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Starring
:
Jet
Li
Rosamund
Kwan
Hung
Yan Yan
Richard
Ng
Action
:
Sammo
Hung
Producer
:
Tsui
Hark
Director
:
Sammo
Hung
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ONCE
UPON A TIME IN CHINA AND AMERICA (1997)
A.K.A.
- OUATIC 6; Once Upon A Time In China VI; Wong Fei Hung In
America
Reviewed
by Andrew Saroch
Jet
Li returns to the role which made him a household name in Hong
Kong - Wong Fei Hung. This time though, the action is taken
out of the east and put into the Wild West.
Having
already established Po Chi Lam in his native Canton, Wong
decides to check on the progress of the newest branch that has
opened in the newly-colonised American land by old student
Buck Tooth Sol. Along with now fiancée Aunt Yee and trusty
sidekick Clubfoot (known as Seven in this) Wong makes the long
journey west. Shortly into their time on American soil, the
Chinese travellers befriend a young gunslinger named Billy who
is found in the middle of the wilderness. This new addition to
the wagon train soon proves his worth when a short stop brings
the travellers into conflict with Indians and Wong, Clubfoot
and Billy defend the families who are making the journey
alongside them. In the ensuing battle though, Wong is
separated and subsequently loses his memory after hitting his
head on a rock. Soon after, the Chinese folk hero finds
himself adopted by a tribe of Indians who see his martial arts
ability as a definite advantage in their battle against a
rival tribe. Events soon lead to the inevitable reunion
between Wong and his former friends, but they soon find that,
not only does he fail to recognise them, he also sees them as
potential enemies. Things take a further twist when a group of
bandits led by Mad Wolf plan to rob the very same town as the
heroes are now stationed in and care little for the lives of
the numerous civilians.
The
first 'Once
Upon A Time In China' featured numerous references to the
oppression of the thousands of Chinese who went to the West in
search of a better life and therefore it would seem an ideal
place to end the long-running series. However, fans of the
first two will be sorely disappointed by 'Once Upon A Time In
China And America' and will no doubt feel somewhat
short-changed. Whereas parts one and two had a flawless blend
of social/political commentary and action, something rarely
achieved before or since, this sixth part seems to be more of
a comic book story. The old 'hero-loses-memory' plot-line is
recycled once more and used in a particularly lame way as are
a posse of Indians who sound like extras from Beverly Hills
90210. Had the film just capitalised on Wong's experiences
with bigoted Westerners and then expanded upon the final
robbery, this could have retained the qualities that were
expected. However, the producers and director bite off more
than they can chew. What is very surprising is that the
aforementioned director is the legendary Sammo Hung - a man
who has turned out classics in his time. The main reason for
watching is the exciting action that keeps the viewer gripped
to the end; Hung Yan Yan's battle with Jet Li is a definite
stand out. It says a lot for the film, though, when the best
scene has Clubfoot impersonating the villains from the first
two Once films in an effort to restore Wong's memory.
Rating:
 
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