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Richard James Havis

Tsui Hark’s Once Upon a Time in China revitalised the kung fu movie genre in 1991 with its reimagining of the life of legendary Cantonese martial artist Wong Fei-hung.
It also spawned numerous rip-offs, some of which were very good.
Below we rate all of the originals and rip-offs together, listed in chronological order.
1. Once Upon a Time in China (1991, directed by Tsui Hark)
4.5/5 stars


With Once Upon a Time in China, Tsui wanted to make a film that paid tribute to the classic Wong Fei-hung films he watched as a child, and also modernise the legend of Wong for younger audiences.
He succeeded in both, with the film – starring Jet Li Lianje as Wong – referencing the original milieu while reworking it into something that looked flashy and new.
2. Once Upon a Time in China 2 (1992, dir. Tsui Hark)
5/5 stars


Featuring more of the same, but even better, Once Upon a Time in China II is a glossy follow-up in which director and cast performed at their absolute peak.
The story has Wong fighting the religious White Lotus Cult while shedding his chaste image to fall in love with Aunt Thirteen (Rosamund Kwan Chi-lam). The stand-out action scene is a close-quarters staff and “cloth stick” fight between Li and Donnie Yen Ji-dan.
3. Once Upon a Time a Hero in China (1992, dir. Lee Lik-chi)
2.5/5 stars


This take on the legend is an out-and-out spoof. The film has a big-name cast, including Alan Tam Wing-lun as Wong Fei-hung and Tony Leung Ka-fai as the bad guy. In a nice touch, legendary villain Sek Kin, a stalwart of the original 1950s Wong Fei-hung movies, returns to play the Old Master.
The story revolves around a Wong Fei-hung who does not know kung fu and has to hide the fact – until he has to learn it to save Aunt Thirteen. The acting is hammy, but the action is competent.
“Although the opening Chinese dragon dance scenes are convincing, the amateurish script and unoriginal plot mars the enjoyment of the film,” the Post review said. “But a talented cast snaps the film out of its creative lulls and makes it worth attention.”
However, it noted that “Tam gives a mediocre performance as Wong”.
4. Once Upon a Time in China 3 (1993, dir. Tsui Hark)
4/5 stars


Tsui’s concept still had some mileage left in it and this time he sent Wong to Beijing. The main story, about a lion dance competition, is very traditional, harking back to the classic Wong Fei-hung films.
The action, choreographed by Yuen Bun, is superlative.
“The actors dance with their fists as well as their feet, and the kung fu ‘numbers’ rank among the most original in Cantonese cinema,” the Post said.
5. Last Hero in China (1993, dir. Wong Jing)
3/5 stars


Populist producer/director Wong Jing cashed in shamelessly on the Once Upon a Time In China phenomenon with this 1993 film.
Unusually, he used the original films’ star – Li was a Hong Kong phenomenon by this time – and its martial arts choreographer Yuen Woo-ping for his rip-off.
The result is fair, brimming with Wong’s lowbrow humour and featuring action scenes that are more violent than Tsui’s version.
Wong uses his offbeat imagination to create a giant insect for a lion dance, among other crowd-pleasing touches.
“The action sequences do the series proud,” the Post review said. “Yuen Woo-ping once again serves as martial arts director, and he has choreographed some battles that are as exciting as anything Wong has hitherto experienced.”
6. Master Wong Vs Master Wong (1993, dir. Lee Lik-chi)
2/5 stars


A sequel to Once Upon a Time a Hero in China, this has less going for it. The gags are not as funny, and the action scenes, this time choreographed by veteran actor Yuen Cheung-yan, are below par. Much of the fighting is done by Carol “Do-do” Cheng Yu-ling in a role as Wong Fei-hung’s student.
The story sees Wong deciding to give up kung fu for a while to visit Canton anonymously, leaving the fighting to his students.
“Like its predecessor, Master Wong vs Master Wong is silly fun, the kind of picture the audience likes more than the critics,” Paul Fonoroff wrote in the Post review. “Alan Tam is back as the hero whose victories are as much due to accident as design.”
He noted that “the script resembles a series of skits that allow the stars to engage in over-the-top antics”.
7. Kickboxer (1993, dir. Wu Ma)
3.5/5 stars


Directed by Wu Ma and starring Yuen Biao, who also choreographed the martial arts, this Once Upon a Time in China knock-off has a very 1980s feel, but the martial arts scenes are extremely well choreographed and fun to watch.
The kung fu is based on individual styles, rather than Jet Li’s performance style of wushu. Hong Kong filmmakers also learn fast and Yuen obviously took notice of current trends – the fights consisted of quick cuts edited together, and looked bang up to date.
The English title is misleading, as it is not about kickboxing. The Chinese title is Wong Fei-Hung and the Ghost Foot Seven, the name of an earlier Wong Fei-hung picture from 1980.
The story does not feature Wong himself, who is away travelling, instead focusing on his student, played by Yuen Biao. It is one of the better knock-offs.
8. Once Upon a Time in China 4 (1993, dir. Yuen Bun)
3/5 stars


After Li had a disagreement with Tsui about his wages and deserted the series, Tsui replaced him with Vincent Zhao Wenzhuo, an accomplished martial artist. The result, however, did not impress audiences, who wanted Li.
“The series is getting tired,” the Post said.
9. Once Upon a Time in China 5 (1994, dir. Tsui Hark)
3.5/5 stars


Tsui returned to the director’s chair to deliver an above-average instalment.
Rosamund Kwan, absent from the fourth instalment, comes back, while Yuen Bun, now relieved of directorial duties, delivers fast-and-furious action in the last third.
10. Once Upon a Time in China and America (1997, dir. Sammo Hung)
3.5/5 stars


Sammo Hung Kam-bo was relatively inactive during the martial-arts boom of the 1990s, but he directed and choreographed this late-entry Wong romp set in America’s Wild West, with Tsui turning producer. The film also saw the return of Li as Wong Fei-hung.
Hung’s choreography is exciting, and it is fun to see him adapting to a radically different set-up featuring bows and arrows and six-shooters.
“Tsui Hark, in one of his more enjoyable and original recent productions, cleverly mixes kung fu with the American Western in a movie rooted in Hong Kong traditions,” the Post’s Fonoroff said.
In this regular feature series on the best of Hong Kong cinema, we examine the legacy of classic films, re-evaluate the careers of its greatest stars, and revisit some of the lesser-known aspects of the beloved industry.
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Once Upon a Time in China movies and the rip-offs rated

Jet Li as Cantonese martial arts legend Wong Fei-hung in a still from Once Upon a Time in China 2 (1992), directed by Tsui Hark. Photo: Golden Harvest

How Anita Mui held her own in films with popular male stars like Jackie Chan, Stephen Chow

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Anita Mui and Stephen Chow in a still from comedy Justice, My Foot!. Mui’s remarkable versatility made her characters captivating to watch. Photo: Celestial Pictures Limited

How Leslie Cheung excelled in Chen Kaige films Farewell My Concubine and Temptress Moon

Zhang Fengyi (left) and Leslie Cheung in a still from Farewell My Concubine. Photo: Tomson Films

Leslie Cheung as Peking opera singer Cheng Dieyi in Farewell My Concubine, one of his greatest performances as an actor. Photo: SCMP

Cheung (right) and Chen Kaige on the set of Farewell My Concubine, in July 1992. Photo: SCMP

Cheung (left) and Fengyi Zhang in a still from Farewell My Concubine. Photo: Beijing Film Studio

(From left) Cheung, producer Hsu Feng and Chen Kaige at Hong Kong’s Kai Tak airport with the Cannes Film Festival’s Palme d’Or for Farewell My Concubine. Photo: SCMP

Zhang and Cheung in a still from Farewell My Concubine. Photo: Tomson Films

Cheung in a still from Farewell My Concubine. Photo: Tomson Films

Cheung and Gong Li in a still from Temptress Moon. Photo: Tomson Films

Why Brandon Lee’s first and only Hong Kong film Legacy of Rage was his best after The Crow

Brandon Lee in a still from Legacy of Rage. Photo: D &amp; B Films Co.

Brandon Lee in a still from Legacy of Rage (1986). Although the crime martial arts film earned Lee a Hong Kong Film Awards nomination, it is underrated. A film expert explains why, and the battles Lee was fighting on and off screen. Photo: Fortune Star Media Limited


Brandon Lee (left) and director Ronny Yu on the set of Legacy of Rage. Photo: D & B Films Co. Ltd.

Michael Wong in a still from Legacy of Rage. Photo: D & B Films Co. Ltd.

Lee and Mang Hoi in a still from Legacy of Rage. Photo: D & B Films Co. Ltd.

Chu Hak and Regina Kent in a still from Legacy of Rage. Photo: D & B Films Co. Ltd.

Lee (right) and Bolo Yeung in a still from Legacy of Rage. Photo: D & B Films Co.

Lee in a still from Legacy of Rage. Much of the actor’s martial arts in the movie ended up revolving around guns. Photo: D & B Films Co. Ltd.

What killed Bruce Lee? 4 leading theories medical and martial arts experts proposed after his shock death 50 years ago in July, 1973

Bruce Lee on the set of “The Big Boss”. Lee died two years after the movie’s 1971 release, and in the years since, competing theories have been posited as to what exactly killed the martial arts star.  Photo: Yau Leung

Bruce Lee in a still from “Fist of Fury” (1972).

Lee with Taiwanese actress Betty Ting Pei. The two spent time together soon before Lee’s death.

Bruce Lee in a still from “Enter the Dragon” (1973). Photo: TNS

 Lee circa 1970. He had “chronic fluid intake” by virtue of his alcohol- and juice-based diet. Photo: Getty Images

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Tsui Hark’s film series that originally starred Jet Li as martial arts legend Wong Fei-hung spawned several knock-offs, such as Kickboxer


Tsui Hark’s film series that originally starred Jet Li as martial arts legend Wong Fei-hung spawned several knock-offs, such as Kickboxer.
