Starring: Yuen Biao, Lam Ching-ying, Sammo Hung, Frankie Chan. Directed by: Sammo Hung
This movie is one of Sammo Hung's most popular films, and one that scooped up the awards for Best Director, Picture, and Action Choreography at the 1983 Hong Kong Film Awards. It's also largely based on some real-life Chinese historical figures of the same names as the main characters of this movie.
"The Prodigal Son" is about a spoiled young man in the city of Fatshan (Foshan, located in central Guangdong province, China) named Leung Chan (Yuen). He thinks he is a kung fu master, but he is unaware that his powerful rich father is paying fighters to lose fights to him in order to keep him from being hurt.
One day the Lok Fung Lin opera troupe starring the beautiful Leung Yee-tai (Lam) arrives in town and Leung attends the performance. He sees Yee-tai perform and is immediately lovestruck. When he goes backstage to get to know her better, he finds out that Yee-tai is a man....and a true master of the Wing Chun style to boot. Yee-tai then proceeds to beat up Chan and all his friends, and only when Chan's servant tries to bribe Yee-tai into losing the fight that Chan learn the harsh truth about his so-called martial arts skills.
Chan then begs Yee-tai to teach him kung fu, but he refuses. The opera troupe packs up and moves on to their next performance in Canton (Guangzhou), but Chan is determined to learn kung fu no matter what the cost. He manages to convince his dad to buy out Lok Fung Lin and make himself Yee-tai's personal assistant!
When a local lord named Ngai Fai (Chan) finds out about Yee-tai's martial arts skills, he challenges him to a fight, and doesn't give Yee-tai a chance to say no. However, he doesn't know that Lord Ngai Fai is the "prodigal son" of a powerful Manchu lord and one who is determined to protect him from any threat, including Yee-tai.
What happens next is something you'll have to watch and find out!
Sammo Hung plays Yee-tai's Wing Chun brother and "scholar" Wong Wah-bo who tries to learn a little something everyday, including calligraphy and the art of using kung fu to relieve constipation!
This movie is a true Hong Kong classic and the stars of the movie have some very memorable performances! Of course, the fight scenes will blow you away and the usage of the Wing Chun style in this movie is breathtaking.This truly is one of Sammo Hung's best movies and one that you won't want to miss!
Also known as: 敗家仔/Bai ga jai (Original Cantonese title-HK), Bai jia zi (original Mandarin title-HK), Son Ruining the Family (literal title-HK), Pull No Punches (unknown English title), El hijo prodigo (Spain)
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