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In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

Once upon a time, Yuen Biao starred in the hit Jet Li film ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA, only to find that he had most of his scenes cut out by the editor. So he decided to go and make his own version of the classic Wong Fei Hung story, utilising the talents of popular actor/director Wu Ma and taking the leading role for himself. While it's impossible to compare this low budget story with the sumptuous, high-profile Jet Li starrer, I'm pleased to say that ONCE UPON A Chinese HERO is a forgotten delight of a film, a jewel that really stands out from all the junk that was being made in Hong Kong in the 1990s.Wu Ma is the elderly toothsome guy who pops up in everything from PROJECT A to EASTER CONDORS and he's particularly good at directing here, keeping a fairly complex story with multiple characters running along smoothly. The star of the show is of course Yuen, who also directs the excellent fight sequences. An early battle has Yuen turning up at a restaurant on board a ship, complete with the "No Dogs or Chinese" sign out of Bruce Lee's FIST OF FURY. A top-notch battle-cum-food-fight ensues which will satisfy every martial art fan. The fights in the rest of the film retain this level of quality, with minimal and unobtrusive wire work, lots of breaking scenery and a superb final showdown between Yuen and his old sparring partner Yuen Wah (the memorable bad guy in DRAGONS FOREVER), who is as enjoyably over the top as ever. The chandelier set-piece is utterly remarkable and quite ingenious and this fight scene has a special place in my heart.Yuen acts particularly well in his part, given that his character is quite stupid and headstrong throughout; he still ends up being as likable as ever, and incredibly agile as always. He's supported well by the likes of Wah, Wu Ma and Tai Po, the latter a Jackie Chan regular who gets quite a large role as Yuen's buddy, Ming. The plot moves at a fair old pace and there are plenty of comedic touches to laugh at (the unlucky ninja who gets urinated on is a rare example of the kind of gross-out comedy I can stand). While some elements have clearly been borrowed from the Jet Li series (Yuen's appearance, the love interest with the camera), ONCE UPON A Chinese HERO is original and inventive enough to succeed on its own merits, and is actually more enjoyable in places than the Li films.

Directed by Wu Ma, who had previously directed Yuen Biao in the ghost story classic Portrait of a Nymph in 1988, this film focuses on the students of the Wong Fei Hong legend. Yuen Biao, who starred in Once Upon a Time in China, then found that most of scenes had been cut out, made this seminal classic in which he teamed up again with Wu Ma to star in his own take of the Wong Fei Hong legend. Although Wu Ma rather wisely focuses on the students of Wong Fei Hong rather than the Wong Fei Hong himself as the Once Upon a Time in China series had done.Also starring is Wu Ma himself and the fantastic Yuen Wah (this would be the last film where he and Yuen Biao would fight. Although they were in Hero (1997) they didn't fight in that movie) who is great as the opium smuggling chief.Yuen Biao plays Lau Zhai, a student of Wong Fei Hong (but not inducted formally yet), who has a unfairly bad reputation thorough the community who gets framed for smuggling opium.Yuen Biao shows some incredible footwork and so does Yuen Wah. Their end fight at the end is a great highlight of the movie.Although the first part of the movie is pretty slow, as Wu Ma tries to establish the characters and the storyline, it picks up in the second half where the movie is fantastic.Backed by a great supporting cast, in which virtually all of them would team up again to star with Yuen Biao, a year later to star in the Wu Ma directed Circus Kid. Yuen Biao gives a refreshingly diverse performance which ranges from playfulness, sorrow, anger, love and so much that I could go on for ever.The choreography of this film is fantastic, letting both Yuen Biao and Yuen Wah shine. Wu Ma, directs with some lovely sweeping camera angles. The production values are very high too. Wu Ma must be given credit for focusing on a number of characters rather than one.This movie is a fantastic movie. However this movie doesn't have that certain sparkle most Yuen Biao movies have. Despite that this movie should be seen by any fan of the Hong Kong martial arts movie genre.