"There's no doubt about it, Jackie Chan is one of the most accomplished martial arts action stars in the world today, but long before he made it to the North American mainstream, this little beauty was alive and well in Hong Kong. Other than the 1977 version of Drunken Master, this has got to be the best film I've seen from Jackie Chan in his earlier period. The fight scenes are truly a spectacle to behold. The lion dance is one thing, but the actual fighting is just superb. During the scene where the crime boss is released from the custody of the authorities, he delievers the greatest kick I have ever seen. I must have stopped and rewinded about 8 times! The sound is not bad at all, and the picture is not too shabby either. The story and plot is pretty good, even if some dialouge leaves more to be desired. Other than that, no complaints. The Young Master is really something to see, and I would recommend it to those who truly enjoy Jackie Chan's martial art skill!"
Jackie Chan at his best?
Ed Cigar | 08/07/1999
(4 out of 5 stars)
"There's no doubt about it. Jackie Chan is one of the most talented martial arts stars in the world. While The Young Master was the 2nd movie Jackie Chan ever directed, it was his first film for Golden Harvest Productions. The Lion Dance was really awesome, and was a great way to start the movie out, setting the pace for the rest of the movie. It truly was great, and is a scene you really have to respect. The rest of the fight scenes are for the most part your average Jackie Chan kicks, flips, punches, and lunges. But what's really cool is the bench fighting. Really good stuff, which is often seen in some of Jackie's newer films, but not to the same extent. But what was probably the best part of the movie was the final battle. It was really exciting, and really funny. Truly Jackie Chan at his best.The story and acting are also a step above most of Jackie's older films. Sure, there was plenty of Jackie's trademark "over-acting", but not nearly as much with most of his older films. This is the movie where Jackie Chan really started to shine in the acting department. From his funny sense of humor (which never fails at making me laugh), to his deadly seriousness (which is still funny most of the time), Jackie Chan really entertains in The Young Master.The only thing that keep this movie from getting 5 Stars is, while it's entertaining, the bad dub voices spoil the experience. While this movie was basically a step above most of Jackie's older films in every way, the only catigory that remained at the same level was the cheesey voice acting. I'm sorry. Maybe if I'd seen the subtitled version I would have given it 5 Stars, but I haven't. But 4 Stars will have to do, sorry Jackie.With the minor dubb problems aside, this is truly an exellent Jackie Chan flick, which all fans simply can't be without. Buy The Young Master today, and I promise you won't be dissapointed. Just don't forget to go with the Widescreen Edition, becuase the action scenes may suffor in the formatted version. - Ducky"
MASTERPIECE
morgoth | omaha, NE | 03/02/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I can't believe people can't give anything else credit in this movie besides the martial arts. Every scene that leads up to the fight is good. The martial arts in this movie is definitely chan at his best, but I personally thought that this was one of the funniest movies ever. From the part where the baddie from enter the dragon tells chan all about this "criminal" he is looking for to chan's master beating the crap out of all his students to Li-Li-Li asking chan who he is and chan telling her he's a man. Oh yeah, Li-Li-Li is in this, and she looks hotter than ever, I would buy this movie for her scenes alone.
FAv dubbed line of the movie.
MASTER-"Tiger, why did you betray us, why? TIGER-"Because Master, I betrayed you, I'm leaving.
Also look out for chan's sob scene, this is truly a movie of epic proportions on every level"
A sublime mix of kung-fu and comedy
morgoth | 10/21/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Certainly one of Jackie's career highs, Young Master combines break-neck kung-fu with the comedy that has made him world famous. This film also began to show world cinema audiences what was to come; his use of fairly simple, yet painful stunts is obvious from the outset. All in all, a must see film."
The most thrilling, spectacular and entertaining movie ever
exlnc@hotmail.com YAS | England | 06/28/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I consider myself to be Jackie Chans most loyal fan. I own almost 20 of his martial arts movies, including classics from Police Story to Who am I. The Young Master is an absolutely essential purchase for anyones martial arts collection, which is guaranteed to remain a highly regarded Jackie Chan classic. The movie is set during Chans younger days in cinema and demonstrates his amazing skill in martial arts as well as his great talent in entertaining the viewer through his humorous performances. He even sings the song to the ending of the movie. The film really does show how energetic and original Jackie is, and this is the main reason why I simply admire his artistic talent. The Young Master tells the story of an orphan named Dragon (Jackie) and shows how he struggles to set his friend free from the evil clutches of Master Kam. The master uses his friend to commit a number of crimes and in the process people confuse Jackie with his friend and mistake him for the criminal. The final showdown shows Jackie confronting the Master in a well-coreographed and extremely realsitic fight scene. This is the first most important movie which catapulted Chans career for Golden Harvest Productions and established himself as a great perfomer in all aspects and not only in kung-fu. In conclusion, this is the most thrilling, spectacular and entertaining movie which I have ever seen, and from all his greatest hits this has to be the most enjoyable."