I love this movie so much

Simply A Masterpiece

Boring

A Masterpiece!

Some two decades after the original Kung Fu had imploded -- mainly because of Carradine's own antics -- the actor grew weary of playing bad guys in B-movies and showed up in Canada looking to put together a production that would modernize the concept. Canada in the 90s was still struggling with the basics (like, oh, direction, cinematography, sound) but the tax incentives were in place and as long as you followed the First Commandment of Canadian film making -- START WITH A KNOWN US STAR -- you could pretty much find funding for a show on rewiring your garage. The plot twists to bring Caine together with his "son" were heroic, but once the series started, it did indeed find an audience. And, no, it was not better than the original, but it tried really hard and that counted. The fight scenes were wretched. The signature "slo mo" of the 70s series was used again, like a retread tire, but by the 90s, fight choreography had advanced and the fights, plentiful as they were, were the weakest part of the show. In fact, an argument could be made that it was the fans of the original, so happy to have Carradine back in the saddle (metaphorically) that gave this series some longevity. Seriously, if you looking for a DVD purchase, I cannot imagine anyone seriously preferring this to the 70s version.

This is not as consistently excellent as the original series Kung Fu. About 2/3 of the episodes in TLC are roll-your-eyes and groan awful. This is particularly true when supernatural nonsense and the utterly absurd are made intricate parts of the plot. However, the remaining third are remarkably good, and make it worthwhile to endure the rest. I had trouble with Carradine's acting. He played Kwai Chang pretty much as the original character who had emigrated from China. But Kwai Chang II supposedly lived in the U.S. for at least 40 years, had been a professional gambler, bus boy, assistant paralegal, etc. Yet he acted as if he didn't understand common phrases and colloquialisms, and would stumble and hesitate over simple English sentences. It's as if he just fell back into the role from the first series and was too lazy to update it for the new circumstances. He also appeared a little too out of shape to so easily defeat all assailants. The moments of wisdom are few and far between: it is more of an action cop show (and stands up well in that genre). Chris Potter and the supporting cast went a long way towards injecting some reality and saving the series.

Love the comments and I agree this was a great show.The way they endedseason 4 it had another season in it I think.Or at least a spin off TV movie or two... sucks :( Too bad it was never released on DVD.I'm not selling anything but for anyone with withdrawal like me :) I found a site that has the whole thing on DVD's.It's recorded from TV of course but good quality and they edited out the commercials.I love being able to come home some nights and throw on a few episodes.It's in the action section on www.tvaddicts.TV

According to something i once read was spoffed in several comedic comic us magazines as a kid for his "supposed" buffonery in the 1970's. The star i refer to is chris potter. Potter is a capable actor who did well in this series about a father and son who battle crime. The plot film starred brandon lee. The series is based on a concept by BRUCE LEE deveolped with a Weintraub in the 1970's. Of note is the reported involvement of potter in the church of the immaculate soul aka heart grnated this like most news reports can be in error. A interesting show, with a modern take on the original.