Wong Fei Hung ji saam: Si wong jaang ba (1993)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Hark Tsui

Writers:

Tin-suen Chan (writer)
Cheung Tan (writer)

Release Date:

14 January 1993 (South Korea)

Genre:

Action | History

Tagline:

A Hero Beyond All Others.

Plot:

Master Wong and his disciples enroll in the 'Dancing Lion Competition' to stop an assassination plot and to battle an arrogant, deceitful opponent.

Plot Keywords:

Martial Arts | Assassination Plot | Trap | Sequel | Silent Movie

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Jet Li	...	Wong Fei-hung
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Cunzhuang Ge
Rosamund Kwan	...	Aunt Yee (segment "Penny")
Shun Lau	...	Wong Kei-ying
Siu Chung Mok	...	Leung Fun
John Wakefield	...	Tumanovsky
Xin Xin Xiong	...	Club Foot / Thunder Foot

Also Known As:

Huang Fei Hong zhi san: Shi wang zheng ba (Hong Kong: Mandarin title)
Once Upon a Time in China 3 (Australia)
Once Upon a Time in China III (Hong Kong: English title)
The Invincible Shaolin (USA)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence.

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

Hong Kong

Language:

Cantonese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-15 | Australia:PG | New Zealand:M | UK:PG | Australia:M (TV rating) | South Korea:15 | Netherlands:12 (DVD/VHS release) (2002) | Philippines:G | Hong Kong:II | France:U | USA:R | Singapore:PG

Company:

Golden Harvest Company

Trivia:

First film of "Once Upon a Time in China" series presented in Dolby Stereo sound.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When Wong Fei-hung kicks his lion costume to the air, the string holding it is clearly visible.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Transporter (2002)

Good story-line but disappointing fighting

In order to unite the people of China and strengthen their spirit, the Qing government decides to hold a lion dance competition to promote the study of kung fu. This only leads to violence and conflict. Wong Fei Hung, who is visiting Beijing, sees this and is disgusted by the way it's being handled. However, his efforts to get through to the government are futile. He finds himself having to join the competition when he discovers a plot by the Russians to assassinate President Li Hung Chang.

This was the first movie in the OUATIC series that I saw. I was actually quite disappointed when I first saw it. I thought the fighting lacked intensity and the end seemed anti-climatic. It's not that the choreography is bad. Jet looks fit and is in great fighting shape for the film. However, there are no good one-on-one battles for him. His duel with Xiong Xin Xin in the street is short and disappointing, as is the finale against the head of the oil factory. The lion dance scenes are cool.

The story on the other hand, is really good. It has just the right amount of romance, humor, and historical background to sustain itself between the fight scenes. This would be the last of the truly historically relevant entries of the series, as the following films were either over-the-top or would not even focus on historical matters.

Overall, this is good watching. This is not one of Jet's greatest performances fighting-wise. The story makes up for it. Oh, and let me add that Rosamund Kwan is cuter than ever in this movie.