Drunken Master (5 Stars)

This is a film I've avoided watching for years because the title seems so silly. How can a teacher of martial arts be drunk? It seems ridiculous. Last week I saw a short excerpt from the film in YouTube, and I thought to myself, "Wow! I need to buy it". And I did.

This is the master himself, known as Beggar So. A red nose, scruffy hair and bad teeth. I wouldn't sign up to his kung fu class. And yet he's a feared fighter. Men run away at the mere mention of his name.

Jackie Chan plays Wong Fei-hung, the son of a renowned martial arts teacher. He's a skilled but undisciplined fighter. After playing pranks on his cousin, his father banishes him from his school. He sends him to learn from Beggar So. So teaches the fighting style of the Eight Drunken Gods. This involves drinking wine during the combat and making movements that look like drunken staggering. Yes, it really is ridiculous, but it's a film that isn't meant to be taken seriously.

The God Lu, the drunkard with inner strength.

The God Li, the drunken cripple with the powerful right leg.

The God Jun, the drunkard holding a pot in his arms.

The God Lan, the drunkard with the sudden deadly waist attack.

The God Chan, the drunkard with the swift double kicks.

The God Tso, the drunkard with the powerful throat lock.

The God Han, the drunken flute player with powerful wrists.

The Goddess Miss Ho, the drunken woman flaunting her body.

These are the eight Gods. I'm curious whether the pictures are genuine historical records or just quick sketches made for the film. Can someone please translate the texts in the book, please?

Even though Jackie Chan had already made 43 films, some of them as the lead actor, this is the film that made him famous.