Now available from Eureka Classics
This new set presented here contains 2 films, as the title suggest, Taoism Drunkard and The Young Taoist Fighter.
Taoism Drunkard (1984)
A drunkard kung fu expert causes mayhem along his travels. Written by Kei Mai from a story by Yuan Clan and directed by Yuen Cheung-yan, Taoism Drunkard is an action comedy that has had diehard fans since its original release and watching it in this 1080p presentation of a new 2K restoration shows why very clearly. This film is fun with really entertaining fights, making sure there isn’t a dull moment with solid pacing, good writing, good direction, and decent performances. The drunken style of fighting is something seen in quite a few films but mixing it with Taoism is something that is seen a bit less and adds to the interest of the film here. The entertainment factor is high here and makes this film one worth owning and rewatching over and over.
The Young Taoism Fighter (1986)
A rule-breaking martial artist assist a female martial artist against an evil kung fun master. Written and directed by Chi-Hwa Chen, The Young Taoism Fighter is highly entertaining with some fights that a boatload of fun. This is one of those martial arts films that will make some see why these are so popular while making others scratch their heads even more, which means it’s close to the top for its style of martial arts. The acting here is decent, the cinematography looks good, but what most will come for is the fighting and it is great. The way this film plays with well-known story turns and makes them interesting is possibly the main point of interest, almost above the fighting and the stunts. There is something special about this film and it’s great to see it in high definition. This one is also presented in 1080p from a new 2K restoration that makes the image as crisp as it can be and the sound as good as can be expected in mono presentation.
These two films come together here for a great double bill for fans of Taoism Fighters, giving viewers a fantastic entry into the subgenre and giving fans two very worthy entries in their martial arts collection.
The extras on this release are entertaining and of high quality, including 2 audio commentaries by Asian cinema experts, an interview with film critic Andrew Heskins, and the highlight of the bunch is the new interview with Yuen Cheung-yan. This release here is high quality with a solid presentation.