The Legend of Drunken Master (1994)

A young martial artist is caught between respecting his pacifist father's wishes or stopping a group of disrespectful foreigners from stealing precious artifacts.

Directors:

Chia-Liang Liu, Jackie Chan (uncredited)

Writers:

Edward Tang (screenplay), Man-Ming Tong (screenplay)

Stars:

Jackie Chan, Ho-Sung Pak, Lung Ti

3 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jackie Chan	...	Wong Fei-hung
Lung Ti	...	Wong Kei-ying, Wong's Father
Anita Mui	...	Ling - Wong's Step-Mother
Felix Wong	...	Tsang
Chia-Liang Liu	...	Master Fu Wen-Chi (as Lau Kar-Leung)
Ken Lo	...	John (as Low Houi Kang)
Kar Lok Chin	...	Fo Sang (as Chin Ka Lok)
Ho-Sung Pak	...	Henry
Chi-Kwong Cheung	...	Tso (as Tseung Chi Kwong)
Yi-Sheng Han	...	Uncle Hing (as Hon Yee Sang)
Andy Lau	...	Counter Intelligence Officer
Wing-Fong Ho	...	Fun (as Ho Wing Fong)
Kar-Yung Lau	...	Marlon (as Kar Yung Lau)
Siu-Ming Lau	...	Mr. Chiu
Suki Kwan	...	Chiu's Wife

Storyline

Returning home with his father after a shopping expedition, Wong Fei-Hong is unwittingly caught up in the battle between foreigners who wish to export ancient Chinese artifacts and loyalists who don't want the pieces to leave the country. Fei-Hong has learned a style of fighting called "Drunken Boxing", which makes him a dangerous person to cross. Unfortunately, his father is opposed to his engaging in any kind of fighting, let alone drunken boxing. Consequently, Fei-Hong not only has to fight against the foreigners, but he must overcome his father's antagonism as well.

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Plot Keywords:

stepmother stepson relationship | protection of culture | kung fu master | slapstick comedy | asian woman | 

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Taglines:

Don't Cross His Path When He's Drunk!

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Genres:

Action | Comedy

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Certificate:

K-15

Did You Know?

Trivia

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.

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Goofs

After being set on fire by Fei-hung, foreman Henry is played by director Chia-Liang Liu in disguise.

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Quotes

Wong Kei-ying: Water floats, but also capsizes boats.

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Crazy Credits

Closing credits roll over outtakes, including two fighters accidentally knocking heads and getting bleeding noses.

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Alternate Versions

The international version features a different score by Michael Wandmacher

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Connections

Referenced in Cinemassacre Video: Flash Gordon (2020)

User Reviews

The BEST martial arts movie EVER

This 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.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

Hong Kong

Language:

Cantonese

Release Date:

3 February 1994 (Hong Kong)

Also Known As:

The Legend of Drunken Master

Filming Locations:

Hong Kong, China

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$3,845,278, 22 October 2000

Gross USA:

$11,555,430

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$11,555,430

Company Credits

Production Co:

Golden Harvest Company, Hong Kong Stuntman Association, Paragon Films Ltd.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS (US version) Mono (original version) Dolby Digital (US version) DTS (US version)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1