Eastern Condors is probably the most brutal film that Hung has directed as we get to see beheadings, amputations, torture and endless explosions. Using a well-balanced mixture of John Woo style gunplay as seen in “Bullet in the Head” and hard-hitting street fighting style martial arts action, Sammo created many memorable scenes of Hong Kong cinema. The copious bloodshed on the way (i.e. Joyce Godenzi has her colleague’s brains shot all over her face) allows the film to maintain some unpredictability and to keep the developments thrilling as we move from one climax to another.

This movie brings together some of the best in the business. Of the lead cast Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao shine both dramatically and physically. Former Miss Hong Kong (and wife of Sammo Hung), Joyce Godenzi, also deserves a particular note for her outstanding performance. Godenzi trained very hard with Sammo for this movie and really proved what she is capable of. The scene in which she attacks a Vietcong troop at the beginning of the film is breathtaking and stunning, given the hard-hitting and fast paced martial arts action. However, the athletically well performed action is only part of her convincing role as shown by her nomination as “Best supporting actress” at the 1988 Hong Kong Film Awards. Yuen Biao gets an earring and trendy hairdo and he does some more of his foolhardy leaps and terrific airborne double kicks. Sammo lost some of his trademark girth for his appearance in front of the camera and to facilitate his ability to perform some of the action required. Sammo is a brutal killing machine, and he is in the best shape of his career here. He gets to cause severe damage hand to hand, goes mad with machine guns, and even jumps at least 40 feet into a moving truck. And now I’d like to vote for my favourite character of the film: The Vietnamese General. Yuen Wah plays what is for me the most memorable villain in Hong Kong cinema history. His unbelievable arrays of kicks and almost contortionist-like suppleness paired with the short touches of humour, show that he is definitely one of the most underused stars Hong Kong has to offer.

Sammo proves again that he really is a visionary when it comes to action cinema; he permits the audience to know where everybody is and where the "action" is moving. If you compare his shots with the likes of Tony Scott or Michael Bay, you notice immediately that the scenes and action are not blocked with too many cuts and too many unnecessary camera moves.

It is interesting to note that in Eastern Condors Hung brings together many performers from the “Seven Little Fortunes” at the Peking Opera House (the Chinese Drama Academy) where himself, Biao, Chan, Wah and Corey Yuen Kwai were schoolmates. Acclaimed action coordinator Yuen Woo-Ping (Matrix, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Tiger Cage II and Iron Monkey) also attended the same school years earlier. The so called “Seven Little Fortunes” (七小福 qī xiǎo fú),was a performance troupe consisting of the Peking Opera School’s most capable students. Even though based on estimates the actual number was around 14 pupils, only seven would appear when performances were staged. Nowadays, when referring to the seven, usually people include Sammo Hung, Jackie Chan, Yuen Biao, Yuen Choi, Yuen Tak, Yuen Wah and Yuen Bun (see above from right to left. This was at the celebration of the Seven Little Fortune’s 50th Anniversary Reunion in Hong Kong on 13 November 2009).

Eastern Condors jumps into high gear during the last twenty minutes in a near classic and blistering showdown which will leave you breathless. The subterranean missile depot is a must-see, alone for the great set design (and of course the great fight scenes). The finale contains a breathtaking mixture of gunplay and martial arts with match-ups such as Sammo vs. Billy Chow, Yuen Biao vs. Yuen Wah, Yuen VS Kurata and finally Sammo vs. Wah. Yuen Baio and Sammo take the spotlight in the final, which is reminiscent of the final battle for “Dragon's Forever” with Yuen Biao showcasing some of the finest acrobatic feats whilst Hung uses his sheer strength and wits to battle the flexible Yuen Wah. The fight choreography highlights Biao’s flips and kicks, which never cease to amaze as his sheer physical dexterity is pushed to the limits.

Bruce Lee Siu-Lung         ...  Tang Lung

Nora Miao Ke-Hsiu          ...  Cheng Ching Hua

Robert Chen Ping-Chi      ...  Ah Quen

Gam Dai                         ...  Ah Gung

Unicorn Chan                  ...  Jimmy

Tony Lau-Wing               ...  Tony

Tommy Chen Fu-Ching    ...  Tommy

Wu Ngan                        ...  Ah Chuan          

Malisa Longo (Cameo)     ...  Italian Beauty

Anders Nelsson (Cameo) ...  Thug

Wong Chung-Shun          ...  (Uncle) Wang

Ngai Ping-Ngo                 ...  Ho

Robert Wall                    ...  Robert

Whang Ing-Sik                ...  Japanese fighter

Chuck Norris                   ...  Colt

John Benn                      ...  Big Boss