Pioneering 1978 kung fu comedy Drunken Master cemented Jackie Chan’s status as a box-office sensation after Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow earlier that year, and it’s easy to see why.
As Wong Fei-hung, a prank-playing student who evolves into a martial arts legend, he radiates goofy charm, and the movie makes full use of his gift for acrobatic slapstick.
Chan has a winning chemistry with Yuen Siu-tien, who plays Wong’s dipsomaniac tutor Beggar So – the king of drunken kung fu!
Director Yuen woo-ping went on to choreograph action in the likes of The Matrix, Kill Bill and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, but the breathless fight scenes of Drunken Master match anything in those big-budget works. Plus, no one in The Matrix used a cucumber as a weapon.
The Blu-ray debut’s accompanying commentary, interviews and booklet offer context on the film’s place within Hong Kong cinema, and there’s the choice of watching with two different English dubs or newly translated subtitles. Reviewed by Matt McAllister
INFO
Release: Out Now
From: Eureka! Entertainment
Format: Dual-format Blu-ray & DVD
Age Rating: 15
Price (RRP): £19.99
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