The Prodigal Son

Director:
Sammo Hung
Producer: Raymond Chow
Action Director (s):
Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao
& Lam Ching Ying
In the town of Fut Shan
was know for three things it's paper craft, The Big Budha & Leung
Chang (Yuen Biao). Leung
Chang comes from a wealthy family and was keen on the 'old martial arts.
He practiced under many masters, but he never met his match, quoted
as the 'Street Brawler'. Being waited on by hand and foot by his personal
assistant (Peter Chan). Although
he isn't that great...actually he isn't great at all. His parents are
too over protective and lets his personal assistant fix all his fights,
by paying them a healthy some of taels. After finding out that his brother
had gotten fooled by a member of the traveling Peeking Opera 'Leung
Yee-Tai' ( Lam Ching Ying).
Leung Chang can't let his family down so he decides to teach this Leung
Yee-Tai a lesson. After being having this secret revealed to him by
Leung Yee-Tai, Leung Chang looses it and confronts his masters and looses
to them easy.
Yee-Tai a dedicated member
of the traveling peeking opera group 'Lok Fung Lin' and a nifty kung
fu master. After revealing the truth to Leung Chang, Yee-Tai soon has
Leung Chang following him, destined to learn kung fu from Yee-Tai. Leung
Changs father soon buys the peeking opera from its owner and hires Leung
Chang to be Yee-Tai's personal Assistant.
Wong Wa Po (Sammo
Hung), Yee-Tai’s master, but also his arch enemy! Wa Po continually
brings a giggle into the film with his comic antics between Him and
his daughter, Twiggy and him and Yee-Tai! Wa Po is also the master of
eve’s dropping, so Leung Chang tries to sneak up on him, but only receives
a punch in the face! Once again Chang tries it again and guess what?
*BANG* But the express on Wu Pa's face if very amusing. Wa Po fools
Leung Chang easily by pretending him to teach him martial arts, but
he's really teaching him 'The Toilet Stance'.
Ngai (Frankie Chan),
yes another rich kid. Although Ngai is a keen martial artist and is
becoming better and better. Yet his parents are too over protective
as well. But instead of paying his competition to loose, Ngai’s henchmen
(Dick Wei &
Chung Fat) kill off all competition. Yes Ngai doesn’t know about
this at all, until he witnesses the death of one of our main heroes
of the film. Ngai has two sides to him, the evil and the respectable.
For example Ngai showed that we was Evil, against a arm armed fighter
(James Tien) in his one on one spar, where Frankie ends up breaking
the mans other arm, leaving him crippled. His respectable side shows
when he is sparring against Yee-Tai, during the battle Yee-Tai suddenly
begins panting and begins to have an asthma attack, Ngai instantly stops
the match and tells Yee-Tai that he is in no fit state to fight and
they will spar at a later date.
The Prodigal Son, two
rich kids battle it out to see who’s the best? Who would believe this
would become a Kung Fu classic! Being adapted from a True Story this
must be another of Sammo Hung’s masterpieces. The excellent cast makes
the film even better, if you aren’t too familiar he is a ruff list of
the list celebrities; Lam Ching-Ying, Yuen Biao, Sammo Hung, Frankie
Chan, James Tien, Dick Wei, Chung Fat, Fung Lee, Peter Chan, Wu Ma,
Lee Hoi San. The film handles most genre’s with ease, drama (Yuen Biao
and Lam Ching-Ying fighting the ninja’s in the burning opera stage),
Comedy (The relationship between Lam Ching-Ying and Sammo Hung), Action
(The fights between; Yuen Biao and Frankie Chan, Frankie Chan and Lam
Ching-Ying and many more). If you’re a fan of the old Kung Fu Flicks
such as Sammo Hung’s Magnificent Butcher or Jackie Chan’s Snake in the
Eagles Shadow or Corey Yuen’s Ninja In The Dragons Den, this film is
must for you!
Highlights
- Yee-Tai’s love of Pork!?
- Brother Kwai whispering naughty
words to Leung Chang
- Leung Chang telling Yee-Tai the
naughty words and getting a beating!
- Wu Ma’s cameo
- Yee-Tai and Leung Chang singing
and fighting!
- Peter Chan attacking Leung Chang
at any given time!
- Yee-Tai’s exit *sobs*
- Leung Chang opening the door to
see a angry Wa Po!
- Leung Chang crouching down, then
opening the door to see a angry Wa Po!
- Leung Chang wanting to ‘lay’ Twiggy
- Leung Chang ‘molesting’ Twiggy
Rating: 9.3 out
of 10.0