Cast:
Jackie Chan (Chien Fu), Hwang Jang-lee (Sheng Kuan), Yuen Siu-tien (Pai Chang-tien), Dean Shek (Teacher Li), Fung Hak-on (Master Chao Chi-chih), Tino Wong (Ah-Wu), Peter Chan (Teacher Lian), Hsu Hsia (Su Chen), Charlie Chan (Master Hung), and Roy Horan (Missionary/Russian) Directed by Yuen Woo-ping.
Review:
I suppose, inadvertently or not, this month has found itself dedicating time not merely to spotlighting films from different countries around the world but also to spotlight faces not always seen in the usual scheme of watching films for entertainment. By sheer coincidence, 2023 is the 45th anniversary of this film and Drunken Master, for which both share a common bond: they each share the same main trio of actors (Jackie Chan, Yuen Siu-tien, Hwang Jang-lee) along with the same director in Yuen Woo-ping, and the success of both (mostly in the case of Master, released in the fall of 1978) firmly established Chan as a star within his style of kung fu and slapstick. Obviously, this was not the first film to feature Chan as an actor. He had appeared in a handful of films as a youth in the 1960s, but his first key film was in the stunt department for Fist of Fury (1972), the second feature hit starring Bruce Lee. The first feature film with Chan as the lead actor was Little Tiger of Canton (1973), albeit one that was given little release until, well, later in the 1970s. He also was a lead actor in other films such as New Fist of Fury (1976), which, was an attempt by Lo Wei to mold Chan as the successor to Bruce Lee (the web of Fist of Fury follow-ups is a potentially fascinating web to decipher another time). The result of the two films involving Yuen and Chan put Chan on a path to eventual international stardom with his capabilities in stunt work alongside doing his own path in directing. Of course, Yuen can't be forgotten in all of this, as he is still a regular presence within directing but more importantly in stunt choreography, which has spanned from working with various noted action stars such as Donnie Yen to being asked to choreograph the martial arts in The Matrix (1999). Interestingly, recent releases feature options to listen to the film in three forms in Cantonese, Mandarin, and English, since, well, Hong Kong cinema in the old days was not merely constrained to one version for releasing films during the British rule era, and if you listen closely (read: listen to music for any 20-minute stretch), you will hear familiar music from other films utilized; one has not lived until they are surprised to hear a John Williams piece cribbed for kung fu.
Oh sure, it is a cobbled film of cliches, but who's counting? Underdog stories, or ones with an unlikely pair of collaborators are a dime a dozen, but the fun ones know how to compose themselves with engaging the audience in caring about what goes on without just passing through. The antics grab more attention than the drama, but there is a worthy soul in what is being shown with the bond of student and sifu (teacher, although he refuses to be referred to as such for a good chunk of it). The kung-fu is the highlight of the film when it comes to useful choreography that makes you appreciate the effort taken to show people trying to act in the art of kicking each other with skillful precision (or not always, as evidenced by the fact that Chan lost a tooth and had his arm slashed during production). It is the kind of corny fun that you could expect from a film that has a select amount of sound effects to go along with the action at times (cat sounds?), which is welcome when the going isn't derailing itself. You don't usually get to see sons direct their fathers, but here we are with Yuen directing Yuen. The elder Yuen actually had appeared in a handful of films over the years, with a handful involving kung fu, but it was his roles in films such as this and most notably with Drunken Master (1978) that garnered him lasting notice before his death in 1979 at the age of 66. He and Chan make a charming little pair, endearing in the typical underdog-mentor stuff without turning it into hogwash. Hwang and the other side adversaries (bullies or not) fill the rest generally well, which namely involves a bit of cheese and pairing of decent stunts for Chan to make into something more. Any time you have a climax relying on folks not liking to drink something at a certain time to go with new fighting styles based on a cat fighting a snake is a good one. As a whole, what we have is a neat kung-fu film in consistent charm that manages to show the promise of Chan in charm and stature of movement to go hand in hand with a serviceable director and crew around everything for a useful recommendation for those with the hankering of kung-fu (and light comedy) in their world cinema.
Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.
Next up: Buñuel is back for Spain.
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