Even many of his fans don’t know this Jackie Chan milestone: the groundbreaking cult classic celebrates a long-awaited comeback to home theater

Not only was Bruce Lee arguably the greatest martial artist Hollywood has ever seen, he also launched martial arts cinema in the form we know it today. It’s unbelievable what he would have accomplished if he hadn’t passed away at just 32 years old. But with one of his stuntmen and supporting roles in films such as “Death Greetings from Shanghai” and “The Man With the Deathclaw”, he himself paved the way for his successor: Jackie Chan.

Although he was already in front of the camera as a child in the 1960s, Bruce Lee’s milestones helped him jump into the spotlight. But before he gave us decades after decade of classics of martial arts cinema – from “The Snake in the Shadow of the Eagle” and “They Called Him Bone Crusher” (1970s) to “Police Story” and “The Right Arm of the Gods” (1980s) to “Drunken Master” and “Rumble In The Bronx” – his career took a decisive turn with “The Master With Broken Hands”. Then in the action comedy filmed in 1971 but not released until 1973, Jackie Chan, who was 17 or 19 at the time, took on his very first leading role.

That’s why it’s also tragic that Chan’s groundbreaking early work never received the importance it deserved – and even many Chan connoisseurs have never seen the film. That could finally change this week with the new edition in the home cinema: “The Master with the Broken Hands” finally releases for home theater on December 16 – in a freshly revised version with improved German soundtrack.

» “The Master with the Broken Hands” at Amazon*

In any case, for martial arts fans and Jackie Chan disciples like the author of this article, there is no escaping the remake of this very special chapter in the action star’s impressive career.

This is “The master with broken hands”

Also known in this country by the titles “The Tiger of Kwantung” and “The Revenge of the Death Fist”, the film tells the story of Jackie (Jackie Chan), who refuses to kill a righteous citizen along with his uncle. for his master and in the end it pays: Jackie’s father is murdered. However, his uncle manages to escape and takes Jackie under his wing from now on.

Jackie’s uncle is worried about his cousin and tells him to give up martial arts. He should live a better, peaceful life one day. However, when a ruthless band of gangsters attack the innocent villagers, Jackie breaks the deal. He decides to find a mentor to teach him kung fu – and of all people he encounters his father’s killer…

We don’t want to make false promises at this point. “The Master With Broken Hands” is certainly not one of Chan’s best films, but God knows it’s not one of his worst either. But above all, he is of great importance to the career of his protagonist, whose steep rise to one of the greatest action stars in film history is already indicated in the obvious “Drunken Master” pioneer.

And so it is not surprising that some of his later companions were already in front of the camera with him. Also present in “The Master With Broken Hands” include Mars (also present in “Rush Hour” and “Mr. Nice Guy”), Yuen Biao, with whom Chan wrote “The Superfighter” and “Project B” and Siu -Tin Yuen, known for “They Called Him Crusher” and “The Serpent in the Shadow of the Eagle”.