The Kid With The Golden Arm is definitely NOT one of the better kung fu movies I've seen. Although the lead hero is very charismatic, no one else is very interesting, and while I often appreciate kung fu campiness, these supervillain guys (Iron Robe, etc.), and their fighting, just seem silly to me. In fact, I find most of the fight scenes in this movie quite bad. The moves tend to lack technique and precision, and stuff that is clearly impossible - like rolling a sword around your arm - further ruins the experience. Not that I am against supernatural kung fu; I'm not, but it has to be consistent with the overall style and mood of the movie. In this movie, I am just not effectively entertained. If you want to see great fight scenes, get 7 Grandmasters or Shaolin: The Blood Mission.
The Kid With The Golden Arm gets from me a 5 out of 10 rating.
The Kid With The Golden Arm gets from me a 5 out of 10 rating.