World of Drunken Master, The (1979) Review

“The World of Drunken Master” Theatrical Poster

Director: Joseph Kuo
Cast: Jack Long, Lee I Min, Chan Wai Lau, Lung Fei, Jeannie Chang Wing Wing, Lung Tien Hsiang, Yu Chung Chiu, Mark Long Kwan Wu, Simon Yuen Siu Tien
Running Time: 88 min.

By Martin Sandison

Around two weeks ago, I received Eureka’s Joseph Kuo boxset through the mail. I know a lot of you readers have received it too. In these heady days of incredible releases, every week or so I get a rush of euphoria waiting for the next one to come through. The Kuo set is something special, though; it’s the best any indie titles have looked so far, in 2K remasters. I have a real soft spot for Taiwanese independent kung fu, and have been waiting my whole life for them to look this good. I was awaiting the box with such anticipation, that when it came through the release of emotion was ridiculous. It brought me back to my teen years, when I would order VHS from Eastern Heroes and wait with bated breath. I remember receiving Incredible Kung Fu Mission one morning, and playing hooky from school so I could go back and watch it in my room, unbeknownst to my parents.

Despite the greatness of the box, all of us are disappointed that films such as the excruciating crapness of The Old Master have been included, yet all-time masterpieces such as Mystery of Chess Boxing are omitted. We can but hope it’s a rights issue, and we will see these other classics released from another company such as Pearl River. The holy grail of the set is of course 7 Grandmasters, a masterwork that needs no introduction. In the same vein, I was most looking forward to rewatching The World of Drunken Master. I had only watched it once previously, the usual full screen pan and scan, dubbed DVD release. I did remember liking it a lot, but boy this time I was blown away. While not in the same league as 7 Grandmasters, there are glaring flaws, it’s still up there with the best old school kung fu I’ve seen.

In Kuo’s kung fu filmography, the movie stands out as the most blatant for cashing in on a craze. Yet, Kuo manages to infuse originality and some depth into the proceedings. Ostensibly the origin story of Beggar So, the beloved historical figure immortalised by Yuen Siu Tien in the original Drunken Master, the picture actually concentrates more on So’s kung fu brother Fan Ta Pei. He is a made up character, but one who almost reaches the iconic heights of Beggar So. 

Yuen Siu Tien’s cameo features him doing some shapes on a beach at the start of the film, presumably he was too busy to play the part in the rest of the film. He is replaced by Yue Sung Chao, a seasoned old school actor. The film opens with Fan (Jack Long, 7 Grandmasters) and So as old men, having not seen each other in 30 years. In flashback we see the two, played by Jack Long and Li Yi Min (Seven Commandments of Kung Fu) as the young So, learning kung fu from master Chan Chi (Chen Hui Lou, Fearless Hyena) , and becoming involved with the villainous Tiger Yeh (Lung Fei, Dream Sword), and vying for the affections of Lu Yu (Jeanie Chang, Mystery of Chess Boxing).

The one thing that struck me, apart from the magnificent shapes choreography that we’ll get to later, is the chemistry between Li Yi Min and Jack Long. A lot of old school comedy is quite cringe when looked upon these days, however The World of Drunken Master contains some genuinely laugh out loud moments. This is partly due to the two’s antics, and their comic timing and reactions are on point. You can see the enjoyment in their faces, and the two heroes are very likeable. The comedy is almost up there with the original Drunken Master, and so are the fights.

Despite having a modicum of depth in its characters and story, the film delivers almost constant comedic and serious kung fu action. Jack Long’s kung fu style is remarkably fluid, as he moves from super smooth hand exchanges to complex acrobatics. Under the guiding hand of Yuen Cheung Yan, both him and Li Yi Min have rarely looked better. The film delights in giving us an end fight of the flashback section, before two end fights in which Fan dishes out punishment. The former features a blinding 2-on-1 with Li and Jack vs Lung Fei, one to remember. The proper end has a cameo from Mark Long (Mystery of Chess Boxing), as the two Longs go toe-to-toe in a shapes-fest of epic proportions, although it is a little short. My only gripe about the combat is there is not much kicking, but I guess these performers are not known for it.

There are a couple of huge plot holes, and the end battles come out of nowhere really, there’s very little explanation as to why Fan must fight the two combatants. The recurrence of an earlier character strains credibility a bit, and I would’ve liked to see more of the two old masters together, and Beggar So getting into more fights. 

The World of Drunken Master can stand proudly alongside other films which carry on the mantle of the original, such as Dance of the Drunk Mantis and Drunken Master 2. Seeing Jack Long in near-iconic garb throw down some first class shapes is worth the price of admission alone. Kuo creates a great film around this character, and props should go to him for trying something a little different despite the obvious cash in nature of the film. Despite falling just short of kung fu masterpiece status, The World of Drunken Master gets the adrenalin and old school charm pumping, and it’s wonderful to see films like it and others looking this damn good.

Martin Sandison’s Rating: 8.5/10