Sammo’s masterpiece is essentially a vehicle to showcase the talents of Leung Kar-yan, and he has simply never looked better. But The Victim works on many levels. The action scenes are worthy of Sammo’s status as one of the genre’s best choreographers. The comedy touches are subtle in comparison to the director’s usual bawdy standards, and the film’s dramatic outpouring – detailing an ongoing family feud – makes this thoroughly more exciting than your standard run-of-the-mill kung fu pulp. Sammo plays his typical happy-go-lucky persona seeking out a new sifu in Leung Kar-yan, but Leung’s a man with problems of his own. His brother (Chang Yi) tried to rape his wife and has been on the run from him ever since. But will Leung ever face up to his enemy and fight back? The Victim is a true late night classic, still fresh and exciting after all these years, and a film that demands repeated viewings.

AKA: Lightning Kung Fu