Eureka Video UK Blu-ray Synopsis: In The Old Master, Master Yu Jim Yuen (the real life teacher of Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, and Yuen Biao) comes to the United States where he takes on an L.A. Street gang!

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MIA UK DVD Synopsis: Jackie Chan's real life Kung Fu Master, Yu Jim Yuen, makes his big screen debut in this genre classic from Joseph Kuo. Master Yu is invited to Los Angeles to take on numerous fighters in a kung fu contest. He beats all comers and this angers a local Mob boss who lost a great deal of money on illegal betting. Now Master Yu must rely on his kung fu skills to beat the L.A. Street gang's top fighters. Helping him in his deadly task is World Karate Champion Bill Louie (Fist Of Fear, Touch Of Death). (90 Mins)

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Views: When I first got The Old Master on DVD many moons ago, I kind of enjoyed what I was watching. At the same time,I was a little confused as to what was going on and as to why the hell this film even got made. Yu Jim Yuen – master to Hong Kong legends like Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao, Yuen Wah,Corey Yuen Kwai, Yuen Tak, and many others – plays Master Wan, an ageing kung-fu master who is coerced to LA by an old student who needs help with some debts. But while master Wong is sent out and about to kick-ass and settle some scores, his old student starts his plan of making money by putting bets-on that he will win his fights. But it doesn't take too long for master Wan to find out what's happening, and he soon shacks-up with kung-fu student (and disco dancer) Bill who trades his kindness for more kung-fu lessons. But when a local mob boss gets angry about how much money he is losing on the fights, he sends out his best men to take down the master and student in a fight to the death!

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It's safe to say that this is one strange little movie. I have to admit that, with my initial DVD purchase, I was pretty excited to see a film starring Yu Jim Yuen – considering that many of his infamous students are my all-time heroes – and I'm sure that was the intention of Joseph Kuo (or others) when they put this movie into production. While many think that this is the only film master Yuen has starred in, he had actually appeared in 6 or 7 films from the early 50s through to the late 60s. Interestingly enough, this would be the period that Yu Jim Yuen would have been teaching Chan, Hung, and Biao etc who (if we are to go with what we saw in Painted Faces) were discouraged from getting into the film industry by their master, convinced that Peking Opera would always be the main source of entertainment in Hong Kong. Regardless, The Old Master is the only film starring Yu Jim Yuen that I have seen, but I guess it was a film that maybe came a little too late in making him a martial arts superstar at 75. Artfully doubled (for a good 90% of his fight scenes in reality), Yu gets to throw a few slight moves here-and-there but never really delivers anything that wows the viewer – or highlights the fact that this is the master of so many successful stars. At the same time though, this decision helps create a few more laughs along the way (albeit very unintentional for the most part) and isn't too dissimilar to that of the great Simon Yuen as Beggar Su/Sam the Seed in films like Snake In The Eagles Shadow, Drunken Master, and others...

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Thankfully, we still get entertained with some exciting fight action which is mainly delivered by Chinese-American martial artist, Bill Louie (aka Lui Siu Foo). Starting his martial arts training from the age of 9, Bill went on to learn many styles over the years and eventually founded his own martial arts system known as Chinese-American Goju Ryu Karatein 1982. Although it's possible he may have had an early appearance in the 1970 Hong Kong flick, The Inn Of Mercy, Bill started his acting career by default in 1976 with an appearance in Sonny Chiba's The Bodyguard where he can be seen with martial artist Aaron Banks in the opening sequence - a scene that was only put in for its western release. His first real role came in the 1977 martial arts thriller Death Promise, directed by Robert Warmflash, before starring here in The Old Master. The rather questionable Bruce Lee documentary Fist Of Fear, Touch Of Death would be his next project with Louie serving as the action-choreographer before going-on to star alongside Bruce Le in the aptly named Bruce Vs Bill – a decent kung-fu flick directed by Lam Kwok Cheung who also directed films such as Ironside 426, Enter The Game Of Death, and The Hellfire Angel. There wasn't too many other recognisable faces kicking about, except for the likes of popular character actor Wang Yung Sheng getting a quick fight and then leaving. Wang starred in around 80 films over the course of his career from One-Armed Boxer to its crazy sequel where he played the Indian fighter, along with many other Wang Yu titles such as Beach Of The War Gods, Seaman No.7, Infernal Street, and many more including Jackie Chan's New Fist Of Fury, and Joseph Kuo's own Mystery Of Chess Boxing, 36 Deadly Styles, and World Of Drunken Master. Wang would also serve as the assistant action-choreographer on The Old Master, as well as over 20 other titles into the early 1980s. Hui Man Yui would probably come in next, starring in almost 50 films into the late 90s including The Idiot Swordsman, Phantom Kung Fu,18 Fatal Strikes, Big Boss Of Shanghai, 3 Famous Constables, Drunken Tai Chi, and more. The third notable actor I caught was Chi Fu Chiang, an actor who started in the early 70s in titles such as The Begging Swordsman, Invincible Eight, and Furious Slaughter, going on to appear in films like Crazy Nuts Of Kung Fu, One-Armed Boxer Vs The Flying Guillotine, Return Of The Chinese Boxer, 18 Jade Arhats, Shaolin Iron Claws, Incredible Kung Fu Mission, and Matching Escort which would be his final film. And the last would be Chui Chung Hok, a popular actor from the mid-50s who starred in over 140 films over 40 years. Chui joined the prolific Shaw Brothers studios in the early 1960s going on to star alongside Jimmy Wang Yu (as the most of them have) in his earlier titles such as Temple Of The Red Lotus, The Twin Swords, Trail Of The Broken Blade, Magnificent Trio and more. As the 80s crept in, Chui would end his time with Shaw's after appearing in the awesome Return To The 36th Chamber, and moved into modern hits such as Aces Go Places 2, Millionaires Express, Rosa, Pedicab Driver, and She Shoots Straight – as well as being an assistant director on The Old Master. Just to note – there are 7 people credited under the name of Yuan/Yuen, with this film being the only credit to their names. Perhaps I'm wrong, but it's possible that these guys may have been the last students of master Yu Jim Yuen, trading their real names for his much like Jackie and Sammo did in their younger years with Yuen Kwai, Yuen Tak, Yuen Wah, Yuen Biao and others adopting theirs from there on in.

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Chan Siu Pang, actor of over 100 titles, choreographer of 60, and director of titles such as Shaolin Death Squads, The Magnificent, Choi Lee Fat Kung Fu, and Rivals Of The Silver Fox, choreographs the action in The Old Master – returning to work with Kuo after handling things in films such as The Shaolin Kids, The Blazing Temple, 18 Bronzemen, and Return Of The 18 Bronzemen. As mentioned, he is assisted by Wang Yung Sheng with both action-directors providing enough fun fights to enjoy with Bill Louie playing a likeable Jackie Chan-esque character, and impressing with some pretty sweet moves - obviously saving the best of what he has for the final 25 minutes – but I've a funny feeling that Chan Siu Pang only stepped in for the grand finale (which is definitely the best part of the film). Although it has a bit of a slow start, things pick up after the first 30 minutes but viewers shouldn't be expecting anything like 18 Bronzemen, 7 Grandmasters, or World Of Drunken Master. And while the film most definitely has its flaws, The Old Master plays like a guilty pleasure of sorts and makes for a fun watch. Sure it doesn't fit in to the rest of Joseph Kuo's filmography and isn't quite as glorious looking as most of his finest works (with the obvious lack of Kuo DOP regular Chujiro Shintaro who was replaced by 3 lesser experienced cinematographers), but it's an experience!

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Overall: A little bonkers and not the greatest movie ever made, but The Old Master makes for a fun watch!

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Eureka Video Blu-ray Extras: Audio Commentary by Mike Leeder & Arne Venema

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DVD Extras: Trailers

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Watch my unboxing video of this Eureka Video release HERE