As one of the biggest action stars in movie history, Jackie Chan has been responsible for numerous cult classics. There is therefore a lot of discussion about which film is his best, most spectacular, funniest or most entertaining. After all, a lot is possible – 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 the biggest Jackie Chan highlights and is even considered by many to be the greatest martial arts film of all time: “Drunk Master II“.
The 1994 action hit once caused confusion in this country, as it was marketed as “Drunken Master” – while its predecessor, known internationally by that title, made its way to Germany as “You called him Bone Crusher”. But now the film is celebrating its comeback in German home cinema under the title with which it is known worldwide. And not only that: The kung fu masterpiece will be released for the first time in Germany in its fully unabridged original version on August 24, 2023 – and also celebrates its premiere on Blu-ray:
PLAION PICTURES donates the “monument of human acrobatics” to a home theater release that does justice to the martial arts classic. Because the unabridged HD premiere of “Drunken Master II” is not only available as a standard version, but also as a noble collector’s edition in a media book. In addition to the Blu-ray, a DVD of the film, a booklet and other extras are also included. Well, there is part 1 on DVD*.
“Drunken Master 2”: Pure Jackie Chan action
The second film in the “Bone Crusher” saga is set in times of turmoil. The new republic of China will be built on the ruins of the Qing dynasty. There is chaos – which colonial powers want to use for their purposes.
A priceless jade artifact must be stolen and taken out of the country – and during a mix-up, it falls into the hands of Wong Fei-hung (Jackie Chan) of all people. But before he knows it, he becomes the target of a daring hunt across China…
The first “Drunken Master” adventure has already been considered one of the most important films in Jackie Chan’s career. Under the guidance of Yuen Woo-Ping, with whom he shot another cult classic, “The Serpent in the Shadow of the Eagle” in the same year, Jackie Chan was on top form – celebrating his breakthrough as a leading actor. And for the sequel to live up to this, an all-star cast was also put together for part 2 in front of and behind the camera:
In addition to Jackie Chan, superstars such as Anita Mui and Andy Lau 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 rooms of Shaolinshould know. That this and protagonist Jackie Chan got into such a fight during the shooting that almost half of the film had to be staged by another director is not noticeable in the latter – not least because a man took his sequel, which also staged some of the greatest martial arts classics of all time: Jackie Chan himself!
The film set new standards in action choreography and continues to feature some of the most spectacular fights in cinematic history. But Chan was not only physically at his absolute peak in 1994, so that the Hollywood breakthrough that followed a year later with “Rumble In The Bronx” was only a matter of form. Moreover, he has perhaps never been more successful in combining spectacle with comedy than here. Of course, the creative fights, which live on both acrobatics and situation comedy, also play a major role in this. The absolute highlight are perhaps all the scenes in which Chan has to deal with his brutal stepmother – played by the magnificent Anita Mui – during a brawl.
Drunken Master II has everything that makes a Jackie Chan movie galore. Crisp action like you’ve never seen before (and rarely since), wonderfully wacky comedy and a gripping story. Yes, it really is about time we finally get this masterpiece of action cinema here in a version worth it. Because even if fans like the author of this article have had the imported disc at home for a long time, the German dubbed version is and remains simply a cult.