Movie review - The Grandmaster of Kung Fu

The Grandmaster of Kung Fu ***1/2 (out of 5) (NR) For fans of Chinese martial arts movies, the plot of this one is a variation on a VERY familiar theme. Set in the early 20th Century while Japan is occupying much of China, national pride for both seems to hinge on whether kung fu is superior to karate, and the question will be determined in a winner-take-all match. The invaders strive and scheme to assert dominance by demoralizing the local fighters and, consequently, the populace. The Chinese must win to keep their schools open to maintain national pride despite the occupation. This premise has been recycled a zillion times ever since the Hong Kong action boom of the 1970s, often incorporating historic heroes like Ip Man or Wong Fei Hung. Western viewers will primarily associate Donnie Yen with the former, and Jet Li with the latter.

So why spend your time on this one? Several reasons. Du Yuhang, who replaced Yen in the latest extensions of the Ip Man franchise, does a fine job here as the modest hero, reluctantly rising to defend the honor of his fighting style and country. He resembles Yen not only in looks, but in conveying that essential aura of quiet dignity and integrity between and during his fights – like Gary Cooper in most of his Westerns. Since the star was an actual Wushu champion before his acting career, action sequences are artfully choregraphed and more natural in scale than many others. Very little wire work; no exotic weapons; slow-mo insertions accentuating highlight moves to good advantage. Lighting and camera angles are above average, allowing viewers to see those sequences more clearly than is often the case. Fights are also more reasonable in duration than many others in which the protagonists suffer absurdly prolonged beatings before prevailing, as we always knew they would

Perhaps the best facet is that director Cheng Si-Yu knew he was telling an oft-told tale, and pared this incarnation to a tight package running under 80 minutes. Also, as one who has endured subpar audio and visual elements (often including horrid English dubs) in dozens of streamed vintage chopsocky flicks from the Shaw Brothers and other studios of the 1970s-80s, it’s a pleasure to watch the new generation of these films with excellent production quality. Japanese viewers will likely feel otherwise, since, as always, those invading characters are portrayed as mostly devious and excessively brutal, with only the occasional warrior of honor among them.

(The Grandmaster of Kung Fu, in Mandarin with subtitles, streams on Hi-YAH! As of 11/4/22, and is available on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital formats as of 1/31/23)