Once Upon a Time in China

Name: Once Upon a Time in China

Genre: Action/Adventure/Drama

Cast: Jet Li, Rosamund Kwan, Yuen Biao, Tsui Hark (Director)

Synopsis: Western powers were increasing its influence in the Foshan region. Liu Youngfu the general of the Black Flag Army came to Wong Fei Hong and asks him to give training to a group of people who can defend the town. Some of them were Porky Wing, a butcher and an American educated Chinese named Bucktooth So. Wong Fei Hong came to visit Siu Kwan, who is around the same age as him. As they are not directly blood related but her father was sworn brother of Wong Fei Hong’s grandfather so she is considered elder to him. Leung Foon comes in the town hoping that he will become student of Wong Fei Hung. He ran into a stage performance hoping that he will meet Wong there but Shaho Gang cause trouble in that stage performance. Wong Fei Hong defeated them but due to some misunderstanding Leung Foon and Wong Fei Hong, now Leung can’t become his student. Being in despair Leung was roaming in the streets of Foshan region when he sees a fight between 2 masters. A master called “Iron Vest” Yim emerges as victorious and impressed from him, Leung asks him to take himself as his student. Later on Yim told him that he wants to be the best around and wants to open a school here. Leung told him that he has to defeat Wong Fei Hong here as he is the best Master here, so defeating him will show the rest that he is number one master around. Shaho Gang, on other side, set Wong’s clinic Po Chi     lam on fire as a warning that he should not indulge in Gang’s matters. But a Church’s father came to the aide of Wong and told the police that he knows who set his clinic on Fire. Arrest warrant was issued against Shaho Gang. To avoid the arrest they came in the shelter of Americans, from Sino pacific Company and in return of that the Gang will help them in kidnapping local women which can be sold as prostitutes. Shaho Gang meets Yim and asks him to take revenge against Wong Fei Hong which Yim readily agrees.

The gang abducts Wong Fei Hong’s “Aunt Yee” when she was helping a laborer who had escaped from America and told her about the wrong doings of the Americans and his pain over there and how he managed to escape, so as to avoid local government inspection. Wong Fei Hong and his followers were arrested and were sent into prison as they cause ruckus to buy time from their escape. Bucktooth came to Wong and told him that Aunt Yee has been kidnapped by the Gang. Being dejected that what should he do now but the very moment some men from the police freed Wong as they have utmost regard for him and told him to rescue Aunt Yee. Shaho Gang’s leader tries to rape Aunt Yee but Leung sees it and fight with them so that no harm could be made to her. They try to beat hell out of Leung. But the very moment the gang got informed that Wong Fei Hong and his men very clever entered the American Base and are searching for Aunt Yee. Wong Fei Hong battles with Yim and later on defeated him. When he was running out of the Go down where fight took place between Wong and Yim, Americans starts firing at Wong but Yim as his last attempt to defeat Wong came running at him but eventually got him by the shots and Later on took all the bullets on himself and save Wong Fei Hong and asks him to move ahead.  Wong Fei Hong successfully rescued Aunt Yee and rest of kidnapped women over there. Wong also killed American leader Jackson by shooting a bullet into his forehead with his hands and all this time Leung was with Wong to help him. Later on, in the end Leung Foon was being accepted as a student by Wong Fei Hong.

Review: The movie proves why Tsui Hark is considered one of the great directors in Asian Film Industry. He combined all the ingredients of a great movie into this. Awesome direction done by him combing with the story, which he associated with Chinese hero Wong Fei Hong. On top of that, emphatic and energized performance given by Jet Li in the movie. Rest of cast performance was also at its best. Every role in the movie was given proper importance which is to be needed in. Excellent martial arts demonstration was there and what adds more to it was the music given by James Wong and George Lam who also had given the theme song of the movie, which is exceptionally good. Truly, a great movie full of Martial Arts action.

Stars given: 4 out of 5.