Steineded How sad is this?

ScoobyWell Great visuals, story delivers no surprises

FirstWitch A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

Aneesa Wardle The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

hwg1957-102-265704 Directed by Anthony Bushell who was more noted as an actor 'The Terror of the Tongs'is a lively story set in Hong Kong about a sea captain who goes against The Red Dragon Tong after his daughter is killed by the tong searching for an incriminating document. There is torture, murder, scantily clad girls and British actors trying unsuccessfully to be Chinese. What's not to like? The colourful sets and good photography add to the charm of it all.Christopher Lee plays Chung King (not Pe King?) and is actually much better than when he plays Dr. Fu Manchu. His demise is rather poignant. Geoffrey Toone is colourless as the hero Captain Sale. Support is given by always good to see actors like Marne Maitland (Beggar), Ewen Solon (Tang How), Roger Delgado (Tang Hao) and Richard Leech (Inspector Bob Dean.) The unmistakable Milton Reid plays a sadistic torturer. There are some suitable ethnic actors like the great Burt Kwouk and E(R)ic Young, the latter whom unimaginatively is called Confucious. Yvonne Monlaur (apparently born Yvonne Thérèse Marie Camille Bedat de Monlaur!) pretends to be Chinese by using the walking around in gorgeous silk dresses split up the side method. A little distracting.Not a waste of time by any means though it is a throwback to pulp fiction and Sax Rohmer, which is fine if you like that kind of thing.

AaronCapenBanner Christopher Lee stars as the leader of The Red Dragon Tong, a secretive cult/business venture in 1910 Hong Kong that specializes in crime and vice. When the tong kills the daughter of a sea captain, he vows revenge, becoming determined to take it down by any and all means possible, but the Tong isn't so easily defeated or intimidated, and begins a retaliatory campaign against him, costing many lives. Future "Doctor Who" star(as the Master) Roger Delgado costars as a ruthless Tong enforcer. Nicely filmed in color, but Christopher Lee is miscast as an Asian(!) A fine performance, but makeup is unconvincing, and film ultimately too routine and predictable to succeed.

Woodyanders 1910. A wicked and dangerous gang known as the Red Dragon Tong dabble in opium dealing and white slavery in Hong Kong. Stalwart sea captain Jackson Sale (a solid performance by Geoffrey Toone) puts himself in considerable jeopardy by actively seeking out the Tong after they kill his daughter. Capably directed by Anthony Bushell, with a steady pace that rarely lets up for a minute, an absorbing script by Jimmy Sangster, startling outbursts of bloody'n'brutal violence, truly hateful and nasty villains (the Tong are a genuinely scary and vicious bunch), crisp cinematography by Arthur Grant, a flavorsome period atmosphere, a shivery and spirited score by James Bernard, a serious tone, some rousing rough'n'tumble fisticuffs, and a lively and stirring climax that's capped off by a surprise downbeat ending, this movie sizes up as an immensely entertaining romp. Kudos are also in order for the bang-up acting from the able cast: the always terrific Christopher Lee excels as evil and cunning Tong leader Chung King, the lovely Yvonne Monlaur delivers a charming portrayal of fiery and loyal Oriental slave girl Lee, plus there are nifty turns by Brian Worth as the corrupt Distict Commissioner Harcourt, Ewen Solon as mean brute Tang How, Marne Maitland as a shrewd and grubby beggar who's plotting to overthrow the Tong, Marie Burke as the helpful Maya, Charles Lloyd Pack as deadly assassin Dr. Fu Chao, and Burt Kwouk as ill-fated businessman Mr. Ming. A very enjoyable flick.

The_Void Terror of the Tongs is a largely unknown Hammer film and, as such, isn't one the great studio's best films. It is, however, a more than decent entry in Hammer's oeuvre, and is well worth seeking out for Hammer fans. The film takes place in Hong Kong, and director Anthony Bushell does a fairly good job of capitalising on the mystery of the eastern culture. The most prominent thing about this film is no doubt the fact that it stars the great Christopher Lee - as the Chinese head of 'The Tongs'! It's a hilarious performance, and while Lee doesn't exactly convince the audience that he's Chinese, it brilliantly shows off his charisma and ability to hold the audience's attention. The plot focuses on a secret Hong Kong society known as 'The Red Dragon Tong'. They kidnap the captain of a ship in Hong Kong harbour while he's trying to restrain the people who kidnapped his daughter. We then follow the attempt to free him from the Tong; but this isn't a group of amateurs, as the society is big and powerful and freeing the captain isn't easy.The film actually isn't a lot like what I've come to expect from Hammer, as it's all played out rather seriously and there's not a hint of anything even resembling supernatural activity. The film doesn't reflect particularly well on the Chinese people - as despite being set in Hong Kong, there's hardly any natives on the cast list and the Chinese characters don't get to much that has any bearing on the plot. The atmosphere is nothing to write home about, although director Anthony Bushell manages to create just about enough tension to keep things ticking over. The acting is generally below average, with only Christopher Lee coming out of the film with any credibility - which is amazing considering the nature of his role. The film doesn't have a great deal of bite - in spite of a torture sequence and numerous scenes of drug use - although it mostly isn't boring. Overall, I can't say that The Terror of the Tongs is even near to being Hammer's finest hour, but it's a decent little rarity and worth tracking down for Hammer fans.