R E V I E W :    Fong Sai Yuk  

Revised 3/15/01 | Background | Movie Review | DVD Review | Recommendation

Background 

1993 / Universe / 105 minutes
Directed by Corey Yuen Kwai
Written by John Chan Kin-Chung, Kay On, Choi Hong Wing

Having found great success in playing the Chinese folk hero Wong Fei-Hung in the Once Upon a Time in China series, Jet Li decided to take on Fong Sai Yuk, another legendary character. The film marked his first colloboration with Corey Yuen Kwai. Yuen had built a solid reputation as a stuntman, action choreographer (he contributed to Drunken Master, Dragon Lord, Zu: Warriors from the Magic Mountain) and director (Yes, Madam! among others).

The film opened in Hong Kong theaters in March 1993, just as Once Upon a Time in China III was concluding its run. Fong Sai Yuk was a financial success, grossing HK $31 million. A sequel was quickly made.

Li and Yuen have worked together extensively since 1993. As actor/director, they made The Bodyguard from Beijing and My Father is a Hero. Yuen has also served as action choreographer for Li on New Legend of Shaolin, High Risk, Lethal Weapon 4, Romeo Must Die, and the upcoming Kiss of the Dragon.

Movie: plot, performances, production, rating

Plot: The bloody and solemn beginning to this film nearly turned me off entirely. I'm glad I stuck with it, though, because after the introductory scenes the real character of this film starts to shine through. Basically, as I understand (I really should have taken better notes), the new foreign-born governor of Canton learns that he is not welcome or respected among is populace. In order to curry favor and acceptance, he follows the suggestion of an advisor to hold a contest for the hand of his daughter, Ting Ting. Contestants must defeat the governor's wife in a kung fu battle waged on a small elevated platform -- if the contestant's feet touch the ground, he is disqualified. Fong Sai Yuk eagerly competes. Due to a misunderstanding, however, he intentionally loses. Outraged by her son's loss (she reckons he should have won), his mother enters the contest, posing as his brother, Fong Tai Yuk. She wins, but also inadvertently attracts the affections of the governor's wife. Did I mention that Sai Yuk's father is a secret member of the Red Flower Society, which is working to overthrow the government? Things get crazy from there . . .

Performances: Jet Li as Fong Sai Yuk is the flip side of his portrayal of Wong Fei-Hung in the Once Upon a Time in China I -- loose and silly, but also capable of brutal action when needed. His completely relaxed bearing along with his quick moves and amazing agility help to sell the character. It's easy to believe he can fight the way he does, and equally understandable when he runs away upon his first glimpse of the less-than-attractive woman he mistakenly thinks will be his bride. Josephine Siao Fong-Fong is clearly his mother -- fiercely protective of her son and her family's honor (despite the physical beating she takes from her husband). Michelle Reis as Ting Ting looks lovely but definitely has the least to do of the three lead performers. Sibelle Hu is touching as the governor's love-besotten wife.

Production: Great action scenes mixed with comedy, drama, and suspense. Kudos to director Yuen. Lovely cinematography by future director Jingle Ma Choh Sing. Costumes are beautiful. The musical score (James Wong Jim, Romeo Diaz, Mark Lui Chung Tak) is not too strong but it is flavorful.

Rating: Category II. Much kicking, punching, falling, but little blood. The second scene has a graphic bone breaking.

DVD: look, sound, subtitles, and features

Look: The letterboxed (1.85 to 1) and remastered disk looks beautiful (vibrant colors, sharp picture), although the print itself has scratches, blotches, etc. That being said, some scenes look a bit soft and color reproduction is not always accurate.

Sound: The post-synched and remixed for DD 5.1 Cantonese track does not quite sound right. I'm not sure why. Perhaps it's because the sound clearly comes from inside a studio and not from the various locations. It's missing ambient sounds -- it's not horrible, it just doesn't sound natural. Also included is a DD 5.1 Mandarin audio track.

Subtitles: Removable and large white font. The English subtitles have numerous misspellings -- not the best job. Also included are traditional and simplified Chinese subtitles.

Features: Nine chapters. Stars' files are provided for Jet Li and Corey Yuen Kwai. The film's original theatrical trailer and also trailers for Fong Sai Yuk II and Tai Chi Master are included.

Buy, rent, or pass?

Buy. It's a great movie and definitely worth a purchase despite the unevenness of the DVD quality. The wire fu work can be extremely silly yet is extravagantly fun to watch multiple times.

 

---

corrections? broken links? criticism? praise? please e-mail webmaster

this site is a non-commercial resource for region 1
original content copyright 2001 peter a. martin all rights reserved