Film Name: 师弟出马 / The Young Master / 師弟出馬
Just finished watching it, and my impression is that it’s brilliant—truly brilliant! I’d heard before watching that the action sequences were spectacular, but it still exceeded my expectations.
First, the flaws: The character inconsistency throughout the film. Uncle Long’s personality shifts dramatically before and after he goes to find his senior brother. Early on, he comes across as an honest, down-to-earth guy, reminiscent of Jin Fu from Snake-Shaped Hand. But later, he transforms into someone more like Wong Fei-hung from Drunken Master. This kind of drastic shift is absolutely implausible for a single film. Thankfully, the first part only lasts under 29 minutes.
The strengths, of course, lie in the action choreography—absolutely spectacular. The first lion dance sequence particularly stood out. Personally, I know little about lion dancing and haven’t seen many performances, and even watching “I Am What I Am” didn’t fully capture its charm. This was my first time finding lion dancing truly captivating. Subsequent action sequences—the bench fight, fan-wielding, skirt-leg kicks—show Uncle Long’s moves already hinting at the later Jackie Chan-style: using everyday objects for evasion and attack, with incredibly watchable choreography. That leg-through-skirt move felt incredibly effective and left a deep impression on me. The fan choreography was beautifully executed—perhaps not always practical, but undeniably stunning and highly entertaining. The final showdown is especially thrilling. Victory isn’t achieved through traditional counter-moves but by sheer endurance. Uncle Dragon endures a beating for over ten minutes before defeating the boss. This approach feels directly borrowed by Uncle Dragon for his masterpiece “Drunken Master II.” Were it not for plot issues, this film’s classic status would absolutely rival Uncle Lung’s breakthrough hits “Snake-Shaped Hand” and “Drunken Master.” It truly lives up to being Hong Kong’s first film to gross over ten million.
While “Snake-Shaped Hand” and “Drunken Master” launched Jackie’s career—with much credit going to Yuen Woo-ping (who directed both and created the stunning Drunken Eight Immortals sequence)—his enduring fame and achievements stem from his own innovations in action cinema and relentless dedication. Of course, the Jackie Chan Stunt Team deserves mention. The filming of The Young Master was fraught with difficulties, and its release coincided with the then-unpopular Spring Festival season. Yet it became Hong Kong’s first film to gross over ten million dollars, transforming the Spring Festival season into a major box office period. These achievements were earned entirely by Jackie Chan himself.
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