The Master (1989 film)
5.8 /10 1 Votes
Director Tsui Hark Producer Tsui Hark Duration Language Cantonese
English | 5.8/10 IMDb Genre Action Cinematography Paul A. Edwards Country Hong Kong | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Release date 28 May 1992 (1992-05-28) Writer Kee-To Lam (screenplay), Tai-Mok Lau, Jack Maeby (english adaptation), Hark Tsui (story) Cast Jet Li (Jet), Crystal Kwok (May), Yuen Wah (Uncle Tak), Jerry Trimble (Jonny), Anne Rickets (Anna), Corey Yuen Kwai Similar movies Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles , Terminator Salvation , Blackhat , Batman Begins , Let's Be Cops , Kill Bill: Vol. 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
An expert fighter (Jet Li) battles a street gang and a criminal underground in San Francisco.
Contents
The Master (traditional Chinese: ????) is a 1989 Hong Kong martial arts film written, produced and directed by Tsui Hark, and starring Jet Li, Yuen Wah and Jerry Trimble. The project was filmed in 1989, but it was not released until 1992 when the success of Once Upon a Time in China made Li a major action star.
Uncle Tak is famous for using Chinese herbal medicines to cure diseases. A martial arts expert, he also teaches the young how to defend themselves. One of his students, Johnny, dreams of monopolizing the teaching of kung fu throughout the United States. To accomplish this, he tries to kill Uncle Tak. Chuck, Uncle Tak's best student from Hong Kong, comes to Los Angeles to find his master. Chuck is willing to let Johnny have his way, and tries to take Uncle Tak back to Hong Kong. But Johnny and his men will not leave Chuck alone. Chuck, on his way back to Hong Kong, returns for the showdown.
Plot
The story occurs in Los Angeles, where a fight between Master Tak (Yuen Wah) and Johnny (Jerry Trimble) destroys Taks herbal medicine store. Johnny is prevented from killing Tak when Anna (Anne Rickets) comes to save him. During his recovery he stays in Annas camper van.
Jet (Jet Li) arrives from Hong Kong on the airport bus. When he arrives at Taks store to resume as Taks Kung Fu student, he finds the store shuttered and three thieves steal his bag. He chases their car on foot through the streets and eventually catches them. The thieves are so impressed with Jets physical skills they beg him to be their master. They take Jet to their home (an abandoned municipal building) but theyre attacked by a larger gang. Jet reluctantly steps in to defend his new friends, but their home is set on fire.
Johnny and his gang are closing down kung fu schools and making a name for themselves. Jet meets May (Crystal Kwok), a bank worker responsible for the loan on Taks store - but neither knows where Master Tak is. Jet finds himself in the middle of a robbery at a carpark. He finds himself fighting beside Johnny, but Johnny recognizes him from one of Taks pictures and makes it clear he intends to kill both Jet and Tak. Anna and Jets friends get beaten up, so Jet trains his friends to defend themselves. Jet is eventually re-united with Tak, but Tak claims hes no longer interested in either teaching Kung Fu or doing herbal medicine.
Jet and his friends go to Taks store and prepares to deal with Johnnys gang. The three friends put their newfound skills into practice fighting four members of Johnnys gang. Jet and Johnny fight outside the store until the police step in.
Jet and Tak argue, and Jet decides to return to Hong Kong. On the airport bus hes attacked by the dreadlocked man armed with a shotgun who was at the carpark. Jet manages to defeat the man and regain control of the bus despite a shotgun blast killing the driver. May has been following the bus in her car, possibly intending to express romantic interest in Jet. In the meantime, Tak and the three friends make their way to a rooftop where Johnny and his gang are holding Anna hostage.
Jet and May go to Taks store to find a note and a will. They quickly make their way to the rooftop where Tak has disabled 15 or 20 of Johnnys men but is beginning to tire. Jet fights Johnny while Tak and the friends defeat the rest of the gang and rescue Anna.
Jet boards the airport bus, once again intending to go to Hong Kong. He finds May on the bus, planning to go to Hong Kong with him for a holiday, but the three friends and Master Tak drive up beside the bus: Master Tak has stolen Jets passport so he cant leave.
Cast
US Version
Miramaxs North American version of The Master, which was distributed on home video and DVD, was dubbed in English, and the dubbing often strayed heavily from the original dialogue. Four minutes of cuts were made, including:
Reception
Upon initial release, The Master was not particularly successful. In his audio commentary for the Hong Kong Legends DVD release, Bey Logan gives possible explanations why, citing characters ridiculous behaviour and contrived situations. He explains that the characters motivations are unclear - there is no clear reason why Johnny and his gang repeatedly go to Uncle Taks store to intimidate him, and close down other kung fu schools. Also, if the bus driver is shot by the dreadlocked man with a shotgun, why does the bus keep moving while the action is still going? Lastly, the Hong Kong film crew doesnt have the same luxury as the American film crew which led to certain scenes that didnt work too well.
Despite the flawed plot, the film did give signs of what was to come from Jet Lis appearances in films with modern settings. Lis action style in The Master was an early example of what was to come in his Hollywood films Romeo Must Die and Cradle 2 the Grave.
Box office
The Master earned a weak HK $8,096,542 in Hong Kong.
Home media
On 28 March 2005, DVD was released by Hong Kong Legends in the United Kingdom in Region 2. Four months later, The Jet Li Collection DVD was released on 25 July 2005 at 2 disc set including Hitman.
References
The Master (1989 film) WikipediaThe Master (1989 film) IMDbThe Master (1989 film) themoviedb.org