Wong Fei Hung (1991)

Director:

Hark Tsui

Writers:

Yiu Ming Leung (writer)
Pik-yin Tang (writer)

Release Date:

15 August 1991 (Hong Kong)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Drama | History

Tagline:

Never was a Hero needed more...

Plot:

Set in late 19th century Canton this martial arts film depicts the stance taken by the legendary martial...

Plot Keywords:

Martial Arts | Kung Fu | Hero | Warrior Culture | Doctor

Awards:

4 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Jet Li	...	Wong Fei-hung
Biao Yuen	...	Leung Fu
Rosamund Kwan	...	Aunt Yee
Jacky Cheung	...	Buck Teeth Soh
Steve Tartalia	...	Tiger
Kent Cheng	...	Porky Lang
Jonathan Isgar	...	Jackson
Shi-Kwan Yen	...	Iron Robe Yim (as Yee Kwan Yan)
Mark King	...	British general
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Bruce Fontaine	...	Policeman
Shun Lau	...	Naval Commander
Tsim Po Sham
Kien Shih	...	Old man who gives advise (Cameo)
Chi Yeung Wong	...	Commander Man
Ma Wu	...	Old Man
Simon Yam
Cheung-Yan Yuen
Kam-Fai Yuen	...	Kai
Shun-Yee Yuen	...	Honorable Manchu Soldier
Tony Yuen		(as Yuen Kam Fai)

Also Known As:

Once Upon a Time in China (Hong Kong: English title) (UK) (USA)
Huang Fei-hong (Hong Kong: Mandarin title)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence.

Runtime:

134 min | Germany:95 min (cut version) | USA:99 min (cut version)

Country:

Hong Kong

Language:

Cantonese | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Hong Kong:IIB | South Korea:15 | Netherlands:12 (DVD/VHS release) (2001) | Australia:MA (cable rating) | Australia:M (original rating) | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Germany:16 (re-rating) | Germany:18 (original rating) | Ireland:15 | Singapore:PG | UK:15 | USA:R | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Company:

Golden Harvest Company

Trivia:

Jet Li's voice is dubbed in post-production because he is not a Cantonese speaker. In fact, he spoke in Mandarin entirely during filming.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Aunt Yee is fitting Fei-hung for a suit, she sees his shadow on the wall. Standing a few inches behind him, she traces his silhouette with her finger, obviously without touching him. However, when she touches his shadow ear, it flickers, meaning she actually touched his real ear.

Quotes:

Yim: No matter how good our kung-fu is, it will never defeat guns.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "HBO First Look: Making 'Romeo Must Die' (#7.3)" (2000)

Stand-out

Brilliantly made martial-arts film about legendary Chinaman Wong Fei-hung. One of the only movies in it's genre to really create a cast of meaningful characters that do not merely lay by the way side of the best martial artist (obviously Jet Li).

It is excellently shot and acted with a sensible balance of action and drama - although it does have a tendency to lay things on quite thick, what with excessively dramatic music and over-signified sequences.

Overall it is a very original film, and is set among the interesting clash of the British and Chinese cultures. Slightly "magical" kung-fu sequences may turn Chan fans off, but otherwise it is mostly engaging.