Wong Fei Hung (Li), Foon (Siu Chun Mok) and Cousin Yee (Rosamund Kwan) travel from Fat San to Canton to attend a medical conference. It's Fei Hung and Foon's first time on a train, though the western-educated Yee (referred to as Aunt 13 in the Chinese language versions) is well used to this potent symbol of modernisation.
Taking in the local atmosphere in Canton, Fei Hung and co. soon have a run in with the White Lotus Sect, a xenophobic Boxer-type cult who, having sworn to expel the foreigners and put and end to their influence, attack Yee for her western-style dress and use of the magic-seeming camera.
Attending the conference, Fei Hung's demonstration of acupuncture at first provokes derision from the predominantly European audience. Then Sun Yat Sen (William Ho), knowledgeable in both native and western techniques, offers to helps translate Fei Hung's presentation into terms the Europeans can more readily understand, winning Fei Hung their respect.
Yat Sen, it transpires, is also leader of the Agricultural Movement, a progressive movement seeking to modernise and democratise China.
Unfortunately his base of operations in the area, the language school run by master Luke (David Chiang – Legend of the Seven Golden Vampires ), is then attacked by the White Lotus, who perceive it as a centre of gwailo values.
Worse, the Governor's right-hand man, General Lan (Donnie Yen), has just heard that Yat Sen is in town and, believing the Agricultural Movement to be a greater threat than the White Lotus, wants him and his followers apprehended…
While it is doubtful whether Tsui Hark's Once Upon a Time in China series really live up to their one-off namesakes in terms of depth and complexity – though it should also be remembered that the domestic Hong Kong title, Wong Fei Hung, emphasised its hero, the Leone-esque appellation only added for the foreign markets – it's hard to deny that the director/impresario is a talented craftsman who can be relied upon to deliver enjoyable, entertaining movies with lavish production values and lush visuals.
This second entry in the series rings few changes on the formula established by its predecessor, presenting a mixture of historical drama – even if the Wong Fei Hung / Sun Yat Sen encounter requires willing suspension of disbelief – nationalist sentiment and heroic action, adding a touch more humour and romance to the mix.
In terms of characterisation Fei Hung becomes a slightly more human – though still impossibly upright and heroic – figure this time round, his true feelings towards Yee coming through. With Yee not adverse to Fei Hung's attentions an ongoing "will they won't they" romantic subplot develops.
It is, however, Fei Hung's sidekick Foon who undergoes the greatest changes. Whether down to the absence of Buck Teeth Soh as a natural comic relief figure or simply the fact that Chun Mok has replaced Yuen Biao in the role, Foon is less of a tragic figure here and more of a comic one.
But story and character matter little in a martial arts film if the action isn't up to scratch. Happily with Yuen Woo Ping and Donnie Yen on hand – along with Li himself – there's not much chance of that, with plenty of well choreographed, cinematic , fights featuring fast hand and legwork, weapon technique – with Yen and Li showcasing their skills with the bamboo pole and, in Yen's case, rope to particularly impressive effect – and, of course, superhuman wire-assisted acrobatics like Li's "lightning kick".
Li and Yen face off twice, first as friends then as deadly enemies, the impact of their climactic showdown heightened rather than lessened by the fact that Yen isn't your traditional dyed in the wool villain but a basically decent man who has made a fatal error of judgement. Interestingly, Hark extends this quality to the White Lotus, implying a message of mutual tolerance and understanding to both the mainland and Hong Kong audiences in the wake of Tianamen and the run up to the colony's 1997 return to Chinese rule.
Hong Kong Legends Region 2 DVD of Once Upon a Time in China 2 is another quality product, with good A/V and a selection of nice extras.
Presented in 16:9 enhanced anamorphic widescreen in its OAR of 2.35:1, the transfer is a solid, clean one that allows the excellence of the cinematography and design to shine through. Audio wise there is a choice of 5:1 English dub and Cantonese, although real purists may object to the absence of the original 2.0 track. Since certain scenes rely upon the inability of Cantonese and English speakers to understand one another's language, English speaking audiences are better going with subtitles than the dub.
Bey Logan's commentary track is of his usual high standard, informative and packed with detail and trivia on the cast and crew; the real Wong Fei Hung, his on-screen history and much more. He also brings out some of the more culturally specific references that non-Chinese viewers might easily miss, such as the way in which – in line with traditional magical beliefs – the White Lotus Cult leader's power depends on his feet not touching the ground, or the fact that, in the first confrontation between the nobleman Lan and the commoner Fei Hung, the latter is prohibited from actually striking his social superior, thereby heightening the challenge he faces.
Logan also puts the Once Upon a Time in China films into their proper critical context: Although some of the storytelling techniques on display may seem quite conventional and unremarkable to the western (especially arthouse) viewer, the importance accorded the historical setting – background becoming foreground, as he puts it – was actually quite an innovative approach for a Hong Kong film-maker to take, arguably qualifying the series as the first real martial arts movies. (Though Logan maybe forgets about King Hu in this regard.)
The biography of Jet Li is a slightly frustrating experience. It's very comprehensive, covering all stages of his career from child Wu Shu champion through his first movie, the PRC-produced Shaolin Temple, through his first attempt at breaking into the US market, through Once Upon a Time in China to his eventual Hollywood breakthrough with Lethal Weapon 4. The downside is that the absence of chapter stops and the way in which the text – accompanied by a voice-over – progress at their own pace denies the viewer control, making it an all-or-nothing half-hour.
Li is also represented by a 11 minute long interview recorded at a film festival / premiere type personal appearance, with cameras flashing somewhat distractingly throughout. While not particularly illuminating in terms of questions and answers, it's good to see Li in a more natural setting. He looks smaller, for one thing.
Donnie Yen contributes a more traditional HKL interview segment, his direct to camera comments intercut with illustrative film clips. He talks usefully about his experiences on the film – including an facial injury that explains why many of his close-ups are in profile – and of the differences between the demands of real and film martial arts, the latter demanding especial discipline in terms of being able to hit the same mark time and again and of working with an awareness of the camera.
The winning package is rounded off by the usual stills gallery and trailers.
Copyright © K H Brown 2002-2005
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