Majestic Thunderbolt

Another movie mash up from the resourceful Godfrey Ho, assembled one year earlier than Bronx Video Company's companion release, Scorpion Thunderbolt. Engineered from Red Rattlesnake (赤色響尾蛇), an obscure 1982 Taiwanese action film, and padded out with newly filmed scenes containing large dollops of martial arts mayhem, many rank this as the pinnacle of the five Thunderbolt films. Ironically, this was released in some territories as Magnum Thunderbolt — the exact same title of another IFD Films & Arts Ltd. production from 1985, featuring many of the same cast. This Patrick Kong directed thriller is also known as The Man from Holland.

Just after his arrival in Hong Kong, Richard (Richard Harrison) and his two associates are assaulted by an axe wielding pair commanded by the menacing shades-wearing Phillip (Ho regular Phillip Ko, credited here with one 'L'); the associates are brutally slain and Richard's attaché case of valuable diamonds is stolen.

Sartorially challenged and impotent gangster boss Franco (supposedly whom the diamonds belong to) orders the murder of Jack Pang — son in law of Tiger Chan (Chan Kun-Tai), the head of rival group. His five Wolf Gang assassins, all dressed in identical black trench coats, fill Jack full of holes in front of his bound and gagged wife. Jack's brother and ex-hit man Alan (Roc Tien aka Tien Peng), swears revenge, and putting word into action exacts a series of ultra violent assassinations across the city (this subplot features some of the film's most outrageous sequences: a live snake forced into a crucified man's mouth, a falling 'knife chandelier', a toilet bomb, an acid shower and man sawn apart by a band saw).

As this revenge plot is taking place, Richard sets out on his own search to retrieve the missing diamonds from Phillip — who he eventually meets up with for a battle royale on a deserted beach. This final sequence features the shooting of some real chickens in slow motion — probably inspired by Sam Peckinpah's Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid.

It's a wild ride which manages to combine unauthorized Pink Floyd music, blood drinking, whipping, naked female bondage body painting and a roller skating Richard Harrison into a packed 88 minute running time.