Broken Oath (1977)

My name is Liu Chieh Lien, you killed my father, prepare to die!

Angela Mao kicked and punched her way through this movie with the grace and agility her fans have come to expect. Her character Liu Chieh Lien was merciless to her opponents and the men she had sworn vengeance against. Born with a violent rage in her heart due to her mother's dying wish after giving birth that her daughter would seek revenge for her parents' demise, Liu was too ferocious for the Buddhist temple where she grew up and just ferocious enough to be a match for the four men who determined the course of her life. Along the way, she teamed up with Bruce Leung's undercover agent. She didn't really need his help as she was more than capable of a deadly rampage all on her own.

Yuen Woo Ping with the help of Hsu Hsia choreographed the fights and it showed. A few were slightly slow but stopped short of kung fu posing. Given that many of the fights involved a large group it was understandable. Angela was quick and agile enough to keep up with every kick and step they designed for her. Her rapid-fire kicks are always a treat to watch! Baddies had better beware when she glared at them. The fighters used a variety of weapons and styles, scorpions were even featured! This movie included a long list of talented stuntmen and bit players from the era making the fights extra special. Sammo Hung even had a non-speaking role as a knife wielding baddie. Bruce Leung did a superb job in his fights, though it highlighted Michael Chan's less sophisticated fighting style when they faced off.

The story was a typical kung fu revenge trope aided by Angela's fiery presence and the cast of superlative kung fu stuntmen and supporting characters. The major flaws were that the story started slowly as the mother entered prison and slogged through the backstory. Once Angela was grownup and causing a ruckus at the temple, the story kicked into high gear. And as with many of these movies, the ending was quite abrupt. There was also a gratuitous nude scene in the flashbacks which was not warranted.

The location scenes were beautiful with sets and costumes of a higher standard than many movies from this time frame. You could tell they spent more money than usual to showcase this story, and Angela deserved it. If I sound like a fan, I am. Angela Mao was beautiful and fierce, elevating many of the mediocre movies she was in.

This movie had its flaws, but Angela and the cast were not among them. Fast paced, dark, and brutal once the rampage started, Broken Oath was an entertaining kung fu movie to experience.

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