Director: Joseph Kuo
Notable Cast: Jack Long, Lung Fei, Mark Long, Chen
Hui-Lou, Lung Tien-Hsiang, Li Yi-Min, Jeannie Chang, Yu Sung-Chao, Chien Te-Men,
Simon Yuen
In the martial arts cinema landscape, one could easily argue
that there are films “pre-Drunken Master” and “post-Drunken Master.”
Not only in the general combination of kung fu and comedy but in the sheer
amount of knock-offs that arrived on the scene after the massive success of the
Jackie Chan and Yuen Woo-Ping masterpiece. Although there are plenty of
forgettable ones, there are also a handful of these films that impress on a
surprising level. And then there are those films that fall right down the
center - like The World of Drunken Master.
Featuring some of the same kung fu comedy as its namesake
would imply, this cult classic of the genre does a lot of things right and then
promptly follows them up - or proceeds them - with some baffling choices. As a
whole, it’s hard not to love the sheer entertainment present in the film with
its relentlessly paced latter half and strangely long developing character work
of the first half, but it’s also a film that doesn’t quite reach the loftiness
of the originator.
If there is one thing to say about The World of Drunken
Master, it’s that the film can be rather ambitious with its narrative. Even
if it’s problematic. The film is bookended by the story of two old fighters,
one of which played by fan favorite and frequent Joseph Kuo collaborator Jack
Long, of which one is being hunted by various assassins looking to grasp a bit
of vengeance.
Although this portion does feature some fantastic drunken
boxing and Jack Long is always welcome in any film, it’s relatively tacked on
for the sake of essentially combining two films into one plot. Random
characters pop up, some even mid-fight, and the ties to the main portion of the
film - a flashback to the drunken boxers as young men learning the style, is
loose at best. Granted, it’s not nearly as random and tacked on as the opening
sequence that explains drunken boxing while a cameo from Simon Yuen, the
original Drunken Master himself, does some kung fun on the beach, but
it’s not as cohesive as one would hope either.
The majority of The World of Drunken Master is told
in the past, through an elongated flashback about two men who in their young arrogance
and competitiveness, end up disciples of a drunken boxer who runs a winery. The
plot runs through the motions of how they sleight some villains and end up in a
life-or-death situation with their makeshift kung fu family and it rarely rises
above the basics. Still, director Joseph Kuo knows how to shoot and pace these
kinds of films and the rather impressive performances help out immensely. I
will still stand firmly behind the charming star power of Li Yi-Min and the
appearance of both Jack and Mark Long add some gravitas to the
proceedings.
The true highlight, as might be expected in a film of this
ilk, is the action choreography. Joseph Kuo is no stranger to creating some of
the best martial arts films and sequences outside of the major studios of the
time and once again this film soars in this capacity. There are plenty of
memorable series of kung fu matches that whip around with complex choreography
and rapid-fire pacing and it’s the big reason why this film has endured as a
cult classic. The martial arts director of the film is the often overlooked,
but incredibly talented Yuen Cheung-Yan who worked as an action director or
martial arts director on over 100 films with some incredible titles to his
credit. Not to mention, he directed the bat shit, fuckin’ insane Taoism
Drunkard. So, you know this film has some fantastic stuff in it.
The World of Drunken Master eventually succumbs to
its own generic plotting and muddied character and narrative flaws,
particularly in its supposed love triangle that is meant to leave the audience
shocked and saddened in its third act, but it’s a damn fun ride through it. Say
what you will about its blueprint formula, spun to be ambitious by way of a
dual narrative, but the combination of screen presence, actors that seep charm,
and some incredible choreography make The World of Drunken Master quite
the entertaining watch.
Of the Drunken Master knock-offs and cash-ins, it’s
not the best, but it’s one that contains just enough talent and piss n’ vinegar
to warrant multiple watches.
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