Drunken Master - The Beginning

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Liam D The film that made Jackie Chan an international superstar. The writing is incredibly creaky but the fight scenes are great Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 12/12/24 Full Review Brent A 50% rating ... Had its moments of comedy and decent action, but not quite enough for me. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 03/01/24 Full Review Matthew B Best of Movies/TV Series Collection Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 12/19/22 Full Review Audience Member One of my favourite films of all time, definitely in top ten. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/26/23 Full Review matthew d Lightning fast kung fu techniques and hilarious comedy from a young Jackie Chan! Yuen Woo-ping's Chinese martial arts action-comedy Drunken Master (1978) is a splendidly entertaining comedy movie, a well made demonstration of endless kung fu techniques, and a dazzling action film full of over a dozen martial arts encounters. The jaw dropping fight choreography allows each fighter to perform inspired techniques with flawless execution. Hui Chang's stellar cinematography shoots with many wide shots for the battles to bravely show how meticulously they worked out each punch, kick, and dodge. Woo-ping's direction is phenomenal as he effortlessly glides from hand to hand combat sequences to witty comedy and slapstick, then back into the action for 111 minutes. Editor Hsiung Pan deftly cuts around each strike and each joke with a brisk pacing. His sharp cuts allow the viewer to see all the moves with clear precision and enthralling timing. I cannot stress enough how Drunken Master is around 12 fights in a row essentially. Yuen Woo-ping, Ng See-Yuen, and Lung Hsiao's writing centers around the value of respecting your elders, whether it is your father, aunt, or master. There's also the idea of avenging your master and finding inner peace through martial arts mastery as you hone both body and soul. Jackie Chan is a remarkable talent of unreal acrobatics and versatile kung fu styles. His lead performance as Wong Fei-Hung is hilarious with Chan's gifted comedic timing, outrageous in his physically shocking training, and exhilarating during his mind blowing fights. Chan might as well be dancing, fighting, and drinking at the same time. Jackie Chan's dangerous stunts look funny and fluid with his engaging charisma and speed. He displays Drunken Fist mastery as well as Crane, Snake, and Monkey styles of kung fu with peerless prowess in Drunken Master. I think that Drunken Master may be his greatest film as his fights are so skillful, yet fun to watch at the same time, each battle in rapid succession one after the other. Simon Yuen Siu-Tin must be mentioned as the amazing martial arts master Beggar So, who trains Jackie Chan's Wong Fei-Hung in the Drunken Fist style of kung fu boxing with his hidden Eight Drunken Gods techniques. Siu-Tin is hilarious as this drunken old fool, but he's also doing the same intense martial arts skills as fast as Jackie Chan in his prime while he was 65 here! It's incredible to think about, let alone see in Drunken Master. No wonder Beggar So got 2 sequels before Siu-Tin tragically passed from a heart attack. Jason Hwang Jeong-Li's Thunderleg is a fearsome villain, whose legendary hi kicks are swift like lightning and look like they pack serious power like thunder. I like that a Korean actor, born in Japan, could be a Chinese film star in a diverse Asian film scene. Lam Kau as Wong Kei-Ying is excellent in his duel with Jeong-Li's Thunderleg. Stanley Chow Fook-Leung's score is excellently matched in Drunken Master's whimsical tone and majestic atmosphere during the fights themselves. Lastly Linda Lin is hilarious and daring as she duels Jackie Chan while she plays Fei-Hung's Aunt. Her kicking prowess is no joke. In all, Drunken Master may very well be Jackie Chan's greatest feature as he takes on master after master with his own uniquely hilarious brand of drunken kung fu. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member A classic drunk boxing movie that no one will ever forget. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/07/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Drunken Master - The Beginning

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