Eastern Condors

As the Vietnam war ends, the American army assembles a team of Chinese prisoners to destroy an arsenal it left behind: finish the job and you get freedom and money. Sammo Hung carries the Dirty Dozen template into Hong Kong action, and the register is far darker than expected, with the characters dying in turn and without mercy. Hung directs and stars, and lost a serious amount of weight for the part. Its best quality is tying the fighting to the location, so the choreography changes completely in the jungle, in the prison camp and finally inside the arsenal. Yuen Biao and Yuen Wah are in the cast. The bamboo forest sequence and the final battle are among the genre's best. Who it is for: viewers who like Hong Kong action and its collision with the war film. Who it is not for: anyone who wants to get attached to characters, since the film protects nobody.