Wong Fei Hung II: Nam yi dong ji keung (1992)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Hark Tsui

Writers:

Tin-suen Chan (writer)
Cheung Tan (writer)

Release Date:

1 September 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Action | History | Romance

Plot:

In the sequel to the Tsui Hark classic, Wong Fei-Hung faces The White Lotus society, a fanatical cult...

Plot Keywords:

Martial Arts | Sequel | Chivalry | Christ Allegory | Messiah

Awards:

2 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Jet Li	...	Huang Feihong
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
David Chiang	...	Luke
Rosamund Kwan	...	Shao Yun, said ' 13-th aunt '
Xin Xin Xiong	...	Kung
Donnie Yen	...	Lan
Shi-Kwan Yen	...	Chung (as Yee Kwan Yan)

Also Known As:

Huang Fei Hong II: Nan er dang zi qiang (Hong Kong: Mandarin title)
Once Upon a Time in China 2 (Australia)
Once Upon a Time in China II (Hong Kong: English title)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence.

Runtime:

113 min

Country:

Hong Kong

Language:

Cantonese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:15 | South Korea:15 | Germany:12 | Netherlands:12 (DVD/VHS release) (2001) | Hong Kong:IIB | Australia:M | France:U | USA:R | Singapore:PG

Company:

Golden Harvest Company

Trivia:

Donnie Yen was hit in the eye by a pole in the final sequence, and as a result had to have stitching above his eye - most of his close-ups are only shot from one side.

Movie Connections:

Followed by Wong Fei Hung chi neung: Lung shing chim ang (1994)

Good introduction to 90's kung-fu movies.

This is arguably the best of the 'Once Upon a Time in China' series (which now runs to 6). It stars Jet Li as martial arts master & doctor Wong Fei-Hong, a historical figure/legend popular in Hong Kong period pieces, much like Robin Hood or King Arthur in Western culture. It features some of the most exquisitely choreographed and executed fight scenes in any movie I've ever seen, utilizing two truly excellent martial artists/actors, Jet Li and Donnie Yen. And, almost as importantly, the level of absurdness and ridiculousness, so high in many HK movies, in the fights, humor, and story are kept to a reasonable level so western viewers won't be totally put off. In general, production quality is high, story is good/tolerable, and the fights are truly incredible showcases of the actors' abilities. It would be an excellent choice for the western movie-watcher trying to find more Jet Li films after seeing Lethal Weapon 4. It is also an excellent example of how in 20 years the 70's kung-fu chop-socky has evolved after it and Bruce Lee disappeared from the west.

--ken