Rating: 
Summary: A Classic
Review: I reccomend this to everyone (you'll enjoy it more if you understand chinese and english cus i do, and it has many wise craks in it that reqiure this). Best movie I ever saw. There is wonderful acting, music, setting, screenplay, and THE BEST martial arts scenes ever! It has surprisingly little wire work in it for a Jet Li (he plays Huang Fei Hong) movie. Set in the late 1800's, the movie is about Huang Fei Hong (his mandarin name) a (phenomenal) martial arts expert who has been ordered by his friend (a black flag army officer) to train a local militia. The Militia gets in a fight with bastards from Shaho, who have been harrassing Leung Quan (Yuen Biao) and Huang Fei Hong is held responsible by the governer (also a bastard). After Huang Fei Hong beats up the Shaho gang in a resturant, they burn down his kungfu school and frame him for attacking a theatre, where Leung Quan works. The audience gets shot ( for some screwed reason) and Huang Fei Hong is held under house arrest and takes the audience as patients (he is a doctor also) One of his patients is an escaped chinese slave from america and tells his story. Meanwhile Leung Quan (remember that's his mandarin name) becomes a disiple to a certain martial arts rival to Huang fei hong known as Yim (Yan yee kwan). When Huang Fei hong's Aunt is kidnapped by the American slave trader and the shaho gang (who team up with yim) and Huang Fei Hong and his diciples Kai, Zhu rong (mandarin name), and Soh must go save her (Leung quan leaves his former master and joins Huang Fei Hong).
This will always be a classic in my opinion. 100 percent recommended by me.
Rating:
Summary: Great.
Review: "Once Upon A Time In China" is perhaps the best all-around martial arts movie you'll ever see. I say all-around because it has both wirework and straightforward fighting. Also, the production value, which was notoriously low for most films in Hong Kong a few years back, is above par here. It's beautifully shot, well acted, and very well written. The story centers around the exploits of Wong Fei-Hung, the most filmed (and the most revered) character in HK cinema history.
This is probably the best of the straightforward Wong Fei-Hung movies, where Fei-Hung is stoic, wise and mature (The Jackie Chan version of Fei-Hung is in a category of its own). Jet Li brings power and authority to the character, and no one can match him in terms of sheer martial arts prowess. Supporting him is the criminally underrated Yuen Biao (Foon), the Peking Opera School "little brother" of Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung. The action was beyond compare, but what really attracted me once the movie got rolling was the story. Tsui Hark did a great job co-writing the screenplay. And, when you throw in the fact that he also produced and directed, you might just have a new respect for HK cinema.
As for the DVD itself, I was a little disappointed at the picture quality, but I wasn't too surprised since Media Asia retained the rights. The picture appears double frequently on my DVD-ROM. However, this only occurred on the original language version. The English-dubbed version was better quality, but the dubbing was so God-awful. Jet Li sounded like Dudley Do-Right. As long as I can make out the action and follow the story, I'll stick to the Chinese version. If you haven't seen it, and you like--or claim to like--HK cinema, then I can heartily recommend it. If you're not too fond of action, but you like historical dramas or epics, then try it. You might be surprised.
Rating:
Summary: .
Review: FILM REVIEW:At the time of this writing I've seen Once Upon a Time in China parts 1-5, and essentially my feelings on the series can be summed up as such: There's Once Upon a Time in China, and then, there are the sequels. This is not to say that I dislike the sequels; in fact, I have yet to be entirely let down by a Once Upon a Time in China picture. But the original is unquestionably the paramount of the series, a martial arts movie which breaks through and transcends the usual limits of the genre. The qualities of Once Upon a Time in China are manifold. Its story is sophisticated and densely layered for a martial arts film, its pace unrushed, its action satisfying, its length generous, and its climax genuinely gripping. Once Upon a Time in China is, indeed, the only movie in the series in which I actually felt genuine concern for the fate of any of the characters, or put another way, empathized any real sense of physical, emotional, or spiritual danger. Some will argue that the martial arts choreography of part 2 is superior, but for all their technical strength, part 2's action sequences lack the sense of harmony and resonance with the overall picture which can be readily found here. A strength of the series in general is that the action sequences rarely seem to be entirely arbitrary - but never in the many sequels are they fused this satisfyingly into the overall experience. Additionally, I've noticed that the Once Upon a Time in China series has gotten more "comic-booky" as its gone along. I have no overt problem with these "comic-booky" aspects in and of themselves: the mysterious cult-leaders and quasi-supervillains of parts 2 and 4, or the pirates and treasures and gunfights of part 5, or the introduction of the Clubfoot character in part 3, are all entertaining in their way. But I do appreciate the slightly more down-to-earth atmosphere of the original, as it seems to have been conducive to the development of more interesting characters. While there are other antagonists I've enjoyed in the series, none have come close to matching the thorough spiritual bankruptcy and cruelty of this film's Shaho gang leader. He has no special powers or tricks - in fact he doesn't even prove to be a particularly formidable fighter - but he's the only villain they ever bothered to develop enough so that you really come to despise him by the end. And what of Iron Robe Yim's nuanced part in the tale? Not quite a villain proper, more a tragic figure - but an interesting tragic figure, and one successfully interjected (in place of the Shaho boss) as a formidable martial arts antagonist, thus allowing for the film's classic final battle. Above and beyond this he is also nicely interwoven into the greater fabric of the tale's many moral quandaries by his temporary relationship as mentor to Foon. (Incidentally, the mentor/student relationship between these two characters would have been well served by just a bit more development, but when everything comes to a head in that last half-hour, it still manages to pull itself off nicely.) Yim occupies an interesting space as a character in this story, a space unfilled in subsequent Once Upon a Time in China chapters: he is a character who we feel could have been great, could even have been a friend or brother to Wong Fei Hung and his coterie, but who sadly crumbles (under the pressure of poverty) to his darker, greedier side, and pays the price in a bloody and undignified demise - (a scene which proves powerful on several levels.) Without getting into each in detail, I appreciate this film's well-rounded cast of characters, several of whom disappear and/or are replaced by different actors in subsequent Once Upon a Time in China films. With the exception of the unused Kai, every major character is given his moment(s) in this movie. Even Buck Tooth So - a character I initially found too annoying and zany - manages a convincing emotional and moral complexity by the end (relative to what you'd expect of such a character, at any rate.) Last but not least, I should probably reaffirm that Jet Li himself is indeed excellent in Once Upon a Time in China. He brings a poise, dignity, style, and romantic vulnerability to the character of Wong Fei Hung which I doubt I'll ever see matched, and his focused and perfectly executed martial arts are a thing to behold. So when all is said and done, I feel I must insist that Once Upon a Time in China has far more going for it than any of its sequels, and manages not only to juggle everything successfully - action, romance, politics, religion, national identity, melodrama, and brotherhood - but also to bring it together into a climax far more satisfying than anything I've seen from the series since. It boasts competent, artful direction, good production values, a fully realized 19th century environment, and everything in the film radiates with a glow which even the best of the sequels never quite match. DVD REVIEW: The Columbia TriStar release of Once Upon a Time in China is, to my mind, the most adequate of their three OUATIC releases. Picture and sound are both reasonably good, format is original widescreen, and the subtitles are clear, well-placed, and well-paced. The Cantonese and Mandarin audio tracks are both included. The English dubbed version is included as a special feature. Other special features include an interesting audio commentary (albeit it from a somewhat annoying and occasionally sarcastic commentator) and a few trailers. Nothing exceptionally mind-blowing, but a worthwhile purchase for sure. See Amazon info for more technical details.
Rating:
Summary: THE DEFINITION OF KUNG FU MOVIE!!!!!!!!!
Review: Alright, I'll admit that when I first got my order of the first three of Jet Li's ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA series, I was a bit disappointed that the audio tracks wer only Cantonese and Mandarin. True, English subtitles were available on all of them, but I was living under the illusion that htis might comprimise my ability to fully enjoy these masterpieces.
I had seen none of them before, but I had ordered them sight unseen because of the fact that I'm a military kid living in another country, and so copies of the OUATIC series were quite scarce. I had never actually seen any Asian films before in their original languages, so you can see that i felt like ihad might have made a mistake.
Boy was I wrong! I had never seen anything like this before, and I was with the movie every step of the way, carefully following my trusty english subtitles for plot references, although I could absolutely not take my eyes off the screen in any one th fabulous fight scenes, especially the finally, in which good old Wong Fei-Hung (Jet Li, about the umpte-millionth Wong Fei-Hung) engages in a fierce martial arts battle with the sinister Master Yim, whose in cahoots with the bad guys, who are kidnapping Chinese for slave labor and prostitution, and who wants to defeat Wong so that he can be the number one kung fu master.
This particular scene starts out on an elaborate structure of ladders, and then goes to the ground for some more fightin'. True, the OUATIC series is not a wire-fu movie, but the occasional assistance of wires allows some of the more breathtaking stunts to come out.
The point is that ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA holds a spot in the hall of fame of those martial arts movies that have surpassed all standards and expectations, and will no doubt stand the test of time. The other films in this "Kung Fu Hall of Fame" include (but aren't limited to) ENTER THE DRAGON, FIST OF LEGEND, CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON, the DRUNKEN MASTERs, RAPID FIRE, THE ONE, and loads of others. If you have not seen any of these, ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA is as good place to start with as any. Just sit back, and feast your eyes.
Rating:
Summary: This is Definitely a Classic
Review: This movie was astounding and a great achievement in Kung-Fu movies. The scenes are definetly new, unique and innovative. There's plenty of action and some of the cast is pretty funny. The quality of picture wasn't that good, but that didn't stop me from giving this film 5 stars. I love the Cantonese music to this movie. I can sing it by heart. The two most innovative scenes were the fight scene in the rain where Wong Fei Hung fights Master Yim and the final fight between Master Yim with the ladders. The action was beautifully well timed and Jet Li's skills really did shine. Obne thing you might find distressing is the anti-foreigner feelings that are shown, which is pretty realistic coming from a Cantonese Family. Both of these scenes were unbelievable. This is a must have for all Jet Li fans. This is Tsui Hark's greatest movie i have seen. If you are into Chinese Kung Fu movies, it is a necessity to watch this. If you don't like flying and fantasy type fights, then don't buy this.
Rating: 
Summary: One of the finest Kung Fu Flicks of all time
Review: Wong Fei Hung is an important figure, not only to Chinese history, but also to me as a student of the style, which he helped make famous. The Hung Gar Style is traced back to Hung Tsi Kwan (there are lots of debates over the spelling of his name) who taught Luk Ah Choy, and Wong Tai (Wong Fei Hung's grand father) who taught Wong Kei Ying (Fei Hung's father) who refused to teach Fei Hung, forcing him to turn to Luk Ah Choy for lessons. Fei Hung then went on to teach Lam Sai Wing (who is depicted in this film, albeit inaccurately) who wrote the book that more or less made the style famous. Hung Gar is a very common style in Southern China, but is very rare stateside with only a small number of schools teaching it. Wong Fei Hung is therefore a matter of great interest to me, which is why I bought this film without actually seeing it first. Lucky for me it ended up being a very worthwhile purchase.
While some of the events of the film are based on real history (or legend) much of this story (and its sequels) remains a matter of fictional entertainment. Althogh Wong Fei Hung was married three times in his life, he was never involved with his by-marriage cousin (or 14th aunt if you're not watching the English dub), so introducing an arguably incestuous love interest is a bit odd, but the romance aspects of this film aren't really the reason to see this film, Jet Li and his incredible action scenes are. The action in this film was a landmark in Hong Kong Cinema and may have pioneered the "wire fu" so popular in today's movies. The story is very good as well, dealing with the idea of resisting change, and staying true to one's traditions and heritage. As a Kung Fu student and fan I love this movie through and through, as a critic, however I really wish the writers of this movie could have done something less awkward for a love interest for a man whose memory is revered not just in China, but to any and all students of the Hung Gar style. After all, Wong Fei Hung invented the Tiger Crane set that is now the trademark set for Hung Gar practitioners, and so it is a bit odd to see him portrayed in a potentially incestuous relationship. Still this movie remains at the top of the list for fans wanting to collect Hong Kong flicks, as it is one of the absolute best out there.
Rating:
Summary: Super Movie!!!
Review: This movie is absolutely a masterpiece. When there was a fight going on, the music starts. The music is as good as the movie itself. It's a shame if you don't watch the movie. So go ahead and watch this action-packed movie starring with action superstar-- Jet Li!!!
Rating:
Summary: best
Review: Okay first off,the first 2 Once Upon A Time movies are,in my opinion,the only 2 in the series that matter. If I had to choose between part one or part two I would go with this classic. Not only Jet Li's best movie, but along with Bruce Lee's the Chinese Connection aka Fist of Fury, is probably the greatest martial arts film of all time.
Trust me,watch this movie. The story is captivating and Jet Li will astound you.
While not as charismatic or passionate as Bruce Lee, Jet is still the greatest martial artist in movies today. Bruce Lee R.I.P.
Rating: 
Summary: GREAT MOVIE -- AWFUL DVD
Review: The bad news first -- this DVD transfer is awful! Unless you enjoy getting eye strain from unconsciously squinting through the whole movie (hoping that'll improve the picture quality), don't buy this DVD! Columbia TriStar really deserves a beating for this one. So how bad is it? There are motion artifacts galore, and even in still pictures everything is somehow blurry or double. In panning shots of a ship, diagonal ropes on the ship are not only jagged, but blurry almost beyond recognition. A shot of ships in the harbor is so blurry that the ships appear to have extra mast pieces. Faces in the background appear blocky, almost like an enlarged JPEG image. I don't know why this movie was released in anamorphic form, since it appears to have even less resolution than a letterboxed movie! And then there's the audio. It has Cantonese and Mandarin language selections, as well as a dubbed English version. Well, guess what? Both the Cantonese and Mandarin versions have been dubbed also! Where is the original sound? I find it hard to believe that the entire soundtrack of this movie was replaced with overdubbing before it was released! OK, if you still must have this movie, either buy it on VHS or never watch it on anything larger than a small TV so you won't notice how awful the picture is. And if, after all this warning, you still must buy this DVD, then just remember: I told you so.
Rating:
Summary: Jet Li is ICONIC in this!
Review: If you love martial arts films you cant miss out on this one because every single person I know who has seen it has enjoyed it. ...[Y]ou can easily tell if you take kungfu seriously that Jet Li has the most awsome abilities of any martial artist (he is only in his late 30s and already an 8th degree black belt). The fight scenes will blow you away! I couldn't put this down after i watched it the first day (i rushed to the nearest place to get it 2 days later). This movie has EVERYTHING, a wonderful plot, good actors, good music, and THE MOST AWSOME ACTION SCENES EVER! This is the best movie I have ever seen (dont watch the english dubbed version because it ruins the film). ...
|
