IRON BULL

The Iron Bull starring Alan Tang is an early low budget martial arts film. It attempts to be serious but is really very funny in that Tang is always in trouble.

The Story

Alan Tang is a young, handsome martial artist who seeks revenge after his old sifu (instructor) is beaten up by the muscular fighter shown below. To prove how capable he is, Tang wrestles with a bull (that looks suspiciously like a cow). Tang's joy when he lets go of the bull's horns is real enough, however. This sequence is probably where they got the name of the movie.

As Tang journeys through the country side, he gets himself into one problem after another. First, he is caught by angry villagers and accused of being a "peeping tom" when he accidentally observes a couple having an illicit affair. Next, he twice encounters the same pickpocket who steals his money and leaves him unable to pay for the large meal he has eaten at a restaurant.

As a result of his failure to pay, various people in the restaurant break furniture over his arms and head. Tang's strength impresses one man who makes the pickpocket return the stolen money. This same man also offers Tang a job which he happily accepts. Tang then meets and admires a beautiful lady who comes to the restaurant to meet her brother. The brother works at the restaurant and has been waiting on Tang. The brother, who is bald, and the lady are both Kung Fu experts.

Tang goes to work for the man loading boats and then gets himself in trouble with the other workers because he is doing double their amount of work. A rival gang shows up causing a big Kung Fu fight which Tang's fellow workers are losing until he steps in and single handedly saves the day. The other workers then like him and treat him to a night out.

Tang gets in trouble with his beautiful lady friend on his night out when he drinks too much. The beautiful girl puts him to bed, leaves and then, as a joke, a prostitute is send in to entertain Tang. Tang wakes up in time but is confused and thinks he has attacked the beautiful lady. Later she assures him that he did not do so and gives him a jade medallion to wear in his up-coming fights.

Soon after, Tang has a big battle with several more fighters and runs off after injuring their leader. He ends up wandering down a stream, gets hungry, catches some fish with his bare hands and then starts a fire to cook them. When he returns to the stream, the muscular fighter happens onto Tang's dinner and eats it. He and Tang then have a big fight which ends in a draw and laughter. Tang is unaware that this is the man who hurt his sifu and shows him his girl's jade medallion which the man promply steals.

WARNING CONCLUSION:The evil boss (see picture) of the rival Kung Fu gang shows up in the final showdown. Tang, the lady and her brother all fight off the members of this bad gang. Tang is attacked and almost killed by the evil boss. He is saved when the muscular fighter appears and rescues him, thus atoning for having beaten Tang's sifu earlier in the movie. The muscular man is himself killed by the evil boss, thus leaving it up to Tang, the girl and her brother to finish off the evil man. The three work together and accomplish this in the end.