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Drunken Master - The Beginning

Play trailer Drunken Master - The Beginning PG-13 1978 1h 47m Action Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
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81% Tomatometer 21 Reviews 85% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
Unable to see eye to eye with his father, completely broke and with nowhere else to turn, young Wong Fei-Hung (Jackie Chan) grudgingly accepts the tutelage of Su Hua Chi (Siu Tien Yuen), a notoriously intoxicated martial arts master. Su Hua Chi teaches Wong the techniques of Drunken Boxing, an unusually fluid fighting style. Wong is then forced to put his new skills to the test when his father is targeted by deadly assassin Thunderleg (Jang Lee Hwang), who has never lost a fight.
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Drunken Master - The Beginning

Critics Reviews

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Joey O'Bryan Austin Chronicle Jan 1, 2000
4/5
Not unlike the silent films of Chaplin, Keaton, and Lloyd, or for that matter, the best pictures of Hong Kong's Seventies kung fu films, the genius of Drunken Master lies in its kinetics. Pure entertainment, and a true chop-socky classic. Go to Full Review Sean Axmaker Stream on Demand Apr 6, 2024
The infectious mix of slapstick sequences and amazing martial arts moves breathes new life into the old school of Hong Kong action. Go to Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy Nov 7, 2021
3/4
Fast and furious and frequently funny. Go to Full Review Mike Massie Gone With The Twins Aug 29, 2020
4/10
Setting the groundwork for Chan's subsequent pictures, this one boasts plenty of fast-paced kung fu. Go to Full Review Sebastian Zavala Kahn Me gusta el cine Apr 13, 2020
4.5/5
It shows why Chan deserved to become a world-class star. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review Nathanael Hood The Retro Set Dec 29, 2018
7/10
...the birth of a new legend. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Thomas B @Necrom Jul 9, 2026 One of his earliest films to incorporate comedy and make him stand out in martial arts movies. If you only seen his later movies this is one to watch. See more Logan D @Greynomad38 May 15, 2026 An arrogant student (Jackie Chan) is sent to train with an eccentric master. Let's have some wine! The second film featuring Chan's entry into comedic martial arts, I didn't resonate with this performance as much as I thought I would. Although the fight choreography is iconic, the humor mostly fell flat with me. It was forced. Chan becomes more natural as his career progresses. I did enjoy seeing various styles featured in the film but could not stand the dubbed version. I quickly switched to subtitles once I heard Chan's character talk with an American voice. See more Ray M @Razor59 Jan 22, 2026 Another Kung Fu masterpiece to stand alongside its predecessor Snake In The Eagles Shadow. Simply brilliant! See more Petros T @PetrosTserpelis Dec 31, 2025 Admittedly, the fight choreographies are pretty impressive, although far from the more exciting style of Jackie Chan's future films. Elsewhere, "Jui kuen" is largely a disappointment. The humour is awkwardly exaggerated, from the overbearing voices and acting to the old-fashioned and rather inane jokes, and the plot is basically a collage of fight scenes, with hardly any beats in sight: the film trudges aimlessly from one scene to the next, and it all feels inconsequential and rather boring. See more MercersLaw T @RT56563753 Nov 8, 2025 The best of Jackie Chans early work, the right balance of comedy and action. A must see for any fan of old school Kung Fu movies and Hong Kong cinema. See more Harrison B @clinthoward Sep 20, 2025 You have to be either a prepubescent child or an idiot to enjoy any part of this other than the kung fu. Might as well have been called "kung fu scenes" because nothing else in the movie makes sense and there's a lot of cartoonish slapstick attempts at comedy. One star added for the great scene at the start where Jackie Chan gets his ass kicked by a mom. See more Read all reviews
Drunken Master - The Beginning

My Rating

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Cast & Crew

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Woo-Ping Yuen

Director

Jackie Chan

Actor

Siu Tien Yuen

Su Hua Chi

Jang Lee Hwang

Thunderleg

Chin Chiang

Actor

Ging Man Fung

Actor

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Drunken Master - The Beginning

Drunken Master - The Beginning (1978) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Unable to see eye to eye with his father, completely broke and with nowhere else to turn, young Wong Fei-Hung (Jackie Chan) grudgingly accepts the tutelage of Su Hua Chi (Siu Tien Yuen), a notoriously intoxicated martial arts master. Su Hua Chi teaches Wong the techniques of Drunken Boxing, an unusually fluid fighting style. Wong is then forced to put his new skills to the test when his father is targeted by deadly assassin Thunderleg (Jang Lee Hwang), who has never lost a fight.
Director
Woo-Ping Yuen
Producer
See-Yuen Ng
Screenwriter
Hsiao Lung
Production Co
Seasonal Film Corporation
Rating
PG-13 (Martial Arts Violence|Language)
Genre
Action, Comedy
Original Language
Chinese
Release Date (Streaming)
May 1, 2012
Runtime
1h 47m
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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