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!
