To Hong Kong and the golden age of action cinema, where a stuntman is badly injured on the set of an 1980s martial arts film. Guilt-ridden by the accident, the action director quits filmmaking for good and drifts into obscurity.
This is Sam Li (played by veteran stuntman and choreographer Stephen Tung), who we meet years later as a physical therapist struggling to mend bridges with his estranged daughter.
A second chance at glory comes his way when he is approached at his martial arts club to choreograph action for a new movie. Many hurdles present themselves, not least the film’s egotistical star and Sam’s former protégé (Philip Ng) who has his own ideas about how the action scenes should be executed.
Run-ins with the law, budgetary issues, and ongoing strain with his daughter make things eventful for the old boy.
Nostalgia plays a large part in this lively action-drama about the good-old, bad-old days in Hong Kong action filmmaking. The palpable authenticity and affection is thanks to co-directing twins Albert and Herbert Leung, who bring their own real-life experiences of the stunt industry.
Three stars