Many fans of the "OUATIC" series despise this this film and I still don't know why. If there is anything negative to be said, it has to be the terrible "western" and "indian" cast. It's kind of like watching a really bad episode of "Gunsmoke" when Jet Li and friends aren't present. As far as the indians, there were none. Either real indians are too hard to find or they charged too much for their acting abilities. Whatever it was, they could've done better than hiring low-budget white guys with feathers on their heads.

Overall, this is what the "Kung Fu" TV series should've been!

Footnote: The idea of "OUATIC&A" was originally going to be done by Jackie Chan years ago, under the working title "Lion Goes West". Jackie is currently working on a similar Hollywood film called "Shanghai Noon" due for release in 2000. Bruce Lee was probably the first to come up with the "East meets West" notion, his ideas were the inspiration for the TV series "Kung Fu" starring what's his face...

In this, the sixth film in the series, Wong Fei-Hung travels to the good old United States of America and encounters all sorts of trouble, well, enough to keep him busy for 90 minutes. The plot is a little hard to follow, what with the subtitles being transparent and all.

The fights are, as always, the real centre of attention in this movie. They are filled with all sorts of outrageously bad looking wire-work. Not to mention, they're sped up too. I don't know how a film directed by Sammo Hung to turn out so bad. The fights aren't exciting, in fact, some of them are down right laughable. And let's not forget the kung fu cowboys. I'm sorry, but can this get any more inaccurate? Cowboys didn't know kung fu, I 'm sorry, I've put up with a lot of shit, but kung fu cowboys is where I draw the line.

This will, undoubtedly be the last in the "Once Upon a Time." series. And if this film is any indicator, that's a good thing. It was very low budget, and sadly, unentertaining. Oh, and the reason I gave it such a high rating is because I laughed at some of the wire-fu shit.

Filmed entirely in Texas with a largely American crew and directed by Sammo himself, OUATIC&A jumps from one action sequence to another with not very much in between, starting with a rousing runaway stagecoach scenario. At the conclusion of the chase, Wong suffers from, that favorite of cinematic devices, amnesia and is adopted by a struggling Indian tribe. Meanwhile, Aunt Yee and Clubfoot search for their friend as Bucktooth Sol's Po Chi Lam clinic franchise is constantly under racial attacks from a town full of rednecks. That's about all you have to know about the story, which is as loaded with contrivances as it is with wire-enhanced action.

Because of the setting and the nature of the OUATIC series, Jet Li and his friends get plenty of...gasp!...gweilo actors to contend with. Now HK film fans everywhere know what this means. But here, they are wrong. This film has some of the best white actors in HK film. The blonde gunslinger Billy, played by unknown Jeff Wolfe, is unexpectedly good as Wong's tall, cocky ally. Plus, the mayor, sheriff and townspeople aren't noticeably bad. They just aren't given much more to do other than pick on the chinese and ultimately become punching bags.

The grand finale explodes onto the scene as Wong and his followers, a corrupt mayor, and a gang of vicious bankrobbers (whose leader looks like a vampire and uses his spurs in deadly fashion) all cross paths. Wong Fei Hung's end fight with the leader takes a step towards absurdity but is so stylishly filmed and edited that you won't mind it too much.

I have heard that normally fans of the Hark-directed entries (which I am) generally hate this final outing, but I must be the exception. In fact, I enjoyed this installment so much that I am surprised that they haven't added a few more episodes to the mix. Here are some suggestions:

OUATIC&L (Once Upon A Time In China and London)----Wong Fei Hong can scarf crumpets and then let his dental work go to hell. Maybe have John Cleese supply him with some cool gadgets and an Astin Martin. Clubfoot can learn to drink tea with his pinky extended.

OUATIC&SC (Once Upon A Time In China and South Central)-----Wong Fei Hong travels to LA to visit a colleague but the pollution clouds his senses and he spends the rest of the film teaching kung fu to Puerto Ricans. Aw, crap. I think Tsui Hark already did something like that in The Master. Nevermind.

OUATIC&TDOC (Once Upon A Time In China and The District of Columbia) AKA Mr. Wong Goes To Washington----Wong can't be president because he is a foreigner but they could make him in charge of health care reform or something. Acupuncture would, no doubt, get full coverage.

Side Note: This film is well-known mostly for the allegation that Sammo stole the idea from Jackie Chan who released an American western Shanghai Noon three years later in 2000. Seems that since Sammo pilfered his idea, Jackie worked in some details lifted right from OUATIC&A for his film. For example, Jet Li's character finds himself engaged to a squaw just as Jackie's does. A hanging sequence is foiled in both films. Each film has rednecks, bank robbers, and corrupt officials. One of villains (Roger Yuan) from Sammo's film was even cast as the main bad guy in Shanghai Noon. There are probably even more examples than this.

It has great fight scenes with some use of wire-fu. Despite the chopping filming at times, the moves can still be seen clearly, and you can see what's happening when they're fighting.

Yet again Jet plays the Wong Fei Hung role and proves he is the one to sort things out.

Although Jet doesn't fight many good martial artists, he at least fights someone who can fight in a one particular scene, but the rest of the fights are basically true martial artist (Jet and one other co-star) vs. non martial artist--or true martial artist vs. guns, gangs, cowboys, weapons etc.

However, the positive side is it is quite intense and has a good impact--especially in the last fight scene, where exciting fast-paced fights and slow-mo effects occur! Jet does a special move that makes this movie memorable. The trailers usually highlight this move.

Buy this movie if you're a great Jet fan, but rent this movie first if you're a martial arts action movie fan, so then you get to open up your opinion on the film.