Number 650 on the top 1000 films of all time is the Hong Kong comedy-Wuxia film 'The Legend of Drunken Master.'
Jackie Chan plays the real-life Wong Fei-Hung - a skilled practioner of the Hung Ga style of martial arts. While he and his father are travelling home to Canton, they accidentally switch boxes with a top diplomat, leading to Fei-Hung inadvertently stealing the imperial seal destined for the British consul. And the consul will stop at nothing to get it back.
As I'm sure you're aware of by now, I am not a fan of Wuxia films. Too often, I find they are style-over-substance. These are films are an excuse to show albeit well-choregraphed, but ultimately repetitive kung fu sequences.
The Legend of Drunken Master did little to move the needle. The real-life Fei-Hung was a pioneer of the Hung Ga branch of martial arts - a martial art designed to replicate the chaotic actions of a drunk person - I am not a Kung Fu connoisseur so correct me if I'm wrong. And the fictional Fei-Hung was a big drunk, which I guess was supposed to be some type of comedic irony.
Except there was nothing funny seeing Jackie Chan make a buffoon out of himself. Obviously, he can be very good at doing slapstick humour especially in Kung Fu sequences. However, it wasn't funny to see such a legendary action and comedy figure reduced to an imbecile. It also cheapened the terrific martial art sequences.
Like I say, I'm not a fan of kung fu/wuxia films. Judging by my reaction to the Legend of Drunken Master, that's not going to change anytime soon.
