Knockabout (film)
| Knockabout | |
|---|---|
 Hong Kong film poster | |
| Directed by | Sammo Hung |
| Produced by | Raymond Chow |
| Written by |
Louis Lau Huang Chik Chin |
| Starring |
Yuen Biao Sammo Hung Bryan Leung |
| Music by | Chen Hsun Chi |
| Cinematography | Ricky Lau |
| Editing by | Peter Cheung |
| Distributed by | Golden Harvest |
| Release dates | 12 April 1979 |
| Country | Hong Kong |
| Language | Cantonese |
| Box office | HK $2,830,519.80 |
Knockabout (Chinese:雜家小子; Za jia xiao zi) is a 1979 Hong Kong martial arts comedy film directed by Sammo Hung and starring Hung and Yuen Biao.
Plot
The film follows two con artist brothers, Yipao (Yuen Biao) and Taipao (Bryan Leung). One day they are cheated out of their ill-gotten gains in an encounter with Jia Wu Dao (Lau Kar Wing). They try to fight him, to retrieve their money, but are defeated, so they ask him to train them, hoping to become the best fighters in the city. After surpassing the fighting skills of "ordinary people", Yipao soon discovers that Jia Wu Dao is a murderer. When he realises his secret has been revealed, Jia Wu Dao attempts to kill Yipao, but Taipao blocks the fatal blow and is killed in his place. Yipao escapes and plots how he will avenge his brother's death. He encounters a fat beggar (Sammo Hung) and, impressed by his kung fu, he asks takes the beggar to become his new kung fu master. After extensive training, the beggar asks Yipao to go and get him some wine. As he is about to return with the wine, Yipao encounters Jia Wu Dao again, and they fight, but Yipao's skill is insufficient. The fat beggar and Yipao then team up, using the monkey style kung fu, against Jia Wu Dao's snake style. As their fight moves outside of the wine shop, the fat beggar and Yipao defeat Jia Wu Dao, killing him with spiked vines, finally avenging Taipao's death. The fat beggar reveals that he is an undercover detective trying to arrest criminals, particularly Jia Wu Dao.
Cast
- Yuen Biao - Yipao / Little John
- Sammo Hung - Fat beggar / Blinking beggar
- Bryan Leung - Dai Pao / Big John (as Liang Chia-jen)
- Lau Kar Wing - Jia Wu Dao / Old Fox
- Karl Maka - Captain
- Lee Hoi San - Painter
- Mars - Tiger (as Fo Sing)
- Chan Lung (Peter Chan) - Banker Wei
- Louis Lau - Banker Wei's dad
- Chung Fat - Vegetable hawker / Big Eyes
- Ho Pak Kwong - Casino boss
- Johnny Cheung - Casino dealer
- Benz Kong - Casino thug
- Wellson Chin - Casino thug
- To Wai Wo - Casino thug
- Chow Gam Kong - Casino thug
- Yeung Sai Gwan - Casino thug
- Lung Ying - Casino thug
- Tai San - Casino thug
- Lam Ching Ying - Casino fighter
- Wang Kwong Yue - Matchmaker / fighter
- Yuen Tak - victim
- Yue Tau Wan - victim
- Billy Chan - Waiter
- Yuen Mo - Waiter / boatman
- Cheung Hei - Teahouse boss
- Hui Ying Ying - Vegetable hawker
- Ho Lai Laam - Street thug
- Law Keung - Street thug
Box office
The domestic Hong Kong theatrical release of Knockabout' ran from 12 - 25 April, 1979, taking HK $2,830,519.
External links
- Za jia xiao zi at the Internet Movie Database
- Knockabout at allmovie
- Knockabout at the Kung Fu Cinema
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