An Old Kung Fu Master (1980)

DRUNKEN MASTER, SLIPPERY SNAKE is one of the better vehicles for Simon Yuen that came out in the wake of his popularity following the success of Jackie Chan's DRUNKEN MASTER. Truth be told, he doesn't appear in this film very much, but nonetheless he plays the same lovable eccentric we know from his other films and is very much a highlight here.

The film itself is rather good and certainly better shot with a higher quality of fight scenes than most Taiwanese martial arts films I've sat through. There's a workable plot with various characters competing and squaring off and a plenitude of well-shot fights which don't disappoint. Cliff Lok and Chan Lung are acceptable hero characters, but Lee Hoi Sang is the scene-stealing bad guy of the piece and reliably good. There's a good mix of laughs, fights, and wacky training sequences towards the end, particularly with some bizarre noodle-making interludes. Solid stuff.