Leung Chang (Yuen Baio) believes himself to be a great fighter, taking on all challengers; in reality, Leung's wealthy but concerned father has been paying for his son's opponents to lose. When Leung discovers the truth, he vows to master kung fu for real, following the Lok Fung Lin acting troupe in the hope that one of their performers, Leung Yee-tai (Lam Ching-Ying), will teach him Wing Chun.
Meanwhile, martial artist Ngai (Frankie Chan) is looking for experts to fight, unaware that his father has instructed his men to kill any kung fu masters who might hurt his son. After Ngai expresses an interest in fighting Leung Yee-tai, the Lok Fung Lin company is attacked by deadly ninjas; only the two Yeungs escape with their lives, hiding out at the home of portly calligrapher Wong Wah-bo (Sammo Hung) and his chubby daughter Twiggy (Wai-Hon Ho) where Leung Chan finally gets his wish and learns Wing Chun, which he uses to defeat Ngai when he eventually returns home.
With a cast that includes Sammo Hung, Lam Ching Ying, Yuen Baio and Frankie Chan, there is no shortage of impressive acrobatic martial arts action in The Prodigal Son; unfortunately—for me at least—there is also an equal helping of Asian comedy of the kind that always leaves me scratching my head in bewilderment (are people with red noses, large facial moles, and cotton wool in their mouth really that funny?). The film's humorous content also sits rather awkwardly with the film's occasional brutal violence, the most shocking of which is the slaughter of the Lok Fung Lin performers, whose throats are cut in their sleep.
The final showdown between Yuen Baio and Frankie Chan offers up the best fight action, but it lacks the emotional wallop to be found in many a classic kung fu flick thanks to the fact that Ngai isn't a despicable villain—it's his dad that deserves the whooping.
3 out of 5 found this helpful