This is it. The single greatest Kung Fu movie ever made. This is the ultimate Kung Fu movie with the ultimate Kung Fu star, Jackie Chan. His entire career has culminated in to this one, great opus. Jackie performs feats of physical agility that will blow your mind, despite being about 40 years old when he made this movie. The story is about the fabled fighter Huang Fe-Hung who encounters corrupt industrialists that are exporting some of China's greatest historical treasures to increase their profits. Naturally Fe-Hung takes up the fight against them, and faces the deadly Ax Gang and finally a dangerous Tae Kwon Do stylist in the movies eye popping final fight scene. (That Tae Kwon Do fighter is actually Jackie's real life body guard. He stepped in as the chief villain because Ho SUng Pak hurt his ankle and was unable to perform the complicated fight sequences required.)
Fe-Hung doles out justice throughout the film with his unique fighting style, drunken boxing, despite ridicule by his opponents, insisting that drunken boxing is inferior. Needless to say, Jackie proves them wrong.
Historically speaking, the real Huang Fe-Hung did not use drunken boxing at all. In fact, he was a practioner of the much more effective style of Kung Fu called Hung-Gar. And his exploits can be alikened more to the Jesse James of America's old west. But Fe-Hung was more commonly found fighting for the underdog and battling tyranny. However, of all the innumerable depictions of Huang Fe-Hung "DRUNKEN MASTER 2" is by far the best.
This movie can be described as a "Big Budget" Kung Fu movie, done in a very traditional period style. The cinematography, direction, action sequencing, writing, and story line are all TOP KNOTCH. There has never been a Kung Fu movie made that is "better" than this one. And there has never been better fight choreography.
As you might well expect, there are some breath-taking stunts. And this is the movie that has the fire stunt responsible for Jackie's skin graft on his arm. He did not get burned so severly until the THIRD take! He wasn't happy with the first two. And if that is not painful enough to watch, then check out the fight against the Ax Gang, when one member gets knocked of the up-stairs portion of the restaraunt and slams into a cross beam before smashing in to the floor.
If you are looking for the best martial arts flick ever, this is it.
