DRUNKEN MASTER Movie Review

Drunken Monkey in a Tiger's Eye

Depending on exactly how you count, Drunken Master was Jackie Chan's third movie, and it's one of his best. Jackie Chan (called Jacky in the credits of this movie) is listed everywhere you look as a martial arts star, but—while not wishing to denigrate martial arts stardom—he is considerably more than that. He's often compared to Buster Keaton in his ability to set up and execute elaborate visual gags, and when he's really sailing, as he is here, the comparison is apt. The plot here has something to do with Naughty Panther (Chan) studying under a geezer-ish, liquor-saturated martial arts master (Siu Tien Yuen) who hardly seems equipped to teach him what it takes to tackle the ubiquitous “big boss.” And that's the secret of Jackie's appeal; he's funny, but incredibly skilled. The combination works wonderfully, and some of the ballet-like stunts and fight sequences in Drunken Master are as good as anything in his more elaborate Police Story or Project A. The dubbing in Drunken Master is terrible enough to add yet another level of comedy, and you can't exactly become exorcized over any damage it does to the dramatic “subtleties” of the characterizations. Just enjoy. (There's also the added bonus of the wonderful Michelle Yeoh; she plays Jackie's aunt, and if she looks familiar, you may have caught her big-budget debut in the James Bond picture Tomorrow Never Dies.)

NEXT STOP … Police Story, Supercop (Police Story III), Sherlock Jr. (1924)

1978 90m/C CH Jackie Chan, Siu Tien Yuen, Michelle Yeoh; D: Woo-Ping Yuen. VHS FCT