Under mysterious circumstances, kung - fu legend Bruce lee died in 1973, and the entire genre of martial arts films seemingly died with him. Sure, karate movies continued to be made, but these were mostly cheap knock-offs or kung-fu comedies - 'chop-socky' if you will. In 1976, Korean producer Ng See- Yuen decided to create kung-fu films using the serious Lee style - and his effort, THE SECRET RIVALS, revived the serious martial arts cinema that became such a boon for future stars like Jackie Chan and Jet Li.

In feudal Korea, a young man wanders through the forest, haunted by unpleasant memories. In a nearby village, a lone horseman arrives with an important message for his Master. At his palace, the Master oversees his men's kung-fu training, especially that of his adopted son Nygun. The horseman, Li Kung, informs him that Chinese General Soon is in his way to Korea with many troops and legendary fighter Sheng Ying-Wei. This news greatly disturbs the Master. Meanwhile, a second Loner enters the town and takes a room at the local hotel, eyeing the beautiful mistress of the place, Ms. Cheng. The Master holds a council with his men and they discuss the General Soon situation. It seems the Master had stolen gold from the Chinese three years earlier with his partner, the Silver Fox. Since the Fox has disappeared, the Master needs a plan to save face and get away with the heist. The council concocts a scheme to find a 'fall guy' to take out Sheng Ying-Wei.

The next day, Loner stops some punks from hurting a local salesman with his kung-fu, casually dispatching the four punks by himself. His actions are observed by Shao Yi-Fei, our mystery man from the opening. Shao decides to follow the Loner, even taking a room at the same hotel. The Master holds a competition to determine his new chief bodyguard - actually, he wants to find the perfect patsy for his scheme. The Master's instructor Li Kung dispatches the first few hopefuls quickly, but suddenly a mad Russian - the European champion - enters the palace and demands a chance. Instead of fighting Li Kung, the Russian challenges Nygun. The Master closes the competition for the day before they can fight, causing the drunk Russian to create havoc in the village. The Loner faces the big Bolshevik down, and the next day, Loner intercedes on Nygun's behalf and embarrasses the Russian in front of the Master and the other warriors. Later, after easily dispatching the Russian's lackey by himself, The Loner accepts the job from the Master. However, Shao (who's jealous of the Loner's relationship with the beautiful Ms. Cheng) confronts the Loner and they begin to battle. When Ms. Cheng unexpectedly arrives, they stop by mutual consent due to her presence. General Soon and Sheng will arrive in just seven days - will the Master's plan to save face work? What is the secret behind the Loner and his exceptional kung-fu? Cab Shao resolve his inner demons and find the answers behind the Loner and the Master? And what's going to happen to everyone when the Silver Fox finally shows up?

With more plot twists then a typical season of Friends THE SECRET RIVALS is a fast-paced, intense movie of martial arts mayhem! Unfortunately, the story moves so quickly it's hard to keep up with the plot and tell the good guys from the bad. Except for the annoying 'little orphan' kid that seemingly has to be in every kung-fu film, the unknown actors do a credible job of creating believable and complex characters. The three leads - Shao, Sheng, and the Silver Fox - create a template that has become the standard for almost every kung-fu film made since THE SECRET RIVALS was released. The fight sequences are relatively short, but intense in their brutality. There is an emphasis (and a plot point) on using kung-fu footwork, which was not prominent in martial arts films at that time. The choreography is tight and outstanding. If you are a fan of kung-fu, you'll see the influence of THE SECRET RIVALS in many of the better quality martial arts films that have come since.

Despite a strong story, talented cast and well-staged fight scenes, THE SECRET RIVALS release on DVD is sabotaged by what may be the worst print I've even seen on disc. There is continual dirt on the screen image, with many bad splices and scratches. The film is very 'flat' - the colors seem to be washed out and the focus is soft (but not out-of-focus). The less said about the audio perhaps the better - the sound is distorted and tinny, the sound EFX are synched poorly, and the dubbing job is barely tolerable. It took forever for me to figure out what everybody's name was! I'd understand if this was the best print the producers could find, but they should have been able to do some repair and cleanup work. Most casual viewers will not watch this film due to the poor quality, which defiantly undermines the engaging story and historical value of this film. THE SECRET RIVALS is a cornerstone of martial arts cinema and deserves better treatment.

The DVD offers only a few extras. There are several previews of unnamed films, both live-action and animated. Production notes about THE SECRET RIVALS are included, which are significant in their content about the film's place in history, the work behind the production, and the legacy of the movie and its actors. This should be required reading for all fans of kung-fu theatre.

THE SECRET RIVALS helped re-establish the kung-fu genre after the death of Bruce Lee, and is a film that has had a profound impact on martial arts films to this day. However, this film deserves much better than this release, undermined as it is by such a shitty print. So grin and bear it, because THE SECRET RIVALS is so worth it for all you kung-fu aficionados! HAI!