The Kung Fu Master (1994)
Directors - Benny Chan and various
DVD Released by : Tai Seng
Player reviewed with :Citizen JDVD 3820
Receiver reviewed with : N/A
 
Features:
Cantonese/English Dolby Digital 5.1 & DTS Soundtrack
English, Subtitles
Not Enhanced for 16 x 9 TVs
Fullscreen
New Trailer
Other Releases, 'Making of Kung-Fu Master' featurette, Donnie Yen Biography and Filmography
Running Time : 200 mins.
Region 1
Closely following the popularity of Tsui Hark's Once Upon a Time in China, Hong Kong's ATV network produced The Kung Fu Master in 1994, an epic television serial based on another historical figure and folk hero, Hung Hei-kwun. He was a disciple of Shaolin's 36th Chamber and founder of the Hung Gar school of martial arts. Those who thought Hung Hei-kwun was little more than a Lone Wolf and Cub take-off after watching Jet Li's incomprehensible New Legend of Shaolin (aka Legend of the Red Dragon) will find a lot more to enjoy here.

The story opens during the Ching dynasty, racial unrest is high between the ruling imperial Manchurians and the subjugated Chinese people of Han. Red Dragon, leader of the Sun Moon sect dispatches with group of assassins and vows to topple the Ching and return the Ming Dynasty to the throne. Hung Hei-kwun (Donnie Yen) returns home, distraught to find out that his father, Hung Tin Nam (Poon Chi Man) is the martial arts instructor for the Ching. Despised by the other Chinese for kowtowing to their Ching overlords, Hei-kwun is inspired by Red Dragon and insists on opposing his father by opening his own martial arts school to teach only Han Chinese.

Meanwhile Tin Nam is close friends with the Manchurian General Ha (Lo Lieh) who has a dream of unifying the Ching and Han as one family in China. Threatening this dream is a rival Manchurian family headed by the power hungry Sek Tot. Their plot to gain favour with the Emperor by humbling General Ha, destroy the Sun Moon sect and reveal the identity of Red Dragon will only deepen the rift between the Ching and Han.

When an attempt to kill the emperor goes awry, secrets are revealed and no one is as they appear. After playing older roles in similar films (OUATIC 2 and Iron Monkey), Donnie Yen manages a more sprightly gait as a young man caught between doing what he believes is right and honouring his filial duty. The length of a television series gives him the time to grow (if a little shakily) from a rash and unthinking youth to a mature adult. Standout performers include film great Lo Lieh as General Ha, and TV veteran Poon Chi Man as Hung Tin Nam. When their friendship, threatened by opposing political forces faces betrayal and dishonour, the result is both dreadful and moving.
The action is a bit of a mixed bag. For a television show the kung fu sequences are definitely above average, but its low budget just can't compare to a feature. The rain drenched opening battle between Red Dragon and a group of flying-guillotine wielding monks is atmospheric and well shot, but also highlights the problems: stone lions that break apart like papier-mâché, limited stunt work, and the worst offender, sped up action. Wooden staffs that bend during fights turn into rubber at high speeds. Nothing new to film with its stylistic use of variable shutter-speeds, but on video it looks like watching the show on fast forward, it's extremely cheesy. I was at ATV at the time and commented that the action looked better in real time, but the martial-arts editor insisted it was better faster. So chalk it up it to cultural tastes.
Despite my misgivings some of the fights are quite good. Hei-kwun's confrontations with his father are well handled making Poon Chi Man, who is no martial artist look great. Tung Chin Gun is not a hulking strong man, but the show makes you want to believe it, and his duel with Hei-kwun is a well-done riff on the OUATIC series. Even the large scale battle scenes between the Ching army and the Sun Moon Sect are fun to watch. The only real disappointment is the final battle which is too short and lacking in choreographed finesse.
The fullscreen transfer is excellent with a high bit rate averaging 6.5mb/s and no compression artifacts. This is probably the best it has ever looked, which unfortunately still isn't very good. It was shot before the digital age on Betacam, and the cheap video quality and flat colour reproduction just can't be avoided. Asian television is made very fast and very cheaply. However, director Benny Chan and his team have tried to overcome some of the flaws with smooth camera work, wide lenses, and filters that give a sepia-like film look. Many shots are framed quiet nicely and the vistas shot on location in the desolate China Mainland are stunning.
Surprising amount of sound options includes Cantonese in Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS, English 5.1 and Mandarin dubs. Having listened to the sync dialogue 5.1 Cantonese track, the surround channels are used well during heavy action scenes, and dialogue comes through clearly. Although levels are mixed fine with music and effects emphasized over speech, the real problem here is the low budget. The sound design is lacking with poorly chosen or inappropriate sound effects that don't match what's on screen. Also heavy use of 'canned' music (musical cues borrowed from other soundtracks), only one original theme, and a bad decision to dub Red Dragon's voice all add to a lackluster aural experience.
The bold subtitles are excellent with an accurate translation of almost everything including most onscreen writing, title credits, and even song lyrics!

This 2-disc set also packs a number of noteworthy extras. There are a number of westernized trailers for other Tai Seng releases, and a short 'making-of' featurette that consists mainly of montage footage from the show and snippets of interviews with various cast, writers, producers, and director Benny Chan. The real bonus is the inclusion of two commentary tracks. The first is with Donnie Yen and Bey Logan. Both talk all the way through and have a great chemistry with Yen sharing a lot of behind the scenes anecdotes and Logan asking a lot of interesting questions (this was recorded fairly recently with Yen mentioning finished Shanghai Knights). The second track which I did not listen to all the way, featuring Ric Meyers, Tai Seng's Frank Djeng, and Sammo Hung protégé Bobby Samuels is not nearly as engaging, with them talking mostly amongst themselves. Finally, the theme song heard during the featurette is sung by Donnie Yen himself, and plays in its entirety over the main menu. Nice touch.

This release edits together the first 5 episodes (of 40) into a single feature and is only missing about 25 minutes including titles and credits. Entertaining, if historically inaccurate (this Wing Chun is not the one who established the namesake martial arts style) this presents the complete first part of the story and probably the best. Feature film director Benny Chan was hired to helm an epic TV series and is for the most part successful, but it is not for everyone. The action only runs between mediocre and good. Those who prefer a longer plot and character development will enjoy it more. Further releases in the series look unlikely (the show meanders as it goes on anyway), but here Tai Seng has offered a feature packed DVD set that definitely gives you what you pay for. A cautious recommendation.

-Leon Ho

Reviewed 01/15/2003