The Magnificent Butcher

Lam Sai-wing is a large, loud, permanently hungry butcher trained in Wong Fei-hung's school. When a rival school frames him for murder he has to clear himself and protect his master's name at the same time. Yuen Woo-ping made this straight after the enormous success of Drunken Master and rebuilds the same formula around Sammo Hung: comedy and combat are not separated, they occupy the same scene. Hung's speed at his size is the real spectacle, with Yuen Biao alongside him. Kwan Tak-hing plays Wong Fei-hung, which is a gesture in itself. Having played the character in more than seventy films, he is here handing the tradition to the next generation. Its flaw is narrative. The plot is thin and scattered, some of the comedy is coarse, and the women exist only to set events in motion. Who it is for: fans of the classic era of Hong Kong kung fu comedy. Who it is not for: viewers who want story and coherence.