Yuen Woo Ping. One of the few names that has transcended the films he worked on and become synonymous with top quality fights. Thanks to his work on films such as The Matrix, Kill Bill and arguably the one that put his name on the global cinematic map, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, his name alone can now be put on posters and is usually followed by the three aforementioned films. This is both a rich reward and also a disservice to one of the great visionaries of Hong Kong cinema. Good for the recognition he so richly deserves, but Yuen Woo Ping is so much more than just the “Action Director Of…” those films. One such example can be found right here with The Miracle Fighters.
Having been in the business as early as 1962, Yuen Woo Ping wouldn’t make his Directing debut until 1978, with some little film that starred an actor that had been trying to break through for a few years, but without much success. That star was Jackie Chan and the film in question was Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow, but why stop there, because their next film together would launch both it’s director and it’s star into the stratosphere, that being one of the all time greatest Kung Fu movies of all time, the iconic Drunken Master (also 1978).
By the time 1982 came around Yuen Woo Ping had more great King Fu films under his directing belt than any of his piers to that point (with the exception of maybe Lau Kar Leung), with such films as The Magnificent Butcher, Dreadnaught and Legend of a Fighter. Then came something with a very different flavour. Instead of the usual intricate fisticuffs, Yuen Woo Ping would go down a more fantastical route, one filled with “humour” and elaborate set pieces, so whilst he was no stranger to comedy, wuxia style shenanigans were something else.
What he delivered was a wild yet entertaining ride telling of a kidnapped Prince, an evil wizard and the battle to become the sorcerer supreme. Whilst The Miracle Fighters would be far from the first Kung Fu movie to weave such a story into Kung Fu cinema (nor would it be the last), it was, however, a calling card for its creator, someone who would later shape these films in his own image. You knew when you were watching a Yuen Woo Ping movie, and this was his stamp of authority.
Starring his brother Yuen Yat Choh (part of the legendary “Yuen Clan” and son of Yuen Siu Tin) along with the legendary Leung Kar Yan and a scene stealing performance from Yeun Cheung Yan, The Miracle Fighters is unrelenting in its execution, unapologetically vulgar in its humour but 100% committed to being itself. It is a wonder why The Miracle Fighters doesn’t garner more love, then again, when you have so many classics under your belt some are bound to get lost in the mix.
Once again Eureka Entertainment have delivered a wonderful presentation with commentaries from such esteemed names as Frank Djeng, Mike Leeder and Arne Venema. It also contains the original Cantonese language version and, as a slice of nostalgia to many of us who grew up watching these films on poor VHS copies recorded straight from American TV stations, the Axis International dub, the voices of whom will be recognisable to anyone that has ever listened to the Wu-Tang Clan. Throw in some historical interviews with the master himself, Yuen Woo Ping, an interview with Assistant Director Fish Fong and a lovely little feature called “The Shakespeare of Yuen Woo Ping” that is basically an interview with John Kreng that acts as a behind the scenes look at Hong Kong action cinema.
The Miracle Fighters is the type of film you show others that are not only looking to dig a little deeper but also as a jumping off point for this kind of movie. Whilst it may not get the recognition that many of its contemporaries receive, it is still a great slice of Hong Kong cinema from a bygone age.
The Miracle Fighters is out now from Eureka Entertainment
