At Ayers Rock, undercover detectives arrest Hong Kong drug courier Win Chan. At Royal Hong Kong Police Police Training School at Wong Chuk Hang where a hang glider piloted by Australian Caroline Thorne runs out of air currents and lands on the parade square. She is met by Inspector Fang Sing Leng who has coincidentally been chosen to travel to Sydney to interview Win Chan. Fang is met by Detectives Gross and Taylor who have been unable to obtain any information from Win Chan. Fang uses traditional but illegal police methods to elicit cooperation from Win Chan. Fang discovers the connection between Win Chan's drug imports and Sydney "colourful identity" Jack Wilton. Inspector Fang becomes a target of death by various firearms, edged weapons, explosives, fast cars, a crossbow and martial arts by both Australian and Chinese criminals. He also reacquaints himself with Caroline who trains him how to fly a hang glider at Stanwell Park that the Inspector uses to gain access to Wilton's crime headquarters.
Cast
Jimmy Wang Yu as Inspector Fang Sing Leng
*Roy Chiao as Inspector Fang Sing Leng
George Lazenby as Jack Wilton
Hugh Keays-Byrne as Sergeant Morrie Grosse
Roger Ward as Inspector Bob Taylor
Ros Speirs as Caroline Thorne
Rebecca Gilling as Angelica Pearson
Frank Thring as Willard
Grant Page as John Grantley, Wilton's Assassin
Hung Kam-po as Win Chan
Deryck Barnes as Dr. Derek Pearson, Angelica's Father
The first Australian/Hong Kong co-production was made during the height of the kung fu film craze and the Australian New Wave. According to some sources, Wang Yu directed parts of the film. Trenchard Smith says Yu was difficult to deal with and shooting was hard - "there was a great clash of personalities, coupled with the inevitable mutual distrust that occurs in a co-production where both sides think the other is trying to rip them off." However he says John Fraser of Greater Union was very supportive and encouraging. The film's team of producers also included the late David Hannay. Trenchard-Smith received nine offers of co-production after the film's release. The film was originally budgeted at $450,000 but increased when the producers wanted more action sequences and a hit song on the soundtrack. British band Jigsaw recorded "Sky High" which was used over the opening credits. It went number one in several countries. Production funding came from Greater Union, Golden Harvest and the Australian Film Development Corporation. The film's production company, The Movie Company, was owned 50% by Trenchard-Smith and 50% by Greater Union. Wang Yu was injured in a hang gliding sequence whilst Lazenby had severe burns on his hands during a fight scene.
Release
At a screening of a restored print in Sydney, Trenchard-Smith said the film didn't do as well as was hoped due to its R adults only rating. However US rights were sold for $200,000 and at Cannes the film sold around the world for a minimum of $500,000 putting it in profit even before it had been released. The film was released in the US as The Dragon Flies.
Reception
On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 100% based on 6 reviews, and an average rating of 7.2/10. Andrew L. Urban from Urban Cinefile called it "one of the few Australian made kung fu action movies and is also notable for its cinematography by Russell Boyd, who went on to win the Oscar for his work on . The Los Angeles Times called it "a slick, shallow, well-photographed Australian-Chinese movie which has substituted do-it-yourself decapitation with mass demolition." The Observer called it "a witless display of non-stop mayhem."
