Well, Jackie Chan has had an interesting career. On one hand, he's made some classics like Project A and Dragons Forever. On the other hand, he's made some less-than-spectacular movies like Crime Story and First Strike. This movie is easily his best film ever...and also one the best martial arts movies ever made. He revisits the role that made him famous: Wong Fei Hung, the drunken master. The plot deals with smugglers trying to steal China's treasures, but in the end it isn't important. The fights are what matters, and Chan fights like a son of a gun. There are some excellent traditional fight scenes like him fighting Lau Kar Leung and one w/ a Choy li fut stylist. There's a memorable fight against an Ax Gang (Ax army is more like it). The finale, where he takes on the smugglers led by a super kicking Thai boxer, is probably the greatest fight scene choreographed. This movie doesn't cease to entertain. A must see for any fans of action, martial arts, HK movies, or just Jackie Chan himself.
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diac22828 February 2007To describe Legend of Drunken Master is almost impossible. It has so much, it does so much, and it delivers in so many ways, you cannot really describe the experience. Legend of Drunken Master stands as Jackie Chan's best film, and arguably the greatest martial arts film in history. That's right Bruce Lee fanatics, it tops most/arguably all Lee films. Surely Lee had the strength and the power; but did not have the ensemble cast that Chan had, nor did Lee have any fights that can top the ones the Drunken Master engaged in throughout the 105 minutes of this kung fu madhouse.
With a decent plot, good acting, and a dash of humor to go along with the frenzied action, Legend of Drunken Master is one of those rare complete martial arts films that do more than just throw fights at you. Honestly, there has yet to be a perfect martial arts film. Whether its bad acting, a weak plot, too much focus on action, a pointless romantic story attached, or way too over-the-top substance, there hasn't been a martial arts film worthy of being up there with the best films in the modern era. Jui Kuen II (as they call it overseas) is the closest to the complete package as you can get.
We start the film off with Jackie Chan as the tough yet uncontrollable young kid by the name of Wong Fei-hung who accidentally takes a seal from British smugglers. The smugglers, also involved in overworking Chinese men in a factory resembling slave-like sweatshop of some sort, want the seal back. In the meantime, Wong's controversial fighting technique, drunken boxing, has been met by disapproval of his father, and wants him to refrain from ever using it. Drunken boxing also has a lot of competition and shun from others in the community. Chaos follows as soon as the British and their henchmen find out who has the seal, and vow to do whatever it takes to get it back and to spread fear in the community.
The plot isn't groundbreaking, but its something different than the average martial arts film. While it still contains the themes of family, honor, respect, and dignity contained in most Chinese movies of this genre, the preservation of Chinese art is a concept not used often. Nonetheless, it works, as we see the traditional values of the Chinese being threatened by the more modern mechanisms of the Europeans. There is also a major issue with honor, as Wong's father is morally against drunken boxing, and hates it when his reputation is damaged even a little. The acting involved with the tension amongst Chan and his family is at times a bit overblown, but for the most part gets the job right.
Jackie Chan is one of the few actors/actresses in modern cinema history that can both be taken seriously and lightly. We see Chan at his playful side, especially when he is drunk. But, take away the smile, watch him pose, and you will fear him. Seeing that look in his eye right before a major fight starts can send shivers down your spine, as you know he will not back down easy, and will use whatever technique necessary to take you out. His physical appearance isn't exactly intimidating, but his agility and amazing ability to be balanced and whip out an insane combo of punches and kicks remains to be matched by anyone else out there. The best of Chan is here in terms of acting, usage of props, and kung fu. Don't let his usage of props fool you, he can engage in a brutal victory without the use of any objects. Few Jackie Chan films prove this, but Drunken Master has its share of fights without any other objects floating around.
The fights are what Chan is best known for, and the fights are where the film excels towards jaw-dropping levels. From the first fight, involving swords and extending from underneath a train to a nearby house, to the final fight that lasts over 10 minutes without exaggeration; Drunken Master will wow you, will keep you on the edge of your seat, and will make you almost jump back in amazement. Hollywood does not have enough patience to spend four months on one fight alone, which is why we don't see fights in action films like the ones seen here. The final fight, involving a well-trained kicker and Chan at his drunkest stage is easily one of the best fights in historyit's so well choreographed, so well-timed, and so brilliantly executed, that it deserves a spot on one of modern film's greatest achievements. Raising the bar for generations to come, the last fight mixes speed, agility, humor, combos, fast movements, and unbelievable stunts. In truth, all the clashes prior do the same, but this one puts all the others to shame.
Bottom Line: Missing this film would be a travesty, especially if you enjoy a good martial arts film. This time its not Chan alone that makes the film; we have a good cast of characters and fighters, a decent plot, and never really drifts into an unbelievable level unlike most action movies of today. This is Chan at his absolute best; and this is famed director Chia-Liang Liu at his best. Almost a complete package in terms of quality and substance, Legend of Drunken Master is as close as you can get to martial arts perfection; and remains the greatest martial arts film of all-time. -
claudonio14 December 2000I recently saw "The Legend of "Drunken Master" not knowing anything about it and it was a grwat suprise to find how good this movie is. I have new respect for Chan after seeing this film. The fights scenes in this movie are simply amazing, the final fight that takes place in a steel mill made my jaw hit the floor, it lasts for about 20 minutes and Chan does some amzing stunts. This is the best martial ats movie I have ever seen.
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jake-17913 September 2000This is it. The single greatest Kung Fu movie ever made. This is the ultimate Kung Fu movie with the ultimate Kung Fu star, Jackie Chan. His entire career has culminated in to this one, great opus. Jackie performs feats of physical agility that will blow your mind, despite being about 40 years old when he made this movie. The story is about the fabled fighter Huang Fe-Hung who encounters corrupt industrialists that are exporting some of China's greatest historical treasures to increase their profits. Naturally Fe-Hung takes up the fight against them, and faces the deadly Ax Gang and finally a dangerous Tae Kwon Do stylist in the movies eye popping final fight scene. (That Tae Kwon Do fighter is actually Jackie's real life body guard. He stepped in as the chief villain because Ho SUng Pak hurt his ankle and was unable to perform the complicated fight sequences required.)
Fe-Hung doles out justice throughout the film with his unique fighting style, drunken boxing, despite ridicule by his opponents, insisting that drunken boxing is inferior. Needless to say, Jackie proves them wrong.
Historically speaking, the real Huang Fe-Hung did not use drunken boxing at all. In fact, he was a practioner of the much more effective style of Kung Fu called Hung-Gar. And his exploits can be alikened more to the Jesse James of America's old west. But Fe-Hung was more commonly found fighting for the underdog and battling tyranny. However, of all the innumerable depictions of Huang Fe-Hung "DRUNKEN MASTER 2" is by far the best.
This movie can be described as a "Big Budget" Kung Fu movie, done in a very traditional period style. The cinematography, direction, action sequencing, writing, and story line are all TOP KNOTCH. There has never been a Kung Fu movie made that is "better" than this one. And there has never been better fight choreography.
As you might well expect, there are some breath-taking stunts. And this is the movie that has the fire stunt responsible for Jackie's skin graft on his arm. He did not get burned so severly until the THIRD take! He wasn't happy with the first two. And if that is not painful enough to watch, then check out the fight against the Ax Gang, when one member gets knocked of the up-stairs portion of the restaraunt and slams into a cross beam before smashing in to the floor.
If you are looking for the best martial arts flick ever, this is it. -
ma-cortes21 April 2012Raymond Chow-Golden Harvest production with plenty of action , humor , lots of stretching and fast kicking . It deals with a young martial artist named Wong Fei-Hung (Jackie Chan's role is supposed to be half the age the actor was at the time of filming) going back home with his pacifist father (Lung Ti is only eight years older than Jackie Chan who plays his son) after a expedition and he meets at a train a veteran expert fighter . After that , he is caught between respecting his dad's orders or detaining a bunch of ambitious foreigners from smuggling precious objects . Meanwhile , Wong aware a style of fighting called "Drunken Boxing" , a strange and engaging kind of struggle . Unfortunately , his daddy is opposed to it , let alone drunken boxing . Ultimately , Fei-Hong not only has to face off against the disrespectful foreigners , but he has to overcome his dad's opposition as well . Entertainment , comedy and amusement abound in this exciting story , culminating consequently with overlong and spectacular fights in the enemy headquarter of the nasty band led by a foreigner ambassador along with his evil thugs .
Hong Kong action comedy full of over-the-top struggles , excitement , thrills , ingenious stunts , slapstick , lots of fights but with abundant humor and tongue-in-cheek . This bemusing movie is packed with adventure , intrigue , unstopped action , and overwhelming stunt-work , in fact , the seven-minute fight at the end of the film took nearly four months to shoot , Jackie Chan indicated that one day's filming typically produces three seconds of usable film . Jackie Chan is top notch as one army man fighting a group of heinous villains and as always he makes his own stunts like is well showed . Awesome , incredible stunts and brief comic touches , as usual ; the picture is better constructed than Chan's predecessors films . The lighting-paced storyline slows down at times , but frantic action sequences make up for it . Spotlights movie include spectacular brawls , including bounds and leaps , impressive and interminable fights , a breathtaking final struggle between Jackie Chan and enemies . Jackie Chan actually crawled over the burning hot coals two times , he felt he "didn't have the right rhythm" the first time he did it . In addition other fine action sequences in overwhelming style . This is an acceptable action movie distinguished by nicely cinematography of the spectacular sequences , and contains agreeable sense of humor such as previous entries . Jackie Chan usually forms couple to notorious actresses as Maggie Chung and Michelle Yeoh . In this outing Jackie teams up again to prestigious Chinese actress Anita Mui , who plays his stepmother , a fine action star in their own right but sadly she early died by cancer . Both of them starred together several films such as ¨ Mr Canton and Lady Rose¨ and ¨Rumble Bronx¨ .
The ¨Wong Fei Hung¨ role is a Chinese historic character who has been played by several actors , as Tak Hing in numerous films , the same Jackie Chan in ¨Drunken monkey in the tiger's eyes (1978)¨ and Jet Li in ¨One upon a time a hero in China¨ series , ¨Dr Wong in America¨ and recently Sammo Hung in the recent version of ¨Around the world in 80 days¨ also starred by Chan . ¨Jui Kuen II¨ is a good action movie distinguished by fight sequences , noisy action and packs silly sense of humor as well as Jackie's subsequent entries . The picture achieved big success in China and all around the world . However , Jackie Chan's failed at Box-office in his American debut ,¨Battle creek brawl¨ . Chan is a hard-working actor and director throughout his long and varied career . Chan usually pays overt homage to two of his greatest influences as Charles Chaplin and Harold Lloyd . He went on playing ¨Cannoball¨ , ¨The protector¨ and "Rumble in the Bronx", until getting all American success with ¨Shangai Knights¨ , ¨The tuxedo¨ , ¨Around the world in 80 days¨ and ¨Rush hour¨ trilogy , and the recent ¨Karate kid¨. Of course , his biggest hits were ¨The Police story¨ series that won the Golden Horse Award, a Chinese version of the Oscar , the first was titled ¨Police story (1985)¨ directed by the same Chan , it was a perfect action film for enthusiastic of the genre ; the following was ¨Police story 2 (1988)¨ also pretty violent and with abundant humor touches . It's followed by ¨Supercop¨ or ¨Police story 3¨ and finally , ¨Police story IV : Crime story¨ . The picture is well produced by the great Asian producer Raymond Chow and Golden Harvest production and compellingly directed by Chia Liu and completed by Jackie Chan . Rating : Acceptable and passable , the picture has its sensational moments here and there , but also with abundant humor touches mostly provided by its agile star , the super Jackie stunningly accompanied by Anita Mui and Lung Ti . It's a perfect action film for enthusiasts of the genre and especially for Jackie fans . -
daan_de_geus21 April 2007Awesome movie! totally awesome fights!
Ken Lo owned the **** out of this movie. His final fight against Jackie is awesome. Jackie plays WFH (the often portrayed Wong Fei Hung), a martial artist of great skill and also a drunken boxer. His father, also a master, dislikes Drunken boxing.
The plot of this movie isn't all that bad, but you watch it for the action anyways and there's plenty to go around and it's simply astounding!
It's a classical Jackie movie, with some silly moments and prop using during the fights, wicked stunts (some of which are (naturally) really dangerous) and brilliantly choreographed combat! -
chuckrules20 June 2002Jackie Chan is the trouble prone son of a local doctor and martial arts instructor. In an attempt to help his Dad avoid paying taxes on some ginseng he is bringing home for one of his patients, Jackie stows the root in luggage belonging to a local political official. When he attempts to retrieve it, he finds someone else digging in the same baggage and a battle ensues. Jackie is stymied at every turn, even when he uses his famous Drunken Boxing, but finally retrieves the precious package and makes it back to the train as it is leaving the station. Unfortunately as all Jackie Chan fans can figure, Jackie got the wrong box. It seems the official was smuggling out a famous Chinese artifact and the man who was going through the luggage was a special investigator trying to get evidence. This local official is using the factory in Jackie's town to hide all the other relics he has stolen and becomes enraged when he discovers the theft has been committed. He ships his men all over town searching and they final track down Jackie and his spitfire step-mother and try to steal the artifact back. Jackie is a ball of fire rolling through the group but is vastly outnumbered. His step-mother takes matters into her hands and begins throwing bottles of liquor at him since what could better help a master of Drunken Boxing than getting drunk. Jackie ends up beating the gang and disgracing his father in the process who has always told him not to use this style. His father knows that many practitioners of this style end up as drunks in the end and worries the same will happen to his son. Finally Jackie is forced into helping rescue some of his friends who are trapped in the factory. The battle that follows is a dazzling display of Drunken Boxing at it's finest. This movie succeeds at all levels. It doesn't promise any hidden agenda and fail to deliver. It promises a martial arts packed movie with dazzling stunts and comedy to boot...and it works. Jackie was trained in the Hong Kong Opera at an early age and his talents are never more on display. The opening fight which takes part under a train is something that must be seen to be believed. The two combatants use a spear and a sword in their battle and basically are in a crouch the entire length of the car. Subsequent scenes incorporating the drunken movies are both hilarious and awesome in the ease of the choreography. Another good point for this movie is the dubbing is better than any many I have seen. They even allow Jackie to dub his own voice which is something that doesn't always happen for English speaking foreign actors. As usual with a Jackie Chan movie you must also watch the deleted scenes that are shown during the credits.
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So this film is fairly uneven. On one hand, its story is either lacking in tonal coherence or is generally scatter brained. On the other hand, the fight choreography and stunt work is genuinely breathtaking.
The story isn't necessarily incomprehensible, though it seems to try very hard to be. I get the distinct impression that there was either difficulty in getting all the coverage required for the plot, or that the editor had a very fuzzy understanding of how to put all the scenes together in a way which made sense, mostly it feels like the former. At a certain point it literally feels like scenes are missing from the film. It doesn't ruin the experience, but it makes it difficult to be especially invested in the characters and their motivations. Speaking of characters, they're mostly fine I guess. Jackie Chan at least represents some kind of arc or emotional conflict that the audience can get involved in. For the most part though, a lot of characters feel underdeveloped to the point of being sort of place-holders. I guess the main takeaway is that this film would be kind of bad if not for the martial arts.
The martial arts and accompanying stunt work in this film is of the highest caliber. It's sort of to be expected of a Jackie Chan feature, but even so, there are some fights in this film which seem to defy all conventions of action and the laws of physics. Admittedly, a lot of it is pretty cornball. The sort of levity which is characteristic of a lot of the action is very fitting I think. It better compliments the light comedic tone of this film than more serious encounters might have. I mean, the fighting can often be a lot funnier than the sort of weird attempts at humor that come during the "down time". I'm not trying to undermine the legitimate tension that comes during some of the fighting. I'm just saying that the tone of the action fits very well into the rest of the film.
Despite the largely messy story, the martial arts action in this film is executed with absolute mastery. It's worth checking out by virtue of its highlights. Go for it, it's good. -
Jack_Yan2 July 1999This film is all the more fantastic because it is, however loosely, based on fact. Chan is in one of his finest roles as Chinese hero Wong Fei Hung, fighting foreigners who wish to take artefacts out of China during the Ching dynasty.
An appreciation of turn-of-the-century China does help, but even without it, the film remains incredibly entertaining. The kung-fu choreography is interwoven with a well-written story which should instil pride in any Chinese moviegoer.
Even Chan's acting is excellent, as the young Wong Fei Hung who develops his "drunken boxing" style - a type of kung-fu which is aided by the consumption of alcohol. However, his father forbids his son's drinking, fearing that he will not know when to stop. His stepmother is encouraging, hoping to put her stepson on the map in the local community. The rapport between the characters is superb and realistically acted by the players. The martial arts' choreography here is among the best in any film.
Of Chan's movies set in an earlier time period, Jui Kuen II must rank as his best. An excellent example of the genre. -
If you enjoyed the original 1978 "Drunken Master" (aka "Zui quean"), then you definitely want to sit down and watch the sequel that came into existence in 1994, "Drunken Master II" (aka "Jui kuen II").
While "Drunken Master II" is not as intense or have the same level of humor to it as the 1978 predecessor, then it should be said that the 1994 sequel is a whole different movie in its own right, but still keeping the spirit of the original movie at heart.
The 1994 sequel, "Drunken Master II", has a very impressive array of casted actors and actresses to the cast list, which includes the likes of the late Anita Mui, Lung Ti and Andy Lau to assist the always enjoyable Jackie Chan on the screen.
There is a good amount of mixture of both action and comedy, which is, of course, the trademark Jackie Chan style. So if you enjoy his movies, you will definitely also enjoy "Drunken Master II". The action and martial arts sequences throughout the movie was phenomenally well-choreographed and executed on the screen - again, also a trademark Jackie Chan style.
The storyline in "Drunken Master II" is fairly straightforward and doesn't really require much from the audience. So you just essentially lean back and enjoy the ride. -
Quinoa198422 October 2000Jackie Chan shows off (and delivers) the goods in this film. It follows a tradition of Chan starring movies in America (Rumble In the Bronx, Supercop, Supercop II, First Strike, Who Am I, Operation Condor and Operation Condor) that were hits in China some time ago and have been re-released here (in fact, except for Rush Hour and Shanghai Noon all of Chan's films are China made). This is one of his best.
The plot follows Chan as a young man who is a master in the art of drunken fighting (drinking before and druing a fight to gain action) who has to go up against art theieves and family betrayers. This plot is somewhat thin, and the dubbing makes The Crippled Masters look like Das Boot. But, the entertainment factor kicks in, and we see terrific fun. Only liability: this is a remake of the film that originally made Chan a celebrity in China, but in this film he is playing the same character (and he's 40). But still, it is a good enough film to almost not notice. A- -
SkullScreamerReturns14 December 2020In my opinion Jackie's early films often lean too much on slapstick comedy, but in some later ones he got the things in balance. Legend of Drunken Master is such a case. It does have a lot of comedy but it also has an interesting story and the fight scenes have a bit more punch and the enemies seem a bit more menacing. The fight choreography is of course amazing, and I think Jackie had perfected his style at this point of his career.
If you want a good martial arts action-comedy then this is a good choice. Also a good place to start if you've never seen a Jackie Chan film. (Even though this is a sequel in a way, it's practically its own movie, and I don't think the first Drunken Master is as good as this one.) -
jeida7 December 2000If you have seen any of Chan's movies before, you already know what to expect. The mainstays are well represented, excellent fighting scenes, a very frail plot and, the best part of many of his movies, the stunt screw ups as the credits roll. I just viewed this movie and I can't remember any of the character's names. I can barely remember why he was fighting anyone. But all that doesn't matter, just as long as he's bouncing, throwing, spinning and juggling everything on screen at once during the wild fight scenes.
This is an uncomplicated movie that gets to the root of his abilities on screen quickly, but then troubles itself to introduce some character development mini plots, compleat with the "I no longer have a son!" line. But it would be a shame to let the childish (even stupid) dialogue and characters take away from the imaginative, humorous and complex action of this film. So just sit tight and wait through the "plot" progression scenes for the real goodies.
With absolutely nothing to back up the fight scenes in this movie, I cannot, with good conscious, advise a non-Jackie Chan fan to see this movie. I rate it a three out of ten. But if you are like me and have to see all of his movies, then this is a special one. It is part two of one of his first big time commercial hits in China way back when. So go get it and watch for the fantastic final fight when Jackie takes out the big boss! Whatever his name was... -
tedg10 July 2005I may be wrong about this, but I think Chan is responsible for the avalanche of ironic performance fights we have now.
Here's the deal: movies need to be cinematic and fights are cinematic so we have them.
Movies fall into two rough buckets: various concepts of sincerity and those that have (incorrectly as it turns out) been conflated under the concept of irony. Anything that exists in the first eventually has a sibling in the second; that's the way the world works.
So if you have fights, even elaborate kung fu productions that are sincere, sooner or later someone will figure out how to annotate them. Chan was the guy that found a way to turn fights into a show and at the same time produce a simultaneous commentary that says: "watch this, its funny."
To do the annotation, a requirement is that first level be excellent. Chan IS an excellent fight performer, and key to this awareness is the much publicized fact that no cheating is done on the effects. But he also a great humorist as well.
This particular film isn't the turning point for all fight irony that follows. That was much earlier, but this is probably the best and most explicit.
Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 3: Worth watching. -
This is the first movie where I saw Jackie Chan using one of his most entertaining to watch fighting style...The drunken boxing. Now this sequel isn't as funny compared to his previous Drunken Master film. But it's more entertaining, has better direction and fights, and a more better put together story and characters. Jackie Chan performed every stunt in this film and his sacrifice is totally worth it. As a matter of fact this is one of Jackie Chan's most popular trademark movie of his. I remember watching this film for the first time when I was a youngster and being so thoroughly entertained by it. I started to imitate drunken boxing and found it to be the epitome of a fun kung-fu movie. Now I don't care if others claim this movie is overrated. This film alone should give Jackie Chan the right to leave a mark in kung-fu films history in my opinion. I also liked Jackie Chan's mother in this film, she was like the Chinese Lucy from "I Love Lucy". Anyways this is a Jackie Chan's masterpiece. Anyone that like Jackie Chan films or Kung-fu movies should check this one out. Heck if you like entertaining and enjoyable films in general check this one out.
9.4/10 -
kavishpurani8 August 2014oh! the legend of drunken master,what a super cool movie. its martial arts are the best. I'd name it drunken returns. this movie is my favorite forever. all humans have to watch this. because this movie is to furious & awesome. Jackie Chan is my favorite actor. and also this movie is my favorite to. plus the drunken fist/drunken boxing is most powerful technique allover the world. when I saw this first time,I was so nervous. this movie is 102 minutes lengthy but in this you can see that the fighting time is 30-40 minutes! that's why this is my favorite! I want to say that all guys have to watch this. this is the best martial arts movie ever. that's why this movie is rated 7.6/10.
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This is a Jackie Chan movie made by his Hong Kong producers. Jackie Chan directed this movie himself (as he seems to do a lot) so all the bizarre stunts that he does, he does because he chooses to do them. This movie is not a movie sponsored by American money, as was Rumble in the Bronx, and thus has all of the typical quirks of Hong Kong Cinema.
Jackie Chan, his brother, and his father go into China to get hold of some ginseng. As they come to the border post they realise they must declare the goods so they smuggle it on board through a British ambassador. They then must get it back so they sneak into first class and take the package. Unfortunately there are two similar packages and they take the wrong one. They also confront another martial artist who wants the other package. Through this they uncover a plot by the British to overthrow the Chinese Emperor (or so it seems).
As with typical movies of this sort, there is little in the way of deep, in-depth thought. Jackie Chan is about stuns and martial arts, and you get plenty of that here. The interesting thing in this movie is the portrayal of the British. They have their guns while the Chinese have their martial arts. Even with their skill, they are under the yoke of the gun. But when the Chinese get the guns, they discard them in favour of the martial arts.
The specific martial art that Jackie Chan uses here is what is called Drunken Boxing. He is reasonable, but very beatable sober, but when he gets drunk he becomes invincible. Thus, when he finds that he is fighting a fight that he probably will not win, he seeks as much alcohol as possible and becomes blind drunk.
This is a reasonably good movie, and as typical for Jackie Chan, quite funny as well. When you watch it though, make sure that the version you have has reasonable subtitles, because it is really annoying watching a movie when you don't know what is going on because you cannot understand the dialogue. -
BA_Harrison1 September 2015A 40-year-old Jackie Chan proves that he still has what it takes to make the jaw drop to the floor with Legend of the Drunken Master, a period martial arts film that features not just some of the best fight scenes of Chan's career, but of kung fu cinema in general.
Chan plays legendary martial artist Wong Fei-hung, son of kung fu master and physician Wong Kei-ying (Ti Lung). Returning from a trip to replenish their medical supplies, Fei-Hung tries to avoid paying taxes on a parcel of ginseng by concealing it in a British ambassador's luggage; but when he sneaks into the luggage compartment on the train journey home to retrieve his package, he grabs the wrong bundle, mistakenly taking a precious jade seal destined for the British Museum. This makes Fei-Hung the target of a Chinese master, Fu Wen-Chi , who is determined to avoid the antique from leaving the country, and also the evil British ambassador and his henchmen.
What follows is an action packed comedy caper as our hero tries to hang on to the seal while keeping his promise to his father to not drink and fight. Of course, this proves impossible with numerous people trying to get their hands on him, and with drunken boxing as Fei-Hung's preferred style of fighting.
As with many Chinese Chan movies, there's quite a bit of broad comedy, which, depending on your sense of humour, you will either find amusing or bloody irritating (I tend to lean towards the latter), and the plot is far from inspired, but it's the martial arts that makes this truly unmissable, actor/director Lau Kar Leung capturing Jackie and his co-stars at their absolute best. An early fight between Fei-Hung under a train and a station platform quickly sets the bar extremely high, but that is eclipsed by a fun exhibition fight in a fish market and a spectacular brawl against countless axe wielding gang members in a restaurant (with bodies regularly falling from great heights).
The best, of course, is saved for last, with a blistering battle that takes place inside a steel mill and which has to be seen to be believed, the scene making good use of the surrounding props, with steel bars, flaming coals, chains and flammable liquids all playing a part. A one-on-one between Chan and high-kicker Ken Lo is my favourite part of the whole film: amazingly fast, with superb choreography in which the star performs some incredible acrobatics, this is so good that its impossible to do justice with mere words. Do yourself a favour and just watch it for yourself now! You can thank me later.
8.5/10, rounded up to 9 for IMDb. -
Now, I'm not usually a fan of Jackie Chan movies, I think he makes movies that are entertaining to a certain extent, but get old fast. Why is this? Because he generally does Chinese drama instead of actual fighting styles. This makes his movies look good, but also unsatisfying to hardcore martial arts fans like myself. Using such dramatic fighting tends to take away from any realism the film might have. Now, while Legend of the Drunken Master may have some outrageous situations, at least the fighting is very similar to what you would see if you watched real masters of their particular styles fight.
I, personally think that Drunken style Kung Foo is great. If done correctly it's extremely effective and equally entertaining to watch. Perfect for a good martial arts movie. I was happy to find that Drunken Boxing isn't the only real style used in the film, most of the people use real and very recognizable styles as well. One worth mentioning is the fight with the head bad guy at the end, he shows off his fantastic talent in Kickboxing, with a very elaborate fight sequence.
As with most martial arts films, the story and philosophy (if any) falls short, although I can't really say I've seen a film get it right since Enter the Dragon. This can't be completely blamed on the film since I'm sure a lot was lost in the translation, kind of makes me want to learn Chinese. But I didn't expect much from it, I just wanted some great fight scenes and that's exactly what I got.
I gave Legend of the Drunken Master 7 stars out of 10. -
Leofwine_draca26 November 2016Regarded by many people to contain the pinnacle of Chan's physical powers (at the late age of 40 in his life), DRUNKEN MASTER II was belatedly released in the US six years after it was made, after Chan had become a star over there. This much we know. But what of the film? Overall, the story and characters stand somewhere in about the middle of Chan's filmography. The first half of the film harks back to his earlier action-comedy days like the original DRUNKEN MASTER, except with a much higher budget so everything looks like it did in PROJECT A PART II now. The script offers a few choice gags but it's very much par for the course. Even the action is fairly straightforward, and of the cast only martial arts veteran Ti Lung makes anything of an impact as Jackie's straight-laced dad with Anita Mui in support as his stepmother.
At around the hour mark we get the first signs of greatness with the arrival of the "axe gang", hundreds of hoods who attempt to destroy our hero in a tavern. The action is fast and furious with Jackie using tables and bamboo canes to fight off numerous attackers, whilst director Chia-Liang Liu also gets in on the action! However, this does not prepare us for the finale of the movie, a twenty-minute battle in a steelworks factory. Hands down, the finale of this film contains the best action Chan has ever put on screen. He is nimble, funny, and does some great stunts with props and fire, so that everything looks dangerous. The fights are hard-hitting, and super-kicker Ken Lo is incredible as his chief opponent who comes out of nowhere to fight to the finish. A brilliant and protracted martial arts fight plays out, impeccably choreographed and definitely the best of Jackie's long career in terms of style, excitement, and pure incredible adrenaline-pumping superhuman manoeuvres. The ending alone makes this classic material and a strong contender for Jackie's best ever movie. -
dpolwatte9 November 2018Starring Kung fu superstar Jackie Chan in his early days of one his renowned action movie that put him in the current stable position. Brings out jaw-dropping surreal stunts that scares you to death when you see that half of the movie stunts are real. Brings out the origins of the true hero built on the screen today, he gives a stunning martial arts performance in every sense of his way.Great movie and not to miss if you are a martial arts movie fan.The last scenes of the film are one of the riskiest stunts I've ever seen by a real life actor.
Overall rating - funny,witty and brings out pure fights and style and how superstar Jackie Chan was originated. => 3.5/5 -
Bob-4531 March 2001Part sitcom, part period tale and all action. This movie is actually superior to CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON in cinematography and stunts. No wires here (hidden or otherwise). Though Jackie Chan will never win
any acting honors (his repetoire consists of roughly three expressions), the lady who plays his stepmother is a real find (think Lucille Ball). This would be a "10" with better dubbing and if Chan had been believable as a young man. This is a movie I'll proudly add to my collection, and watch at least once a year just for the stunts, the beautiful cinematography and the terrific martial arts. -
maverick-695 November 2000chan is good in this film, and the fight scenes are great as always. not as many fight scenes as i would have liked. the story is good. funny in places but not as good as some of his earlier films. when chan is drunk, he gets funny watching him move like he is drunk. but overall a disapointment that i saw in the theatres.go rent it. it's worth that.
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Chrysanthepop29 October 2007'Jui kuen II' is another funny Jackie Chan film with some great action scenes that were both skillfully shot and impressively performed. It has its share of funny moments but much of the comedy seems forced to the screenplay and lack the charm of its prequel 'Jui kuen'. The plot is very predictable and clichèd. The set designs, particularly Wong's house have been nicely decorated. The background score is pleasant. Jackie Chan pretty much plays the same character as in most of his films but he's still fun to watch. Anita Mui deserves special mention as she provides the funniest moments and is a delight to watch (even though it felt slightly awkward to see her cast as Chan's mother). So for me what stood out in this film are the brave action sequences (particularly the one at the end) and Anita Mui. Otherwise it's quite an average film as I did not feel as entertained as I would expect when watching a Jackie Chan film.
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I wrote a very positive comment for this film a while back, and I stand by everything I said. But having just seen the newly-dubbed American version, I fear that people are going to get the wrong impression about Jackie Chan and about this film. The original version is amazing; the American version is terrible.
Let's begin with the dubbing. Some people apparently cannot deal with reading subtitles, but dubbing is infinitely worse. Many of the jokes fall flat when audibly translated into English. I can't understand Cantonese, but delivery and comic timing can succeed across language barriers. By re-translating much of the dialogue and getting some lame English-speaking voiceover actors (other than Jackie himself), the non-action scenes are unbearable. I was particularly disappointed with the voiceover for Anita Mui as the mother. She was much funnier in Chinese.
In addition, the score and all the sound effects have been redone, poorly. I can't understand why they would want to replace a good Chinese with a more generically Chinese, somewhat Americanized score. The change made me realize that the music is incredibly important in aiding the rhythm of the fight choreography. The new score fails to do that. And the new sound effects, while certainly less jarring to uninitiated viewers of chopsocky kung fu films, just fall flat. Sure, in the original some of the sound fx are entirely unrealistic, but that was part of the charm. It all fit together. But the new version stripped apart the ingredients and attempted to reformulate them in a manner more suitable for an American audience. In my opinion, something was definitely lost in the translation.