A 40-year-old Jackie Chan proves that he still has what it takes to make the jaw drop to the floor with Legend of the Drunken Master, a period martial arts film that features not just some of the best fight scenes of Chan's career, but of kung fu cinema in general.
Chan plays legendary martial artist Wong Fei-hung, son of kung fu master and physician Wong Kei-ying (Ti Lung). Returning from a trip to replenish their medical supplies, Fei-Hung tries to avoid paying taxes on a parcel of ginseng by concealing it in a British ambassador's luggage; but when he sneaks into the luggage compartment on the train journey home to retrieve his package, he grabs the wrong bundle, mistakenly taking a precious jade seal destined for the British Museum. This makes Fei-Hung the target of a Chinese master, Fu Wen-Chi , who is determined to avoid the antique from leaving the country, and also the evil British ambassador and his henchmen.
What follows is an action packed comedy caper as our hero tries to hang on to the seal while keeping his promise to his father to not drink and fight. Of course, this proves impossible with numerous people trying to get their hands on him, and with drunken boxing as Fei-Hung's preferred style of fighting.
As with many Chinese Chan movies, there's quite a bit of broad comedy, which, depending on your sense of humour, you will either find amusing or bloody irritating (I tend to lean towards the latter), and the plot is far from inspired, but it's the martial arts that makes this truly unmissable, actor/director Lau Kar Leung capturing Jackie and his co-stars at their absolute best. An early fight between Fei-Hung under a train and a station platform quickly sets the bar extremely high, but that is eclipsed by a fun exhibition fight in a fish market and a spectacular brawl against countless axe wielding gang members in a restaurant (with bodies regularly falling from great heights).
The best, of course, is saved for last, with a blistering battle that takes place inside a steel mill and which has to be seen to be believed, the scene making good use of the surrounding props, with steel bars, flaming coals, chains and flammable liquids all playing a part. A one-on-one between Chan and high-kicker Ken Lo is my favourite part of the whole film: amazingly fast, with superb choreography in which the star performs some incredible acrobatics, this is so good that its impossible to do justice with mere words. Do yourself a favour and just watch it for yourself now! You can thank me later.
8.5/10, rounded up to 9 for IMDb.
Chan plays legendary martial artist Wong Fei-hung, son of kung fu master and physician Wong Kei-ying (Ti Lung). Returning from a trip to replenish their medical supplies, Fei-Hung tries to avoid paying taxes on a parcel of ginseng by concealing it in a British ambassador's luggage; but when he sneaks into the luggage compartment on the train journey home to retrieve his package, he grabs the wrong bundle, mistakenly taking a precious jade seal destined for the British Museum. This makes Fei-Hung the target of a Chinese master, Fu Wen-Chi , who is determined to avoid the antique from leaving the country, and also the evil British ambassador and his henchmen.
What follows is an action packed comedy caper as our hero tries to hang on to the seal while keeping his promise to his father to not drink and fight. Of course, this proves impossible with numerous people trying to get their hands on him, and with drunken boxing as Fei-Hung's preferred style of fighting.
As with many Chinese Chan movies, there's quite a bit of broad comedy, which, depending on your sense of humour, you will either find amusing or bloody irritating (I tend to lean towards the latter), and the plot is far from inspired, but it's the martial arts that makes this truly unmissable, actor/director Lau Kar Leung capturing Jackie and his co-stars at their absolute best. An early fight between Fei-Hung under a train and a station platform quickly sets the bar extremely high, but that is eclipsed by a fun exhibition fight in a fish market and a spectacular brawl against countless axe wielding gang members in a restaurant (with bodies regularly falling from great heights).
The best, of course, is saved for last, with a blistering battle that takes place inside a steel mill and which has to be seen to be believed, the scene making good use of the surrounding props, with steel bars, flaming coals, chains and flammable liquids all playing a part. A one-on-one between Chan and high-kicker Ken Lo is my favourite part of the whole film: amazingly fast, with superb choreography in which the star performs some incredible acrobatics, this is so good that its impossible to do justice with mere words. Do yourself a favour and just watch it for yourself now! You can thank me later.
8.5/10, rounded up to 9 for IMDb.