Asian Cinema Challenge 2023 | 27/52 | Martial Arts Film
I'll break every bone in your body and send you to hell.
Thunderleg Yen Tie Hsin receives an offering of $500 for the death of Chan Kwok-wai. Chan Kwok-wai trains in a field. Thunderleg approaches and introduces himself. Kwok-wai knows of Thunderfoot and his undefeated Devil’s Kick. But Kwok-wai is the champion of the Four-Door Fist and has also never been defeated. Still, Thunderfoot kills him.
We meet Wong Fei-hung through three scenarios. In the first, he’s at his father, Kei-Ying’s, training school, practicing and making a fool of Professor Kai-Hsin. Then, we meet him macking on a woman in the market to impress his friends, or for the woman’s mother to fuck him up. Finally, he encounters a delinquent who broke an older man’s jade and won’t pay for it, whom he beats to a pulp.
Fei-hung returns home, only to find the woman and her mother there. Turns out they’re his cousin and aunt, respectively. They tell Kei-Ying about Fei-hung’s harassment. Then, Lee Man-ho enters with his pulpy son and has a fighter fight Fei-hung. Kei-Ying is so ashamed of Fei-hung. The aunt suggests breaking Fei-hung through training. They call upon Fei-hung’s great uncle, Beggar So, the Drunken Master.
The film follows Fei-hung through his myriad hijinks as Fei-hung learns to trust Beggar So, fight against Thunderleg, and prevent the assassination of his father.
I told you I got style. Oooooooof (the sound the dubber makes when he blows a tuft of hair ouf ot his hand)
This film was a massive hit, helping to establish Jackie Chan’s reputation and to popularize martial arts comedies and the Drunken Fighting style. The fights with Jackie Chan showcase his love of blending martial arts, acrobatics, and slapstick humor, sometimes more of the latter than anything else.
The movie is a little long for the subject, but the impressive variety and
Stray Thoughts / Spoilers
- The fights are a little long for my taste, but I love how distinct each fight is.
- I love how doofy the dubbing is for Chan’s character. He has big “surf idiot” vibes.
- The comedy sound effects are a bit overkill, but they’re cute.
- “A big mouth on a wet ass. We’ll have to teach it manners.”
- The training sequence with the walnuts.
- The Miss Ho fighting style is homophobic. No, I will not clarify.
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