Drunken Master (醉拳). 1978. Hong Kong. Directed by Yuen Woo-ping. Martial arts direction by Yuen Woo-ping, Hsu Hsia. With Jackie Chan, Yuen Siu-tien. DCP. Courtesy Swank Motion Pictures. In Cantonese; English subtitles. 110 min.
Building on the runaway success of Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow (1978), Drunken Master, released the same year, reunited director Yuen Woo-ping and Jackie Chan, establishing kung fu comedy as a major genre and hastening Chan’s unstoppable ascendence. Chan stars as a mischievous young Wong Fei-hung, the legendary kung fu master who has inspired countless movies and television series. Yuen’s father, Yuen Siu-tien, once again plays opposite Chan as his kung fu teacher, subjecting the reluctant pupil to an unforgiving regimen of “drunken boxing.” Yuen’s action choreography transforms seemingly clumsy movements into dazzling feats of precision and athleticism. Chan’s extraordinary physical gifts and impeccable comic timing reach exhilarating heights in the film’s breathtaking fight scenes, securing his place as one of the screen’s most original action stars.