On rare occasion, I have given some movies VERY low scores that I actually loved watching. That's because technically they are very stupid movies but deep down they are a lot of fun to watch. Good examples are Plan 9 From Outer Space, The Apple and The Master of the Flying Guillotine. And each of these I have watched again and again.
So why, exactly, a 3? Well, the special effects are totally lame--so much so, that every time a head is ripped off by the blind maniac's weapon (sort of like Odd Job's hat and a chain put together), you can't help but laugh! Also, the Indian guy whose arms stretch to super-human proportions is one of the funniest characters I've ever seen in a martial arts film. The plot is just too silly to even bother talking about in this review--you just have to see it to believe it! In addition, it seems like every sound effect sound like a yardstick being slapped against a table. There are no SMALL sounds in this movie--a small slap, a head being ripped off or a fist through the abdomen all sound about the same (this is true of MOST martial arts films of the era). Overall, the film is really dopey--except for the very imaginative ending when the one-armed man used his noggin to attack the seemingly unbeatable blind maniac.
So why, exactly, did I like it? Well, frankly the silliness of it all just got me laughing and kept my attention throughout. In fact, I think I laughed more and enjoyed the film more than a Laurel and Hardy film! My wife, on the other hand, tried to ignore the television and kept asking me WHY I was watching such as cheesy film!! I think it's a guy thing.
By the way, although you might think this has to do with various one-armed martial arts films (such as the brilliant "One Armed Swordsman" of 1967), it doesn't. The term 'one-armed' was very popular among several studios and this can be confusing.
So why, exactly, a 3? Well, the special effects are totally lame--so much so, that every time a head is ripped off by the blind maniac's weapon (sort of like Odd Job's hat and a chain put together), you can't help but laugh! Also, the Indian guy whose arms stretch to super-human proportions is one of the funniest characters I've ever seen in a martial arts film. The plot is just too silly to even bother talking about in this review--you just have to see it to believe it! In addition, it seems like every sound effect sound like a yardstick being slapped against a table. There are no SMALL sounds in this movie--a small slap, a head being ripped off or a fist through the abdomen all sound about the same (this is true of MOST martial arts films of the era). Overall, the film is really dopey--except for the very imaginative ending when the one-armed man used his noggin to attack the seemingly unbeatable blind maniac.
So why, exactly, did I like it? Well, frankly the silliness of it all just got me laughing and kept my attention throughout. In fact, I think I laughed more and enjoyed the film more than a Laurel and Hardy film! My wife, on the other hand, tried to ignore the television and kept asking me WHY I was watching such as cheesy film!! I think it's a guy thing.
By the way, although you might think this has to do with various one-armed martial arts films (such as the brilliant "One Armed Swordsman" of 1967), it doesn't. The term 'one-armed' was very popular among several studios and this can be confusing.