Edward Tang Movies
Jackie Chan returns in one of his greatest roles in this action-comedy sequel to his 1978 Hong Kong blockbuster Drunken Master. Wong Fei Hong (Chan) is a young master of the martial art of "drunken boxing," in which fighters use alcohol to blind themselves to pain and release the angry brawler within; with the right amount of drinks under his belt, Hong can become a furious one-man army. Hong accompanies his father (Ti Lung) on a voyage to China, where they purchase a precious supply of ginseng. When Hong discovers thugs stealing from their luggage, he leaps into action to get their belongings back. Instead, he winds up with a box of valuable Chinese artifacts, which criminals are hoping to smuggle to England at a tremendous profit. Hong sets out to fight the gangsters and give the artifacts back to their rightful owners, but while his stepmother (Anita Mui) encourages him to use his drunken boxing skills, his father feels his boozy antics bring shame to the family. Jackie Chan brought some of his most elaborate stunt work to Drunken Master 2, including a remarkable fight on a bed of hot coals; Chan also directed part of the film, after Lau Kar Leung was fired after a number of disagreements with his star. Six years after it became a box office hit in Asia, Drunken Master 2 earned a theatrical release in the United States; the film was re-titled Legend Of The Drunken Master (in part because the original Drunken Master never had a proper theatrical release in America), re-edited, and dubbed into English, with a new score by Michael Wandmacher. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jackie Chan, Ti Lung, (more)
Even for viewers who can take or leave martial-arts films, the work of Jackie Chan bears special attention. Chan is quite simply the hardest-working movie star in the world, regularly participating in the sort of death-defying stuntwork which would make most American action heroes cringe in fear. Combining his daredevil heroics with an almost goofy brand of self-effacing humor, Chan is one of the genre's most entertaining and engaging personalities. In this film, third in the Police Story series, Chan plays a Hong Kong detective working undercover with the Chinese police to nab a Malaysian druglord. The usual hair-raising gamut of stunts follow, and numerous shootouts, fights and explosions surround the plucky cop as he combats bad guys atop a moving train, a bus, a motorcycle, a speedboat, cars, and trucks, eventually being swung through the city at high speed on a rope-ladder suspended from a helicopter. For the kind of fast-paced exotic thrills that make James Bond look like a wimp, this film is the place to go. There are some amusing comedy bits too, as when Chan's superiors all go undercover as his long-lost family, and the story zips along at a feverish clip. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jackie Chan, Michelle Khan, (more)
This Hong Kong film is inspired by two of Frank Capra's films: the 1933 classic Lady for a Day, and Capra's own 1961 remake, Pocketful of Miracles. Directed by Jackie Chan, Chan also stars as Dragon, an up-and-coming gangster in 1930s Hong Kong who rises through the mob ranks by a series of lucky coincidences. Chan attributes his good luck to an old woman, a street vendor who he believes sells lucky roses. When the woman's wealthy daughter comes to visit, Dragon is determined to help the woman impress her daughter. This film was a labor of love for Chan, and his regular collaborators, Bill Tung, Sammo Hung, Anita Mui, and Yuen Biao also make appearances. Although there are bits of action throughout, this sentimental film emphasizes its warm-hearted characters. ~ Jonathan E. Laxamana, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jackie Chan, Anita Mui, (more)
