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Starring
:
Chiu
Man Cheuk
Jean
Wang
Mok
Siu Cheung
Hung
Yan Yan
Billy
Chow
Chin
Kar Lok
Action
:
Yuen
Bun
Producer
:
Tsui
Hark
Ng
See Yuen
Director
:
Yuen
Chaam
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ONCE
UPON A TIME IN CHINA 4 (1993)
A.K.A.
- OUATIC 4; Once Upon A Time In China IV - The Master
Reviewed
by Tony Ryan
Made
in the same year as part 3, and following almost directly on,
it was a bit of a surprise when Jet Li (after falling out with
Tsui Hark) abdicated his WFH throne, and the mantle was passed
to the younger, extremely talented Wu Shu player Chiu Man
Cheuk (sometimes called Vincent Zhao). To me, Chiu is equally
adept as Jet at filling the role of Wong, as although he is
young, he has the physical grace and sombre demeanour needed
to carry it off. Sometimes even seeming more suitable for the
role, as he seems to exude a greater air of responsibility.
The
plot follows two distinct lines. Firstly, after his heroics at
winning the Golden Lion Medal in part 3, he is asked to
compete in a new competition featuring super-powered lions
from various countries (most notably Germany!), and they fear
that China will lose face if defeated. While this is an
ongoing problem, so too are the ladies of the Red Lotus clan,
whose aim is to remove all foreigners. Unfortunately, Wong, in
saving some Gwailo’s, becomes a target of their fury
and further problems ensue. As with the first 3 instalments,
much of the plot is driven by important events in China’s
history and filled with both overt and subtle political
comment.
Action-wise,
Chiu is the physical equal of Jet Li, at least in terms of his
Wu Shu and acrobatic ability, and gets to impress with some
excellent moves. The choreography is not as slick as part 2,
obviously suffering without Woo Ping's involvement, however
many of the action set pieces are extremely well shot and
entertaining. Unfortunately, the finale is a slight let-down
since we see Hung Yan Yan, Chiu Man Cheuk, Billy Chow and Chin
Kar Lok take part in what, on paper, is a dream battle. This
is not the case and it is a damp squib compared to what I was
expecting.
The
action (ladder fight excepted) is equal to part 1, but not the
dramatic element, and it is certainly not the equal of part 2
for fight choreography. As a result it falls slightly behind
earning a respectable 4 stars. If you liked the first 3, you
will definitely enjoy this too, and will not feel your time
has been wasted in tracking it down. It is a shame that Chiu
has not been given more quality roles, as outings in recent
films such as 'Body
Weapon', 'Fist
Power' and 'The
Blacksheep Affair' have not fulfilled the potential seen in
this film and other quality productions like 'Green Snake' and
'Fong
Sai Yuk'. It seems as though he, like Jet used to, has
trouble adapting to modern day actioners, and I hope it is
only a matter of time before he shines again.
Rating:
 
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