The Kung Fu Master tells the story of Chinese folk hero Hung Hei-Kwun, who is credited with establishing the Hung Gar style of kung fu. The TV series concentrates on the period after Hung learned martial arts from a Shaolin master. Returning to his home village, he finds matters in chaos due to the brutal rule of the Manchurians. After defending one of his friends, Hung becomes a local hero and decides to open a martial arts school, much to the chagrin of his father (Poon Chi-Man) and the local general (Lo Lieh). Complicating matters further is the Sun Moon Sect, a group of revolutionaries who may or may not be allies to Hung.

As you might guess, with a running time over 200 minutes, the story gets more dense than that, but Tai Seng's edit does a good job in condensing down the full series and still making it something that most viewers shuld be able to follow with no problems. Matters are helped along by the acting; with a mix of relative newcomers and old veterans, it can sometimes be hard to create compelling characters, but director Benny Chan works well in allowing the actors to create something out of their roles. The acting -- as with many Hong Kong television series of the time -- can be a bit melodramatic, but overall, viewers should grow to like the characters and thus actually care about their fates, which is key in a release like this with so much story to it.

There are some technical issues present here, mostly due to the medium. Hong Kong television series, even the longer ones like this, have even smaller budgets than films. But for what he had to work with, Benny Chan creates a fairly good-looking product. Even though the series was shot on video, the cinematography and editing is solid, with Chinese countryside vistas providing some stunning backdrops. The soundtrack is, for the most part, obviously cobbled together from other sources, such as Conan the Barbarian, but overall, it instills the proper sense of pomp and pacing.

Action-wise, there's plenty of fighting on display here. As you might expect, the standout is Donnie Yen (who also directed the action scenes), but most of the supporting cast holds their own in the kung fu department as well. If there is a fault to be found in the brawls, it's Donnie Yen's overuse of camera tricks (most notably undercranking) that plagued much of Yen's work during this period. It's nothing at all that ruins the presentation, but it does become awfully annoying at times and hurts what ends up being a very solid, if very long, kung fu picture.

REVIEW:
The Kung Fu Master is Tai Seng's condensed version of the first third of the television series that originally aired on Hong Kong television over the course of forty-one episodes. Most of these first episodes were directed by Benny Chan (Gen-X Cops) who oversaw the entire series, which was co-directed by a number of others. This, plus a generous budget for television, and the choreography of Donnie Yen lends the series a cinematic quality unmatched by most other Hong Kong series.

The story centers around a real martial artist and one of the heroes of Shaolin folklore who escaped the destruction of the temple and went on to found the kung fu techniques that made up the Hung Gar system. Donnie Yen plays Hung Hei Kwun (also played by Jet Li in New Legend of Shaolin) in a retelling of his life that brings together many legendary heroes previously portrayed in film including Yim Wing Chun, the woman who founded Wing Chun kung fu and Fong Sai Yuk, who also escaped the Ching government's attempt to destroy all Shaolin disciples. In this film, Hei Kwun returns home from a long absence filled with martial arts training. By birth, he's a Han and therefore subservient to the reigning Manchus, a fact which boils his blood and leads to conflict and heartbreak later. After coming to the defense of Ko Chun Chung, his lifelong friend, Hei Kwun finds himself at odds with the son of a local Ching official named Sek Tot. This leads to a martial competition with an incredibly strong Han named Tung Chin Gun, who although beaten, later teams with Hei Kwun in fighting against the Manchu.

The other main conflict involves Hei Kwun's relationship with his father, Hung Tin Nam who works for the Manchus. In reality, he is known as the Red Dragon and is leader of the Sun Moon Sect who are sworn to overthrow the Ching government. Tin Nam is in the difficult position of honoring his wife's wish that their son not be allowed to participate in his subversive activities, while trying to keep the hot-tempered Hei Kwun from clashing with the Ching on his own. Matters come to a head when the Emperor comes to visit the area and Tin Nam prepares an assassination attempt. It fails as a trap is set by Sek Tot. Hei Kwun joins the fight at the last moment, despite being sent away by his father. Both his parents are killed and Hei Hung prepares to avenge their death, but he must first recover from a poisoned wound and train with a vagabond monk who teaches him pole fighting techniques.

For anyone who has already seen Fist of Fury (1995), Tai Seng's version of Donnie Yen's second major series, you will be happy to know that The Kung Fu Master is put together much better and also features slicker martial arts choreography. Although its only the first part of a television series that has been edited into a feature film, it plays much like a theatrical release. The cinematography, musical score, and scale of the production are all impressive given the smaller budget.

The strength of the series is the drama seen in the character development, which is more fully realized than most Hong Kong action films. Most of the actors are seasoned veterans of television and film whose acting abilities lend the series emotional content. Possibly surprising to some is the emotional depth which Donnie Yen reaches in this series, something rarely seen in his films. Poon Chi Man (Dead Target) gives a notable performance as Yen's father in the series who is forced to keep his son at a distance. Their troubled relationship forms the nucleus of the story. Ng Tang Lee as Sek Tot, the main villain is very memorable, thanks in part to his wicked looks and a colorful thumbing of the nose that he adds. Lo Lieh is probably the only other really recognizable actor apart from Donnie. His roll is small, but significant as he plays a Manchu general who is close friends with Tin Nam. Once Tin Nam reveals himself to be Red Dragon, Lieh feels betrayed and there is a great, poetically shot confrontation between the two. This scene and many others are filmed on location in China and feature scenic vistas to enliven the series' more obvious sets.

For action, Donnie delivers the goods in spectacular fashion. The choreography is better than what is seen in a lot of martial arts movies. The opening features a lovely showcase of multiple flying guillotines in action which is always a bonus. Just about all of Donnie's trademark moves are present which highlight his tremendous kicking and flexibility. Ng Tang Lee is no slouch either and proves to be a satisfying villain for Yen to fight. He uses a distinctive mantis style and very briefly displays most of the film's obvious wire-enhanced techniques. The use of baby powder to enhance the impact of blows is out of control, something even Donnie himself admits to. But otherwise, this is very solid action entertainment.

Keeping in mind that the crew had to cut corners when it came to breakaway walls, the amount of time spent on each action scene, extras, and some of the outdoor shots, The Kung Fu Master is quite impressive and comparable to the likes of Hallmark Entertainment miniseries, minus the CGI. Tai Seng deserves credit for putting the time and effort into bringing this television series, even in a reduced form to Western audiences. It doesn't seem nearly as chopped up as their previous effort which was Fist of Fury. I will definitely recommend this to any Donnie Yen fans and to those who pine for the days when Hong Kong was at the top of their game producing the likes of Fong Sai Yuk and Once Upon a Time in China.