Circus Kids (1994) Review

“Circus Kids” Theatrical Poster

Director: Wu Ma
Cast: Yuen Biao, Donnie Yen, Irene Wan Pik-Ha, Lily Lee Lee-Lee, Wu Ma, Lam Wai, Woo Ying-Man, Ken Lo Wai-Kwong, Bey Logan, Yuen Miu, Bei Lou-Kam, Yuen Miu
Running Time: 109 min.

By Paul Bramhall

In 1994 Wu Ma brought together 3 of the best kickers of the era – Yuen Biao, Donnie Yen, and Ken Lo – to feature in the tale of a circus troupe that find themselves looking for a new life, after their travelling show is blown away by the invading Japanese forces in 1942. This all takes place in the opening minutes, which consist of an extended circus acrobatics routine (prominently featuring Biao doing his thing), before the big top tent is blown away in an impressive explosion, the kind that makes you weep for the CGI explosions that dominate current HK cinema. The movie in question is the decidedly bland sounding Circus Kids (seriously, out of all the Hong Kong movies distributors re-titled for their western release, they chose this one to stick with the direct translation!), however the blandness of the title is sadly nothing compared to the movie itself.

For a second in the mid-90’s it looked like Wu Ma and Yuen Biao were going to become a successful director and star pairing. They made Kickboxer together in 1993, a Once Upon a Time in China inspired tale that pacified Biao’s grievance at only playing a supporting role in Tsui Hark’s 1991 masterpiece, so when they reunited the following year for Circus Kids it seemed like a cause for celebration. However by 1994 it was clear Biao’s popularity was on the wane, and while he would feature opposite Brigitte Lin in the wuxia Deadful Melody the same year, the following year he was reduced to featuring in Philippines shot action cheapies.

Donnie Yen suffered a similar fate, although for different reasons. Having been a protégé of Yuen Woo-Ping for a decade, debuting with Drunken Tai Chi in 1984, in ‘94 they famously had a falling out on the set of Wing Chun over how the action should be portrayed. With Yen still considered a newcomer, word quickly spread around the HK film industry that he was difficult to work with, and the following year he was left with no option but to also headline HK B-movies being shot in the Philippines. Biao and Yen couldn’t be more different in their trajectories though. With Biao already passed his peak, he spent the majority of the 90’s trying to find his direction without the guidance of his older Opera School brothers Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung. From new wave wuxia’s, to Japanese productions, attempts at playing the villain, and an unsuccessful attempt at directing, he never did re-capture the magic that he had onscreen in the 80’s.

Yen on the other hand was a victim of his own ambitions, having wanted to increasingly have a voice in how the action was portrayed in the movies he was featuring in, ultimately it put him at odds with his own mentor. He’d eventually realise his ambitions as the 90’s progressed, directing, choreographing, and starring in Legend of the Wolf, Ballistic Kiss, and Shanghai Affairs, which while all wildly divisive, certainly showed he was a choreographer with a unique vision. In and around his directorial efforts, Yen spent his time featuring in productions shot both in the Philippines and Taiwan, while left with only throwaway supporting parts in his native Hong Kong.

This background is worth mentioning, as both look rather listless for the duration of Circus Kids. Biao plays the most talented member of the troupe, led by Wu Ma, which also features Lam Wai (King of Beggars), Irene Wan (All of a Sudden), and Lily Lee (Asian Cop – High Voltage). When they head to Canton after their livelihoods are destroyed, his run-ins with pickpockets and unscrupulous business owners see him run afoul of the local police chief, played by Yen. Armed with a wardrobe that appears to be too big for him by at least a couple of sizes, Yen flits in and out of the runtime, seemingly with the only purpose to unconvincingly flirt with Irene Wan, or throw a kick or a punch.

When Lam Wai gets a job in a local factory which turns out to be a front for opium manufacturing, becoming addicted to it in the process, Biao, the troupe, and Yen eventually join forces to close the factory down, taking on the wrath of those that have a vested interest in its addictive production line. Enter Ken Lo, essentially playing the same character here as he is in Drunken Master II, from the same year. Circus Kids went into production after the release of Jackie Chan’s landmark kung fu masterpiece, and Lo stated in an interview that Wu Ma had asked him to essentially recreate the final fight against Chan, only facing off against Biao instead. While he was reluctant to do so, in amongst some exaggerated wirework, there’s some clear moments in their confrontation lifted directly from the factory fight in Drunken Master II, enough to make it feel like a pale imitation rather than a face-off between two legendary boot-masters.

The fight action is choreographed by the trifactor of Yuen Miu (who’d worked extensively with Biao before on the likes of Kickboxer, The Sword Stained with Royal Blood, Licence to Steal, and Rosa), Pan Yung-Sheng (This Man is Dangerous), and Mandy Chan Chi-Man (Hero Among Heroes). Considering the talent onboard, most of the fights are surprisingly nondescript, with no particular standout moments (and if any come close, they’re directly lifted from Drunken Master II) and some horrid camera angles. A confrontation between Biao and Yen in a police station, which moves in and between 2 floors and a staircase, feels like the biggest let down. Considering the moves Biao unleashed in a similar environment in Millionaires Express against Dick Wei, the unremarkable nature of seeing 2 legends go toe to toe is a sight to behold for all the wrong reasons.

Unremarkable can be applied to the pace overall, which feels clunky and bloated whenever there’s no action onscreen. It seems like Wu Ma wanted to create a serious drama with heartfelt emotions and strong characters, but none of it works. For a start, Biao’s character is too like the mischievous larrikin he’d been regularly playing since Knockabout 15 years earlier. That’s fine, but you can’t hang a plot which begs to be taken seriously on a character like that, and that’s what Wu Ma attempts to do here, resulting in some jarring tonal shifts. Similarly for Yen, who in 1994 was far (really far) from being the decent actor he’d become by the time he portrayed Ip Man in 2008. Overall Circus Kids feels like it wants to be taken seriously, but it doesn’t warrant it, and the end result is one which feels like trudging through mud whenever there aren’t any fists being thrown.

For those that make it to the finale, it does attempt to win back some good will. In parallel with the Biao vs Lo fight we have Donnie Yen facing off against his buddy Bey Logan, here clocking in only his 2^nd screen appearance. Unfortunately the fight does neither of them any favours, with Yen’s flair and trademark moves noticeably missing in action, and Logan looking like he’s doing his best to keep up. A special mention should go to Zheng Shuang, playing a femme fatale who can throw down in full 1940’s regalia, and looks fantastic doing it. Shuang appears to have had a fleeting career (she has just 12 credits, all of them supporting roles, over a period of 25 years), however her 2 brief scuffles with Biao here are some of the most entertaining in the whole movie.

Like many 90’s Hong Kong movies that threw together impressive casts of martial arts talent, Circus Kids only succeeds in looking good on paper, with the result that ended up onscreen being a plodding experience, broken up by occasional bursts of average action. Wu Ma must have recognised that he’d lost his touch, as he wouldn’t sit in the directors chair solo again until 20 years later for 2014’s Shigehoshi, released the same year he passed away. We can perhaps be thankful that his partnership with Biao didn’t continue, as there are times when he, Yen, and Lo all look like they’d rather be somewhere else, and having sat through the heavy handed narration and forgettable action beats, it’s enough to make you wish they were.

Paul Bramhall’s Rating: 4/10