Once Upon a Time in China (1991) User Reviews

Outstanding!

[jluis1984 · 8/10 · 29 November 2006]

When most people thinks of martial arts movies, the immediate thought will be either a Bruce Lee film, or one of his countless imitations that filled the screen through the 70s and part of the 80s. And while it's true that some great films were made in those years, it's also sadly true that most were of average quality, due not only to their low-budget, but also to the fact that most were cut and awfully dubbed when shipped overseas. Being a patriot and a nostalgic, Hong Kong's legendary director Hark Tsui decided to resurrect the martial arts genre in the 90s, using one of the most respected Chinese national heroes: Wong Fei Hung. Hark's retelling of the life and times of the legendary healer and martial artist became one of the best epic stories ever filmed, the series of films known in America as "Once Upon a Time in China".

In this first chapter of the saga, we are introduced to Wong Fei Hung (Jet Li) and his China, a land who by the late 19th Century is discovering the Western civilizations and is forced to open to the world. Made leader of a team of militia warriors, Wong Fei Hung discovers that a group of Americans are kidnapping women to send to America as prostitutes. To make things worse, another Kung-Fu master, "Iron Robe" Yim (Yee Kwan Yan), arrives to town and is decided to defeat Wong Fei Hung to prove his martial arts are better. Soon the skilled warrior Wong Fei hung will experience first hand the pros and the cons of the clash of cultures his people and the newly arrived Westerners.

Written by Hark himself and his usual team of collaborators, the movie is at first sight an overtly nationalistic story of patriotism and Chinese pride, however, "Wong Fei Hung" is not only about China, as it's more about changes and adaptation than about traditionalism. Through the character of Wong Fei Hung, we see a man that is at the same time intrigued and repulsed by changes, but that has to make up his mind about if he wants to be the leader and the hero his people needs. Sure, at its core it is a tale of the adventures of China's most representative hero, but the way the story is written make the story a more complex and interesting one. Literally, a story that transcends its own film genre.

"Wong Fei Hung" showcases Hark at his best, with his defined style (influenced by comic books and the cinema of his youth) reaching its full potential and enough creative freedom to make whatever he desired. Hark delivers a film that can not only be seen as another martial arts film, but also as the epic journey of a hero facing his most difficult challenge: an inner battle with himself. With amazingly choreographed scenes and a great vision for cinematography (by a great team lead by Arthur Wong and David Chung), Hark creates an epic film on the level of Sergio Leone or John Ford. "Wong Fei Hung" is a film that surely proves that Hark Tsui is more than a mere director of action films, and that the films he did in the U.S. ("Double Team" and "Knock Off") are not really a display of his talent.

Jet Li excels at playing Wong Fei Hung (one of the most portrayed character in movie history), in a performance that captures the essence of the film without making it over the top. While not exactly faithful to the real Wong Fei Hung's fighting style, Jet Li's skills showcase his enormous talent and ability as a fighter and choreographer and every move of his is perfect. Rosamund Kwan plays Siu Qun, a young woman who falls in love with Wong Fei Hung, but only creates more confusion as while not blood-related, she is technically her Aunt (he calls her Aunt 13th). She adds good humor to the film, and makes a great supporting actress to Jet Li.

Humor is indeed an important characteristic of the movie, and Biao Yuen (who surprisingly, has little chance to show his fighting skills), Jacky Cheung and Kent Cheng make great comedic performances. While not exactly a perfect cast, it's safe to say that overall they give a good job, although the dubbing for the Westerners is remarkably bad. "Wong Fei Hung" is probably one of Hark's best films, and it's hard to find a flaw in it, as it's also one of the best martial arts films ever made. Sure, it may feel overlong at times, but the film takes advantage of its runtime as almost every detail is of importance and very few scenes feel unnecessary.

"Once Upon a Time in China", or "Wong Fei Hung", is a must-see for every fan of martial arts films, and a very recommended movie to those who dislike them. The way it transcends its own genre has proved to be influential now after the releases of "Wo Hun Cang Long" ("Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon") and "Ying Xiong" ("Hero"), two films that reinvigorated the old Wu Xia genre in the same way this movie did for the martial arts genre. After this, Hark found a difficult time in the U.S. (and the flops of his two films done there), but what he did in this film (and its first sequel) remains an accomplishment rarely equaled. 8/10

Didn't live up to my expectations.

[BA_Harrison · 6/10 · 13 June 2007]

A traditional kung fu movie with elements of the Wuxia sub-genre, Once Upon A Time In China is considered by many to be one of the finest martial arts movies of all time; I don't rate it so highly, preferring my action to be a little more realistic and a tad more 'bone-crunching'.

Set in a troubled 19th century China, where centuries of tradition is being threatened by an influx of foreigners, this historical epic is directed by Tsui Hark and stars the incredible Jet Li, ably supported by Rosamund Kwan, Biao Yuen, Jacky Cheung and Kent Cheng. With a pedigree like that, I was expecting something truly astounding, but what I got was an overlong, over-stylised and definitely over-rated film. Saddled with a dreadfully dull story and some particularly poor comedic moments, it does not entertain as much as I had hoped.

Li plays Wong Fei Hung, martial arts master and all round good guy, who, along with his students, battles the foreign invaders who are plundering China. Kwan plays his love interest, Aunt Yee, who has recently returned from America, and who tries to educate Hung about the wonders of the Western world. As the troubles mount, Aunt Yee becomes the target of unscrupulous traders who try to sell her into prostitution, leaving Hung and his men no option but to pit their fighting skill against guns in a daring rescue attempt.

Although the movie admittedly features some well choreographed fight scenes which will undoubtedly appeal to fans of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (as will the breath-taking cinematography), the action relies too much on clever wire-work and skillful editing for its impact, and the whole affair left this particular viewer rather disappointed.

Not Exactly A Classic but Brilliant Nonetheless

[Chrysanthepop · 5 March 2008]

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.

Pretty good, but not great.

[Einsiedeln · 6/10 · 10 February 2001]

Although the fu is powerful in this Jet Li vehicle, the plotline is slow as molasses and easier to read than your average elevated-train map. "Oh, I cannot break the law, I must remain in my cell and be judged. Wait, you say my cousin is in danger? Wong Fei-hung to the rescue!" Predictable and unimpressive. Additionally, the acting was shallow even for a kung fu movie. I've seen porn films that emoted more effectively than the actors found here.

Anyone who claims "this is the best kung fu movie ever!" is culturally deprived, and needs to be exposed to better works like Enter the Dragon, Fist of Legend (the 1995 version with Jet Li), and The Legend of Drunken Master. All three are vastly superior to this, even though the kung fu was quite solid. Only 6/10, for having decent fight scenes but not straying an iota from the age-old wuxia cliches.

There's more to martial arts cinema than arthouse self-indulgence or slapstick comedy

[Fox in Socks · 10/10 · 16 July 2002]

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.

A Chinese classic

[lastliberal · 7/10 · 30 March 2007]

Two of my favorite films are "One Upon a Time in America" and Once Upon a Time in the West." So naturally, I would be attracted to this film just to see if it matches the others. It does.

Jet Li stars as the legendary Chinese hero Wong Fei-Hong. He is fighting against intruders from the West. Yep, invading armies like us. The people of China are not going to give in. He is asked to train the locals in kung fu.

Things get complicated with the arrival of Wong's "Aunt" Yee (Rosamund Kwan), just back from a two-year stay in the West. She is not really his Aunt, so romance simmers between the two.

There are plenty of evildoers in this film. Gangs looking for protection money, corrupt government officials (no surprise there!), and those nasty foreigners.

You will want to watch this film more than once. Jet Li's performance, coupled with his kung fu wizardry, carries the viewer through any shaky patches. The fight scenes are the main attraction, of course, and the film delivers the goods again and again.

Great martial film, too ambitious with all its intended messages

[aimayli · 9/10 · 26 July 2005]

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.

Jaw-Dropping Production Values Don't Make a Great Movie

[Bob-45 · 6/10 · 2 August 2001]

The first thing that struck me about the film was the terrific photography. This is the best photographed martial arts film I've ever seen. The miniature ships and sets are so impressive as to be jaw-dropping. Alas, the story and editing are frequently confusing, the villains mostly cardboard and uninteresting, and there isn't a decent martial arts sequence in the first half. Fortunately, the second half of the film is MUCH better. Also, for once, AMERICANS were the villains; if for that reason alone, Americans should see this film. We need to be reminded that many times in our history we have NOT been the "good guys".

"Once Upon a Time in China" is a great near miss.

the best martial arts film ever made

[AndyBronson · 10/10 · 25 July 2003]

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

Cheesy acting, amazing acrobatics

[code_e · 6/10 · 30 September 2004]

I disagree with the people who claim that the acting in this movie's good - I honestly think it's very cheesy and mediocre most of the time. This and its poor attempts at being humorous ruin the serious themes of the story (such as the intrusion of Western culture) which could've been quite decent.

The only great things this movie has are the fight scenes - or rather, the acrobatics scenes. The fights aren't very brutal; mostly Jet Li et al just jump around a lot doing cool kicks and flips. Again, I would've preferred some more seriousness.

I think kids and teenagers would like this movie quite a lot. I wouldn't recommend this movie to a more mature audience, except martial arts fans.

Simply the best martial arts movie ever.

[loff · 10/10 · 26 November 2000]

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.

A Romantic Historical Epic of...Epic Proportions

[matthewssilverhammer · 7/10 · 15 November 2019]

The ethical compromises we're willing to make. The lies we tell ourselves. The self-convincing that the ends will justify whatever means. All of which only serves to put us into power when we're at our most inhuman. Mostly though, Li is a badass...wish all his fight scenes were shot as well as the one with the ladders.

Entertaining enough, but...

[paul_haakonsen · 5/10 · 21 December 2015]

Running at 128 minutes, this movie had a tendency to drag on and become slow-paced at times. And that made it somewhat difficult to sit through the entire movie and keep the interest and attention on the screen.

The story is the tale of legendary Wong Fei Hung (played by Jet Li) in a time where China is under Imperial rule.

The action sequences in "Once Upon a Time in China" (aka "Wong Fei Hung") were quite good and there is a lot of showcasing of martial arts skills. But the story was a bit too strained and forced onto a period of over two hours.

Despite most of the wardrobe was quite simple, then it worked out quite well, and came off as believable. Well, aside from twice where shoes from the 20th Century could be seen. The first was where the Western priest scaled a wooden fence, and the second was where the Chinese doctor with buck teeth went down a ladder on a ship.

Hopefully parts two and three have more to offer. At least they are not as long as the first movie.

While "Once Upon a Time in China" was entertaining, it just wasn't extraordinary.

Martial Arts Masterpiece

[bs3dc · 30 March 2006]

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.

Jet Li's best

[chowdr · 7/10 · 13 January 2001]

This is my favorite Jet Li movie. Not only because of the Kung fu, but because of his character. It really got to me how he wanted to speak out for his country even though a lot of people didn't really care. He risk his own butt to do the right thing.

The story was very entertaining. They acted out very well and

coordinated the action sequence extremely perfect. The moves were just so well done! Some exquisite techniques done by Li himself and others.

So I couldn't just say that this was good..... It was perfect.

"A Beautifully Told Ballad About One Of The Greatest Heroes Of All Time."

[Krusty-9 · 10/10 · 1 April 1999]

"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.

A fun movie!

[jeanmichellavoie · 6/10 · 26 April 2019]

This is a very entertaining film! I had fun watching it. However, it's also very kitch and melodramatic. It tries to be a message on tradition, proudness, nationalism and political corruption, like most movies of the genre... but many do it better. I still recommend it because its fun and because of its influence on hong kong action cinema.

Jet Li's signature role.

[OllieSuave-007 · 8/10 · 25 March 2017]

Jet Li plays the legendary Chinese martial arts hero, Wong Fei Hung. Set in ancient China, the cinematography catches the sceneries and atmosphere beautifully and sets the stage for all the awesome action sequences.

Jet Li's impressive martial arts moves are definitely the highlight of the film, battling bad guys left and right. Him doing the lion dances is also a very impressive treat to watch.

The acting was pretty good and the cast of characters were in the spot.

The music score is also well played, especially the toe tapping and theme sung by George Lam

A pretty fast paced plot for a pretty entertaining film.

Grade B

A someone muddled film with some excellent fights

[cherold · 7/10 · 31 May 2018]

I really can't say much about the story of this film, because honestly I often was unclear on what was happening. There are a lot of people and organizations in conflict plus random fights, although the last part settles into a straightforward rescue movie. Perhaps, since there is some historical basis for this film, it is relying on the Chinese audience being able to fill in the gaps?

While muddled as a whole, individual scenes are quite entertaining. The movie has a sprightly, light-hearted start, introducing some amusing characters.

There's a lot of very entertaining fight choreography, including a terrific bit with an umbrella that would do Jackie Chan proud. Unfortunately the movie's fight gimmicks don't always work; there's a long fight involving ladders in which the ladders where you can't see why the fighters are so found of using them.

Jet Li, the star of this, has been in some of my favorite martial arts films (Hero, Forbidden Kingdom, Unleashed) and I'm always hoping to find something else great with him, so I was excited to hear this was a "martial arts classic." But it's really just okay overall, with a solid start and end but a rather mushy middle.

Phenomenal Martial Arts Film, With Some Incredible Fights And A Powerful Story!

[callanvass · 10/10 · 18 July 2005]

This is a phenomenal marital arts film, with some incredible fights, and a powerful story!. The setting was awesome, and some of the stunt work was just absolutely incredible, i couldn't believe my eyes, plus Jet Li was simply amazing in this!. All the characters are fantastic, and the dialog really shocked me at times, plus the finale is absolutely incredible. It's never boring not 1 minute of it, and the character development is awesome, plus the score is brilliant!. The fight choreography is amazing, and it really gives you a strong message, plus Jet Li and Yee Kwan Yan had some incredible fights together!. The plot is awesome, and the set pieces were absolutely stunning, plus after it was over it left me wanting even more!.It's long but never overlong, and Jet Li really really got a chance to showcase his incredible martial art skills here, plus it was quite original. This is a phenomenal Martial arts film, with some incredible fights, and a powerful story!, if you haven't seen this what are you waiting for!, go see it immediately!. The Direction is incredible. Hark Tsui does an incredible job here, with amazing camera work, some incredible shots during the fight scenes, great angles, and lots of other fantastic stuff, plus he kept the film at an incredibly fast pace!. There is quite a bit of blood and violence. We get TONS of extremely bloody gunshot wounds,knives in the chest,impaling's,stabbings,gory wounds,gunshot wound to the head and more. The Acting is fantastic!. Jet Li is AMAZING as always, and is amazing here, he is extremely likable, kicks that ass, was excellent in the acting department, had some cool lines, had great chemistry with Rosamund Kwan and was tons of fun to watch! (Jet Rules!). Biao Yuen is excellent as Foon, i really liked him a lot!, he is also a great martial artist. Rosamund Kwan is great as Aunt Yee, she was very classy and had great chemistry with jet i loved her. Jacky Cheung is amusing with what he had to do. Kent Cheng is funny i liked him. Yee Kwan Yan is great and was pretty menacing. Rest of the cast are fine. Overall go see this immediately it's one of the best martial art films ever made!. ***** out of 5

Once Upon a Time in China

[jboothmillard · 6/10 · 12 July 2014]

I found this Chinese film in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, the title did not suggest a particular plot to me, but critics rated this four out of five stars, so I hoped it would live up to that. Basically set in the late 19th Century in Canton, Wong Fei Hung (Jet Li) is a legendary martial arts hero forced to take a stance against foreign forces (English, French and American) stealing the resources of China. Aunt Yee (Rosamund Kwan) returns to the country from America, she seems to have become westernised, and Wong Fei Hung resumes his role as her protector, but a fierce battle is growing against foreign and local government, and this also affects his martial arts school and those enrolled in the military forces. The violence escalates and Wong Fei Hung is forced to fight more brutally against the oppressors, but it is a question as to whether he can fight without weapons like the other side seem to be using. Also starring Yuen Biao as Leung Fu and Jacky Cheung as Buck Teeth Soh. To be honest I could not follow everything political and complicated going on, including perhaps why violence was occurring, besides a battle between governments and military going on, but young Li proves to be an upcoming star, and the fight sequences and colourful locations and costumes more than make up for the confusion I had, five sequels and short lived television series followed this original, a watchable martial arts action drama. Good!

Great Martial Arts film- a new era

[kamwingp · 10/10 · 28 September 1998]

Jet Li is brilliant in this, it brings back memories of the old 70's Martial art films. But here, Jet Li has given it much more of a polish. The fight scenes are classic! Well, being 5 times China's Wu Shu champion helps...

This film makes me proud to be Chinese... :-)

Epic Wong Fei Hung action movie

[sarastro7 · 6/10 · 20 March 2006]

Once Upon A Time In China is a good and ambitious movie with generally good performances. However, it also has boring parts and is, I think, generally a bit overrated. I rate this movie a 7 out of 10, and I have to say it is not as good as, say, Last Hero In China, or even Fong Sai Yuk.

I am certainly a big fan of Wong Fei Hung (not to mention Jet Li and Yuen Biao!), but the problem with this movie is that it tries to be both a history movie and an action movie, and because of the disturbing influence of each of these elements upon the other, it doesn't quite succeed in being either one or the other. There isn't enough kung fu in it to be a really good kung fu movie, and the history is not quite treated seriously enough for it to be a really good history movie.

I'd recommend watching Tai Chi II (a.k.a. Tai Chi Boxer, from 1996) for a movie that extremely successfully blends humor, history and brilliant kung fu. It is far superior to this one.

Racist xenophobic exercise in anti-Americanism

[xpqs · 1/10 · 14 January 2006]

Transposition of the enslavement of Africans in the 18th century to late 19th century Chinese brutalized by colonial era costumed Americans is a laughable exercise in national self pity.

As with other Jet Li movies of this era made in China, the blatant anti-Americanism and overwhelming xenophobia leads to idiotic historical reconstructions and constant propagandizing.

As an example, though many famous martial artists died during the boxer rebellion,the wholesale liquidation of martial artists and martial arts in China, was implemented first by the Nationalists then more completely by the Communist government, not foreign devils (yes they are called that in the film). Meanwhile, the great Lam Sai Wing, senior student of Wong Fei Hung is here shown as a fat buffoon useful only for comic relief.

The stunts themselves are sped up and though illustrative of Mr. Li's athleticism, are not well spaced.

A far better movie illustrating Wu Shu creativity is Iron Monkey, a coherent story containing excellent fight scenes, little brutality and no racist dogma.

This is much more than a Kung Fu Movie

[patrokov · 9 July 2001]

Wong Fei Hung is a legendary Chinese hero (like James Bond) whoe has some 90 films about him before this movie. In fact Jackie Chan plays Wong Fei Hung in Legend of Drunken Master. So this movie is not merely a kung fu movie. This movie's main theme is of Chinese culture vs Western culture as it is embodied by martial arts vs guns. How can China remain beautiful in its art that requires years of dedication to master, when success can be so cheaply purchased with Western firearms? Wong Fei Hung must make sense of it somehow, and in the end shows that while you can't fight guns with kung fu, that kung fu in the right hands can be just as deadly as guns. (It's not the gun... it's the bullets.)

Woven into this main theme is the theme of a lost sense of Chineseness and lack of communication. The characters who cut off their queues (their symbol of loyalty to the Qing dynasty) because of desperation or confusion or ambition. The Chinese/American who cannot read Chinese. The mistaken Lion dance.

Beyond this conflict, the movie has countless inside jokes for the fans of Honk Kong cinema. The trampolines at the end were a tribute to the early kung fu movies that used them before wire techniques were introduced. The scene where the two disciples have to dress up in the Peking Opera: Sammo Hung (TV's Martial Law) traditionally played the role of the butcher in this series. He, along with the other character who dressed up in the movie were originally trained in Peking opera and form there entered kung fu movies. So it was an inside joke. The nerdy character is played by one of Hong Kong's most popular pop singers.

This movie is simply incredible, even though the kung fu is not as satisfying as in some of Jet Li's other movies (The Legend and Fist of Legend). I recommend seeing it on DVD. That way you can see the original movie with subtitles. Then you can go back and watch it with a running commentary. Stay away from the English dubbed version, as it cuts scenes from the movie.