Help on Kung Fu Film

[ED]

Hi folks,
I have been wracking my brain about a film I saw in my childhood.  It was on HBO a LOT in about 1982.   Here is what I recall...
It is an "Enter the Dragon" clone about some guy making a Kung Fu army on a secret Island.  He  hasa good organization with a good infrastructure.   Every "set" of guys has their own color-coded jumpsuits, menials one color, fighters one color, etc.
So a team of fighters in infiltrated, sort of "Mission Impossible" style.  The lead has to convince his buddies to come in.  One has lost his nerve, as well as several other fighters of different styles and ethnicities (I once thought Jim Kelly was in it, but now I think not).  
I also recall the baddies taking some drug, and it eventually sends them into fits.  There is a scene where a guy spills diesel all over himeslf and his car during one of the fits.  It ends with the usual tournament stuff, with several of our heroes dying etc.  

I'm sorry this is so vague, but we're talking memories dredged up from the 4th grade here.    Any help would be appreciated.

-Ed

[The Burgomaster]

Maybe FORCE: FIVE (1981)? It was directed by Robert Clouse, who also directed ENTER THE DRAGON.

[JohnL]

I believe you're thinking of Kill and Kill Again (1981) which is a sequel to Kill or Be Killed (1980).

Both movies had the same star and featured him and his team going up against an evil dictator creating his own army. Also neither was an asian film as I recall. The description for the first one mentions the bad guy using drugs on his people, but I'm pretty sure that the colored jumpsuits were in the second one. HBO used to show both movies quite a bit, so maybe you're mixing the two up a little?

I only really remember two scenes; One of the weaker team members playing a betting game at the start of the film in a sheet metal building where he cocks a gun and then throws it against the ceiling, it goes off and the bullet ricochets all over the place. The other guys duck, but he just stands there. This same guy also liked to dip his cigar in booze, then smoke it. The other scene I remember is the bad guy's army chanting "Marduke" (the name of the leader), and with each chant they would cross their arms over their head, then bring them down.

[Yaddo42]

I recently watched "Kill and Kill Again" about two weeks ago, found at a local pawn shop. I was considering starting a topic about it, or trying a reader review. I think it is the film from the OP.

 There are different colored uniforms, and drugs are used, but mostly on the menials who are being brainwashed to join Marduke's cause. The drugs don't work the same amount of time on all people, and begins to wear off, causing the menials to become confused and sluggish, then freaking out slightly as they wake up. You think they'd develop a schedule to keep the whole group drugged rather than customize their doping schedule. This is what happens when a menial spills gas on himself while fueling a vehicle, the scene mentioned in the OP.

The one teammember who is reluctant to join isn't frightened, he wants the hero to prove he has learned enough for the the character (known as "the Fly") to join his cause. It doesn't make much more sense in the film. This involves a scene where both prove they can levitate, such is the level of their martial arts (apparetnly karate since there is a mediatation scene with hoaky mystical talk about "the spirit of karate"). Although these skills and others the Fly seems to have never come into play in the film.

None of the team dies, or even seems to be in much danger during the story. That's how weak and pathetic a criminal mastermind with world domination plans Marduke is. Part of his plan involves spreading his mind domination drugs in the world's water supply, another part involves developing a class of ultimate martial artists who he claims will make weapons (i.e. guns) obsolete, hee hee ho ho that's rich! This is where the tournament comes in, the hero eventually faces Marduke's "ultimate" ultimate warrior, called "the Optimus" of all things. He looks like Heiachi from the "Tekken" fighting games without the spiky hair.

The token black guy is played by Ken Gampu, an actor with a long series of roles in genre and mainstream films ("The Naked Prey" and "The Gods Must Be Crazy" among opthers, not Jim Kelly. The comic relief team member, the one who plays the strange combo of Russian roulette and chicken and dips cigars (usually belonging to other people) seems to be outclassed by everyone in the film but isn't. YOu have to see the scene where the team has beaten one group of Marduke's warriors and he sends another out to get them, by having them skydive down on top of the team since he wants to capture them. The heroic team plays poker on the hood of their vehicle WAITING for them to land and fight. It's meant to be funny and macho, but just proves Marduke is even dumber than he seems at first.

Sorry to go on so long but the grade A goofiness of this flick has been welling up and I saw a chance to let it out. I'll have to skip details about Marduke's middle aged bodyguard/personal pilot/girlfriend who dresses like an extra in a Devo video and calls Marduke cutesy nicknames every chance she gets. Just has to be seen for oneself.

[ED]

John and Yaddo,
Thats great, thank you very much.  This is indeed the film(s) and any descriptive errors (i.e . it being Asian) are entirely my fault.   I may have to track this one(s) down.  Thanks a million.
-Ed

[Yaddo42]

Both films were films were produced in South Africa and according to comments on IMDB were intended to play internationally, so their origins were kept vague on purpose.

I was surprised that both are rated PG. Because the trailers that played on TV when I was a kid really gave the air of them both being extremely violent, just hype or my foggy memories I suppose. Once I finally saw the one I have, it was strange to see how tame it really was.

And looking at the many typos in my first post I'm now disgusted.

[JohnL]

>John and Yaddo,
>Thats great, thank you very much.

Glad we could help! :)

>And looking at the many typos in my first post I'm now disgusted.

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