Review of Drunken Master (1978) by Cam S — 22 Jun 2008

After the success with Snake In The Eagle's Shadow, the whole team quite literally went straight to work on their next film, and released this diamond within the same year. There are many similies, although none are what you would call plagarising from its predecessor.

Drunken Master is about Wong Fei-Hung, a legend in Eastern tales, although he is portrayed as a young and rebellious fighter here. After angering just about everybody in the village, Wong's father sends him to train with his uncle, with a reputation for his torturous methods. Here Wong goes through some of the most intensive training ever, and eventually meets a brutal enemy where he can prove he really is the Drunken Master.

This is kind of a semi-sequel, as a lot of the same actors are used, along with some of the same locations, and even some of the same moves (the Snake's Fist makes a triumphant return here) seen in Snake In The Eagle's Shadow.

Again, like its predecessor, Drunken Master has sound and picture edit issues, but not as severe this time.

But fortunately, like Snake In The Eagle's Shadow, the action is again breathtaking, with the training in particular showing how brutal a regime the fighters must have gone through to truly be at the top.

I also feel that it is great to touch upon the legacy of Wong Fei-Hung, albeit in an unusual observation. Instead of the helpful revolutionist he is often revered to, here he is the tearaway, although you cannot fault Chan the way he uses the character to the maximum of his ability. Beggar Su (again excellently played by Siu Tien Yuen) is more than a match for Fei-Hung, and it is this combination that makes the film's journey such an enjoyable one.

Drunken Master can best be explained as Snake In The Eagles Shadow with confidence. You can tell that the entire production team thoroughly enjoyed its previous work, and set about making the highest quality possible while also pouring all of their love into the film. Without question Jackie Chan's finest film, and one of the best examples of martial arts tributes you can find today. Unmissable.