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24 out of 26 people found the following review useful: There's more to martial arts cinema than arthouse self-indulgence or slapstick comedy, 16 July 2002 Author: Fox in Socks from Staffordshire
Watched this again as an antidote to "The One". Jet Li's done some good films, some TERRIBLE films, and then again he's done a few genuine epics, like the Once upon a time in China series. These films are also among the best work of Tsui Hark.The modern Wong Fei-Hung series contains elements of humour without being just broad slapstick (if you want kung fu comedy, rent a Jackie Chan film), but are mostly films about a troubled China where traditional values are being overwhelmed by Western style and influence. Iron-Robe Yim's line "you can't fight bullets with kung fu" resonates achingly with the failed boxer rebellion, during which chi-gung practitioners mistakenly believed they were protected from foreign guns.Wong Fei-Hung's struggle to find an honourable, peaceful path through the collision between cultures should strike a chord with anyone who has moved on from chop-socky and realises that a kung fu movie can feature a great story as well as great cinematography.
23 out of 28 people found the following review useful: the best martial arts film ever made, 25 July 2003 Author: Andy Bronson (AndyBronson) from essex, england
The first time i saw this movie i hated it it was only with repeated viewing that i grew to love it. I think the reason why i initially didn't enjoy it was because i was expecting light entertainment and i just wasn't prepared for a multi layered film such as this. This film marks for director Tsui Hark the peak of his creative genius when he was making this film there was a lot of worry in Hong Kong regarding the 1997 hand over to China Tsui manages to transfer this tension and uncertainty into the film terrificly and he injects each shot with a passion for his nationality and his love for the chinese heros such as Wong Fei-Hung. The next element of this film that is truly magnificent is the cast each character is given sufficient screen time for complete character arcs Jet Li's acting is done with a level of honour and intensity that has been lacking in every performance he has done since. Yuen Biao has perfected playing these king of roles because he has played many similar roles in the past yet he still manages to bring something new to the role and gives it a fresh twist that is lacking in Max Mok's performance in the sequels. there are also strong performances by Jackie Cheung, Rosamund Kwan and Kent Cheng. overall the character that steals the show is master yim i would say he is better than the rest of the cast combined. Now to the point that most people watch kung fu films for the fights the great thing about the fights in this film is that each fight improves on the one before it so there is a visible progression before the end ladder fight which i consider to be the best wire enhanced fight ever put on film.overall i would recommend this film to anyone who is looking for a great movie but if you are looking for realistic fighting i would point you in the direction of Bruce Lee's films and the Prodigal Son . please note to get the most out of this film it must be seen in its original language and in its original Widescreen format and it must be seen no less than five times to get an idea of its multi layered complexities
12 out of 13 people found the following review useful: Great martial film, too ambitious with all its intended messages, 26 July 2005 Author: aimayli from United States
This movie, directed by Tsui Hark, embodied some of the best Kong-fu fight sequences to be found anywhere in the entire genre. Not only were the fights choreographed with amazing skill and dexterity, there was also supreme creativity and use of forces at work here. The angle placement of the camera was always effective and the fight scenes between the hero and his enemies are set up with admirable presence and dignity. Furthermore, the editing was bold and crisp; for the most part everything flowed very well from one scene to the next. Jet Li was unparalleled in his martial arts glamour. His stern demeanor accentuated his role as a leader and a man of principle.Jet Li played Wong Feihong, a doctor who also happened to be renowned for his skill in martial arts. Against his will, he became involved in combating the local gang, whose rivalry and antagonism was set up by a flimsy pretext. (Apparently gang violence usually are created over the most trifle of instances) On the one hand, Feihong, had to deal with the local thugs, on the other, he had to deal with government officials and foreign mercenaries.Along for the ride were some touching characters playing Wong Feihong's students, the stuttering Western-educated nerd and the formidably huge pork merchant. The addition of Aunt 13 to the cast added shy romance, providing a nice contrast to all the fighting and constant strife and chaos.The movie featured a convincing historical backdrop and captured the national Chinese character well, at least, the 19th century, pre-Communist era. The music score was very nicely done and complemented the film well. At times, the movie evoked as much emotion as the characters themselves.The only problem with this film may be its overly ambitious goals of trying to tackle everything at once. There was the sentiment of saving China from "foreign devils" as well as the sentiment that China was rotting and corrupt at its core, with the Chinese betraying the Chinese. There was also the strong sense of there being too few good men like Wong Feihong, with a strong desire to do right by his country. Over all, the movie's message was multi-layered and complex and can be confusing to the unschooled audience.Still, this movie, made in 1991, showed off Jet Li's lyrical martial arts grace in full glory and in its best moments, takes fighting to a transcendent level.
10 out of 11 people found the following review useful: Not Exactly A Classic but Brilliant Nonetheless, 5 March 2008 Author: Senyales from Fraggle Rock
Jet Li's done some exceptional work in China. I have not been impressed by anything he did in America. Tsui Hark's 'Wong Fei Hung' has already been stretched into several sequels of which I have only seen the first. 'Wong Fei Hung' has all the ingredients to make it an enjoyable epic movie. There is a story with a heart, some very well crafted choreography, good acting, and enough action and culture. It's set on a historical backdrop of a pre-Communist China. The characters are very well written (with the exception of the non-Chinese who act like caricature villains). Jet Li, Biao Yuen, Rosamund Kwan, Jacky Cheung and Kent Cheng all act well. It also presents some taboo elements such as Wong's affection for his 'aunt' (it was taboo during the time) but this is all skillfully underused which prevents the film from appearing too preachy. The film has several layers but it tries to tackle too many things at once and becomes unnecessarily complicated at some point. The film slightly drags in the first half and the choreography of the action scenes without the main cast looked a little shoddy. Yet, the characters are very likable and the story also offers a lot to enjoy that I am looking forward to its sequels. In my humble opinion, it's certainly one of the better martial arts films and has a lot more substance than pretentious films like 'Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon'. the only other Tsui Hark film I've seen is the magnificent 'Chat gim' and I've liked what I've seen so far.
9 out of 11 people found the following review useful: Simply the best martial arts movie ever., 26 November 2000 Author: loff from Norway
Forget the Matrix. Forget pale US imitations like Rush Hour or Romeo Must Die. This just might be the best martial arts movie ever. Not because the fight scenes are awesome (they are) and the star suitably iconic (he is). But because this is a real movie, with a real plot and a genuine cinematic feel to it. Director Tsui Hark seems to have gotten some help by the ghost of Sergio Leone, and brings an entire age to life. This is a kung fu movie made like you always wanted them to be. And it has the funniest racially stereotyped villains (white Americans!) ever put on film. 10/10. Part II is almost as good.
6 out of 6 people found the following review useful: Martial Arts Masterpiece, 30 March 2006 Author: bs3dc from United Kingdom
Once Upon a Time in China is quite simply one of the best films ever to come out of Hong Kong from almost every perspective.Jet Li stars in the role he was born to play (in my opinion), real-life martial arts master, doctor and commander of the local militia, Wong Fei-Hung. Despite not even being able to speak Cantonese his acting in this just using facial expression, and body language is highly impressive, conveying a man of great dignity and command above the real age of Jet Li, answering the critics who considered him too young for the role. It must have been a difficult role for him to take on, with Kwan Tak-Hing (played Wong Fei Hung in around 100 films) and Jackie Chan (Drunken Master I and II) being his predecessors. The story is very complex - possibly a little too complex - and transcends a good many martial arts films whose plots can easily be summed up in a single sentence. Wong Fei-Hung has to deal with American slavers, local gangs, a renegade martial arts master and even his own wayward (but well-intentioned students). On top of this he has to contend with his growing affection for Aunt Yee (Rosamund Kwan) which is important as it is set around the end of the 19th century when there were great social changes in China. This is typified with his relationship with his aunt who is not related to him by blood, but with whom it would be taboo to marry. The fact that this is a series of films allows the relationship to develop also sets it apart from many Hong Kong films where any romances are usually very fast-moving and unrealistic.The rest of the cast is extremely good, slightly more so than later episodes. The wonderfully athletic Yuen Biao plays Leung Foon, a trainee actor who wants to learn kung fu to protect himself - it is a shame he allegedly fell out with director Tsui Hark over screen time as his replacement in subsequent films is comic but has not got the martial arts skills. Kent Cheng is perfect for the role of the larger-than-life Lam Sai-Wing who is Wong Fei Hung's head student. His other students are played with vigour by Jacky Cheung and Yuen Kam-Fai.The villains are suitably colourful, and the lead bad guy played by Yam Sai-Kun is interesting because he is not as two-dimensional as he could have been and is almost a double for Wong Fei-Hung and what he could have become had he gone down the wrong path.The action is superb which is unsurprising considering it is choreographed by Yuen Woo-Ping, though critics will still fault the wire-work and use of doubles. The final showdown is a masterpiece of editing as Jet Li was injured and had to be doubled for many of the shots that weren't above the waist, but his fist techniques make up for this. The film has a long running time for a martial arts flick so for once there is plenty of time for story and action. An honourable mention has to go the music written by James Wong, as it is one of the greatest and most memorable of all martial arts theme music.In short they don't come much better than this. People who enjoyed Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon would probably love this and it should also be seen by anyone who has seen Cradle 2 the Grave and thinks Jet Li can't act. The first 2 sequels for this are also warmly recommended.
8 out of 10 people found the following review useful: a masterpiece of action cinema, 23 July 2001 Author: MikeA from Isle of Man, British Isles
The first of the new wave of Chinese movies is a masterpiece of action cinema, and looks gorgeous. Jet Lee plays Wong Fei Hung, a popular Chinese folk hero, although I gather he was doubled a fair bit due to an injury. Regardless, the set-piece fights are impressive and memorable, with imaginative wire work and use of scenery. This is not to underplay the plot of the movie, which is a poignant view of China's cultural identity being chipped away by western invaders. As always, a lot appears to be lost for those like myself who don't speak Chinese, but the subtitles are clear and well produced. On DVD the option is there to play the movie dubbed, but please resist. Very few kung-fu movies aren't ruined by terrible dubbing, and this is no exception. The DVD I was watching had a very interesting commentary by man-in-the-know Bey Logan, a picture gallery and an interview with Jet. It's certainly worth updating your old VHS copy of this classic movie.
7 out of 9 people found the following review useful: "A Beautifully Told Ballad About One Of The Greatest Heroes Of All Time.", 1 April 1999 Author: Krusty-9 from Australia
"Wong Fei Hong" may be dismissed as "yet another Hong Kong Kung Fu Film" at first glance. But when one looks at it deeper, it is one of the most triumphant films of all time. Rarely is the histoical splendour of the Late Qing Dynasty decipted as tragically beautiful as in this movie. The acting and the characters are achingly humane, as are the interaction between the characters. To say that the action in this movie is awesome is to commit the gross crime of severe understatement. The final confrontation between Wong Fei Hong and Yen Zhe Don in the forrest of ladders within the American Fort is arguably most electrifying and intense action narrative in cinema history. Painstakingly detailed and tightly paced, it is Martial Arts Action at its finest, thanks to the incredible talents of Choreographer Yuen Woo Ping.Most of all, "Wong Fei Hong" is one of the rare films these made these days that is truly about honour and caring about people. Master Wong represents the courage, nobility, honour, compssion and the sorely lacking justice that our world desperately needs. Wong Fei Hong is possibly the best role model for our children, whose souls are constantly rotted by selfish, nasty, so-called heroes like Blade and Spawn. The theme music of this film, "Be a hero", truly brings out the spirit of this nobility, and is one of the most moving tunes ever composed. The HERO of this film makes me proud that I am an Asian like him.Tsui hark is truly a great man for making this film, and deserves better than to have his talent wasted on Van Damme.
3 out of 3 people found the following review useful: Martial arts films rarely come better than this., 20 September 2009 Author: Igor Boiar (iboiar@hotmail.com) from Vancouver, Canada
Once Upon A Time In China (directed by Tsui Hark) is often called a classic of the martial arts genre and a great action film. Both of these praises are true. The Cantonese title of the film is actually Wong Fei Hung. It's also the name of the film's protagonist. The story is set at the end of the 19th century in the city of Foshan in China. It's a time when there was great concern about the growing presence of Westerners from America, Britain and France. Wong Fei Hung (a doctor and martial arts master) is approached by the general of the Black Flag Army who tells him that he should train a militia to help protect the coastal town. But things go badly for Wong when he begins to speak out against Western military presence. The local government official becomes angry with Wong. On top of that a local gang called Sha Ho Bang becomes a major nuisance for Wong. They terrorize local businesses and deal with the Americans. The Americans, Jackson and his henchman Tiger are working for the Sino-Pacific company, exporting Chinese people to America for slave labor. Another antagonist in the film is "Iron Robe" Yim, a martial arts master who has come to the town to start a martial arts school of his own. To be known as the best in town he challenges Wong Fei Hung to a fight.What makes the film stand out is that it contains lessons in history and morality. Jet Li is charismatic in the role of master Wong. Not only is he righteous and brave, but he also possesses great skills in martial arts and medicine. Master Yim on the other hand is almost the exact opposite of Wong; he's overconfident, corrupt and is not concerned about the well-being of other people to achieve his goals. The fights between Yim and Wong are truly spectacular. They have the right balance between realism and fantasy to make them memorable. In addition, the fights are very well choreographed. Wire-work was used, but I didn't care since there's no way to show such fights without it. The film's action scenes influenced many other martial arts films afterward. In contrast to Wong's good practices the film also shows some of the worst of human nature. But in the context of the film it isn't unnecessary violence. We're shown how righteousness and dedication can overcome what's bad. At the heart of the film is a yearning for the old China, a China that has withered away because of Western influence. People are blinded by opportunity and the promise of wealth while failing to see the good that's in front of them.Once Upon A Time In China is one of my favourite films. I watch it for entertainment, and when I feel uncertain. It's an inspirational film. Since it's one of the most well known Hong Kong releases in the West you've probably already seen it, but if you haven't then you should. It's the sort of film that will get you interested in Hong Kong and Chinese cinema.
2 out of 2 people found the following review useful: Stand-out, 15 December 2004 Author: Guardia from Brisbane, Australia.
Brilliantly made martial-arts film about legendary Chinaman Wong Fei-hung. One of the only movies in it's genre to really create a cast of meaningful characters that do not merely lay by the way side of the best martial artist (obviously Jet Li).It is excellently shot and acted with a sensible balance of action and drama - although it does have a tendency to lay things on quite thick, what with excessively dramatic music and over-signified sequences.Overall it is a very original film, and is set among the interesting clash of the British and Chinese cultures. Slightly "magical" kung-fu sequences may turn Chan fans off, but otherwise it is mostly engaging.
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