Search - World of Drunken Master on DVD

A flawed retelling of the Drunken Master kung fu tale

Brian Camp | Bronx, NY | 10/19/2003

(2 out of 5 stars)

"This is another version of the popular "Drunken Master" tale of Beggar Su, an old drunkard who perfected "Drunken kung fu," so memorably portrayed by Simon Yuen in Yuen Wo Ping's DRUNKEN MASTER (1978), one of the two films that propelled Jackie Chan to his early stardom. The DVD case for WORLD OF DRUNKEN MASTER (1979) is somewhat misleading in that it promotes Simon Yuen, old "Drunken Master" himself, as the star. However, Simon appears only in a prologue sequence doing kung fu moves on a beach as the narrator tells us the story of the friendship of Fang Ta Rei and Beggar Su. Then, as the story begins, a completely different actor plays Beggar Su in a framing sequence that leads to a lengthy flashback detailing how the two men met. In the flashback, yet another actor, Lee Yi Min, plays Beggar Su while Jack Long plays Fang Ta Rei in both flashback and the framing sequence. Chan Wai Lau, an underrated supporting player in kung fu films, plays Chang 7th, the instructor who trains the two young men in "the 18 Falls of the Drunken Immortals." As a result, they're able to fight off attacks by Tiger Yeh (Lung Fei), a local landlord who, after losing a fight with Chang 7th, closes the winery where all the main characters work and then leads his men in an attack on the place. This response is quite baffling since it makes absolutely no sense for a businessman to destroy his own property and disrupt the manufacture of a product he profited from. (But it makes for a lively fight scene.)The film is not terribly well written or edited. Fight scenes are often broken up to cut to other action, a tack usually avoided in these films so that fans can enjoy a rousing fight in one place from start to finish. However, the film does offer four extremely good kung fu players, including Jack Long (7 GRANDMASTERS), Lee Yi Min (NINJA CHECKMATE), Lung Fei (ONE-ARMED BOXER), and Chan Wai Lau (WU TANG SACRED FIST). The fight and training choreography is at least well shot and staged (by Yuen Cheung-Yan, who later did similar chores for the two CHARLIE'S ANGELS films) and presented in the proper widescreen dimensions on this DVD which comes in the Mandarin language with English subtitles.The first hour of the film is, for the most part, pretty exciting, but after the big fight with Tiger Yeh the action cuts back to Fang and Su reminiscing, 30 years later, and then the film continues pouring on fight scenes with new characters whose presence has no real dramatic purpose other than to extend the running time (to roughly 90 minutes). One of the new fighters is Mark Long (also seen in 7 GRANDMASTERS and NINJA CHECKMATE), who seems somewhat wasted here (he'd have been better served playing Tiger Yeh)."

THIS IS THE VERSION TO GET

morgoth | omaha, NE | 07/15/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I highly do not recommend the ground zero "eastern heroes" version. It is full screened and the picture is watchable, but too obviously just taken from vhs. THis version, the one from tai seng is really good picture, thuogh a little washed out. BUT, it is presented in widescreen and has a chinese language track. Also dvd cover art is freaking sweet too!

Now the movie is not brilliant by any means. But by this time Joseph Kuo was making movies JUST for kung fu movie fans. The first 10 minutes or so are all fights and then shifts to an odd looking Jack long. Only odd looking since it is rare for him not to have a beard down to his chest. But the movie is divided in thirds and though not well told, some of the best action I have ever seen in a movie.

So the story would be way too difficult and pointless to try to explain, but I guarantee that if you liked seeing Jackie do drunken style, this should at least be considered near the same leve for you. So the action is overall way better than DM but if it had Hwang Lee in it, I owuld be writing about How World of Drunken Master had THE greatest kung fu ever.

So again, the story is pretty pitiful, yet very fun. And when Ghostface killer shows up and says to his real life brother Jack long, "I have come to see how good your drunken style kung fu is", you will say, alright, this is what it is about. Why has he come, I JUST TOLD YOU, HE WANTS TO FIGHT! I know it's not the best reason, but watching mark and jack go at it is like watching the best ballet ever. I don't want to sound like a girl, but these guys can move! Some of the greatest choreography ever is what you will get if you buy this movie. Add in fun things like an awesome actor for the crazy drunken master training Lee I min and Jack long. It was also fun watching Jack and Lee I just havign a 40 minute contest of who is the better acrobat I guess. So guaranteed you are gonna get some unbelievable drunken style. Also add in a spectacular fight with lung fei and a final fight with lung tien-hsiang(one of teh 7 grandmasters), and I guarantee you will see some of the best kugn fu ever to hit the screen.

Now the only reason this movie did not get a 5 stars is because of the story and some of the unrealistic flips and really bad cutting of the frames. It was well done and all, but was acceptable in another movie that Kuo did called Five Fighters From Shaolin. That could pretty much be considered a super hero movie, this film was more realistic. Too many camera tricks, but still one of the greateest."

Who wasn't in this movie?

morgoth | omaha, NE | 03/06/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is definitely having as part of your collection if your a MA fan. The other reviewer did a good job of telling the story.

The only reason I gave this movie a 4 was because the flashback scene lasts WAY too long, and the final fights are way too cut-up. The really good fights have about a cut a second, it's pretty sad. If it didn't have all the cuts, I would have to give it a 5/5 even with the bad storyline.

Also- the version of this movie that I have is from Tai Seng and is a VERY good picture widesceened and with dual languages."

Drunken Masterpiece

Adam C. Scarbrough | San Luis Obispo, CA USA | 01/17/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The cast of The Mystery Of Chess Boxing and Seven Grandmasters (Jack Long, Lee Yi Min, Mark Long) returns for another great non-stop kung fu flick. If you have seen the two previously mentioned films then you know that this movie will be nothing short of awesome. It is one fight after the next displaying many different styles, but mostly the mastery of drunken boxing. It also ranks side by side with both of Yuen Woo Ping's films, Drunken Master and Dance of the Drunk Mantis. Briefly, the story is of the northern and southern masters of drunken boxing, Beggar Su(Lee Yi Min) and Fan Ta Pei(Jack Long), being reunited after 30 years and recalling their meeting and training of the drunken style. Most of the film is a flashback of when they were young.

Jack Long and Lee Yi Min are amazing as always, performing with great style and speed. Throw in a final fight scene with Mark Long, the Ghostface Killer in The Mystery of Chess Boxing, and this movie could not get much better. There is as much, if not more, drunken style performed here than in any other film I've seen. Although, it does lack a little of the style that is in Yuen Woo Ping's directed performances(Jackie Chan, Hwang Jang Lee).

As for the DVD itself, the picture is full screen but filmed well enough to not cut off much of what is in the scene. The film quality is average for an old school kung fu movie that is not digitally remastered. At least it doesn't claim to be remastered like nearly all others that really are not. The audio is english dubbed only and again is average.

I recommend this movie to any martial arts collection, and also The Mystery Of Chess Boxing and Seven Grandmasters. If you like one, you'll like the others."