Drunken Master (1978)

Film Overview
"Drunken Master", launched in 1978, is a traditional Hong Kong comedy-martial arts movie directed by Yuen Woo-ping. The movie features the famous star Jackie Chan as the lead character, Wong Fei-hung (Freddie Wong), exhibiting his comic mien and martial arts expertise. The movie is applauded as one of Chan's significant works that contributed to his global fame.

Plot Synopsis
"Drunken Master" introduces Wong, a young lad infamous for his naughty antics and mischief. Wong's father, Wong Kei-ying, shocked by his child's constant disgrace to their family name, decides to hand him over to his martial arts teacher, Beggar So, in hopes to repair his methods. Beggar So is renowned for his infamously tough and rigorous training methods, typically defined as "sadistic" by those who failed his training.

The film follows Wong's training under Beggar So's stern and frequently humorous supervision and eventually mastering the Drunken Fist technique, a martial art that requires the specialist to be "drunk" to be performed skillfully. He learns 2 combating styles-- Drunken God of the Eight Immortals and The Drunken Eight Fairies, both needing him to consume big amounts of alcohol, therefore making him overpower his opponents.

Conflict
The story takes a serious turn when a lethal killer named Yim Tit-sam (Thunderfoot) comes with a motive to assassinate Wong's dad. Yim is well-known as an undefeated martial artist who defeated lots of martial artists, including Wong's father's friend, by maiming them for life. Worry rises to its paroxysm when Wong's dad becomes Thunderfoot's next target.

Climax
Time out is carried with the duty of warring versus Yim to secure his daddy. Regardless of the deadly risks, Wong chooses to deal with Yim. Nevertheless, Wong's regular martial arts techniques prove ineffective versus Yim. Remembering his training, Wong resorts to his Drunken Fist method after taking in alcohol, which substantially boosts his speed and power.

Resolution
In the thrilling final sequence, Wong manages to beat Yim, thereby conserving his father, with the mastery of his Drunken Fist technique. This bitter-sweet triumph earns him his dad's regard and the affection of the villagers. The film ends with a light-hearted note where Wong, despite his heroics, deals with an extreme punishment from his father for getting drunk.

Significance and Legacy
"Drunken Master" was the breakthrough movie that developed Jackie Chan as a considerable martial arts comic who masterfully mixed laughter with high energy fight series. This cinematic function made the inebriated boxing style popular, significantly affecting the martial arts genre and paving the course for sequels and comparable themed films. Today, "Drunken Master" is hailed as a classic martial arts film commonly taken pleasure in by fans for its enjoyable, action, and Jackie Chan's unforgettable performance.

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