is dominated by painfully unfunny humor, including an atrocious five minute long opening credits sequence that could make you stop watching the film altogether. There are a couple of cute girls thrown in to catch your attention, but the entire film is tedious and a test of patience. If you want early Chan, watch "Young Master" (1980) or "Fearless Hyena" (1979) instead (they're practically interchangeable).