Stars: Jackie Chan, Casanova Wong, Siu Tien Yuen

Director: Yuen Woo-Ping

Summary: A pupil sent to train under a drunken master escapes only to be beaten by an assassin...

Chan plays Chinese folk legend Wong Fei Hong as a wily teenager getting into and out of trouble on the streets of Hong Kong. AKA "Drunk Monkey in the Tiger's Eyes."

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Reviewed by: davybozal24-7
Posted on June 30, 2006 10:20 PM

This early Jackie Chan movie has to be seen to be believed as the non stop action is just too good to miss . Jackie Chan shines as the
young fighter with a talent for trouble and the potential to become a legend . Under the guidance of Sam Seed ( Yuen Siu Tien ) , Fei Hung endures some of the most tortuous training ever devised in a bid to master the devastating art of Drunken Boxing . Great stuff .

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Drunken Masteris a film that, following Snake in the Eagle's Shadow(1978) (made with the same ensemble cast and director Yuen Woo Ping), consolidated Jackie Chan's position as the new Hong Kong kung fu action star of the late 1970s. Set in the late 19th century, Chan plays the great Chinese hero Wong Fei Hung as a loveable young rogue who is always getting into fights or embarrassing his family. Eventually his father decides the only way to make a man of Chan is to send him for training with an old drunken drifter played by Yuen Siu Tien. Just as they did in Snake in the Eagle's Shadow, the pair make a fine double-act, though this time there is much surreal entertainment to be had from the older man teaching the younger the fine art of drunken kung fu. Learning to fight like the Eight Drunken Gods before the final confrontation with Hwang Jang Lee causes Chan considerable problems, though Yuen Siu Tien simply fights better the more he drinks. Yuen Siu Tien would reprise the role in his final film, Magnificent Butcher(1979) yet with Chan he finds a perfect blend of slapstick comedy and creatively staged action which makes Drunken Mastera genuine kung fu classic.

On the DVD:The picture is generally strong though inevitably there is a fair amount of grain. Unfortunately the original 2.35-1 film has been reformatted to 1.77-1 widescreen TV ratio. This has been done more skilfully than usual but is still a misrepresentation of the original cinema release and does mar both the landscape photography and the fast moving action scenes. The sound is perfectly acceptable mono. Soundtrack options are the original Mandarin with English subtitles, or an English dub. Extras include the original English language theatrical trailer, Hong Kong Legends' own trailer, plus promos for further releases and a photo gallery. There is a detailed text biography and filmography of Jackie Chan, a biography of Yuen Woo Ping and a text interview with producer Ng See Yuen. Also included is a text biography of Hwang Jang Lee linked to a kicking showcase which is another short fight scene. Most of these features are identical to those on the Snake in the Eagle's ShadowDVD. --Gary S Dalkin

Aspect Ratio:	16:9 Anamorphic Wide Screen
Main Language:	Mandarin
Region:	Region 2
Special Features:	Photo Gallery, Jackie Chan Biography And Filmography, Theatrical Trailer, UK Music Promo, Rare Deleted Scene, Interview With producer Mg See Yuen, Yuen Woo Ping Biography, Hwang Jang Lee Biography, Kicking Showcase
Year:	1978
Release Date:	April 24, 2000
Runtime:	107 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	M D V 392
Keywords:	Martial, Eagle, Subtitled, Eyes, Claw, Boxing, Master, Fist, Wide, Screen, Drunken, Snake, Monkey, Dubbed, Part, Cantonese, Paw, Cat's, Arts, Tiger's
Genre:	Martial Arts