Drunken Master
Encyclopedia
Drunken Master, also known as Drunk Monkey In The Tiger's Eye, is a 1978 Hong Kong martial arts
comedy film
directed by Yuen Woo-ping
, and starring Jackie Chan
, Yuen Siu-tien, and Hwang Jang Lee
. The film was a success at the Hong Kong
box office, earning two and a half times the amount of Chan's previous film, Snake in the Eagle's Shadow
, which was also considered a successful film. It is an early example of the comedic
kung fu
style for which Jackie Chan became famous. The film popularised the Zui Quan
(醉拳, "drunken fist") fighting movement.
practitioner and a revolutionary who lived towards the end of the Qing Dynasty
. He became a Chinese folk hero and the subject of several Hong Kong television programmes and films. Beggar So, who plays a supporting role in the film, is also another character from Chinese folklore and one of the Ten Tigers of Canton
. The Beggar So character is often cast as an associate of Wong Fei-hung or Wong's uncle.
Wong's father arranges for Beggar So to train his son in martial arts. Beggar So has a reputation for crippling his students during training so Wong flees from home in an attempt to escape his punishment. Penniless, he stops at a restaurant and tries to con a fellow patron into offering him a free meal. As he was about to leave after his meal, he discovers that the man is actually the owner of the restaurant. He fights with the owner's lackeys in an attempt to escape. An old drunkard nearby is drawn into the fight and helps him escape. The drunkard turns out to be Beggar So, the Drunken Master. (Beggar So is known in some versions of the film as Sam Seed, So Hi or Su Hua-chi)
Beggar So forces Wong into his brutal and rigorous training programme. Wong flees again to avoid the torturous training and runs into the notorious killer Yan Ti San (known in some versions as Thunderfoot or Thunderleg) by accident. Yan is known for his "Devil's Kick", a swift and deadly kicking style which has never been defeated. Wong provokes and challenges him to a fight and is soundly defeated and humiliated. He makes his way back to Beggar So and decides to commit himself to the Drunken Master's training program.
The training resumes and soon Wong learns Beggar So's secret style of martial arts, a form of Drunken Boxing
called "The Eight Drunken Immortals
", named after the eight mythological figures that the fighting style emulates. Wong masters seven of the eight styles with the exception of Drunken Miss Ho
's as he feels that her style of fighting is too feminine.
Meanwhile, Yan Ti San is contracted by a business rival to kill Wong's father. Wong's father fights with Yan and is defeated and injured by him. Wong and Beggar So arrive on the scene on time and Wong continues the fight with Yan. Beggar So promises not to interfere in the fight. Wong employs the new skill he learnt and outmatches Yan's kicking style. Yan then resorts to his secret technique, the Devil's Shadowless Hand, which Wong is unable to defeat. Wong confesses that he did not master the last style so Beggar So tells him to combine the seven styles and create his own version of the last style. Wong follows the instruction and discovers his own unique style of Drunken Boxing, which he eventually uses to defeat Yan and become the new Drunken Master.
with Wong Kei-ying's cocky, but incompetent, assistant kung fu instructor, to the novel "head-fu" fighting style used by one of his opponents. The film features the Hung Ga system of fighting, which was historically practiced by Wong Fei-hung and his father Wong Kei-ying, both of whom are major characters in the film. The animal styles of Snake, Crane, and Tiger performed in the film are derived wholly from the Hung Ga system and bear only a tangential relationship to the Fujian White Crane, Lama Pai
(Tibetan White Crane), Black Tiger
, and Snake
systems of kung fu. Monkey
style kung fu, popular in Southern Chinese martial arts performances, is also shown briefly.
Numerous systems of kung fu include "Drunken Boxing
" forms (e.g. Choi Lei Fut
and Drunken Monkey
), and the Taoist Eight Immortals
are popular staples of Chinese culture and art. However, the "Eight Drunken Immortals" forms depicted in this film are likely the creation of director and choreographer Yuen Woo-ping
and based on routines found in other systems.
The primary villain in Drunken Master is played by Hwang Jang Lee, a Korean martial artist specialising in Taekwondo
and known for his high-flying kicks, which are prominently displayed in the film. The systems of "Devil's Kick" and "Devil's Shadowless Hands" employed by Thunderleg are entirely fictitious.
They include:
It should be noted that not all films that feature the Zui Quan
"Drunken Fist" style (or variations on it) can be considered as imitators of the Drunken Master films. Films such as Drunken Monkey (2002) may feature a drunken style of kung fu, and in the case of The Forbidden Kingdom (2008), the same principal star, but they have a fundamentally different plot and sufficiently different title to separate them from Drunken Master.
PanMedia released a bootleg
DVD that contains the complete Cantonese track.
Martial arts film
Martial arts film is a film genre. A sub-genre of the action film, martial arts films contain numerous fights between characters, usually as the films' primary appeal and entertainment value, and often as a method of storytelling and character expression and development. Martial arts are frequently...
comedy film
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
directed by Yuen Woo-ping
Yuen Woo-ping
Yuen Woo-ping is a Chinese martial arts choreographer and film director, renowned as one of the most successful and influential figures in the world of Hong Kong action cinema. He is one of the inductees on the Avenue of Stars in Hong Kong...
, and starring Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan, SBS, MBE is a Hong Kong actor, action choreographer, comedian, director, producer, martial artist, screenwriter, entrepreneur, singer and stunt performer. In his movies, he is known for his acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, use of improvised weapons, and innovative stunts...
, Yuen Siu-tien, and Hwang Jang Lee
Hwang Jang Lee
Hwang Jang Lee is a Korean martial artist and actor. Hwang is perhaps best known as Sheng Kuan in 1978 film Snake in the Eagle's Shadow and Wong Chin in 1981 film Hitman in the Hand of Buddha. Variations of his name are often written as Wong Cheng Lee or Wong Cheng Li, in their Cantonese-Chinese...
. The film was a success at the Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
box office, earning two and a half times the amount of Chan's previous film, Snake in the Eagle's Shadow
Snake in the Eagle's Shadow
Snake in the Eagle's Shadow is a 1978 Hong Kong martial arts action film directed by Yuen Woo-ping his directorial debut, who has since gained international stardom as the action choreographer for films such as Iron Monkey, Fist of Legend, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, The Matrix series, Kill...
, which was also considered a successful film. It is an early example of the comedic
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
kung fu
Chinese martial arts
Chinese martial arts, also referred to by the Mandarin Chinese term wushu and popularly as kung fu , are a number of fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in China. These fighting styles are often classified according to common traits, identified as "families" , "sects" or...
style for which Jackie Chan became famous. The film popularised the Zui Quan
Zui Quan
Zui Quan is literally Drunken Fist, also known as Drunken Boxing or Drunkard's Boxing) is a concept in traditional Chinese martial arts, as well as a classification of modern Wushu forms...
(醉拳, "drunken fist") fighting movement.
Background
The film's protagonist Wong Fei-hung was a Chinese martial artist, a traditional Chinese medicineTraditional Chinese medicine
Traditional Chinese Medicine refers to a broad range of medicine practices sharing common theoretical concepts which have been developed in China and are based on a tradition of more than 2,000 years, including various forms of herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage , exercise , and dietary therapy...
practitioner and a revolutionary who lived towards the end of the Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
. He became a Chinese folk hero and the subject of several Hong Kong television programmes and films. Beggar So, who plays a supporting role in the film, is also another character from Chinese folklore and one of the Ten Tigers of Canton
Ten Tigers of Canton
The Ten Tigers of Canton or Ten Tigers of Guangdong refer to a group of ten Chinese martial artists from Guangdong , China, who lived during the late Qing Dynasty . They were said to be the best fighters in southern China at that time...
. The Beggar So character is often cast as an associate of Wong Fei-hung or Wong's uncle.
Plot
The plot centers on a young and mischievous Wong Fei-hung (sometimes dubbed as "Freddie Wong"). Wong runs into a series of troubles. Firstly, he teaches an overbearing assistant martial arts teacher a lesson. Next, he makes advances on a woman to impress his friends, and is soundly thrashed by her older female guardian as a result; his shame is compounded when these two are later revealed to be his visiting aunt and cousin, whom he had not met before. Lastly, he beats up a hooligan who is the son of an influential man in town. His father decides to punish him for his behavior by making him train harder in martial arts.Wong's father arranges for Beggar So to train his son in martial arts. Beggar So has a reputation for crippling his students during training so Wong flees from home in an attempt to escape his punishment. Penniless, he stops at a restaurant and tries to con a fellow patron into offering him a free meal. As he was about to leave after his meal, he discovers that the man is actually the owner of the restaurant. He fights with the owner's lackeys in an attempt to escape. An old drunkard nearby is drawn into the fight and helps him escape. The drunkard turns out to be Beggar So, the Drunken Master. (Beggar So is known in some versions of the film as Sam Seed, So Hi or Su Hua-chi)
Beggar So forces Wong into his brutal and rigorous training programme. Wong flees again to avoid the torturous training and runs into the notorious killer Yan Ti San (known in some versions as Thunderfoot or Thunderleg) by accident. Yan is known for his "Devil's Kick", a swift and deadly kicking style which has never been defeated. Wong provokes and challenges him to a fight and is soundly defeated and humiliated. He makes his way back to Beggar So and decides to commit himself to the Drunken Master's training program.
The training resumes and soon Wong learns Beggar So's secret style of martial arts, a form of Drunken Boxing
Zui Quan
Zui Quan is literally Drunken Fist, also known as Drunken Boxing or Drunkard's Boxing) is a concept in traditional Chinese martial arts, as well as a classification of modern Wushu forms...
called "The Eight Drunken Immortals
Eight Immortals of the Wine Cup
The Eight Immortals of the Wine Cup or Eight Immortals Indulged in Wine were a group of Tang Dynasty scholars who are known for their love of alcoholic beverages. They are not deified and xian is metaphorical...
", named after the eight mythological figures that the fighting style emulates. Wong masters seven of the eight styles with the exception of Drunken Miss Ho
Immortal Woman He
Named Hé Qióng , Immortal Woman He or He Xiangu is the only female deity among the Eight Immortals...
's as he feels that her style of fighting is too feminine.
Meanwhile, Yan Ti San is contracted by a business rival to kill Wong's father. Wong's father fights with Yan and is defeated and injured by him. Wong and Beggar So arrive on the scene on time and Wong continues the fight with Yan. Beggar So promises not to interfere in the fight. Wong employs the new skill he learnt and outmatches Yan's kicking style. Yan then resorts to his secret technique, the Devil's Shadowless Hand, which Wong is unable to defeat. Wong confesses that he did not master the last style so Beggar So tells him to combine the seven styles and create his own version of the last style. Wong follows the instruction and discovers his own unique style of Drunken Boxing, which he eventually uses to defeat Yan and become the new Drunken Master.
Cast
- Jackie ChanJackie ChanJackie Chan, SBS, MBE is a Hong Kong actor, action choreographer, comedian, director, producer, martial artist, screenwriter, entrepreneur, singer and stunt performer. In his movies, he is known for his acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, use of improvised weapons, and innovative stunts...
as Wong Fei-hung / Freddy - Yuen Siu-tien (or Simon Yuen) as Beggar Su Hua Chi / Sam Seed
- Hwang Jang LeeHwang Jang LeeHwang Jang Lee is a Korean martial artist and actor. Hwang is perhaps best known as Sheng Kuan in 1978 film Snake in the Eagle's Shadow and Wong Chin in 1981 film Hitman in the Hand of Buddha. Variations of his name are often written as Wong Cheng Lee or Wong Cheng Li, in their Cantonese-Chinese...
as Thunderleg - Lam Kau as Wong Kei-ying
- Fung Ging Man as Mr Li
- Hsu Hsia as King of Bamboo
- Linda Lin as Freddie Wong's aunt
- Dean ShekDean ShekDean Shek aka Dean Shek Tien is a veteran Hong Kong feature film actor and film producer with over 92 films acting credits to his name...
as Professor Kai-hsien - Yuen Shun-yi as Chen Ko-wai
- Tong Jing as Wong Fei-hung's cousin
Fight scenes and martial arts
A number of notable fights are featured in the film, almost all of them with strong elements of comedy - from the game of Keep AwayKeep Away
Keep Away, also called Monkey in the Middle, Piggy in the Middle, Pickle in a Dish, or Pickle in the Middle, is a children's game in which two or more players must pass a ball to one another, while a player in the middle attempts to intercept it...
with Wong Kei-ying's cocky, but incompetent, assistant kung fu instructor, to the novel "head-fu" fighting style used by one of his opponents. The film features the Hung Ga system of fighting, which was historically practiced by Wong Fei-hung and his father Wong Kei-ying, both of whom are major characters in the film. The animal styles of Snake, Crane, and Tiger performed in the film are derived wholly from the Hung Ga system and bear only a tangential relationship to the Fujian White Crane, Lama Pai
Lama (martial art)
While today the martial arts known as Lama Pai, Tibetan White Crane, and Hop Gar exist as relatively distinct lineages and/or organizations, all originated with a single figure known as Sing Lung who arrived in Guangdong Province during the Qing Dynasty and taught a martial art then known as...
(Tibetan White Crane), Black Tiger
Black Tiger Kung Fu
Shaolin Shandong black tiger fist is a northern Chinese martial art which originated in Shandong Province.-Techniques:...
, and Snake
Snake Kung Fu
There are several Chinese martial arts known as Snake Boxing or Fanged Snake Style which imitate the movements of snakes. It is a style of Shaolin Boxing. Proponents claim that adopting the fluidity of snakes allows them to entwine with their opponents in defense and strike them from angles they...
systems of kung fu. Monkey
Monkey Kung Fu
Monkey Kung Fu, or Monkey Fist , is a Chinese martial art which utilizes ape or monkey-like movements as part of its technique.There are a number of independently developed systems of monkey kung fu...
style kung fu, popular in Southern Chinese martial arts performances, is also shown briefly.
Numerous systems of kung fu include "Drunken Boxing
Zui Quan
Zui Quan is literally Drunken Fist, also known as Drunken Boxing or Drunkard's Boxing) is a concept in traditional Chinese martial arts, as well as a classification of modern Wushu forms...
" forms (e.g. Choi Lei Fut
Cai li fo
Cai Li Fo or Choy Li Fut is a Chinese martial art founded in 1836 by Chan Heung . Choy Li Fut was named to honor the Buddhist monk Choy Fook who taught him Choy Gar, and Li Yau-San who taught him Li Gar, plus his uncle Chan Yuen-Wu , who taught him Fut Gar, and developed to honor the Buddha...
and Drunken Monkey
Drunken Monkey
Drunken Monkey Form or Drunken Monkey Pole Form of Kung Fu is a Korean martial art, and one of the variations of the Monkey Style.This style is different from Zui Quan , as the practitioner is imitating gestures of an intoxicated monkey, rather than a human fighter.Drunken Monkey does not begin...
), and the Taoist Eight Immortals
Eight Immortals
The Eight Immortals are a group of legendary xian in Chinese mythology. Each Immortal's power can be transferred to a power tool that can give life or destroy evil. Together, these eight tools are called "Covert Eight Immortals" . Most of them are said to have been born in the Tang Dynasty or...
are popular staples of Chinese culture and art. However, the "Eight Drunken Immortals" forms depicted in this film are likely the creation of director and choreographer Yuen Woo-ping
Yuen Woo-ping
Yuen Woo-ping is a Chinese martial arts choreographer and film director, renowned as one of the most successful and influential figures in the world of Hong Kong action cinema. He is one of the inductees on the Avenue of Stars in Hong Kong...
and based on routines found in other systems.
The primary villain in Drunken Master is played by Hwang Jang Lee, a Korean martial artist specialising in Taekwondo
Taekwondo
Taekwondo is a Korean martial art and the national sport of South Korea. In Korean, tae means "to strike or break with foot"; kwon means "to strike or break with fist"; and do means "way", "method", or "path"...
and known for his high-flying kicks, which are prominently displayed in the film. The systems of "Devil's Kick" and "Devil's Shadowless Hands" employed by Thunderleg are entirely fictitious.
Sequels and spinoffs
- Drunken Master was a semi-sequel to the 1978 film Snake in the Eagle's ShadowSnake in the Eagle's ShadowSnake in the Eagle's Shadow is a 1978 Hong Kong martial arts action film directed by Yuen Woo-ping his directorial debut, who has since gained international stardom as the action choreographer for films such as Iron Monkey, Fist of Legend, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, The Matrix series, Kill...
, which featured the same cast and director. - Drunken Master IIDrunken Master IIDrunken Master II is a 1994 Hong Kong kung fu action film directed by Lau Kar-Leung and Jackie Chan, who stars as Chinese folk hero, Wong Fei Hung. It was Chan's first traditional style martial arts film since The Young Master...
(1994) did star Jackie Chan, and is often considered a sequel. The US release of the film in 2000 was entitled The Legend Of Drunken Master. - In 1979 Yuen Siu-tien reprised the role of Beggar So in the film Dance of the Drunk MantisDance of the Drunk MantisDance of the Drunk Mantis is a 1979 Hong Kong kung fu comedy film directed by Yuen Siu Tien’s real life son Yuen Woo-ping, starring Yuen Siu Tien, Hwang Jang Lee, Linda Lin, Yuen Shun Yee, Charlie Shek and Yuen Kwai...
, which is entitled Drunken Master Part 2 (not to be confused with Drunken Master IIDrunken Master IIDrunken Master II is a 1994 Hong Kong kung fu action film directed by Lau Kar-Leung and Jackie Chan, who stars as Chinese folk hero, Wong Fei Hung. It was Chan's first traditional style martial arts film since The Young Master...
noted above) in some releases. The film, which was again directed by his son, Yuen Woo-pingYuen Woo-pingYuen Woo-ping is a Chinese martial arts choreographer and film director, renowned as one of the most successful and influential figures in the world of Hong Kong action cinema. He is one of the inductees on the Avenue of Stars in Hong Kong...
, does not feature Jackie Chan, focusing instead on the drunken beggar character rather than on Wong Fei-hung. It is therefore generally considered to be a spinoff rather than a true sequel. - Yuen played this same role again in the films Story of Drunken Master and World of the Drunken Master.
- In 2010 Yuen Woo-ping returned to directing with True LegendTrue LegendTrue Legend is a 2010 martial arts film directed by Yuen Woo-ping, starring Vincent Zhao, Zhou Xun, Jay Chou, Michelle Yeoh, Andy On, David Carradine, Guo Xiaodong, Feng Xiaogang, Cung Le, Gordon Liu, Bryan Leung and Jacky Heung....
which could be called prequel to Drunken Master as it explains why Beggar Su (played by Vincent ZhaoVincent ZhaoVincent Zhao Wenzhuo , sometimes credited as Chiu Man-cheuk, is a Chinese actor and martial artist. Zhao is best known playing the role of Chinese folk hero Wong Fei-hung in the Once Upon a Time in China film and television series.-Early life:Zhao was born in Harbin, Heilongjiang, China, as the...
) turns to drinking.
Imitators
As with many successful Hong Kong action films, several films were released in the wake of Drunken Master (and its sequel) that could be considered to trade on the fame of the original films. These had less in common with the original films than the spinoffs starring Yuen Siu Tien.They include:
- The Drunken Fighter (1978)
- Drunken Swordsman (aka Drunken Dragon Strikes Back) (1979)
- The Shaolin Drunken MonkThe Shaolin Drunken MonkThe Shaolin Drunken Monk is a 1982 kung fu film directed by Au Yeung Chun and Lau Ka-Liang, and produced by Ocean Shores.The film is generally considered a bust, but is noted for its soundtrack and atmospheric flashbacks.- Plot :...
(starring Gordon LiuGordon LiuGordon Liu is a Chinese martial arts film actor. He became famous for playing the lead in The 36th Chamber of Shaolin and its sequels...
) (1982) - Drunken Tai ChiDrunken Tai ChiDrunken Tai Chi is a 1984 Hong Kong martial arts action film directed by Yuen Woo Ping and starring Donnie Yen in his first major role. Donnie Yen had signed a four-film contract after winning an open talent search hosted by Yuen Woo Ping, and "Drunken Tai Chi" was one of the contracted films...
(directed by Yuen Woo-ping and starring Donnie YenDonnie YenDonnie Yen is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film director and producer, action choreographer, and world wushu tournament medalist...
) (1984) - Revenge of the Drunken Master (1984)
- Drunken Master III (aka Drunken Master Killer) - starring Andy LauAndy LauAndy Lau MH, JP is a Hong Kong Cantopop singer, actor, and film producer. Lau has been one of Hong Kong's most commercially successful film actors since the mid-1980s, performing in more than 160 films while maintaining a successful singing career at the same time...
(1994) - The Little Drunken Masters (1995)
It should be noted that not all films that feature the Zui Quan
Zui Quan
Zui Quan is literally Drunken Fist, also known as Drunken Boxing or Drunkard's Boxing) is a concept in traditional Chinese martial arts, as well as a classification of modern Wushu forms...
"Drunken Fist" style (or variations on it) can be considered as imitators of the Drunken Master films. Films such as Drunken Monkey (2002) may feature a drunken style of kung fu, and in the case of The Forbidden Kingdom (2008), the same principal star, but they have a fundamentally different plot and sufficiently different title to separate them from Drunken Master.
DVD versions
- On April 24, 2000, Hong Kong LegendsHong Kong LegendsHong Kong Legends was a United Kingdom DVD distribution company, based in Hertfordshire and operating from the UK and Australia between 1999 and 2007...
released a DVD in the UKUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The image is cropped from 2:35:1 to 1:78:1 and has the Mandarin soundtrack with dubtitleDubtitleDubtitle is a term for a show recorded in which the subtitles are merely transcriptions of the new alternative dialogue spoken on the dubbed soundtrack rather than a translation of the original dialogue and was popularized by anime and kung fu film fans to refer to this practice....
s. However, it has a number of additional features including a deleted scene and an interview with producer Ng See-yuenNg See-YuenNg See-yuen, born 1944 in Shanghai is a Chinese director of independent film companies in Hong Kong. He has worked in the Hong Kong film industry since 1970, particularly in Hong Kong action cinema, with roles including film director, producer and screenwriter.Ng is the chairman of the Federation...
. - On April 2, 2002, Columbia PicturesColumbia PicturesColumbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
released a DVD in the USUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Despite a 2:35:1 image and the inclusion of the original Cantonese track, the audio is incomplete in some sections (reverting to the English dub) and contains dubtitleDubtitleDubtitle is a term for a show recorded in which the subtitles are merely transcriptions of the new alternative dialogue spoken on the dubbed soundtrack rather than a translation of the original dialogue and was popularized by anime and kung fu film fans to refer to this practice....
s. There's an audio commentary by Ric MeyersRic MeyersRichard Meyers, is an American columnist, author and comic book writer. For his contributions to the martial arts film industry, was the first non-martial artist to be inducted into the World Martial Arts Hall of Fame. Ric Meyers has met, talked with and written about the most influential people...
and Jeff YangJeff YangJeff Yang is an American writer and business/media consultant who writes the "Tao Jones" column for the Wall Street Journal. Previously, he was the "Asian Pop" columnist at the San Francisco Chronicle. Yang lives in New York City...
. - On March 18, 2004, HKVideo released a "Wong Fei Hung" DVD boxset in FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
containing this film (French title: "Le maître chinois") and two others. It contains a full 2:35:1 image and the Cantonese soundtrack. However, it contains slightly poorer image quality and no English subtitles. - On April 30, 2004, Mei Ah EntertainmentMei Ah Entertainment-History:The company was established in 1984 in Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong. A number of TVB TV series were redistributed by Mei Ah after airing nightly on national broadcasts. Movies distributed by the company are also branded in the film and on the boxes. The company continued to expand until it...
released a remastered DVD in Hong KongHong KongHong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
(pictured right). It contains a 2:35:1 image, Cantonese Dolby Digital 5.1 track, original Cantonese Dolby Digital 2.0 mono track and Mandarin Dolby Digital 2.0 mono track. Subtitles include Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese and English. The missing Cantonese for the opening has been re-dubbed in Cantonese and the other missing Cantonese scenes as extended footage in Mandarin due to trouble of re-dubbing with new voice actors. Many short lines missing Cantonese had been removed. Special features include Extended footage, accessed during the film by selecting the wine jug icon when it appears on the right top corner, Mastering the Drunken Master, a 35 second music video with clips of Jackie Chan practicing the 8 Drunken Gods from the film, film synopsis and cast & crew.
PanMedia released a bootleg
Bootleg recording
A bootleg recording is an audio or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority. The process of making and distributing such recordings is known as bootlegging...
DVD that contains the complete Cantonese track.
Influence on popular culture
- NeoNeo (The Matrix)Thomas A. Anderson is a fictional character and the main protagonist in The Matrix franchise, as well as having a cameo in The Animatrix short film, Kid's Story. He was portrayed by Keanu Reeves in The Matrix Trilogy and The Animatrix. Andrew Bowen provided Neo's voice in The Matrix: Path of Neo...
, in The MatrixThe MatrixThe Matrix is a 1999 science fiction-action film written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, and Hugo Weaving...
, is taught Drunken Boxing during training on the Nebuchadnezzar via direct implantation into his brain.. The Matrix and Drunken Master were both choreographed by Yuen Woo-PingYuen Woo-pingYuen Woo-ping is a Chinese martial arts choreographer and film director, renowned as one of the most successful and influential figures in the world of Hong Kong action cinema. He is one of the inductees on the Avenue of Stars in Hong Kong...
. - In the Dragon BallDragon Ballis a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Akira Toriyama. It was originally serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1984 to 1995; later the 519 individual chapters were published into 42 tankōbon volumes by Shueisha. Dragon Ball was inspired by the classical Chinese novel Journey to the...
series, when the first tournament is held, Master Roshi is disguised as "Jackie Chun" and he tries to use a Drunken Fist technique on Goku. Akira ToriyamaAkira Toriyamais a Japanese manga artist and game artist known mostly for his creation of Dragon Ball in 1984. Toriyama admires Osamu Tezuka's Astro Boy and was impressed by Walt Disney's One Hundred and One Dalmatians, which he remembers for the great art...
said that Drunken Master was one of his major inspirations for the Dragon Ball series. - The Drunken Master was the title of a PC Engine fighting game released in 1987.
- In the Neo GeoNeo Geowas a family of video game hardware developed by SNK from 1990 to 1999, and fully discontinued in 2004.-Neo Geo MVS :The Neo Geo Multi Video System , is an arcade system board, being the first product in the Neo Geo family, and released in 1990...
video game Double Dragon the character Cheng-Fu and some of his movements are based on Wong Fei Hung, you can even see his master Su Hua Chi in some parts of the game. - In the PlayStationPlayStationThe is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
video game Gex 2: Enter the GeckoGex: Enter the GeckoGex: Enter the Gecko is a platform game released in 1998. It is the sequel to the 1994 game Gex. The game involves collecting 3 types of remotes to unlock different levels, and to aid in the fight against Rez.-Story:Since his retirement from the public eye in 1996, Gex has resided himself to a...
in the level "Mao Tse Tongue" a poster on a wall says "Drunken Gecko I & II". - The PlayStation game Jackie Chan StuntmasterJackie Chan StuntmasterJackie Chan Stuntmaster is a PlayStation game based on the actor and martial artist Jackie ChanMade by Radical Entertainment, the game sees the player in the shoes of Jackie Chan who must fight his way past numerous villains in different locations across the city of New York.-Plot:Jackie's...
includes a bonus level in which he wears his traditional Drunken Master dress and drinks wine while fighting. He even gives the Drunken Punch as his charge punch throughout the game. - In the NamcoNamcois a Japanese corporation best known as a former video game developer and publisher. Following a merger with Bandai in September 2005, the two companies' game production assets were spun off into Namco Bandai Games on March 31, 2006. Namco Ltd. was re-established to continue domestic operation of...
Tekken game series the character Lei Wulong copies Chan's Drunken Master fighting styles throughout the game play. - In popular PC online game Guild Wars, there is a stance-skill called "Drunken Master" which temporarily increases movement and attack speed. This effect is doubled if character is drunk.
- In the games Dead or Alive 3Dead or Alive 3Dead or Alive 3 is a fighting game in the Dead or Alive series. It was released exclusively on the Xbox as a launch title.-Gameplay:...
and Dead or Alive 4Dead or Alive 4Dead or Alive 4 has received generally positive reviews. IGN gave the game 9.0/10, calling it "a move in the right direction for the series", and praised the fighting system as "deeper and more sophisticated". GameSpot awarded the game a score of 8.8/10, with one of its only negative comments going...
the moves of character Brad Wong are based on Zui QuanZui QuanZui Quan is literally Drunken Fist, also known as Drunken Boxing or Drunkard's Boxing) is a concept in traditional Chinese martial arts, as well as a classification of modern Wushu forms...
(Drunken Fist) - In the PlayStation 2PlayStation 2The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
video game Mortal Kombat: Deadly AllianceMortal Kombat: Deadly AllianceMortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, originally known as Mortal Kombat V: Vengeance or simply Mortal Kombat 5, is a fighting game developed and published by Midway for the Xbox, PlayStation 2, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo GameCube, and Game Boy Advance...
a character named Bo' Rai Cho used a drunken master fighting style in the game called "Drunken Fist". - In the Xbox and computer game Jade EmpireJade EmpireJade Empire is an action role-playing game developed by Canadian developer BioWare and first published in 2005 by Microsoft Game Studios as a worldwide release for the Xbox. The later, two-disc Limited Edition contained extra content...
, the follower "Henpecked Hou" is a past-master of Drunken Boxing. The player can use this style when this follower is active, by picking up the jugs of wine that appear. - In The King of Fighters series, the character Chin Gentsai was modeled after Su Hua Chi.
- In the Virtua Fighter series, the character Shun Di is a practitioner of Zui Quan.
- In the online game Rumble FighterRumble FighterRumble Fighter is a free-of-charge, 3-D, online fighting game developed by WeMade Entertainment and Nimonix, and published by OGPlanet. The game is a translated port of an original game called which originated from Korea...
, there is a scroll called Drunken Master, in addition to a Zui Quan scroll, changing the user's punches and kicks to imitate a different form of Drunken Boxing, as well as the spinning ram (Crazy Corkscrew Opening Wine Bottle) and changing the user's throw (Stirring the Bottle). - In the Naruto: Ultimate Ninja series, a kung-fu artist named Rock LeeRock Leeis a fictional character in the anime and manga series Naruto created by Masashi Kishimoto. Kishimoto considers Lee his favorite character to draw, and at first designed Lee to symbolize human weakness...
has a special ability to go into a fighting style called "Drunken Fist." While in this mode the player attacks quicker and more aggressively with moves similar to that of Zui Quan. - The PlayStation game Wu-Tang: Shaolin Style featured Drunken Style fighting by one of its characters, ODB (Ol Dirty Bastard).
- The Dungeons & DragonsDungeons & DragonsDungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
3rd Edition optional rulebook Sword and FistSword and FistSword and Fist: A Guidebook to Fighters and Monks is an optional rulebook for the 3rd edition of Dungeons & Dragons, written by Jason Carl and notable for its trade paperback format.-Contents:...
featured a prestige class called the Drunken Master. Characters of this class gained tactical advantage through weaving and staggering while inebriated, making his motions difficult to counter in a fight. - A remix of the Nine Inch NailsNine Inch NailsNine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
song WishWish (song)"Wish" is the second promotional single from Nine Inch Nails' Broken. The most successful song from the EP, "Wish" cemented Trent Reznor's image as a rage-fueled star to the public. "Wish" won the Best Metal Performance in the 1993 Grammy Awards. Reznor later joked that his epitaph should read:...
samples a portion of the movie's score for the track. - The Korean rap group Drunken TigerDrunken TigerDrunken Tiger is a critically acclaimed Korean/American hip hop group which debuted in 1999 and has since released eight albums.As of 2009, Drunken Tiger's central figure is Korean American Tiger JK...
uses lines from the film (specifically lines said by Yan Ti San after his first fight with Wong Fei Hung) in the rap track "Street Fighter". - Jamaican musicians Sly DunbarSly DunbarLowell "Sly" Fillmore Dunbar is a drummer.-Biography:Dunbar, whose nickname was reportedly given for his passion for Sly & the Family Stone, launched his musical career while still in his adolescence, playing with a local group, The Yardbrooms, at the age of fifteen...
, Robbie Shakespeare, and The RevolutionariesThe RevolutionariesThe Revolutionaries is a Jamaican reggae band.-Career:Set up in 1975 as the house band of the Channel One Studios owned by Joseph Hoo Kim, The Revolutionaries with Sly Dunbar on drums and Robbie Shakespeare on bass, created the new "rockers" style that would change the whole Jamaican sound The...
recorded a reggae song called Drunken Master which was released in 1981 by Island on an album called Sly and Robbie Present Taxi. - In the PCPersonal computerA personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
, Xbox 360Xbox 360The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
and Playstation 3PlayStation 3The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
game Dead IslandDead IslandDead Island is a first person horror action-adventure video game developed by Techland and published by Deep Silver for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3. It is centered on the challenge of survival on a zombie-infested open world island with a major emphasis on melee combat. It was...
the character Logan a Throwing Dagger, One Handed Weapon, and Martial Arts specialist has an ability under his third "Skill Tree" Called "Drunken Master" you can put 3 points into this ability, earning 1 point every time Logan gains a level through experience points. The "Drunken Master" ability allows Logans Damage to increase by 20%, 40% or 60% while intoxicated depending on how many skill points you put into that ability.