What makes it different from others?

Brilliant and touching

A lot of fun.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

This has got to be one of my favorite old school Hong Kong Kung Fu flicks. There are a lot of clichés in both the writing and the characters' mannerisms, but for someone who enjoys this genre of film those things are par for the course. On the other hand, there are a few things that make this film stand out. The protagonist style (mantis) is one that is already one of the weirdest (and most vicious) systems of Kung Fu in the martial arts world, and has been given an even weirder twist in this film. Secondly, the boy in this film is one of the stars and nearly steals the show; he has some impressive training sequences, does some impressive acrobatics (some of them wire assisted) and has at least one solid fight scene. The last thing that really makes this film stand out is the ending. The whole film up until the end is pretty happy-go-lucky and predictable, but the bizarre and brutal nature of the film's conclusion has caused it to stand out in my mind. For fans of the genre who don't mind a dark twist here and there this is a gem, but if you're easily shocked, please turn away.

I got "Mantis Fist Boxer" on a DVD which also has the movie "Tiger From Canton" from Ground Zero Entertainment. I really wish that Mantis Fist Boxer had been released under the Black Belt Theater Digital Remix collection as opposed to the Brooklyn Zu collection. The print of this movie reeks like the real Brooklyn Zoo and could sorely use some digital touching up.I've watched my fair share of old school Kung Fu movies, and when I say the print of this film is BAD I mean it is an atrocity. In many scenes the film is so over-exposed in either red or blue you can scarcely tell what you're viewing. And when the film isn't over-exposed the pan and scan ratio is so messed up the actors look like you're seeing them in fun house mirrors that make them taller and thinner. Of the more than 100 old school Kung Fu movies I've seen, the Brooklyn Zu print of Mantis Fist Boxer is THE WORST I've seen to date.Normally, cheesy dubbing in crazy British voices would amuse me, but in this film it just adds to the painful experience of having to sit through the movie.Nothing can save this film. Even having the same band of bandits from Dragon Lee's "Champ Against Champ" doesn't help this movie. Even my normal fascination with the mystique of the 18 Bronzemen of Shaolin doesn't help. The plot is so rushed we learn nothing about nor care for the hero. Nor is it explained how or why the evil boss has the 18 Bronzemen of Shaolin at his disposal."Mantis Fist Boxer" SCREAMS amateur production from the shoddy quality of the print, to the lack of a coherent plot, to visual effects that are anything BUT special, all capped off by a rushed stereotypical ending."Mantis Fist Boxer" is now currently tied with "18 Bronzegirls" on my list of worst Kung Fu films ever. Avoid this low budget stinker at all costs

'The Kung Fu Connection' videotape has hilariously bad dubbing, the picture quality is poor and the sound scratchy, so the film has to work hard to impress. It also has a range of mood from goofy comedy to slow motion tragedy. The plot is basic and almost unsurprising. Yet there is a lot to admire.The action is brisk and the actors perform it well. Eddie Ko is great as always. Leung Kar Yan as Ah Chi is in overdrive. He doesn't walk down the street, he leaps and his face and hands are always mobile. He is convincing when he goes from gurning clown to vengeful fighter. The last fifteen minutes of the film are a sting in the tail and you wonder how such a film that has such a silly start ends with such intense pain. A corker of a finish to a good solid fu film

One of the best old school kung fu flicks ever. Watch for the "eating scene" at the end. You will not forget this flick! Lots of these action sequences are being co opted by new filmmakers (see: Matrix,Charlie's Angels, Crouching Tiger....) as if they are something new. These fight scenes have been around for some time in Chinese martial arts films, and this film is at the head of the class. Compares favorably to "Shaolin Vs. Ninja". EXCEPTIONAL!RIVETING!