Prodigal Son Details

great fun even if you don't like kung fu!

PLOT: The boyish hero (Yuen Biao) plays the son of a wealthy business man who dreams of being a great martial artist. But fearing for his safety, his parents pay off his opponents to lose so that he is not injured. When a Chinese opera troupe comes to town, the hero is beaten by the actor who sings the female roles (Lam Ching Ying). He then begs the actor to teach him this Wing Chun (low) style of kung fu.

After the opera troupe is brutally attacked, they seek refuge with the singers brother (Sammo Hung, who also directed the film, and went on to star in the American series Martial Law). This is a cue for lots of good gags as the two brothers, with very different characters, row about the best way to train the hero. Sammo's comic, forceful style is contrasted to Lam's more delicate, restrained moves.

There is a rather grim final showdown at the end where the hero tries to revenge the attack to the opera troupe by fighting the leader.

Prodigal Son is a classic movie from the 'golden age' of kung-fu movies from the 70s and early 80s. It's my favourite kung fu movie ever. The highlights for me are definitely the scenes where Lam combines Chinese opera and kung-fu in a beautiful, effortless and very funny way.

[Highly rated reviewer]

The Prodigal Son

The Prodigal Son is the best martial arts movie I've ever seen. Full stop. Forget Enter The Dragon, to hell with Hero and Crouching Tiger, even Police Story can go hang.

The story is that of Leung Jaan (Yuen Biao) a reknowned fighter in his hometown, or so he thinks. After he gets in a fight at an Opera performance it emerges that his kung-fu is no use and that his father has been paying all his opponents to lose to him.

Leung Jaan goes back to the opera troupe and begs the man that beat him; wing chun master Leung Yee Tai (Lam Ching Ying) to take him as a student. When he refuses Leung Jaan gets his father to buy the troupe and begins following his new 'master'.

The story is the familliar training/vengeance cycle employed in every other martial arts film ever made... these films are all in the execution.

The action (designed by Sammo, Yuen and Lam) is breathtaking. They give the wing chun style it's truest ever representation on screen focusing on the complex close quarters hand fighting and low kicks of the style. Even Leung Jaan's fast learning is realistic, to a degree, as wing chun is designed to be quick to master.

The stunning duel between Lam and Frankie Chan in the middle of the film is perhaps the single best ever filmed. As intricate and varied as it is exciting it's a breathtaking sequence. However Sammo outdoes himself with the action throughout (look at the awesome sequence when Lam flips over a massive burning flag wielded by an enemy).

What makes The Prodigal Son stand out is the fact that it's not merely the action that works. The comedy is integrated better and translates better than usual (Sammo's comic role is wonderful) and the acting is also surprisingly solid. Yuen Biao shows himself as a charismatic and engaging lead and Sammo has always been one of the best actors in martial arst cinema. Lam Ching Ying, though, is a revelation. As the gay, effeminate martial arts master he paints a much fuller character than these films are usualy afforded and gives a performance that shows a truly gifted actor cutting loose. All of which makes his early death 10 years ago all the more tragic. If you only ever see one martial arts film... see this one.