''Drunken Monkey'' is a 2003 Hong Kong

martial arts film Martial arts films are a subgenre of action films that feature numerous martial arts combat between characters. These combats are usually the films' primary appeal and entertainment value, and often are a method of storytelling and character expres ...

directed by and starring

Lau Kar-leung Lau Kar-leung (28 July 1934 – 25 June 2013), was a Chinese actor, filmmaker, choreographer, and martial artist from Hong Kong. Lau is best known for the films he made in the 1970s and 1980s for the Shaw Brothers Studio. His most famous wor ...

. It was the first kung fu film released by the

Shaw Brothers Studio Shaw Brothers (HK) Ltd. () was the largest film production company in Hong Kong, and operated from 1925 to 2011. In 1925, three Shaw brothers— Runje, Runme, and Runde—founded Tianyi Film Company (also called "Unique") in Shangh ...

in two decades. This was the final film Kar-leung directed before dying on June 25, 2013.

Cast

as Master Man Bill * Wu Jing as Great Uncle Tak * Lau Wing-kin as Chan Kai-yip * Shannon Yao as Siu-Ma *

Chi Kuan-chun Chi Kuan-Chun (born June 14, 1949), also known as Chik Goon-Gwan, is a Hong Kong-based Chinese actor, martial artist, and Hung Ga practitioner. He is best known for playing Shaolin rebel Hu Huei Chien (Hu Hui Gan) in several martial arts films in ...

as Yui Hoi-Yeung *

Gordon Liu Gordon Liu (Lau Kar-fai ); born Sin Kam-hei () August 22, 1951) is a Chinese martial arts film actor and martial artist. He played the lead role of San Te in ''The 36th Chamber of Shaolin'' (1978) and its sequels, and later played two roles in Qu ...

as Detective Hung Yat Fu *

Lau Kar-wing Lau Kar-wing (born 1944) is a Martial Artist, Hong Kong people, Hong Kong Chinese martial arts, martial arts film director, Stage combat, action choreographer and actor. Background Born in the Xinhui District of Jiangmen in Guangdong, People's R ...

as Fighter in the beginning * Li Hai-tao

Release

''Drunken Monkey'' was released in Hong Kong on 5 May 2003. It grossed a total of HK$153,560.

Reception

Ken Eisner of ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' wrote that the film's fight choreography overcomes its cheesiness and derivative story. David Cornelius of

DVD Talk DVD Talk is a home video news and review website launched in 1999 by Geoffrey Kleinman. History Kleinman founded the site in January 1999 in Beaverton, Oregon. Besides news and reviews, it features information on hidden DVD features known as ...

rated it 3/5 stars and wrote, "When the action's on, 'Drunken Monkey' is a total blast. When the action's off, 'Drunken Monkey' is a total snooze."

References

External links

* 2003 films 2003 martial arts films Hong Kong action comedy films Hong Kong martial arts films 2000s Cantonese-language films Kung fu films Films directed by Lau Kar-leung 2000s Hong Kong films {{martialart-film-stub