Once upon a time, Yuen Biao starred in the hit Jet Li film ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA, only to find that he had most of his scenes cut out by the editor. So he decided to go and make his own version of the classic Wong Fei Hung story, utilising the talents of popular actor/director Wu Ma and taking the leading role for himself. While it's impossible to compare this low budget story with the sumptuous, high-profile Jet Li starrer, I'm pleased to say that ONCE UPON A Chinese HERO is a forgotten delight of a film, a jewel that really stands out from all the junk that was being made in Hong Kong in the 1990s.
Wu Ma is the elderly toothsome guy who pops up in everything from PROJECT A to EASTER CONDORS and he's particularly good at directing here, keeping a fairly complex story with multiple characters running along smoothly. The star of the show is of course Yuen, who also directs the excellent fight sequences. An early battle has Yuen turning up at a restaurant on board a ship, complete with the "No Dogs or Chinese" sign out of Bruce Lee's FIST OF FURY. A top-notch battle-cum-food-fight ensues which will satisfy every martial art fan. The fights in the rest of the film retain this level of quality, with minimal and unobtrusive wire work, lots of breaking scenery and a superb final showdown between Yuen and his old sparring partner Yuen Wah (the memorable bad guy in DRAGONS FOREVER), who is as enjoyably over the top as ever. The chandelier set-piece is utterly remarkable and quite ingenious and this fight scene has a special place in my heart.
Yuen acts particularly well in his part, given that his character is quite stupid and headstrong throughout; he still ends up being as likable as ever, and incredibly agile as always. He's supported well by the likes of Wah, Wu Ma and Tai Po, the latter a Jackie Chan regular who gets quite a large role as Yuen's buddy, Ming. The plot moves at a fair old pace and there are plenty of comedic touches to laugh at (the unlucky ninja who gets urinated on is a rare example of the kind of gross-out comedy I can stand). While some elements have clearly been borrowed from the Jet Li series (Yuen's appearance, the love interest with the camera), ONCE UPON A Chinese HERO is original and inventive enough to succeed on its own merits, and is actually more enjoyable in places than the Li films.
Wu Ma is the elderly toothsome guy who pops up in everything from PROJECT A to EASTER CONDORS and he's particularly good at directing here, keeping a fairly complex story with multiple characters running along smoothly. The star of the show is of course Yuen, who also directs the excellent fight sequences. An early battle has Yuen turning up at a restaurant on board a ship, complete with the "No Dogs or Chinese" sign out of Bruce Lee's FIST OF FURY. A top-notch battle-cum-food-fight ensues which will satisfy every martial art fan. The fights in the rest of the film retain this level of quality, with minimal and unobtrusive wire work, lots of breaking scenery and a superb final showdown between Yuen and his old sparring partner Yuen Wah (the memorable bad guy in DRAGONS FOREVER), who is as enjoyably over the top as ever. The chandelier set-piece is utterly remarkable and quite ingenious and this fight scene has a special place in my heart.
Yuen acts particularly well in his part, given that his character is quite stupid and headstrong throughout; he still ends up being as likable as ever, and incredibly agile as always. He's supported well by the likes of Wah, Wu Ma and Tai Po, the latter a Jackie Chan regular who gets quite a large role as Yuen's buddy, Ming. The plot moves at a fair old pace and there are plenty of comedic touches to laugh at (the unlucky ninja who gets urinated on is a rare example of the kind of gross-out comedy I can stand). While some elements have clearly been borrowed from the Jet Li series (Yuen's appearance, the love interest with the camera), ONCE UPON A Chinese HERO is original and inventive enough to succeed on its own merits, and is actually more enjoyable in places than the Li films.