Drunken Master III (HK 1994)

Rating: **
Director: Lau Kar Leung (Liu Chia Liang)
Cast: Willie Chi, Lau Kar Leung (Liu Chia Liang), Lau Kar Fai, Michelle Reis, Andy Lau, Simon Yam

This film is director Lau Kar Leung's sequel to "Drunken Master" (1978) in response to Jackie Chan dismissing him from the set of "Drunken Master II" (1994). Willie Chi plays the young Wong Fei Hung and tries his hand at drunken boxing (although no one does it better than Jackie Chan!). The always beautiful Michelle Reis once again plays a hapless princess. Lau Kar Leung proves once again that he is an undisputed master, and Andy Lau and Simon Yam prove that they can pass as great martial artists when working with the right people. There's also a great fighting femme at the end of the film. The film is awkwardly historically misplaced in time, and the whole production has a contemporary pop feel. Although the fighting and choreography is superb, overall the film is an embarassment.