''Odd Couple'' () is a 1979 Hong Kong
martial arts
Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; a ...
comedy film directed by
Lau Kar-wing
Lau Kar-wing (born 1944) is a Martial Artist, Hong Kong people, Hong Kong Chinese martial arts, martial arts film director, Stage combat, action choreographer and actor.
Background
Born in the Xinhui District of Jiangmen in Guangdong, People's R ...
, who also stars, alongside
Sammo Hung
Sammo Hung Kam-bo ( zh, t=洪金寶, j=Hung4 Gam1-bou2; born 7 January 1952) is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film producer and Film director, director, known for his work in martial arts films, Hong Kong action cinema, and as a fight choreog ...
.
It was the first film to be released by
Gar Bo Motion Picture Company (aka. Gar-Bo Film Company), an independent production company set up by Hung, Lau and producer
Karl Maka
Karl Maka (born 29 February 1944) is a Hong Kong film producer, director, actor and presenter.
Early life
On 29 February 1944, Maka was born as Mak Kar-sheung in Taishan, China. In 1958, at age 14, Maka moved to Hong Kong.
Education
In 1969 ...
. The fight scenes are mainly weapon-based, with particular emphasis on the contrast between the
dao (sword) and
qiang (spear)
''Qiang'' (pronunciation: , English approximation: , ) is the Chinese term for spear. Due to its relative ease of manufacture, the spear in many variations was ubiquitous on the pre-modern Chinese battlefield. It is known as one of the four ma ...
.
The film is sometimes listed as ''The Odd Couple'', ''Dance of Death'' or ''The Eternal Conflict''.
Plot
The film is set in the
Manchu era. Two aging martial artists get together once a year for a timed duel. One is master of the short sword, King of Sabres (
Sammo Hung
Sammo Hung Kam-bo ( zh, t=洪金寶, j=Hung4 Gam1-bou2; born 7 January 1952) is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film producer and Film director, director, known for his work in martial arts films, Hong Kong action cinema, and as a fight choreog ...
), and the other is King of Spears (
Lau Kar-wing
Lau Kar-wing (born 1944) is a Martial Artist, Hong Kong people, Hong Kong Chinese martial arts, martial arts film director, Stage combat, action choreographer and actor.
Background
Born in the Xinhui District of Jiangmen in Guangdong, People's R ...
). Every year the fight ends in a draw, and as the masters are getting old, they decide the best course of action is to each take on a student to determine who is the better teacher. They agree to meet up again 10 years later, with their students and let the next generation carry on the duel.
A previously upright martial artist known as Old Yellow Dog (
Bryan Leung
Bryan Leung Kar-yan (Chinese: , born 20 January 1948) is a Hong Kong film and television actor and film director who has played roles in numerous acclaimed martial arts films. He is affectionately known as "Beardy" due to his trademark facial ...
) kidnaps the students (also played by Lau and Hung) before their duel can begin. It transpires in a flashback that the master was defeated in separate battles with the King of Sabres and the King of Spears, and was forced to retire from fighting. Now, after years of training in the long bladed staff and with a new name, Laughing Bandit, he wants to lure the old masters out to exact his revenge. The old masters arrive, first taking on the Laughing Bandit's four disciples and killing them. However, this was a ploy to tire them out, and individually they are unable to defeat Laughing Bandit and his new techniques. The evil master suggests the old men both attack at once, but because of their pride and belief in their own superiority, they refuse. The students are released, while each master is fighting, and are instructed to escape. After some protestation they do, and the old masters are killed.
Fuelled by revenge, the students agree to join forces to defeat the evil master. Hung's character (the new King of Spears) comes up with a plan us to use magnets that can pull the Laughing Bandit's weapon from him. After luring him out into the open, they fight him unarmed, choosing to mimic their weapon styles with empty hands, but with the magnet they are able to disrupt his attacks, and after a gruelling fight they triumph. They kill the evil master.
After burying their masters, they decide to honour their memory by fulfilling their request to duel. However, as with their masters before them, the fight ends in a draw. Instead, they decide to resolve who is the greatest by playing a game, rather than fighting. Each must try to place his weapon into their masters burial mound, whilst simultaneously stopping their opponent from doing so. After another long competition, the film ends with the pair laughing at the absurdity of the rivalry and realising that as friends they will never be able to determine who is the best.
Cast
*
Sammo Hung
Sammo Hung Kam-bo ( zh, t=洪金寶, j=Hung4 Gam1-bou2; born 7 January 1952) is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film producer and Film director, director, known for his work in martial arts films, Hong Kong action cinema, and as a fight choreog ...
as King of Sabres / Ah Yo (2 roles)
*
Lau Kar-wing
Lau Kar-wing (born 1944) is a Martial Artist, Hong Kong people, Hong Kong Chinese martial arts, martial arts film director, Stage combat, action choreographer and actor.
Background
Born in the Xinhui District of Jiangmen in Guangdong, People's R ...
as King of Spears / Stubborn Wing (2 roles) (as Kar Wing Lau)
*
Bryan Leung
Bryan Leung Kar-yan (Chinese: , born 20 January 1948) is a Hong Kong film and television actor and film director who has played roles in numerous acclaimed martial arts films. He is affectionately known as "Beardy" due to his trademark facial ...
as Laughing Bandit aka Old Yellow Dog / Scarface (as Kar Yan Leung)
*
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, only being larger than Mercury (planet), Mercury. In the English language, Mars is named for the Mars (mythology), Roman god of war. Mars is a terr ...
as Potato
*
Dean Shek
Dean Shek (17 June 1949 – 20 September 2021), also known as Dean Shek Tin, was a Hong Kong film actor and producer with over 72 film credits to his name. Shek was perhaps best known as Professor Kai-hsien in the 1978 film ''Drunken Master'', ...
as Master Rocking / Playboy
* Billy Chan as Humpback / Tien (2 roles)
*
Lam Ching Ying
Lam Ching-ying (; born Lam Gun-bo (); 27 December 1947 – 8 November 1997) was a Hong Kong stuntman, actor, and action director. As a practitioner of martial arts Lam starred in a number of notable films that found recognition outside Hong Kong ...
as Ha (Laughing Bandit's fighter)
* Yuen Miu as Mo (Laughing Bandit's fighter)
*
Chung Fat
Chung Fat was born on (December 2nd, 1953) and is a native of Guangdong, He is also a Hong Kong film actor, choreographer, producer and director. He primarily stars in jiangshi fictions and martial art movies .
Performing experience
Chung Fat ...
as Ti (Laughing Bandit's fighter)
* Huang Ha as Single Sabre Wu Li
* Yeung Sai Gwan as Tiger Spear
* Peter Chan Lung as Pak Chow / Cloud Sabre
*
Karl Maka
Karl Maka (born 29 February 1944) is a Hong Kong film producer, director, actor and presenter.
Early life
On 29 February 1944, Maka was born as Mak Kar-sheung in Taishan, China. In 1958, at age 14, Maka moved to Hong Kong.
Education
In 1969 ...
as Cloud Sabre's challenge
* Ho Pak Kwong as Master Rocking's assistant
* Tai San as Master Rocking's assistant
* Chan Ling Wai as Master Rocking's assistant
*
Hoi Sang Lee
Lee Hoi-sang (born April 15, 1941) is a Hong Kong martial arts film actor and martial artist, known for his roles in ''The 36th Chamber of Shaolin'' (as Abbot Li Hai Sheng) (1978), '' Shaolin Challenges Ninja'' (1978), ''The Incredible Kung Fu M ...
as Thug
* Cheung Chok Chow as Tea house boss
* Benny Lai as Extra
*
Yuen Biao
Yuen Biao (born Ha Lingchun; 26 July 1957) is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist and stuntman. He specialises in acrobatics and Chinese martial arts and has also worked on over 80 films as actor, stuntman and action choreographer. He was one of t ...
as Stunt Double
Production
In the film, Sammo Hung and Lau Kar-wing play two roles each, a master and a student. Hung plays the King of Sabres and his student is played by Lau, and Lau plays the King of Spears and his student is played by Hung. In the later part of the film, all 'four' characters appear in scenes together. Both students become proficient in their weapons, allowing the actors, in their opposing roles, to demonstrate their skills with both weapons.
References
External links
*
*
Odd Coupleat
Hong Kong Movie Database
The Hong Kong Movie Database (HKMDB) is a bilingual (English and Chinese) website started in 1995 by Hong Kong resident Ryan Law to provide a repository for information about movies originating from Hong Kong and the people who created them.
Th ...
Odd Coupleat
Hong Kong Cinemagic
Hong Kong Cinemagic, sometimes referred to as HKCinemagic, is a bilingual ( French and English) website providing a repository for information about Chinese language films from Hong Kong, China and Taiwan, and the people who created them. The websi ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Odd Couple (Film)
1979 films
1970s Cantonese-language films
Hong Kong action comedy films
Hong Kong buddy films
Hong Kong martial arts comedy films
Kung fu films
Wushu films
Hong Kong films about revenge
1979 martial arts films
1970s martial arts films
Films set in Guangdong
1970s buddy comedy films
1970s action comedy films
1979 comedy films
1970s Hong Kong films