Dong fang ju long

Jan 1 1988 N/A 1h 26m
Action, Documentary

For martial arts enthusiasts and fans of Jet Li, Yang Ching, and Wang Chun, this historical filmography about the origins of Chinese martial arts, the legendary Shaolin Monastery, and modern kung fu will prove to be an irresistible treat. The documentary is told through two fictional characters, Instructor Wang and Hong Kong sports reporter Ms. Chin Chin, who chance to meet in a park. Ms. Chin Chin is writing a story about the history of martial arts and so Instructor Wang offers to help. Together they visit the Shaolin Monastery and view a weapons demonstration by the monks.

Plot

This "documentary" about the origins of kung fu is interesting, but it is certainly no documentary. And it's not all about Jet Li. There is footage of Jet Li as a child, performing at various competitions, and some shots of him with his family. The closing segment has Jet Li doing "Drunken Sword Fist", a style I'd seen only in Jackie Chan's famous Drunken Master films.The bulk of the film is simply various kung fu students and masters demonstrating their skills, at a variety of locations and schools. A long central segment is devoted to the more exotic kung fu skills - chi levitation, wall scaling, tree punching, etc. The customary (and distracting) HK kung fu sound effects have been overdubbed, and some of the footage has been sped up. And, while there is no plot per se, some kind of love story is attempted between the two narrators. Weird.Don't expect to learn too much, but prepare to be entertained.

Written by

Chi Lo

Directed by

Rocky Law

Production Countries

Hong Kong

Production Companies

Shin Shin Film Enterprise (H.K.) Corporation, Central News Documatary Film Studio

Awards

N/A

Scores
# of Votes
107
Average Rating
6.1 out of 10
Metascore
NA
Popularity
NA