Film Name: 黄飞鸿’92之龙行天下 / The Master / 黃飛鴻’92之龍行天下
Watching too many similar films reveals certain predictable tropes: either like Jackie Chan’s “Rumble in the Bronx” or Bruce Lee’s “The Way of the Dragon,” where a Chinese person travels abroad to visit relatives who own a shop, only to find them constantly bullied by foreigners; or the relatives are actually struggling badly, and lie to the protagonist, who only discovers the truth upon arriving in America. Essentially, it’s about Chinese people facing discrimination abroad, and inevitably, a kung fu hero like Bruce Lee or Jackie Chan steps in to resolve the situation. After enduring hardships, they always emerge triumphant, and not just by taking down one opponent—it reminds me of Donnie Yen’s “I’ll take on ten!”
Of course, I don’t oppose this. I don’t deny China has such national heroes, but in reality, they’re too few. The popularity of 90s films like Fist of Legend, Once Upon a Time in China, and Fist of Fury stems partly from China’s centuries of humiliation and oppression, the treasonous treaties signed by figures like the Empress Dowager Cixi. China was driven to the brink, forced into reform and modernization. These films, I believe, channeled the aspirations of countless Chinese people—the desire to rise like Wong Fei-hung and reclaim pride. Yet reality is like wanting to grow up as Daniel Wu but ending up as Tony Leung.
The plot is straightforward: Wong Fei-hung travels to America to seek refuge with his master, played by Yuen Biao. Yuen Biao’s character is actually quite pitiful—hunted by debt collectors and cornered, he’s gone into hiding, facing a group of foreign enemies. Wong Fei-hung’s disciples and the female lead handle the comedic and emotional elements, driving the plot forward. Cultural clashes between East and West provide additional laughs. The inevitable romantic spark between the leads is inevitable. By the climax, Wong Fei-hung’s master is beaten beyond standing, forcing Wong to single-handedly take on dozens of burly thugs on a rooftop. This setup deserves criticism—it feels forced to make the master so weak just to highlight Wong’s prowess. Either portray Wong as a martial arts prodigy who surpasses his master, or avoid overusing the tired trope of someone falling from a building.
Of course, you know how it ends—Jet Li still gets his girl in the end.
Please specify：Anime Phone Cases » The Master 1992 Film Review: China’s moment of pride?