Shatter (1975)

I love this movie so much

Sadly Over-hyped

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

SHATTER is Hammer's second attempt at a Hong Kong-backed movie after the cult classic that is LEGEND OF THE 7 GOLDEN VAMPIRES. Whilst not an inherently enjoyable film like the former, SHATTER is a mildly interesting diversion with a good enough cast to make it worthwhile. Although the film has a fair few slow patches where the interest wanes through lack of action, generally the plot, which concerns a hit-man trying to collect his fee, is engaging and the action realistic.This isn't a James Bond-style adventure as the title might suggest; the movie strives for realism over comic book style and the result is a gritty, downbeat, sporadically exciting foray into the world of the international thriller. The unconventional lead is played by Stuart Whitman, who enjoyed a brief status as a leading action man in the 1970s after he appeared in this and some Italian thrillers. Whitman is hardly an athletic hero, but his hang dog looks and his steely determination go part way in letting the audience empathise with his character's situation.Things begin with some stock footage of African race riots and moves into a bloody assassination scene, where Whitman uses a gun disguised as a camera to take care of his contract! From then on we see him hiding out in a seedy Hong Kong hotel room and biding time while he tries to figure things out. SHATTER isn't a film which shows Hong Kong in a very good light – in fact the film has a sleazy, depressing atmosphere and the crowded setting only makes things worse.Whitman visits his German contact Hans Luber (played by genre favourite Anton Diffring) but is unable to collect his fee, and instead finds himself beaten up by violent policemen. These two scenes highlight two excellent cameo performances. The first is Diffring's; the typically sinister character of Luber is a great role to play and Diffring is his usual snide, evil self in the part. Secondly we have Peter Cushing in the role of Paul Rattwood, which is more like an extended cameo. Rattwood is an official in the secret police and a rather nasty character who knows more than he lets on and who keeps a gang of thugs under his command. Cushing is of course excellent in the role and gets some nicely sharp-tongued dialogue to himself; but sadly this proved to be his last role for Hammer Studios and a rather inconspicuous swan song for the golden age actor. Still, the moments when he is on screen sparkle and he seems to be enjoying himself, which is enough for me.Whitman moves into a seedy massage parlour/restaurant owned by Ti Lung, at the same time beginning a tragic romance with Lily Li who works there. The rest of the film shows him basically hanging out and eventually doing a trade with Diffring (an unbearably suspenseful scene), who wants the top secret documents in Whitman's possession. But the treacherous Diffring betrays our down-at-heel hero, leading to an action-packed finale where Whitman and Lung storm the enemy's retreat.Most of the action towards the end of this film focuses on Lung, who is portrayed as a young, unstoppable martial arts hero in the line of Bruce Lee. Lung is a tour-de-force in the action stakes and the scenes of him fighting are tremendously exciting and violent. Lily Li is also pretty good as Mai, although she doesn't get to fight in this movie. SHATTER isn't a very engaging movie, but the direction is solid, there is enough action and gore to satisfy the male crowd, and the cast alone makes it worthwhile. Don't be fooled, this is no classic, but it remains watchable enough if you're in the right mood.

I have almost no memory of this film, yet I'm writing a review. Go figure! I seem to remember Stuart Whitman as some sort of hit-man in Hong Kong. It was entertaining and badly dubbed and fairly gory; the sort of movie HBO used to fill up their schedule with when they weren't showing more traditional features and before they went off the air at midnight.My suggestion is to read the ten other reviews and, if this long-lost and forgettable Kung Fu/Spy flick piques your interest, rent it or buy a used copy.Enjoy!

It seemed to have pretty low production values for a Hammer film. The music was pretty good, but I imagine it's not original to film. There were a few nice kung-fu fights, but nothing you couldn't find elsewhere.Stuart's character seems to be somewhat clever at times and extremely dim at others.Some of the locations were neat, but only in a documentary way (a look into 70's Hong Kong)You probably won't hate it if you see it, but it's basically a low budget action film with not much to offer.3/10

I was surprised when I learned this movie had such a bad reputation. I'm not ashamed to admit it's one of my favorite Hammer films of all time. Stuart Whitman is fine as the tired-looking assassin with a vengeance. Cushing's cameos are hugely enjoyable while Anton Diffring is at home playing the villain. The rest looks like a Bruce Lee film (it was co-produced by the Shaw Brothers) and the music is funky like hell. SHATTER has its share of slow moments and is at times unintentionally funny. So what? Action, fun, great actors will keep you satisfied and begging for more. Unfortunately here was no more to come (this could have been the basis of a great TV series for example). I don't know what Monte Hellman's role was in helming this (apparently to rescue it from director Michael Carreras' wreckage)...