Drunken Master 醉拳 (1978): The Movie Where Jackie Chan Got Beat Up by a Drunk Old Man, Learned to Fight Like a Goddess, and Became a Global Legend
The Film That Made Jackie Chan a Star
Before Drunken Master, Jackie Chan was a struggling actor. He had appeared in a few films, but none had made him a household name. Then came 1978, and everything changed.
Directed by Yuen Woo-ping, who would later choreograph The Matrix and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, the film was a massive success. It earned HK$6.76 million at the Hong Kong box office, ranking second for the year [citation:7]. It also broke box office records in South Korea, becoming the highest-grossing film in the country's history at the time [citation:1].
In 2005, the Hong Kong Film Awards Association voted it one of the "100 Best Chinese Films" of all time [citation:1][citation:4].
It holds a 7.8 on Douban with over 87,000 ratings [citation:10].
What Is It About?
The plot is classic kung fu comedy.
Wong Fei-hung (Jackie Chan) is the mischievous, rebellious son of a respected martial arts master. He gets into trouble constantly: he fights with an overbearing teacher, makes advances on a woman to impress his friends (who turns out to be his cousin), and beats up the son of an influential man in town [citation:3].
His father, humiliated, decides to send him to the most brutal teacher he knows: Beggar So (Yuen Siu-tien), a drunken master notorious for crippling his students during training [citation:2].
Wong is terrified. He flees. Penniless, he stops at a restaurant and tries to con a free meal. He gets caught, a fight breaks out, and an old drunkard joins in — it's Beggar So himself [citation:3].
Beggar So forces Wong into his brutal training program. Wong escapes again, only to run into the notorious assassin Thunderleg (Hwang Jang-lee). He challenges him to a fight and is soundly defeated and humiliated [citation:2][citation:5].
Chastened, Wong returns to Beggar So and commits himself to training. He learns the "Eight Drunken Immortals" style, a form of kung fu that mimics the movements of eight mythical figures. He masters seven of the eight, but refuses to learn "Drunken Miss Ho," finding it too feminine [citation:3].
Meanwhile, Thunderleg is hired to kill Wong's father. Wong arrives to find his father injured and challenges Thunderleg to a duel. He discovers that the only way to defeat Thunderleg's secret technique, the "Devil's Shadowless Hand," is to improvise his own version of Drunken Miss Ho — by combining the other seven styles [citation:3].
He succeeds. He defeats Thunderleg. And he becomes a hero.
The Cast That Made It Work
Jackie Chan as Wong Fei-hung — the rebellious young man who learns discipline. It's the role that made him a star.
Yuen Siu-tien as Beggar So — the drunken master who teaches Wong the value of hard work. It was his final film released during his lifetime [citation:3]. He was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the 16th Golden Horse Awards for his performance [citation:7][citation:9].
Hwang Jang-lee as Thunderleg — the villain. He's one of the best martial arts villains in cinema history, and his fight scenes with Chan are legendary.
Dean Shek as Professor Kai-Hsin — the comic relief.
Lam Kau as Wong Kei-ying — Wong Fei-hung's father.
The Fight That Defined a Genre
The film's final fight between Wong and Thunderleg is a masterpiece. It's fast, brutal, and completely unpredictable. Wong's improvised "Drunken Miss Ho" style, which he creates on the spot, is a moment of pure cinematic genius. It's the moment when Chan's signature style — a mix of comedy, acrobatics, and genuine martial arts — fully emerged.
Why It Matters
Drunken Master is one of the most important kung fu films ever made. It popularized the "drunken fist" style of martial arts [citation:2], established the kung fu comedy genre [citation:3], and launched Jackie Chan's career [citation:6][citation:8].
It also introduced the world to Yuen Woo-ping's choreography, which would later define action cinema for decades to come [citation:8].
The film spawned a sequel, Drunken Master II (1994), which many fans consider even better. But the original remains a classic.
Final Thought
Drunken Master is a film about a boy who becomes a man. It's about discipline, humility, and the power of a good teacher. It's about learning that sometimes, the best way to win is to embrace the thing you fear most.
Drunken Master (English dubbed)
Have you seen Drunken Master? What's your favorite scene — the training montage, the final fight, or the moment Wong swallows his pride and returns to Beggar So? Let me know in the comments.
Tom De · The Movie Prince 🎬
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