Tagline: Gettin’ shitty ta-night? [NOTE: This is not the real tagline.]
Curiosity: It’s the movie that launched Jackie Chan’s career.
Plot: Wong Fei-hung (Chan) is a dedicated student to kung fu, but his wayward ways get him into too much trouble for his father (Lam Kau) to handle. When Fei-hung brings shame on his family (by, uh, hitting on his cousin…), his c-c-c-c-c-crazy uncle Beggar Su Hua Chi (Yuen Siu-tien) is brought in to teach some discipline. But when the assassin Thunderleg (Hwang Jang Lee) seeks a hit on Wong’s father, things get serious and/or drunken!
Thoughts: While I respect Drunken Master for the influence it had on future action stars like Stephen Chow (Kung Fu Hustle, Shaolin Soccer) and Tony Jaa (Ong-Bak, The Protector), I kind of found myself drifting off halfway through the film. The first 30 minutes are some pretty strong comedy/action, as Chan goes through a series of fight ‘n’ physical comedy set pieces. In fact, as great as Chan is at martial arts, I’d argue he’s an even better comedian. Drunken Master’s humor is pretty broad, but Chan throws himself completely into the part.
But the funniest passages also slow down the flick, which then descends into an endless series of training scenes. Them shits is not funny at all. Worse, the whole concept of a “drunken master” barely enters the script until the final 20 minutes. That’s when Wong learns the art of using a staggering fighting pose to deceive opponents. While it allows Chan to segue back into physical comedy again, the idea of having Wong pretend to be drunk is incredibly forced. I get that his character is trying to set a trap for his opponent, but it comes so far out of left field, and is then so obvious, that I don’t understand why anyone would fall for it. Considering the drunken master technique is supposed to be the crux of the movie, that’s a big problem. Drunken Master would be a great movie if it came in at 90 minutes, but at two hours it’s just too bloated.
Reflection: CASE RACE!
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