The Young Master – Shi di chu ma (1980)

Directed by: Jackie Chan | 101 minutes | action, comedy | Actors: Jackie Chan, Biao Yuen, Pai Wei, Lily Li, Kien Shih, Ing-Sik Whang, Hark-On Fung, Hoi San Lee, Feng Tien, Feng Feng, Mei Sheng Fan, Yim Chan Tang

It must have been Jackie Chan’s smartest move never to follow in the footsteps of the legendary Bruce Lee. When Lee died in 1973, the search was on for a replacement. After all, the energetic Lee was the first to make martial arts so popular internationally. Chan, who had worked with Lee, decided to develop his own style rather than imitate Lee and risk being always in his shadow.

The story, which was unimportant for this genre at the time, is paper thin. Dragon (Chan)’s troubles begin when his brother Tiger (Pai Wei), bribed by a rival kung fu school, concocts an injury that forces Dragon to show up for the annual Dance of the Lions. Dragon loses and puts his school to shame. Soon after, his brother’s betrayal is discovered and Tiger has to leave. Dragon goes looking for his brother and is meanwhile mistaken for his brother who has meanwhile been involved in a bank robbery.

The editing is sometimes puzzling, the characters jump from one location to another without any explanation and the logic is sometimes hard to find. Fortunately, this is never disturbing because if you wonder what it was all about, a new fight starts that demands attention. The irresistible charm of Chan’s acrobatic antics and lame jokes are intentionally and unintentionally funny. He commands respect even for those who have no affiliation with this genre, if only as proof of what a person can be capable of.

Chan got a carte blanche from Golden Harvest and took full advantage of it. All the characteristic Chan elements are born here, such as the emphasis on slapstick humor between and during the fights and the use of the environment during the fights instead of the mano-a-mano principle of the old kung fu movie. Highlights are in the beginning with the Dance of the Lions and the fan fight which really shows what a perfectionist Chan is. The twenty-minute final fight is a hit with an excellent final villain (Yuen Biao) who gives a wonderful Hapkido performance.

By today’s standards, ‘The Young Master’ is somewhat weighed down by the stretched fight scenes that threaten to lose tension because they just won’t stop. See ‘The Young Master’ as a showcase for Chan’s exceptional talents and a milestone in the history of kung-fu film. Rationality overboard and enjoy.