Directed by: Chia-Liung Liu
Written by: Edward Tang, Man-Ming Tong, and Kai-Chi Yuen
Starring: Jackie Chan, Ho-Sung Pak, Lung Ti, Anita Mui
Film Available as of 3/15/2016
NOTE: There were meant to be photos to go with this. However, due to the nature of Netflix's video player I wasn't able to get any. I recommend watching and next week I'll have fixed the problem. Enjoy.
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When I sat down to watch Legend of Drunken Master (1994) I didn't really hover around. I didn't pay attention to who the stars were, and I had the vague idea from the title that it was going to be a Martial Arts film. I had no idea that it was a Jackie Chan film.
Jackie Chan? Remember? That guy who made all those crazy zany action films in the nineties and early two thousands? I practically grew up during the American explosion of this martial arts stuntman. And it's easily been more than a decade since I watched one of his films.
Legend of Drunken Master is one of many films about the folk hero Wong Fei-Hung. In this film, Wong Fei-Hung is an immature brat; quick to fight, quick to drink, quick to make trouble and avoid responsibility. When he ends up with his hands on a Jade Seal (a McGuffin that's important to Chinese identity), he has to do battle to defend his town from the overtaking force of the English embassy.
As someone unversed in Chinese History, the events that appear to be taken for granted in this film are mostly unfamiliar to me. Indeed, Legend of Drunken Master is a thoroughly Chinese film, featuring what are half-way recognizable stereotypes of Old but wise Masters, Darkly dressed but imposing Enemies, and a rag tag group of local friends who primarily compete with each other.
That isn't to deny the film it's earned sense of greatness. Jackie Chan's Action-Comedy antics, his hilarious way of looking ridiculous with the perfect facial expressions while performing insane looking stunts and Martial Arts has a cinematic flavor all its own.
Watching this film was like going back in time. I still remember some bits of the Rush Hour films and Shanghai Knights. I recall an unearned sense of being tired by Jackie Chan's action films, a feeling my adult cineophile brain would surely chastise my younger self over.
It isn't just that Jackie is an enjoyable actor, it's that you get to see these crazy sequences of battle. Legend of the Drunken Master is at it's best near the start of the film, when Fei-Hung's gambling money thrift step-mother gets a necklace stolen from a thug. What follows is an action film of such insane genius and humor that you can't help but be glued to the screen. Jackie Chan films are never about the plot. They're about watching stuntman magic.
That being said the film does stray at points. Jackie Chan is much older than his character, and when his Father begins abuse level physical punishment on him, it causes a weird disconnect. Are we supposed to care about the plot? Each previous scene, fight or not, is more about making the audience laugh at the slapstick than it is about genuinely investing in character. And I think it's about the balance of almost-plot with the almost-characters that makes the film just interesting enough between the fights to carry you through.
Which would be great if all the fight scenes where as enjoyable. While the first instance of Drunken Boxing, which includes not a small amount of what's supposed to be highly alcholic drinks being poured on Jackie Chan's open-mouthed face, the middle of the film drags with there being entirely silly scenes, such as one where a menacingly black dressed man attacks mill workers in an attempt to keep them from going on strike? It's a bit strange and out of place, almost as much as the series of slow motion kicks in a bar later on. I understand why someone wouldn't want nothing but fight scenes, but it's old styles like this that present a good argument for why Mad Max was such a breath of fresh air.
But eventually we get to the final scene of Legend of Drunken Master: a near perfect twenty minute series of battles. Jackie Chan fights a man dressed like a british explorer with a chain wrapped around his fist. He battles workers while avoiding buckets of hot tar. He deals with two men, one throwing hot fire and another throwing kicks like lightning. Then in a cringe worthy moment, Jackie Chan is kicked onto actual live coals because this was the age of practical effects.
If you are looking for an empty-minded kung-fu film that displays the magic of martial arts on film, then Legend of Drunken Master is worth a watch.
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Next week I will be watching the Indie Rom-Com Timer. Remember that these films are available right now on Netflix, so if you're needing something to watch tonight check it out!
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