Drunken Masterhad a great sequel long before Jackie Chan’s return to the lead role of Wong Fei-hung in 1994. Released in 1978, the Golden Harvest martial arts classic has received a lot of credit forJackie Chan’s rise to stardom.After starring in bothDrunken MasterandSnake in the Eagle’s Shadowin 1978, the actor quickly turned into Hong Kong’s most prominent kung fu movie star at the time. Some ofJackie Chan’s movies were successful enough to justify becoming franchises, withDrunken Masterbeing among them.
In 1994, Chan famously returned to the character that helped make him a martial arts icon. Alongside former Shaw Brothers star Ti Lung and fellow martial arts legend Lau Kar-leung, Jackie Chan reprised his role as Wong Fei-hung inDrunken Master II, which went on to become a martial arts gem in its own right. But while it took 20 years for Chan to finally play Wong Fei-hung again, it was really only one year beforeDrunken Masterhad a sequel, though unfortunately, it never achieved anything close to the reputation of either Chan film.
Why Jackie Chan Never Made Drunken Master 3
The Drunken Master films are among Jackie Chan’s most famous films, so why wasn’t there a third one? Here’s why the actor never made Drunken Master 3.
Dance Of The Drunk Mantis Is An Unofficial Sequel To Drunken Master
Dance Of The Drunk Mantis Continues The Story Of Beggar So
While Chan moved on fromDrunken Masterafter the release of the film to other projects, the film industry didn’t immediately forget about it and made efforts to capitalize on its success. Not only did this lead to more focus onmovies that blended martial arts and comedy, but it also led to more interest in the characters fromDrunken Masterspecifically. Just one year afterDrunken Masterhit theaters, a follow-up titledDance of the Drunk Mantiswas released and marketed as a sequel toDrunken Master.
Despite not featuring Jackie Chan,Dance of the Drunken Mantis’connections to the original run deep. First and foremost is its lead actor: Simon Yuen. In the original film, Yuen played the role of Beggar So, a real-life martial arts master and the old beggar who trained Chan’s character in Drunken Fist kung fu.ForDance of the Drunk Mantis, Yuen was brought back to play Beggar So again, this time with the character taking a different pupil (Yuen Shun-yi’s Foggy) under his wing.
Prior toDrunken Master, Simon Yuen played a character almost identical to Beggar So opposite Jackie Chan inSnake in the Eagle’s Shadow.
Dance of the Drunk Mantisalso reunites Beggar So withDrunken Master’sdirector. Critically acclaimed martial arts movie director Yuen Woo-ping, who is also Simon Yuen’s real-life son, helmed bothDrunken MasterandDance of the Drunk Mantis.Making thisDrunken Masterreunion even bigger was the decision to cast Hwang Jang Lee asDance of the Drunk Mantis’villain, Rubber Legs. Known for his spectacular kicking skills, the actor had a memorable showdown withJackie Chan’s Wong Fei-hunginDrunken Master’sending as Thunder Leg.
Dance Of The Drunk Mantis Is An Underappreciated Martial Arts Classic
Simon Yuen Excels Once Again As Beggar So
Dance of the Drunk Mantismay not be as well-regarded as Jackie Chan’s twoDrunken Mastermovies, but that’s not to say it’s not worth watching. Its production values don’t match those ofDrunken MasterandDrunken Master II, but it still manages to offer a fairly traditional yet highly enjoyable kung fu comedy experience.Simon Yuen exudes the same silly charm that made Beggar So fun to watch in the first place, and Foggy makes for a likable protagonist. Similar toDrunken Master, the dynamic between master and student lends itself well to the humor, creating some funny moments during the training scenes.
Dance of the Drunk Mantisis available to stream on Tubi.
Like mostgreat kung fu movies of the 1970s, the biggest draw ofDance of the Drunk Mantis(other than Simon Yuen’s Beggar So) is its martial arts sequences. With one of thegreatest martial arts directors of all-timein Yuen Woo-ping overseeing the film, it should come as no surprise that even as a low-budget film,Dance of the Drunk Mantisfeatures top-notch martial arts choreography. A big part of that is fueled by the real-life expertise of Jang Hwang Lee, which is showcased perfectly through the fight scenes.
Simon Yuen Made 4 Beggar So Movies
Drunken Master, Dance Of The Drunk Mantis, World of Drunken Master, and Story Of Drunken Master
It’s important to note thatDance of the Drunk Mantiswas only one of the attempts made to profit on Yuen’s role inDrunken Master. In fact, the actor actually made two Beggar So movies in 1979, the other beingStory of Drunken Master. Additionally, he had a cameo appearance as Beggar So inWorld of Drunken Master,which also released in 1979. This marked his final turn as Beggar So, as the 66-year-old actor passed away in 1980.
Of his four appearances as Beggar So,Drunken Masterrightfully stands above the rest for Simon Yuen. Behind it isDance of the Drunken Mantis, which does well to honor the spirit of his first performance and serves as a worthy continuation to Beggar So’s story inDrunken Master.
Drunken Master
Cast
Drunken Master is a martial arts film featuring Jackie Chan as a mischievous young man who is sent to train under a rigorously unorthodox old beggar. Released in 1978, it follows his journey to mastering the Drunken Fist fighting style amidst comedic and action-packed encounters.
