122 - The Fearless Hyena

Connection To THE INVINCIBLE EIGHT - James Tien.

Before watching the remastered widescreen version of this in it's original language recently, I had only ever seen the full screen dubbed version on VHS, this mean't my opinion had been that to say it most diplomatic - this was one of Jackie Chan's lesser efforts - but seeing it how it was mean't to be seen - I have to say this film is a lost classic - in my humble opinion it deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as Drunken Master and Snake In The Eagle Shadow (seriously).

Going back to the VHS days - I hope I can explain this well, we are talking this is 1990 - 93ish my brother was starting his lifelong love for Hong Kong cinema and particularly Jackie Chan and with him buying the VHS means I got to see (albeit dubbed) classics such as Police Story, Project A and Wheels On Meals - and there was sort of 2 Chan camps, the early Chan and the more recent Chan, the early Chan where worse prints and worse boxes, everything means I saw them as the lesser films, that's what Spiritual Kung Fu was (called Karate Ghostbusters) or something like Half A Loaf Of Kung Fu, and of course (to remain relevant) The Fearless Hyena, and like I say these titles where lumped together as before Chan's prime - even though some films like this where made after Drunken Master - and was no way going to get as much play as Police Story.

The Fearless Hyena which was also Chan's directorial debut (from 1979, the year after Drunken Master) was I think him trying to prove a point - there's loads of fighting, comedy but also drama (just to prove he could do it), some of this was probably aimed at the director Lo Wei who he had up until then recently being under contract to just to say if you let me be - look what you could have had.

While it's not entirely original (even in the Chan oeuvre) hitting the marks as you would expect, there is both vintage Chan fighting and Chan comedy (and Chan in drag as the picture suggests), and while some scenes might echo say Drunken Master, Chan adds enough to them to make them seem fresh.

Overall, avoid the dubbed full screen and if you get a chance to see a decent print in the original language to me you'll be beyond pleasantly surprised. Recommended.