Jet Li and Tsui Hark part ways for the fourth installment
in the Once Upon a Time in China series. Li gets
replaced by Tsui Hark fave Zhao Wen-Zhou in this action-packed
sequel that features even more wacky lion dancing than
the lion-dance-o-rama called Once Upon a Time in
China III.
Plot: Wong Fei-Hong (Zhao
Wen-Zhou), Leung Fu (Max Mok), Club Foot (Xiong Xin-Xin)
and dad Wong Kei-Ying (Lau Shun) run afoul of separate
factions all trying to take advantage of China's domestic
disputes. The players include the Red Lantern Society
(yet another group that wants foreigners out) and evil
Germans bent on taking over China. Also, they meet up
with Aunt May (Jean Wong), who subs for Aunt Yee (the
missing Rosamund Kwan) as the love interest/scenery.
Then someone looks at someone else incorrectly and fighting
ensues.
Lots of lion dancing and paper
dragons appear in this picture, as well as a papier-mâché
centipede, dragon, and other assorted creatures. Like
the last sequel, Wong enters a lion dance martial
arts contest to triumph over the imperialist enemies
of China. However, this time the lion/dragon/centipede
dancing takes up even more screen time and seems to
go on forever. Eventually our heroes ditch the paper
creatures, and hopefully you'll still be awake for that.
As Wong Fei-Hong, Zhao Wen-Zhou
substitutes grace for Jet Li’s power. Thanks to the
standard-issue kung-fu and the martial arts lion dancing, Once Upon a Time in China IV is practically non-stop
action. The kinetic aspects of the film offset the inherently
confusing political shenanigans, but after Once Upon
a Time in China III, we’ve seen enough lion dancing.
Thankfully, Once Upon a Time China 5 manages
to settle its conflicts the old-fashioned way: kung-fu
action. (Kozo 1996) |
