Drunken Master II (1994)


	Drunken Master II		Return to Review Archive - D
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	Jackie Chan gets drunk and beats people up in Drunken Master II.
	Year:	1994
	Director:	Lau Kar-Leung
	Cast:	Jackie Chan, Anita Mui Yim-Fong, Ti Lung, Felix Wong Yat-Wah, Ken Lo Wai-Kwong, Chin Kar-Lok, Lau Kar-Leung, Suki Kwan Sau-Mei, Yvonne Yung Hung, Andy Lau Tak-Wah, Lau Siu-Ming, Bill Tung Biu, Mars, Tai Bo
	The Skinny:	Probably one of the ten Hong Kong films every self-proclaimed HK action fan has seen. Jackie Chan's action opus is also one of the most entertaining films EVER.
	Review by Kozo:	Possibly Jackie Chan's best film in years, this kung-fu comedy features his return as Wong Fei-Hong, who he played over sixteen years earlier in the original Drunken Master. Plot: Fei-Hong gets in trouble when evil Chinese (the type wearing suits, those Westernized bastards) steal national treasures for export to the West. Fei-Hong gets involved when he accidentally acquires a jade seal in a wacky suitcase mix-up. When the bad guys try to recover it Jackie Chan-type stunts and fights ensue. Story-wise, the film consists of little more than your typical HK comedy hijinks and some overdone histrionics courtesy of the entire cast. As if any of that mattered. What matters is the fighting, and Drunken Master II arguably features Jackie Chan's most exhilarating fight sequences since Project A Part II. The choreography is creative and the stuntwork is full of jaw-dropping, painful moments that look even worse when you see the obligatory Jackie Chan outtakes. For fans of Jackie Chan fighting flicks, this movie is an instant classic. Aiding matters is a fine supporting cast. Anita Mui shows up as Wong Fei-Hong's stepmom, and she steals so much of the show that Chan probably had to trim the film to keep her screen time to a minimum. Ti Lung (A Better Tomorrow) is Fei-Hong’s dad Wong Kei-Ying, and there are loads of familiar faces, including Chin Kar-Lok, Lau Kar-Leung (who also directed), and even Andy Lau in a useless cameo. Chan’s real-life bodyguard Ken Lo plays the kick-boxing terror of a bad guy. This film meanders with no real direction for long stretches of time, but when the action hits it was all worth it. (Kozo 1995)
	Notes:	• The home video availability of Drunken Master II is a great injustice. This film's only Region One DVD availability is a truncated, re-scored, dubbed version from Dimension Home Video. Plus it's been retitled The Legend of Drunken Master. Thank you, Mickey. • For a full report on any cuts and changes made to the US version of this film, as well as other Asian films purchased by Disney/Miramax, visit the Web Alliance for the Respectful Treatment of Asian Cinema.
	Awards:	14th Annual Hong Kong Film Awards • Winner - Best Action Design (Lau Kar-Leung, Jackie Chan's Stuntmen Association) • Nomination - Best Editing (Cheung Yiu-Chung)
	Also see:	Drunken Master (1979)

		image courtesy of Dimension Home Video
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