Cantonese: Mo ming fo
Mandarin: Wu ming huo
English: No Name Fire

Alternate English Title: FIGHT SPIRIT OF HERO (sic)

While meeting his fiancee at the airport, architect/martial arts expert Liang Chen-yu (Leung Kar-yan) runs into childhood friend Wang Chien-heng (Damian Lau Chung-yan). Liang invites Wang to stay at his house for a while, unaware that the man has come from South Africa to avenge the death of his father. The target is ruthless jewellery magnate Wei Chiao (Chang Yi) but his attempt to assassinate the man in a restaurant fails and Wei's bodyguard (Phillip Ko Fei, modelling a really bad toupee) proceeds to chop off Wang's hand. The stricken man warns that he has evidence that will bring about Wei's downfall and has given it to a friend for safe keeping. The gangster interprets this person to be Liang and dispatches a hitman (Michael Chan Wai-man) to take him out. Only Liang's bride-to-be (Pat Ha Man-chik) and the couple's maid are home at the time and both end up as innocent victims. The killer soon pays a second visit and Liang is barely able to escape with his life. Finding Wang's diary, Liang discovers who is behind all of the violence and sets about eliminating them.

For this, his directorial debut, Leung Kar-yan invited some old school kung fu buddies to play his opponents and, not surprisingly, the emphasis is entirely on action. In addition to the expected martial arts, there is a bar room brawl with bikers (still on their hogs!), a car chase/crash, combat with flaming boards, knife fights, gunplay...you name it. The stuntwork is terrific and the production values are better than expected (though the bar is filled with obvious breakaway props, including a hollow piano!). What this movie definitely does not have is anything remotely original or in any way subtle. In a bizarre nod to THE ROAD WARRIOR, Leung takes on the mohawked leader of some stoned out punks and, later, welds together his own no-budget version of the Battletruck from WARLORDS OF THE 21ST CENTURY! By the time that thing rolls into view, all semblance of logic has long since vanished but those who miss the gritty, no-holds-barred HK crime thrillers of the 80s will likely find this well-paced feature invigoratingly nasty. Said viewers will also be happy to know that habitual villains Ko (sporting scar make-up on about 50% of his body) and Chan (who, in addition to brutally murdering everyone in sight, even goes out of his way to beat a little girl and run over her pregnant mother!) are at their demented best.

WA #D-DVD 2260 (Mainland China label) Dolby Digital 5.1 Dubbed Mandarin Language Track Optional Subtitles In English and Simplified Chinese 8 Chapters Illustrated In the Menu With Clips Letterboxed (1.95:1) Coded for ALL Regions 81 Minutes (at 25 frames-per-second) Contains brutal violence and drug use

DVD menu courtesy WA.

The slightly overmatted image looks very nice for a film of this vintage. Aside from the opening credit sequence, blacks look deep, colors are strong, and there is rarely more than minor wear on the print. This being a WA release, only an echo-laden Mandarin dubtrack is included and, with mild distortion evident in spots, it is the weakest aspect of an otherwise good release. There are no extras.

PROFILE IN ANGER is available at Poker Industries.