Wing Chun is an entertaining combination of slapstick humour and amazing martial arts fights. It's a romantic comedy at heart, one with a feminist bent. The story, while simple, features several memorable characters. There are setpiece battles that move the story along. Most of these feature Michelle Yeoh as the charismatic and beautiful Yim Wing Chun. Yuen Woo-ping's fight choreography is as usual inventive. He included moves that are quick and fresh, many of these aren't featured in other films. Donnie Yen's unusual turn as Leung Pok To, a man who has come to town to wed Yim Wing Chun is also of note. All in all, there's enough character development, humour, fights, and good scenery here to make Wing Chun one of the best martial arts films ever. It's not quite as good as the director's other famous film Iron Monkey (1993), but it's still a delight. Where else can you find actresses this good-looking and fights this exciting? Come to think of it, Peking Opera Blues (1986) probably influenced Yuen Woo-ping's filmmaking. I easily recommend seeing Wing Chun.
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TheHande17 December 2006Wing Chun surprises with its fast pace and excellent physical comedy. Fight scenes are also convincing. The entire setting is not very original, but amusing and that is what really counts. There were ultimately moments when the film feels a bit messy, but in all wire- and stunt-work has been done wonderfully and cleanly.
The characters are all rather likable. The bad guys are rather faceless, but not a big disappointment. The soundtrack has a classic 80s sound to it which makes the movie stand out in a nice campy way.
The film isn't really a drama or action film, but rather a fast-paced slapstick. A fun experience and an admirable Kung Fu flick. -
ebiros231 May 2009Despite that fact that different plot ideas for Kung Fu movie has been fully exploited by now and no new ideas are coming, Wing Chun still stands out in its uniqueness mostly because Michelle Yeoh is its star. If this movie was done by anyone else, it probably would have ended up being a dud, but she brings class to this movie it otherwise would not have had. The movie has very different atmosphere from other Kung Fu movies. While silly things are happening, Michelle Yeoh's action is precise and eye opening. She's the only one playing strait, and it works.
There has been other Kung Fu movies done by female lead, but they are mostly gruesomely violent. While there're lot of action in this movie, none of its action is violent. You won't see any blood, no bones being crushed, and yet it's filled with great action.
Somewhat difficult to find these days, but you owe it to yourself to see this movie at least once. -
JB-813 October 1998Okay, so there are those out there who have not seen "Wing Chun." I understand ... it's not easy to get a hold of. But, if you can, you have to see it. It's the bomb of kung-fu films with female leads. Michelle Khan (Yeoh) is amazing. Doing all her own stunts (like Jackie Chan) really makes it all worthwhile. And this film, unlike so many kung-fu films, has an actual story ... and it's good, too. The cinematography is great and the humor intertwined throughout the film makes it lighter than would be expected. (And it's based on real events!!!!!)
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nickthegun20 February 2003Michelle Yeoh stars as the titular Yim Wing Chun, the spiritual mother of Wing Chun kung fu (the kind they teach in Prodigal Son, amongst others). As you would expect from Yeoh, she is vibrant on screen, kicking a lot of arse and showing us the sensitive side to a martial arts hero.
Wing Chun's village is constantly under threat by bandits led by the erm flying simian family (well two brothers, Flying Monkey and Flying Chimp). After she cracks some skulls, while rescuing the widow Charmy', she makes enemies of the local martial artists, who lose face after Wing Chun shows them up, and the bandits, who want her dead and for Flying Monkey to marry Charmy. The scene where Wing Chun shows the local martial arts heros the Art of fighting without fighting' in the soya shop is amazing. Anyway, after castrating flying monkey, flying chimp decides to challenge Wing Chun, for the honour of the bandit clan. With inevitable consequences.
When Wing Chun isn't giving us great fight sequences, it plays it like quite a lot of HK cinema. For laughs. And, like a lot of HK cinema, it can get pretty irritating. A lot of mugging and juvenile humour are the order of the day here. Concentrating on that old Kung Fu film staple, getting laid.
Wing Chun was one of the first great high flying new style kung fu films and stands the test of time, nine years on. I really liked it, and forgiving its faults is easy. Although Donnie Yen was criminally under used, but that's not such a big deal. -
First of all, ''Wing Chun is a system of Chinese martial arts with an emphasis on close-range striking and interception and low kicks. (It also features the use of weapons)'''. So, the name of the movie is part of because of Michelle's Yeoh character and part of because the martial arts she practices. And I really like this Chinese movie with a simple story, since it is very delightful to watch, and we have Michelle before she coming the big celebrity she is now. ( And known as ''Michelle Khan'')
Wing Chun, is a woman living in a remote village attacked by robbers and thieves all the time. She helps to protect the city and is very well known because of that, but since she lives in a male-based society she has many problems with men and love in general. One day, assassins kidnaps one of her friends, and she goes after them to save her.
This movie has a lot of action and a lot of humor. :) Impossible not to like! -
bikeride-27 November 1999I forgot I had taped most of this off TNT a while back. I watched it again and am really beginning to enjoy how good Donnie Yen is. Easily as good as Jet Li and seems to have a greater acting range ( Jet seems always so serious and intense). But I need to see more of each. Anyway the fight scenes are good, good and varied techniques, though not looking like really wing chun. Unnecessarily speeded up (these guys are fast enough) and too much wire fu - typical Yuen Woo Ping it seems. It would be good to see Michelle Yeoh and Donnie Yen together in a modern film.
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divemaster139 February 2010I rented "Wing Chun" on VHS several years ago, after watching "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon." I was impressed with Michelle Yeoh and the whole wuxia/martial arts fantasy genre. I'm glad I did because this is one of my favorites.
In addition to Michelle Yeoh (who plays the Wing Chun character), the movie stars Donnie Yen ("Iron Monkey"; "Hero") as well as Waise Lee, Norman Chu, King-Tan Yuen, and Catherine Hung Yan. Pei-pei Chang has a cameo.
The story is light and comic. Much of the plot will seem familiar to those who have seen a number of Shakespearian comedies--girl dressed as guy, mistaken identities, love triangles, suiters sneaking in and out of bedrooms just in the nick of time, plays on words, sexual innuendo, etc. You've even got a den of thieves with comically bumbling ne'er-do-wells.
The "plot" as it were is an excuse to hold the story together for the fight scenes. The martial arts in the movie are not brutal death-matches, but of the spin-through-the-air, prop-using, wonderfully choreographed, skilled ballets that are indicative of the film's action choreographer Woo-ping Yuen (who also choreographed "The Matrix," "Crouching Tiger," "Kill Bill," and many more). Donnie Yen contributed a lot to the choreogrpahy and action directing also.
And what great fight scenes they are! There are at least 8 or 9, so you certainly get your money's worth. They are so much fun to watch. Michelle is simply wonderful, especially in the last third of the movie when she stops dressing in men's clothes and goes into cute and perky mode.
Perhaps the most famous scene from the film is one where one of the local bandits has come to challenge Wing Chun in her place of business (a tofu store). No problem, says Wing Chun. All you have to do is smash this pan of tofu sitting on the table and you will be the winner.
How hard could that be, right? Well, it's damn nigh impossible when what prevents you from putting your fist into a plate of tofu is Michelle Yeoh and all her skills. An amazingly choreographed scene that brings big smiles all around. Michelle's facial expressions are priceless as she goads the hapless bandit into just "one more try" before slamming him back to the ground yet again.
Anyone remotely interested in martial arts romantic comedies should rush to pick this film up. -
Matti-Man18 July 2006This is a great showcase for Michelle Yeoh, playing the legendary first practitioner of the wing chun style, Yim Wing-Chun. Trouble is, there's not much of the wing chun style shown in the film. The problem is that though the wing chun system is a very effective style in real life, it's not very visually engaging, so Yuen Woo Ping had to throw in some high kicks just to spice up the action a little ... but then, we don't watch kung fu films for historical or technical accuracy.
Michelle Yeoh and Donnie Yen are both pretty good here. Certainly, Yeoh turns in a starry performance, though Yen could have been given more to do ...
Overall, entertaining enough, but not primo YWP fare. -
I absolutely love this movie and have watched it more than once already! It is so fun and it has that slapstick humor style partnered with action sequences. Donnie Yen is fantastic as always and so charmingly adorable in this movie. Michelle Yeoh does a great job of convincing you she really knows Wing Chun and utilizes her dancing abilities to bring that to life.
I absolutely love the characters, that is what really makes this movie shine apart from the action. Character development. The characters are so likable, I love the Aunt she is hilarious actually even the bad guys are likable! The action scenes are really well done and the slapstick element makes them both fun and funny.
It's such a unique combination of action/martial arts, humor and romantic comedy I don't see how this movie does not have higher ratings! This has become one of my favorite movies! -
BA_Harrison12 September 2006The lovely Michelle Yeoh plays Wing Chun, a brilliant martial artist who lives in a tofu shop in a small village, with her aunt, Abacas Fong (King-Tan Yuen). Wing rescues a beautiful woman, Charmy (Catherine Hung), and her sick husband from a gang of bandits that plague the locals. Unfortunately, the husband dies, so the young widow goes to work in the tofu shop, where she attracts many new customers, including local scholar Wong (Waise Lee).
Enter Leung Pok-To (Donnie Yen), a fighter who has returned to the village after many years in order to marry his sweetheart, Wing Chun. He believes Charmy to be his wife-to-be and Wing Chun to be a man (because of the clothes she wearsa common plot device in Eastern movies) and this sets the scene for several farcical moments involving mistaken identities and sexual innuendo (including one in which Wong is tricked into bedding Abacus).
After much lame smutty comedy, the film returns to the action, with nasty bandit, Flying Monkey (who also has a thing for Charmy) attempting to abduct the pretty tofu girl. However, Wing Chun foils his plot, burning off his tallywhacker in the process!
When bandit leader Flying Chimp sees what Wing Chun has done, he kidnaps Charmy and challenges Wing to a duel. Wing wins and Charmy is released, but Wing must return three days later for another bout. If she loses, she must stay in the bandit lair where Flying Chimp hopes to 'tame' the beautiful fighter.
With its talented cast and proficient director (Yuen Woo-Ping), I had high hopes for Wing Chun. Unfortunately, the film didn't live up to my expectations, ending up as a pretty average mix of silly comedy and over-the-top martial arts sequences that rely far to heavily on clever editing and Woo-Ping's trademark wire-fu trickery.
I do not deny that Wing Chun is pretty inoffensive fun and there are worse ways to spend your time, but with a film starring two of my favourite HK stars, Michelle Yeoh and Donnie Yen, I was really hoping for something special. -
I saw Michelle Yeoh first in Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), next in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000), then in Memoirs of a Geisha (2005) before I saw her in the film under review, Wing Chun (1994).
In the first three films, hers was a strong, polished presence, showing an accomplished actor capable of nuance as well as swift direct action. The 1997 and 2000 films showed her physical prowess as well, but by the 2005 film, her acting alone was impressive.
Wing Chun was a bit of a pleasant surprise. The screenplay, the direction, and the production values clearly did not make full use Yeoh's abilities. On the other hand, it was funny, sweet, and moved along to a pleasant conclusion. The screenplay and the other actors were just good enough to carry the film to the next part where Yeoh was present.
Wing Chun the character was a woman who had moved away from her early home to study kung fu in seclusion. Later in life, she was fine with helping protect from bandits the town where Aunty Fong did business. She expected to live out her life with her dignity, but not have a husband.
Life changed for her when her childhood sweetheart Pok To rolled into town; she recognized him, but he did not recognize her, which started a sequence of misadventures.
The leader of the bandits (Flying Chimpanzee) gets discouraged with being thwarted by Wing Chun, and decided to make a cause of her. This involved lots of choreographed kung fu fighting, fighting with weapons, fighting on horseback, and so on.
The fighting and the romantic entanglements resolve in ways that were happy for almost everyone.
----Scores----
Cinematography: 9/10 Very good in most of the film.
Sound: 8/10 Fine, except for the over the top Foley for the fighting sequences.
Acting: 8/10 The main players were fine, but many of the supporting cast not as much.
Screenplay: 8/10 This is the best comedy I've seen in many years. -
kkmwills23 August 2004I watched this over the weekend and enjoyed it. It was indeed a light action/comedy and lived up to that.
Michelle Yeoh,Donnie Yen, and Norman Chu were very fun to watch in their fights (Wing Chun, Pok To, and Flying Monkey, respectively.)
King-Tan Yuen has won me over with her Abacus Fong, Wing Chun's aunt. Love her! The smart, canny businesswoman who finds who she wants to marry- yeah, a caricature, but carried off with fun acting chops and good writing for the character.
It was fun and a feather in the cast and crew's cap. Yet...
*SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT! The Following Is A PLOT POINT That Angers Me!*
Yes, it's a period piece. Yes, women who work out get muscular. Yes, Wing Chun chose to dress in men's clothing. But her Fiancé couldn't tell who she was?!?
I know that the conventional idea is that Asian ladies seem to age slower, but for Pok to think that his fiancé would wear the exact same clothes for TEN YEARS, that she wouldn't age any in that time, and that the actual Wing was *a MAN!* is just angry-making. It was a movie produced in the mid90s, fer heaven's sake! I like mistaken identity comedies- ones that make sense and dovetail with what I see on-screen. That this guy, Pok, was the only one to *continually* believe that the real Wing Chun was a man is just insane- several other characters, had no real problem realizing that Wing was a female, just a freaky one (to their way of thinking.)
It was a point that made the movie lessen in my estimation of it. Pok is supposed to be "educated" as shorthanded by him studying martial arts for six years and a passing mention or two of him working for a city official in a Big City. Yeah, he's been busy and has gauzy, schmoopy memories of "his" Wing Chun, but his twigging to the truth in the las half hour was just.... let's just say disappointing. I was rooting for Bandit Warlord #1/Flying Monkey to win. At least he knew Wing Chun was a female and respected her prowess. *END OF SPOILER SECTION- END OF SPOILER SECTION-END OF SPOILER SECTION*
Overall, I recommend this movie, as it is fun. I just had to vent on that one bit. As for other Michelle Yeoh recommendations:
The Heroic Trio, and its sequel, The Executioners; Royal Warriors; Magnificent Warriors;The Soong Sisters (a period piece that's a biopic) -
akgs6 December 2005Can't tell anything worth any compliment in such an industrial product of HongKong Banal character, stereotyped script and humor. You can't see any performance in this movie. I was cheated by the rating at IMDb, otherwise I would have never watched this kind of "fast food" movie. The only thing I recognized is that this is another HongKong entertaining picture which was already old-fashioned by that time. Swordsmen film can be extremely touching or thought-provoking, but not in this way, adding some romantic plots as spice in a bowl of plain rice. However, it has a happy ending. The head of thieves decided to change their living all of a sudden. I just can't accept it especially the decision was made rightly after the lose of fight, and before which, they robbed a pretty girl. What a drama!
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iaido7 February 2000One of the best movies in the careers of Michelle Yeoh and Yuen Woo Ping. Their talents for lighthearted comedy and pulse pounding action are well represented here. Certainly, Michelle's greatest solo film. The only minor complaint is that the film is bookended, like so many HK action films, with superb fight sequences, but drags for 30 mins, or so, in the middle. Still, ranks as one of the better kung fu films made in the past ten years. Highly recommended.
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rdamian196312 December 2023Wing Chun is a silly romantic king fu comedy. It's campy but it's entertaining. Full of kung fu with well choreographed combat, the movie has plenty of action. It remains light hearted and gets pretty silly at times (fairly typical of Chinese kung fu movies). Michelle Yeoh and Donny Yen give strong performances. Unfortunately Wing Chun isn't really used in the movie. Although in close fighting becomes a focus in the final battle. There are quite a few of unrealistic wire stunts which add to the silliness of the movie. For a 1990s Chinese kung fu film it is fairly well constructed and thought through. If you like kung fu movies this is worth the watch.
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april_regineadik6 December 2010wing chun a story about a beautiful woman.. to avoid herself being married against her will.. she seek help from a kung-fu master.. she learned kung fu and and become famous for it. befriend with charmy together with her aunt. donnie yen as wing chun's lover.. who mistook charmy as wing chun.. and so on..
for those who loves michelle like myself.. if you haven't watch this movie yet.. Oh God what a fan you are.. one of michelle's best work.. those who loves HK movies.. this wont disappoint you..
i really love this movie.. the tofu scene, the fortress scene, flying chimpanzee scene,, even michelle and donnie yen had some fight scenes together,,
also this movie mirrored the Chinese tradition of marriage.. and woman's issue for age,,
10/10 -
mongoosegirl22 August 2001This is not "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" with its subtlety, lyricism, and views about love, freedom and the consequences of one's allegiances.
Wing Chun (Yong Chun) is a light-hearted comedic martial arts movie, and it is a very good one, too.
Michelle Yeoh is amazing, she kicks butt and does so in her trademark elegance. She is never strident, or out-of-control. There is discipline in her acting as well as in her martial arts. The dialogue leaves something to be desired, and is a bit tacky at some points, but again, it's a comedy, so it's pretty easy to take into stride.
The tofu scene, where Wing Chun (Yeoh's character) schools her opponent, is probably one of the best in this film genre. -
jmbwithcats12 July 2007Wing Chun is a memorable film because Michelle Yoeh epitomizes the female heroine at a time when it was not allowed for women to be as strong or in this case, stronger and smarter and more skilled than men. But Michelle Yeoh creates a memorable and competent impression while maintaining a masterful grace and precision that will blow your mind.
Michelle Yeoh has the posture and grace of Bruce Lee, now if only they had done a movie together... now that would be something, like Salvador Dali's short animation collaboration with Walt Disney, what a treat that would be.* I saw this movie years ago and finally discovered it again after long searching and am I glad I did rediscover this little gem.
This movie truly takes me back in time to a simpler time, like finding a diamond in between the millions of grains of sand on the endlessness of beach.
Much of the acting is really silly, but that's just the way these movies were back then. The martial arts are terrific, the sex appeal is palpable, Tofu is gorgeous, drop dead, and the story is very enjoyable.
*Dali and Disney started a project in 1946 but it was never finished in their lifetimes, recently completed in 2003, many of us are long awaiting a DVD release slated for 2004, and still waiting in 2007. -
eibon0930 April 2001Yong Chun/Whing Chun(1994) contains action scenes which are brilliantly Staged and amazingly depicted. Many of the scenes with Michelle Yeoh are examples of why she is the Queen of Hong Kong action films. She is an action star to which many aspiring action heroines looks up to her. Michelle Yeoh combines earthiness beauty with physical endurance as Yim Wing Chun. I show Wing Chun(1994) at the Brattle Theatre in Cambridge and became a big fan of the film and the career of Michelle Yeoh.
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nicki103125 January 2001I don't have much to add to others' comments, but just wanted to mention I just saw it for the first time this evening on the big screen and found it to be charming and entertaining. Yes, the plot is absurd but what do you expect! It's great and highly recommended.
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Bulimia Nervosa24 May 2001Yuen Woo Ping, the choreographer for The Matrix, brilliantly directs this piece starring martial arts delight Michelle Yeoh. The story is classically clever with Yeoh in the role of butched-up Yim Wing Chun, the woman who was famous for the Wing Chun style of Kung Fu, taught by her Buddhist Nun, Ng Mui. The movie is very sensitive to feminist issues and is a very smart commentary on the like. The action scenes are sweeeet! Michelle Yeoh is very fast and very sharp in her movements against the big hoodlum who keeps insisting she's getting a whiff of his "Chi". Great movie! Great fighting!
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cbarr-322 June 2000This is a wonderful film.
It is full of action and humor. Yes, it is over the top. The plot is cartoon like. But Michelle still gives a delightful performance. Sensitive and funny. The Tofu fight scene is one of my favorites. -
agus_elex14 October 2001Warning: Some may consider this comment as a spoiler, but in fact this is only a brief introduction on who Yong Chun (Wing Chun) is and why she is a famous character in the history of modern kung fu. Miss Yim Wing Chun is a real person lived about 300 years ago. Her name is still remembered until today as the name of one of the toughest kung fu fighting method. Although she is not the one who created the style (the real creator is a female Shaolin Master Wu May/Ng Mui, Wing Chun's kung fu teacher), but her name is used as the name of the kung fu style because the master herself is on the run escaping from Shaolin traitors who burnt the Shaolin Temple. The kungfu style itself is becoming famous partly because one of it's followers is also considered a legend in modern kung fu world. He was Bruce Lee. Therefore Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do style is a descendant of Wing Chun Style.
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jordondave-2808516 May 2023(1994) Wing Chun (In Chinese with English subtitles) MARTIAL ARTS COMEDY
Like the Chinese mythical hero "Wong Fei-Hung", this is a fictional account based on an actual person of the same name. 'Wing Chun' played by Michelle Yeoh of many Hong Kong movies plays heroine making things right. Directed and action choreographed by Yuen Woo-Ping of many martial art movies including "Crouching Tiger..." and "Iron Monkey" starring Donnie Yen who also co-stars with Yeoh on this one too has plenty of dangerous martial art wire-fu fighting except that their aren't as many surprises as Woo-Pings other film "Iron Monkey" but still liked what I saw.