Jackie Chan Movies Drunken Master 2 Jun 2026

In an era of CGI wire-fu and green screens, represents a lost art. This is a film where every broken bottle, every bruised rib, and every singed hair is real. Jackie Chan literally poisoned himself with methanol, set his own clothes on fire, and dislocated his shoulder for the final shot.

The making of Drunken Master 2 was almost as dramatic as the film itself. Director Lau Kar-leung was a master of traditional, rigid kung fu styles, while Jackie Chan favored modern, comedic, and acrobatic action.

By the early 1990s, the Hong Kong film industry was undergoing a massive shift. Jet Li’s Once Upon a Time in China series had revitalized the martial arts genre, portraying Wong Fei-hung as a stoic, dignified, and nationalist hero.

Verdict: The greatest martial arts film ever made.

Offers a brilliant comedic performance, often outshining other cast members in her scenes.

The story kicks off when Fei-hung and his father (the stoic and brilliant Ti Lung) get stuck in the middle of a plot to smuggle Chinese national treasures (specifically stolen imperial jade) out of the country by British consuls. To stop the thieves, Fei-hung must resort to his forbidden technique: (Drunken Fist), a style that mimics the fluid, unpredictable movements of a drunkard.

Beyond the action, the film thrives on its ensemble cast. Anita Mui steals every scene she is in as Wong’s mischievous stepmother. Her comedic timing provides a perfect counterweight to the intense action, and her chemistry with Chan adds a layer of heart to the film. Ti Lung also delivers a grounded performance as Wong’s strict father, representing the traditional Confucian values that Wong often struggles to uphold.

But as an action movie?

The production of Drunken Master II is legendary for the creative friction between Jackie Chan and director Lau Kar-leung. Lau, a legendary martial arts purist and practitioner of authentic Hung Ga kung fu, favored traditional, grounded, and historically accurate fighting styles. Chan, conversely, wanted fast-paced, highly acrobatic, and rhythmically complex cinematic choreography.

He conceived Drunken Master II as a return to form, an antidote to the shoddy productions he saw flooding the market. To achieve this, he brought in legendary martial arts choreographer and director , a purist known for his complex, traditional kung fu. Despite reports of creative tension that led to Chan firing Lau midway through production, the partnership yielded a series of fight scenes that are widely considered among the best ever filmed. The film's dedication to "real kung fu" and practical effects, a hallmark of the Hong Kong action-comedy genre at its peak, set a new standard and won the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Action Choreography in 1995.

: The environment becomes a weapon, with hot pipes, heavy machinery, and industrial alcohol factoring into the fight.

While the 1978 original set the standard for drunken boxing, the 1994 sequel—directed by the legendary —elevates it. The choreography is faster, more inventive, and integrates the "drunken" style into everyday movements.