Amazon.co.uk Review
The first of a popular series (six in all) starring the charismatic and athletically adept Jet Li. Li plays legendary folk hero Wong Fei Hong, a late 19th-century southern Chinese healer and kung fu master. The story begins with Western powers (American, British and French) encroaching on the city of Canton. Wong is asked by the Black Flag army to safeguard the town by creating his own militia of kung fu experts. His assistants include the butcher “Porky” (Kent Cheng), a Chinese-American named Bucktooth So (Jacky Cheung) and his westernised “Auntie” Yee (Rosamund Kwan), a non-blood-related childhood friend for whom he holds a special affection. But the Westerners aren’t the only problem in Canton. The ShaHo gang terrorises local businesses and has begun dealing with the Americans in exporting Chinese for slave labour and prostitution. A down-on-his-luck kung fu master named Iron Vest Yim (Yan Yee Kwan) has decided he needs to defeat Wong to open a school and Leung Fu (Jackie Chan contemporary Yuen Biao), a travelling opera troupe groupie, just keeps getting in the way. This epic martial-arts film showcases Li’s amazing fighting and acrobatic skills and established Tsui Hark as a top-notch action film director. The final fight scene between Wong and Yim entails a dizzying orchestration of kicks and punches while teeter-tottering on ladders. The DVD features star bios, filmographies, trailers and clips from early Wong Fei Hong films that starred veteran actor Kwan Tak Hing. –Shannon Gee
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Once Upon A Time In China
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Given the ecstatic reviews this film has attracted previously,I am wondering if I have watched a completely different film.
To say that the story line wanders all over the place would be an understatement.
After an hour’s play,the initial premise of the conflict between elements of Chinese society,and the foreign powers,had hardly advanced,especially with the detours into so called comedy.
My advice would be,save your money,and put it towards buying “Fearless”.
Rating: 1 / 5
The Once Upon a Time series is a must buy for any martial arts fan. Each features fantastic camera work and unbelievable fight sequences. There is some obvious rope work taking place yet it doesn’t take away from the fact that this film is a masterpiece. Just buy it!
Rating: 5 / 5
This is truely a beautiful film. For once there is a martail art film that have substance and depth and a storyline. The film is beautifully shot and the chereography of the fight scenes are some of the best that I have even seen commited to film, especially the ending.
Jet Li as every is fantastic and his other supporting characters are really good as well. Just bought the sequels to this film and I just hope that it lives up to the expectations laid out by this film.
Rating: 5 / 5
So you’ve seen Crouching Tiger….you’ve been lucky enough to see Iron Monkey…and now you are… STOP!
Take a breath, compose yourself and relax. Press PLAY.
The plot of this movie can be at times difficult to follow. It is because there is quite a lot going on at once and many ’strong’ characters. However the next time I watch it, I won’t have that problem.
-I will watch it again quite simply because the martial arts, direction and ‘feel’ of this movie is excellent and to cut this review short I can sum it up by saying ‘if you like kung-fu then stop hesitating and watch it’
=Note of interest=
Wong Fei Hong is the character played by Donnie Yen’s screen son in Iron Monkey (another must see).
Onto Once Upon a time II…
Rating: 5 / 5
This movie is fantastic. Jet Li is amazing and the fighting scenes are some of the best around. The last 45 minutes (I think) of the movie is made up of fight sequence after fight sequence, comtaining some of the best acrobaticts and fighting skills you will ever see. If you are a Martial Arts fan, then this is a must see movie!
Rating: 5 / 5