Dance of the Drunk Mantis
Hwang Jang Lee plays a double-hard bastard named Rubber Legs, who travels with his student, Corey Yuen, to hunt out Beggar So, played by Simon Yuen.
Meanwhile, So returns home to his wife and is told that she has adopted a son, played by Yuen Shun-yee. He is asked to train the youngster in Drunken Fist, but he takes a dislike to the lad, and routinely beats and humiliates him. Yuen Shun-yee leaves, and is taken under the wing of another Master, Yen Shi-kwan, who specialises in Sickness Technique.
Things come to a head when Rubber Legs finds Beggar So and challenges him using his custom Northern Drunken Fist mixed with Mantis style.
This is a straight-down-the-line kung fu comedy, so you'll hate large portions of it, if it isn't your thing. Thankfully, I quite like this basic slapstick and obvious cuss-type thing. Fundamentally, though, the action is where it's at. Yuen Woo-ping handles the action and direction very well, with complicated and acrobatic moves mixing nicely with the shapes and props work. There's a trio of great fights - Hwang vs Simon Yuen in a teahouse, which starts out with a drink and ends with a rumble; Linda Lin (So's wife) using a sword to fight Corey Yuen's spear; and the final battle, where Mantis style meets Drunken Fist, which meets Sickness technique. There's some interesting/amusing training scenes here, too. HJL is brilliant, and shows a real flare for shapes amongst his quality bootwork. Dean (Charlie) Shek and Brandy Yuen also feature.
A treat of action, but beware. If you catch this film in a bad, or distracted, mood, its comedy could grate.
Hwang Jang Lee plays a double-hard bastard named Rubber Legs, who travels with his student, Corey Yuen, to hunt out Beggar So, played by Simon Yuen.
Meanwhile, So returns home to his wife and is told that she has adopted a son, played by Yuen Shun-yee. He is asked to train the youngster in Drunken Fist, but he takes a dislike to the lad, and routinely beats and humiliates him. Yuen Shun-yee leaves, and is taken under the wing of another Master, Yen Shi-kwan, who specialises in Sickness Technique.
Things come to a head when Rubber Legs finds Beggar So and challenges him using his custom Northern Drunken Fist mixed with Mantis style.
This is a straight-down-the-line kung fu comedy, so you'll hate large portions of it, if it isn't your thing. Thankfully, I quite like this basic slapstick and obvious cuss-type thing. Fundamentally, though, the action is where it's at. Yuen Woo-ping handles the action and direction very well, with complicated and acrobatic moves mixing nicely with the shapes and props work. There's a trio of great fights - Hwang vs Simon Yuen in a teahouse, which starts out with a drink and ends with a rumble; Linda Lin (So's wife) using a sword to fight Corey Yuen's spear; and the final battle, where Mantis style meets Drunken Fist, which meets Sickness technique. There's some interesting/amusing training scenes here, too. HJL is brilliant, and shows a real flare for shapes amongst his quality bootwork. Dean (Charlie) Shek and Brandy Yuen also feature.
A treat of action, but beware. If you catch this film in a bad, or distracted, mood, its comedy could grate.
. Also, one too many needless flashbacks to childhood to set up the characters' back story.
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