As one of the biggest action stars in film history, Jackie Chan was responsible for countless cult classics. There is a lot of discussion about which film is the best, most spectacular, funniest or most entertaining. After all, there are many that are questioned – from “The Serpent in the Shadow of the Eagle” and “Drunken Master” aka “They Called Him Bone Crusher” to “Armor Of God” and “Police Story”. A film that is one of Jackie Chan’s greatest highlights and for many is even the best martial arts film of all time: “Drunken Master II“.
The 1994 action hit once caused confusion in this country because it was marketed as ‘Drunken Master’ – while its predecessor, known internationally by that title, made its way to Germany as ‘They called Him Bone Crusher’. But now the film is celebrating its comeback in German home cinema under the title for which it is known worldwide. Not only that, after the original release was postponed in August, that appears The Kung Fu masterpiece will finally be available in Germany for the first time in Germany on September 14, 2023 in the completely unabridged original version – and at the same time celebrate its premiere on Blu-ray:
PLAION PICTURES gives the ‘monument to human acrobatics’ a home cinema release that does justice to the martial arts classic. Because the unabridged HD premiere of “Drunken Master II” is available not only as a standard commercial version, but as an elegant collector’s edition in a media book. In addition to the Blu-ray, there is also a DVD of the film, a booklet and other extras. However, there is part 1 on DVD*.
However, if you have the film on your wishlist, don’t hesitate to order it. Since its announcement last May, the Mediabook has topped Amazon’s sales charts and has repeatedly been unable to order from other retailers. It’s probably only a matter of time before the edition is completely sold out.
“Drunken Master 2”: Jackie Chan action at its finest
The second film in the ‘Bone Crusher’ saga is set in times of unrest. China’s new republic will be built on the rubble of the Quing Dynasty. There is chaos – which the colonial powers want to use for their own purposes.
A precious jade artifact is said to be stolen and taken out of the country – and due to a mix-up, it falls into the hands of Wong Fei-hung (Jackie Chan). But before he knows it, he finds himself the target of a daring hunt across China…
The first ‘Drunken Master’ adventure was considered one of the most important films in Jackie Chan’s career. Under the direction of Yuen Woo-Ping, with whom he recorded a cult classic in the same year with “The Serpent in the Eagle’s Shadow”, Jackie Chan was at his best – and celebrated his breakthrough as a leading actor. And so that the sequel does justice to this, an all-star cast in front of and behind the camera was put together for part 2:
In addition to Jackie Chan, superstars such as Anita Mui and Andy Lau also appeared in front of the director’s camera for “Drunken Master II”. Chia Liang Liu – the genre fans especially for the martial arts masterpiece “The 36 Chambers of Shaolin” should know. The fact that he and main actor Jackie Chan had such a falling out during filming that almost half of the film had to be directed by another director is not noticeable in the finale – which is not least due to the fact that a man is his. He was succeeded by someone who also produced some of the greatest martial arts classics of all time: Jackie Chan himself!
The film set new standards in action choreography and continues to offer some of the most spectacular fights in cinematic history to this day. But Chan wasn’t just at his absolute physical peak in 1994, so his Hollywood breakthrough a year later with “Rumble In The Bronx” was just a formality. Moreover, he has perhaps never been able to combine spectacle and comedy better than here. Of course, the creative battles, which thrive on acrobatics and situational comedy, also play a major role in this. Perhaps the absolute highlight are all the scenes where Chan gets involved in exchanging blows with his sassy stepmother – played by the wonderful Anita Mui.
“Drunken Master II” has everything that makes a Jackie Chan movie in spades. Brilliant action like you’ve never seen before (and rarely since), wonderfully crazy comic intermezzos and an exciting story. Yes, it’s really about time we finally get this masterpiece of action cinema in this country in a version that’s worth it. Because even though fans like the author of this article have had the imported disc for a long time, the German dubbed version is and remains simply cult.