WORLD OF THE DRUNKEN MASTER is another interminable kung fu film put out by the prolific director Joseph Kuo. As expected, this one's an open rip-off of DRUNKEN MASTER with yet more youthful students learning from wise old drunken sages. Simon Yuen is top-billed but only appears in the first couple of minutes, training on a beach in a scene that has no connection to the rest of the story.Instead this is a typical low rent effort starring action men Mark Long and Jack Long with support from Li Yi-Min playing a younger version of one of the characters (confusing I know). There's plenty of boozing on offer here, along with knockabout comedy and repeated refrains of the Wong Fei Hung theme. There's plenty of action too but sadly the effect of it is negated by the poor picture quality and appalling dubbing which doesn't even attempt to match up to the mouth movements on screen.

Two weekends ago I stumbled across a little store in Brooklyn that housed a treasure trove of old and new Kung Fu movies on DVD. Upon entering and looking around like I'd entered a library filled with secret tombs and scrolls, I put the proprietor to the test expecting him to come up short with the ancient titles I presented him with, but he simply smiled knowing and deftly moved from isle to isle to present me with the titles I'd inquired about."Hmmmmf! Good Kung-Fu!!" I returned a week later and smiled slyly as I asked "Do you have World Of The Drunken Master?" To which my smile was again returned knowingly as he retorted "We just got that in" For $7.00 bucks I went home and relived old 42nd st. movie theatre days of Kung-Fu dreams and high nights as all of the dialogue and fight choreography came back to me with each scene.Not one of the better of the Kung-Fu movies of this golden era, as most of the fight scenes are not all that good compared to today's standards, but this is made up for in the story, the memorable dialogue and the nostalgia it conjures. Ahh...but remember...I said "Most" of the fight scenes are not all that good.The real treat of this classic is what happens after you hear "Master! Sweet Premium!!" followed by the uncorking sound of a wine jug, the gurgle of it's contents and the theme music indicating a staggering ballet of whup ass is on the way.Or simply when you hear that theme music in general followed by the antagonist's mixed cry of awe and loathing as he exclaims "The Drunkard Style!" And then comes the description of each move as you're getting your butt handed to you..."Royal Guest Gets Drunk!!" / "Drinking The Fairy Wine!" / "Riding The Ti-ger!" / " And this one's Drink All You Can!!....""This Is The Drunkard Technique!!!" Ahhhh...! The joy of Hong Kong Cinema! "Now, Now...No need to disagree! Why quibble my friend, huh? Come....let's have a drink!

What a awfully wonderful film - I bought the DVD very cheap and have seen it several times with friends, drinking the sweet premium and practicing the Drunken Style afterwards, and using the dialogue wherever possible. It's probably a lot more classy than I imagine, but it's very dated and let down by the dialogue. But it goes on and on, with lots of fighting, and the DVD has an excellent trailer (complete with spelling mistake). Lots of fighting, nothing too horrible; it should be a poignant and touching tale, but I'm usually too drunk to really care! Watch it, but all in good fun!

the precise though beautiful photography used in the film was magnificent though this in comparison to the actors work is deeply inferior. Fung Lei is my hero, i have seen every one of his films, his mastering as an actor sucked me into the world of the drunken master and i've been unable to escape ever since. fne.