The Prodigal Son

Simply the best (and most accurate) display of Wing Chun kung fu. Good plot, good action, and also a historical fictional account of Wing Chun kung fu as well. Wong Bah Bo (played by Sammo Hung), Leung Yee Tai (played by Ching-Ying Lam) and Leung Jan (played by Yuen Biao) are all Wing Chun figures. Wong Bah Bo and Leung Yee Tai were members of the Red Junk Opera Troupe who taught Leung Jan. Leung Jan was Yip Man's sitaigung (sifu's sifu) as Yip Man studied under Chan Wah Sun (Leung Jan's student). The most intriguing connection in all of this is that Bruce Lee was also a student of Yip Man (considered by many as the modern grandmaster of Wing Chun). If you like this movie, you might want to check out 'Wing Chun' starring Michelle Yeoh. It's also a historical fictional account of Yim Wing Chun (after which the style was named).

kung-fu movies just don't get better then this. i wish they would make more kung-fu movies like this old school classic then the CGI'ed stuff that we get today.

many people consider this as the all-time best kung-fu movie and i can and can't disagree with that. i would definitely put this in my top ten though. every in this movie was top-notch. the people involved in this movie outdid themselves.

from the kung-fu to the storyline, to the acting, everything was awesome. i must've seen this movie at least 20 times and have never got bored. it is one of my all time favorites, not just in the kung-fu category.

every major player in kung-fu movies at the time was there except for jackie chan and bruce lee had been dead for a few years already. my favorite fighting guy in the movies is here and his name is " Dick Wei " one of the two bodyguards( not the one who does mantis style ) although the other one is very good also. if you've watched enough kung-fu movies you'll know who i'm talking about.

yuan baio shows that hes got solid acting chops besides also in my opinion as being the most athletic and having the cleanest moves. if you've watched other movies where the 3 stars are together, movies like...( twinkle twinkle lucky stars, millionaires express, dreadnaught, dragons forever0 and it goes on and on, he always gets the hardest fighting moves and they are not always the fanciest though.

its hard to find a perfect kung fu movie and this is probably as good as it gets, and they were also able to blend the comedic elements in seamlessly which is always hit or miss. i love movies like this and there were cameos by well known character actors of hk cinema including one from Lee Hoi San and another from James Tien.

if you are a kung fu movie fan you cannot not watch this alltime classic. it is a must see for kung fu movie fans, just make sure you find a high-def copy which is not hard to do nowadays and enjoy! i guarantee multiple viewings from anybody that watches this movie.

Yuen biao is the man. I think he's one of the best actors in Hong Kong whether it's martial arts or not, it's just ridiculous that he's never been nominated in the best actor category at the Hong Kong awards. I've seen this film about 30 times now. It's one of the few kung-fu films that i can watch from beginning to end, as usually i go straight to the fights. The kung-fu is brilliant, very fast, very realistic, and very precise. The end fight is pure genius, fast and furious. The fight between Frankie Chan and Lam Ching Ying is brilliant too, and the training sequences... this film is just perfect. Brilliant camera work, slick editing and great music. More people should see this film to see the pure genius of Sammo Hung,Yuen Biao, and the brilliant Lam Ching Ying. It doesn't have as many fights as the other old skool kung-fu movies, but believe me this movie rocks. 10/10

Review: This is a classic, old school Kung Fu movie with a lot of silly jokes but a dramatic ending. Its about a boy called Leung Chang (Biao Yuen) who things that he's a Kung Fu master because his friends pay people to take his beatings. When he finally comes across someone who is not willing to fall down, he realises that his skills aren't that great and his friends tell him about what they have been doing behind his back. He then seeks training from his opponent, who is reluctant on taking him on as his apprentice. After much persuasion, he finally teaches him Wing Chun, along with his brother who has a different style. When he returns home after some intense training, his master gets murdered by a man who wants to challenge all of the Kung Fu masters, so he steps up to revenge his teacher and friend. Basically it's the old concept of "You Killed My Master" which we have seen many times in this genre but I never get bored of it. Although this film is extremely authentic, with some great action scenes, Sammo Hung's script was quite silly and camp, which was a bit weird for films in this genre in the 80's. I did chuckle at a few scenes, especially the funny English dubbing and it reminded a lot of when I used to watch Kung Fu movies on VHS. Anyway, it's definitely one to have in your collection, if your into your old school karate movies and it's one that I will never get bored of. GREAT!

Round-Up: This movie was directed by Sammo Hung, 63, who brought you movies like Project A, Wheels & Meals, Dragons Forever, Moon Warriors, Evil Cult, Mr. Nice Guy and One Upon A Time in China and America. He's starred in over 160 movies and he's starred in the lead of a successful series called Martial Law, which made him a household name around the world. He has a comedic style, very much like Jackie Chan, who he has starred alongside for many years and he is highly respected in his native country. This movie, which has become an all time classic, pushed him major stardom in the 80's and his chubby stature proved that you can still pull of some amazing moves, no matter what your weight is. He hasn't directed a movie since 1997 but he is still starring in movies like Once Upon A Time in Shanghai and the Last Tycoon. Personally I find his jokes a bit too silly at times, like I did in this film but it still worked. Anyway, the bonus material on the DVD was as interesting as the movie so it's one worth purchasing.

I recommend this movie to people who are into their action/comedy/martial arts movies starring Yuen Biao and Sammo Hung. 7/10

Prodigal Son takes the traditional historical setting and standard kung-fu revenge story and creates an amazing comic masterpiece. If you enjoy Jackie Chan, don't miss this. Even the dubbed version I saw (I usually hate dubbing) worked very well. The final fight is one of the greatest in celluloid history.