Wong Fei Hung III: Si wong jaang ba

Plot synopsis:
The film is set in China in the late 19th century during the Qing dynasty, when Chinese sovereignty is being eroded by foreign imperialism. Empress Dowager Cixi and Li Hongzhang decide to stage a lion dance competition to showcase Chinese martial arts and restore national pride. Interested parties from all over China are invited to participate and compete for the title "Lion Dance King".
Wong Fei-hung travels from Foshan to Beijing with his romantic interest 13th Aunt and apprentice Leung Foon to meet his father, Wong Kei-ying, at the Cantonese Association. At the train station, 13th Aunt meets Tomanovsky, a Russian diplomat, who was her classmate when she was studying in Britain. He starts vying for her attention and annoys Wong, who is disgusted by the Western custom of kissing a woman's hand. When Wong reaches the Cantonese Association, he learns that his father has been attacked by a wealthy rival martial artist, Chiu Tin-bak, and Chiu's henchman, Clubfoot, but sustained only minor injuries. Wong Kei-ying decides to give his blessings to his son and 13th Aunt when he sees they are becoming closer to each other.
Before the competition officially begins, all the lion dance troupes that have gathered in Beijing are already fighting among themselves and holding another competition of their own. Wong does not participate and spectates instead. Unknown to him, Leung and his friend have secretly joined the competition out of mischief. A short chase takes place between Clubfoot and Leung when the latter annoys the former during the contest and flees. Clubfoot's legs are crushed when Leung accidentally releases a stampede of horses from a stable. Chiu abandons Clubfoot when he sees that he is now a useless cripple. Wong takes pity on Clubfoot, brings him in, and heals his legs. Clubfoot is initially hostile towards Wong, but he feels so touched and grateful to Wong that he becomes Wong's new apprentice.
With the aid of a camera given to her by Tomanovsky, 13th Aunt inadvertently uncovers a plot to assassinate Li Hongzhang during the competition and learns that Tomanovsky is one of the conspirators. She warns Wong, who joins the contest to stop the assassins. In the final round of the competition, Wong, Leung and Clubfoot fight with dozens of rival lion dancers as they battle their way to the top of a scaffold. Chiu also joins the competition and carries a large and deadly lion mask. Wong ultimately defeats Chiu and wins the competition.
In the meantime, Tomanovsky fails to assassinate Li Hongzhang and is shot dead by his fellow Russians, who confirm their suspicions that he is a spy working for the Japanese embassy. Wong refuses to accept the prize, a gold medal, and says that his victory is a Pyrrhic victory because the competition only led to greater conflict among the Chinese people. He throws the medal back to Li Hongzhang, turns his back on Li and walks away.

Tags: cult, violence

Review:
Jet Li is Master Wong in this third part of OUATIC series.
Honestly, I really enjoyed the scenes with Wong and Aunt Yee (played by always lovely Rosamund Kwan).
You really root for him to get the girl (lucky Jet).The action is on point as Jet Li displays his martial arts prowess as he battles a lot of enemies.
Great use of a jacket to ward off a street battle and the restaurant fight scene is classic Jet Li (you gotta love that shadowless kick).
The Lion dance ceremony was interesting and I enjoyed how chaotic it was as all the dragons battled to get the bait.
Foon adds comic relief and Club Foot was a cool character who knows how to get his "kicks".Overall, I had to see this one after watching part one and two.
Even though I expected to see superb fighting, I really enjoyed the romance  in the film as well..
Good story-line but disappointing fighting.
In order to unite the people of China and strengthen their spirit, the Qing government decides to hold a lion dance competition to promote the study of kung fu.
Wong Fei Hung, who is visiting Beijing, sees this and is disgusted by the way it's being handled.
He finds himself having to join the competition when he discovers a plot by the Russians to assassinate President Li Hung Chang.This was the first movie in the OUATIC series that I saw.
Jet looks fit and is in great fighting shape for the film.
The lion dance scenes are cool.The story on the other hand, is really good.
This would be the last of the truly historically relevant entries of the series, as the following films were either over-the-top or would not even focus on historical matters.Overall, this is good watching.
Jet returns as Wong in a lion dance extravaganza.
On this occasion, Empress Dowager tries to cause hostility between foreign powers settling in China by holding the ultimate Lion Dance competition set to restore Chinese pride and heritage, only to have it quashed by martial madman Chiu Tin Bai who's intent is to annihilate the competition and win the Lion Dance himself.
There's plenty of colourful lion dances to please the eye and Jet is still the most exciting thing around, yet what it really lacks in is purpose, setting no real moral high ground and merely acting as a relentless cash-in on its previous successes..
Xin Xin Xiong, Jet Lee and the other actors perform incredible martial arts stunts, including the obligatory fighting scenes with Lee looking startled at his weapon's rapid disintegration.Overall, a reasonably good plot and a very interesting and fun film to watch..
There are some good bits of humor and we see some actual romance between Wong Fei-Hung and Aunt 13, but I don't think that that sort of thing is the main reason we watch this sort of movie.
I really think that Jet Li's talents are wasted when you try to use goofy camera angles to make it look like he's doing superhuman feats.
In order to demonstrate a show of strength to the foreigners, the Empress decrees a Lion King competition between the various martial arts schools.
Wong Fei-hung returns home at this time to visit his father's school to find that the Tai-Ping school have set out to destroy the other schools before the competition itself.
Meanwhile Cousin  suspects something more sinister going on around the contest.I feel like I'm under pressure here to say this isn't as good as the previous two films, simply because that seems to be the consensus of opinion on among reviewers here and also conventional wisdom says that a series will lose quality as it goes along.
I settled to watch this expecting to be a drop from parts I & II (both of which I enjoyed), however I must say I found it to be every bit as enjoyable as part II (which I considered a more enjoyable film than part I).
The Lion King contest has been criticised for hiding the skills of the actors but I think it made for a different show of skill that did involve their martial arts skills and showed them in a big way.
There are some scenes that are too clearly wire-work (although it is all wire work) but the majority of it flows very well.The main reason this film worked well for me was the way that it kept the humour from part II.
The romance between Fei-hung and cousin is also played well for both laughs and romance.The main reason the comedy works so well is the cast who all show a real skill for it.
Mok's Yoon is the main reason for this and his little touches are great fun to watch.
His interaction with the excellent Kwan brings a real spark to the film in the quieter scenes.
His real skill of course is the martial arts and he is a real presence in every action scene.
The addition of Iron Foot (Xiong) works well and he is a good character who is developed past the bad guy character he is first presented as.Overall I can understand why many would feel that this is a lesser film but I must say that I find it hard to put a wedge between any of the first three in the series (I have only seen these thus far).
However, I enjoyed the action and felt that the comic touches worked very well and made this a very enjoyable film that was very easy to watch.
Jet Li plays the legendary Chinese martial arts hero, Wong Fei Hung once more.
Set in ancient China, the cinematography once again catches the scenery and atmosphere beautifully and sets the stage for all the awesome action sequences.Jet Li's impressive martial arts moves continue to be a highlight of the film, battling bad guys left and right.
In this movie, he and his disciples take part in a "Dancing Lion Competition" to stop an assassination plot.The lion dance competition toward the climax of the film is probably the biggest highlight of the film - dozens of lion dancers battle it out to win the prize, including facing off with dragon dancers and the humongous sharp-toothed lion head.The acting went overboard in my opinion.
Jet Li acted too dramatic in his role and Xin Xin Xiong acted like he was angry at the entire world - too vengeful and too full of uncontrollable rage.The music score is also well played, especially the toe tapping and theme sung by George Lam. Not as suspenseful as the original Jet Li Wong Fei Hung movie, though.
The lion dances were a treat, but the overall plot went all over the place somewhat.Grade C.
While the third movie in the "Once Upon a Time in China" series were better than part one, but wasn't up to part two story-wise, then this third installment did manage to hold its own.
While it was very weak in storyline, it more than made up for the shortcoming in action and Chinese lion sequences.It seemed like the storyline was rushed through and that most of the movie had a script that was just made up as director Tsui Hark went along with shooting the film.
But luckily the impressive action and martial arts were more than making up for it.
It should also be said that there is a lot of scenes and fighting sequences with Chinese lions.
So "Once Upon a Time in China 3" (aka "Wong Fei Hung III: Si wong jaang ba") seems mostly like a showcase for Jet Li's martial arts skills.This is not one of the brightest moments in Hong Kong cinema, nor in Tsui Hark's directing career."Once Upon a Time in China 3" is a movie mostly appealing only to fans of Jet Li..
There is a martial arts tournament at the movie's center which Wong Fei Hung (Jet Li again) enters and must win for some reason, plus the always welcome Rosamund Kwan is back as Aunt Yee and the movie contrives to put her into danger again and again to keep things lively.
Enjoy the good period look and the quite impressive martial arts on display in the tournament and try not to take anything too seriously..
The Empress of China decides to hold a Lion King competition as a show of strength to foreigners; rather than uniting her people, the impending event causes fights to break out between rival martial arts schools across the country.
Out to ensure that as many potential winners are quashed before the contest even takes place, the nasty Chiu Tim-ba and his men attack the other competitors, including the father of the legendary Wong Fei Hung.Wong (Jet Li) steps in to protect his old man, gets in a few scraps, and eventually becomes involved in foiling an assassination attempt on a high ranking governor, whilst at the same time trying to make sure that the ex-boyfriend of his sweetheart stays his distance.As a big fan of Jet Li, I really have tried my utmost to enjoy the OUATIC movies, but, even with the incredible cinematography, lavish sets and costumes, powerful score, and welcome appearances from industry greats such as Yuen Baio and Donnie Yen, the series has left me rather unimpressed.And Part 3 does nothing to change that.This chapter moves the action from Canton to Beijing, but almost everything else stays the same.
We get more xenophobia, more silly wire-work enhanced fight scenes, more playful romance between Wong and his girl (the gorgeous Rosamund Kwan), more lame comedy, and not enough memorable martial arts action from Li. And this time round we also get lion dances.
Jet Li's "acting" series whips around for a third time in this somewhat disappointing movie.
I say "disappointing" because all his previous movies were more about the fighting and less about character development and goofy love triangles.
Not that character development is a bad thing, I just feel that it doesn't have much place in a kung-fu film, and ESPECIALLY a Tsui Hark film.
While break-dancer Club Foot does some incredible kicks, his character really drops low in the last half hour of the movie, and you wonder why the directors make him do what he does.
Jet Li does some incredible fighting as the famous Wong Fei-Hung, but I was truly hoping that Tianbao from "Tai Ji Zhang San Feng" would come in and start a GOOD fight amidst all this lion-dancing crap.
Once again, the film is based around foreigners taking over China, but this storyline gets a bit silly after a while because people are fighting each other for no reason.
I did like Thunder Foot, who looked pretty strange but his martial arts skills was brilliant.
In all, I was very disappointed with the film especially because the first one was so good.
Disappointing!Round-Up: They should have called this movie "Return Of The Strings" because some of the action scenes was ridiculous.
The fighting in mid-air went way too far and a lot of the action was unrealistic.
Not as good as the other 3 Jet Li OUATICs..
In the third film, Jet Li goes to Beijing to visit his father.
Doesn't have as much good fighting as the other 3 OUATICs that Li is in, but Xiong Xin Xin plays a great Clubfoot Seven.
I know that there have been a lot of reviews deploring the relatively lower standards of fight choreography, plot, etc.
ahhhhhaahhhahhaahhahhh..." - yes, don't you know it) is about a man who wants to become a hero and win glory and honour - he calls others to join him in his quest, and sings of a fire burning in him that is "brighter than the sun" - an example of the sort of nationalistic, patriotic tradition that is very much ingrained into mainland-chinese culture (how much of it is part of a communist government's propaganda-package is anyone's guess).
The character of Huang Fei-Hung is the embodiment of all the values inherent in The Patriot: a man unafraid of standing up to oppressive powers (foreign or otherwise) and fighting for the masses.
***Spoiler*** This episode ultimately ends tragically, as Wong realises that in fighting to "save face" and win honour for his people, he has in reality failed them.
As such, the film (in a somewhat didactic approach) deviates from the stereotypical kung-fu-hero-kills-all-the-baddies-and-saves-the-day ending in an attempt to teach its audience just what it really means to fight for your country - that it isn't just scrabbling for some abstract, pedantic bragging rights, but to be prepared to make sacrifices to bring about change that is real and good.
For those who just want to watch some chop-socking action, catch the first film.
Another Fantastic Chapter In This Amazing Series!,And It Introduces us To Another Great Character Club Foot!.
This is another fantastic chapter in this amazing series, and introduces us, to another great character Clubfoot!.
It's not quite as good as the 1st 2 however, it's still grand entertainment and everything was still brilliant plus Jet Li is simply amazing once again!.
The fight choreography is as good as ever, and the romance was great, plus Foon is hilarious once again!.
Some of the dialog was very funny, and the fight scenes were amazing, plus the character development was very good once again.
Jet Li and Rosamund Kwan had very good chemistry together once again.
The end fight is spectacular, and it did tend to concentrate a lot on the romance angle, plus the story was excellent!.
The villain was really good, and once again it send a great message, plus all the characters were awesome!.
This is another fantastic chapter in this amazing series, and it introduces, us to another great character Clubfoot!, and i say it's a must see regardless.
Hark Tsui does an excellent job here, with fantastic camera work, amazing shots during the action scenes, some other incredible shots and keeping the film at an incredibly fast pace.
Jet Li is AMAZING as always, and is amazing here, he adds a great comical touch, really seemed to be enjoying himself, kicked that ass, had very good chemistry with Rosamund Kwan once again,and was just tons of fun to watch!.
The ending of ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA III will stay with me for a long time.The thing that stands out for me is the characters this time.
At times it was almost a comment on the spectacular martial arts fights and stunts, making them at times seem childish and cartoonish.
A great judgment call in my estimation because you really come to feel warmly for all the characters as though you've finally come to know them at the end.I must say Rosamund Kwan comes across as more beautiful and glamorous in this third installment than ever before, and very nearly steals the show.
Unlike a 'Bond Girl' whom we know will only be eye candy and 007's sexual conquest for a single adventure, we are now seeing Aunt 13 for the third time and the sense of chemistry and monogamy between her and Wong Fei-Hung is stronger than ever.
I cannot easily remember where I have seen romantic character development across three movies like this.Love the chaos of the climatic scene at the Lion Dance competition!
This seems so suggestive of the internal social and political turmoil that Chinese society must have been experiencing at this time.Leave it to our hero Wong Fei-Hung to make sense out of all this somehow and bring order to this seemingly inexhaustible bedlam and melee.
He marches away with polite indignation and we are called to stand in our hearts to a hero's anthem that exhorts us to improve ourselves every day.Here at the end, you feel this is what Wong Fei-Hung means to the Chinese people.
Not up to the quality of the first two films, but still good fun.
The third film in the Jet Li series is very much a minor movie in comparison to the first two, with a plot that simply rehashes the old East-meets-West theme, throws in some very average comedy, some nice romantic touches between the two leads, and some enjoyable action sequences.
The resulting fight sequences are just as lavish as before, but more obviously involve wire work; this time, Li is a superhero who can jump ten feet in the air and there's a villain called Iron Foot who can fly with his feet.The story is pretty unchallenging, involving an evil factory owner and a Russian agent with a dark secret.
Props feature strongly, this time a camera and those Chinese dragons, which take centre stage at the film's climatic Lion King contest.
This climax is a bit of a disappointment, as Li and his opponents are hidden inside massive dragon costumes for the most part, and it lacks the dramatic power of a one-on-one battle like the previous movies offered.
However, Tsui Hark does offer something a bit more original and what it lacks in dynamism, it makes up for in sheer visual spectacle.Rosamund Kwan is probably the best thing in this film, having some very sweet moments with Li, who is good but appears to be going through the motions; it's no wonder he left the series, as he's had no character progression for two movies now.
One actor who is very good indeed is newcomer to the series Xi Xi Xiong (DOUBLE TEAM) as villain Iron Foot, who has some fantastic wire-aided action moments and is easily the most memorable thing in the film.
There are some 'fun' martial arts bits that make use of some imaginative scenarios.
There's a bit of blood and guts (including a pretty shocking mangled leg shot) and the classic Wong Fei-hung theme music is back infrequently.
Although this film offers absolutely nothing new to the series or the genre as a whole, Hark's lavish choreography and production values make it a very agreeable viewing experience.