So what if the star, meant to play real life Chinese folk hero Wong Fei-hung as a young scamp, was close to 40 when this was made? Chan leaps nimbly from one breathtaking fight sequence to the next, playing a master who becomes even looser and more inventive the more lubricated he is with drink. (Anita Mui adds comic pizzazz as Fei-hung's feisty, gambling stepmother.)
In the course of the effervescent tale, directed by Lau Ka Leung, Fei-hung whirls his way out of danger from axes, chains, and burning coals. (In one sly moment of battle, a compatriot shouts for him to take his shirt off, and Chan riffs on the full Bruce Lee stance.) That's showbiz, that's entertainment, and heeere's Jackie, ageless and great, before refitting himself to Western specs.
