T. Rigney (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} filmfiend) wrote,@ 2006-04-28 01:50:00 |
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Legend Of The Drunken Master
Your kung fu is pretty good.
---
Legend of the Drunken Master (aka Drunken Master II) is a spectacle, a dazzling display of martial arts, comedy, and fleeting moments of heartfelt drama. Jackie Chan takes all the traits that made him famous and kicks them up to 11, pushing his body and talents to their breaking point. The result is one of the most breathtaking action films ever made, one that I think everyone should watch at least once in their lifetime. This is only my second time through it, and I know I'll be revisiting it again in the near future. It literally begs for repeat viewings; attempting to process every inch of footage might cause your head to explode. Seriously. The amount of things happening at any given moment is often overwhelming. I know I sound like some blog-based fanboy singing the praises of some cult movie from the comfort of his parents' basement, and I do apologize for that. That said, I'm probably going to do it anyway, so feel free to bail out on me now. I won't hold it against you. Really.
The story isn't very essential, but I'll give you the lowdown, anyway. After a slight mix-up on a train, Wong Fei-hung (Chan), folk hero and master of "Drunken Boxing," winds up with an ancient Chinese artifact instead of his father's ginseng. The British government, you see, is smuggling relics out of China to stick in their museums, and since the item in Wong's possession is so important to their collection, the proverbial "bad guy" -- also known as the British ambassador -- sends a gang of kung fu thugs to track down the missing artifact. After a series of mind-boggling action sequences, Wong ends up in a heap of trouble, forcing his father to hand over his martial arts school to the embassy in exchange for his son's life. But all is not lost: Wong soon discovers that the embassy is using a local factory as a front for their smuggling operation, which naturally infuriates the locals. Can Wong save his father's school, return the stolen artifacts, AND crawl across burning coals without going up in flames? Why, of course!
To those who've seen Legend of the Drunken Master before, I know my synopsis may sound a little, I don't know, RUDIMENTARY. The reason for my brevity is because, well, it's just not that important. You see, the reason I enjoy Dimension's hacked-and-dubbed versions so much more than the original Hong Kong print is because they cut away the proverbial fat. Some of the subplots found in Chan's productions can be a bit hard to swallow at times. And as much as I love Miracles, I really can't stand most of the core story. It bores me. Don't get me wrong; I don't think they're necessarily BAD, but I think they're pretty much useless. Kudos to Chan for actually bucking the trend by giving his kung fu movies an actual storyline, but I really don't need it, thanks. In fact, my biggest complaint about Legend is it's drastic shifts in tone; we're having fun watching Wong drunkenly destroy his opponents, only to be treated to a rather painful scene where his father violently abuses him. Some of this stuff could have easily been sliced away. Sure, it takes away from the father-son turmoil they were trying to establish, but since their reconciliation is treated as an afterthought at the film's conclusion, one has to wonder if this story element was really necessary in the first place. Something to think about.
Where the plot ultimately fails, the action scenes most certainly succeed. While we're treated to a few moments of inspired kung fu from the get-go, it's not until Wong's showdown with the ambassador's uppity henchmen that we're presented with the good stuff. Wong's Drunken Boxing is impressive, yes, but it's not nearly as amazing as when he's completely inebriated. In case you're unfamiliar with the premise, the more Wong drinks, the stronger he becomes. As the fight grows more intense, his step-mother begins tossing him bottle after bottle of wine, which he gleefully ingests in huge messy gulps. Once intoxicated, Wong unleashes his secret weapon, and the results are nothing short of fantastic. What's more is that these scenes are often shot wide without too many cuts, leaving the savvy viewer awestruck as they contemplate the level of choreography involved in bring these scenes to the screen. There's no way to accurately describe their impact, so I won't even bother.
Jackie Chan -- who won my heart forever with Rumble in the Bronx -- is fried gold as Wong Fei-hung. Chan nails every move, every sway, every one-two combo as he flails from one enemy to the next. Though the final battle at the factory is quite impressive, I happen to think the axe gang showdown is the film's crowning achievement. Forced to defend himself against an army of hatchet-wielding goons, Chan uses everything within his grasp to take down his opponents. The action is fast and furious, with our hero delivering so many moves in one take that you'll need another viewing just to catch the things you missed the first time around. Of course, none of this would be nearly as impressive if it weren't for the charismatic Chan himself, whose facial expressions and brilliant comedic timing add a flavor to the proceedings that would otherwise be missing if he weren't on-board.
If you consider yourself an action fan, do yourself a favor and check out Legend of the Drunken Master. You'll see things you've never seen before...and may never see again. Minus the wonky story and some drastic shifts in tone, this is a near-perfect martial arts movie. Many people consider it to be the best, and I can easily understand why. The action is intense, the fight scenes long and brutal, and Chan's presence is engaging to the point of utter fascination. Wong Fei-hung is a screen character for the ages, and I hope more people come to discover this movie as time goes on. It's martial arts done right by a man who, though past his "prime" at the time the film was shot, is literally at the top of his game. Though Chan continues to work today, I seriously doubt he'll ever do anything to top this one.
I don't see how he could.
Your kung fu is pretty good.
---
Legend of the Drunken Master (aka Drunken Master II) is a spectacle, a dazzling display of martial arts, comedy, and fleeting moments of heartfelt drama. Jackie Chan takes all the traits that made him famous and kicks them up to 11, pushing his body and talents to their breaking point. The result is one of the most breathtaking action films ever made, one that I think everyone should watch at least once in their lifetime. This is only my second time through it, and I know I'll be revisiting it again in the near future. It literally begs for repeat viewings; attempting to process every inch of footage might cause your head to explode. Seriously. The amount of things happening at any given moment is often overwhelming. I know I sound like some blog-based fanboy singing the praises of some cult movie from the comfort of his parents' basement, and I do apologize for that. That said, I'm probably going to do it anyway, so feel free to bail out on me now. I won't hold it against you. Really.
The story isn't very essential, but I'll give you the lowdown, anyway. After a slight mix-up on a train, Wong Fei-hung (Chan), folk hero and master of "Drunken Boxing," winds up with an ancient Chinese artifact instead of his father's ginseng. The British government, you see, is smuggling relics out of China to stick in their museums, and since the item in Wong's possession is so important to their collection, the proverbial "bad guy" -- also known as the British ambassador -- sends a gang of kung fu thugs to track down the missing artifact. After a series of mind-boggling action sequences, Wong ends up in a heap of trouble, forcing his father to hand over his martial arts school to the embassy in exchange for his son's life. But all is not lost: Wong soon discovers that the embassy is using a local factory as a front for their smuggling operation, which naturally infuriates the locals. Can Wong save his father's school, return the stolen artifacts, AND crawl across burning coals without going up in flames? Why, of course!
To those who've seen Legend of the Drunken Master before, I know my synopsis may sound a little, I don't know, RUDIMENTARY. The reason for my brevity is because, well, it's just not that important. You see, the reason I enjoy Dimension's hacked-and-dubbed versions so much more than the original Hong Kong print is because they cut away the proverbial fat. Some of the subplots found in Chan's productions can be a bit hard to swallow at times. And as much as I love Miracles, I really can't stand most of the core story. It bores me. Don't get me wrong; I don't think they're necessarily BAD, but I think they're pretty much useless. Kudos to Chan for actually bucking the trend by giving his kung fu movies an actual storyline, but I really don't need it, thanks. In fact, my biggest complaint about Legend is it's drastic shifts in tone; we're having fun watching Wong drunkenly destroy his opponents, only to be treated to a rather painful scene where his father violently abuses him. Some of this stuff could have easily been sliced away. Sure, it takes away from the father-son turmoil they were trying to establish, but since their reconciliation is treated as an afterthought at the film's conclusion, one has to wonder if this story element was really necessary in the first place. Something to think about.
Where the plot ultimately fails, the action scenes most certainly succeed. While we're treated to a few moments of inspired kung fu from the get-go, it's not until Wong's showdown with the ambassador's uppity henchmen that we're presented with the good stuff. Wong's Drunken Boxing is impressive, yes, but it's not nearly as amazing as when he's completely inebriated. In case you're unfamiliar with the premise, the more Wong drinks, the stronger he becomes. As the fight grows more intense, his step-mother begins tossing him bottle after bottle of wine, which he gleefully ingests in huge messy gulps. Once intoxicated, Wong unleashes his secret weapon, and the results are nothing short of fantastic. What's more is that these scenes are often shot wide without too many cuts, leaving the savvy viewer awestruck as they contemplate the level of choreography involved in bring these scenes to the screen. There's no way to accurately describe their impact, so I won't even bother.
Jackie Chan -- who won my heart forever with Rumble in the Bronx -- is fried gold as Wong Fei-hung. Chan nails every move, every sway, every one-two combo as he flails from one enemy to the next. Though the final battle at the factory is quite impressive, I happen to think the axe gang showdown is the film's crowning achievement. Forced to defend himself against an army of hatchet-wielding goons, Chan uses everything within his grasp to take down his opponents. The action is fast and furious, with our hero delivering so many moves in one take that you'll need another viewing just to catch the things you missed the first time around. Of course, none of this would be nearly as impressive if it weren't for the charismatic Chan himself, whose facial expressions and brilliant comedic timing add a flavor to the proceedings that would otherwise be missing if he weren't on-board.
If you consider yourself an action fan, do yourself a favor and check out Legend of the Drunken Master. You'll see things you've never seen before...and may never see again. Minus the wonky story and some drastic shifts in tone, this is a near-perfect martial arts movie. Many people consider it to be the best, and I can easily understand why. The action is intense, the fight scenes long and brutal, and Chan's presence is engaging to the point of utter fascination. Wong Fei-hung is a screen character for the ages, and I hope more people come to discover this movie as time goes on. It's martial arts done right by a man who, though past his "prime" at the time the film was shot, is literally at the top of his game. Though Chan continues to work today, I seriously doubt he'll ever do anything to top this one.
I don't see how he could.
