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Drunken Master 2 Blu-ray Review

The action saves “Drunken Master 2.”

Directed by Lau Kar-leung, 1994’s “Drunken Master 2” (AKA “The Legend Of The Drunken Master”) is a sequel to 1978’s “Drunken Master.” The story (which is set in 20th Century China) revolves around Wong Fei-hung, his father and their servant venturing to Canton. Along the way, Wong’s father’s Ginseng package gets mixed up with the Jade Imperial Seal package which is being coveted by shady and wealthy British smugglers and Master Fu Wen-chi (who wants the culturally significant seal in China where it belongs). As you can imagine chaos soon ensues. Elsewhere in the story is a family drama subplot involving Wong Fei-hung’s drunken boxing antics putting a strain on his family (namely his father).

I’ve never been over the moon for Jackie Chan action vehicles. I realize he has a passionate fanbase and is unquestionably talented when it comes to martial arts and on screen fighting, but his films have always suffered from dopey humor, interchangable characters, and throwaway plots. “Drunken Master 2” has the very same problems as there are plenty of cornball comedic moments (Geese! A giant radish! Bubble burps!) and a basic story that is instantly forgettable. Luckily, the action carries the movie in a big way.

Regardless of how you feel about the movie itself, the action set pieces are nothing short of thrilling. The sword-spear fight under a train car, the first drunken boxing fight, the huge battle against an entire gang involving tables and bamboo and the climactic steel factory battles will have you glued to the screen. Everything is so fast paced and perfectly choreographed that it makes you forget about the film’s shortcomings.

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 2.40:1 1080p. How does it look? There’s been no shortage of bad prints of kung-fu flicks over the years (including DM2), but I’m happy to say that Warner Archive has delivered a truly stunning hi-def print with super crisp colors.

Audio Tracks: Cantonese, Mandarin and English. How do they sound? Viewers certainly have plenty of options here, but I would imagine most will go with the original Cantonese track (which is the best choice).

The lone extra is a “Drunken Master 2” trailer

May 18, 2021 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | Drunken Master 2 Blu-ray Review, Jackie Chan, Martial Arts Movie, Warner Archive