REVIEW:
The infamous Yuen Clan join forces for this absurd and delightfully entertaining tale of monster mayhem, improbable gadgets, and comical kung fu.

Not surprisingly, Yuen Shun-Yi (Dreadnought), who nearly always portrays a menacing brute is cast as a vicious man-beast with huge teeth who delights in sucking the blood of his victims. One of his agile underlings sneaks into a Buddhist temple where Shun-Yi is being guarded. Unfortunately, Yuen Cheung Yan (Drunken Tai Chi), who plays a drunken priest is supposed to be guarding the front door but goes in search of more wine, leaving a look-a-like dummy behind. The underling foils the various booby traps set around Shun-Yi's cage and sets him free.

Eddy Ko (Fist of Fury - 1995) plays one of Shun-Yi's more reluctant helpers who is charged with finding 10 virgin males in order so that their blood may be used to empower Shun-Yi. A contest is held with Ko's daughter as bait and Yuen Yat Choh (The Buddhist Fist) is chosen. Yat Choh just happens to be on a mission to find a wife, but after he finds out that Ko's daughter has an unsightly birthmark on her face, he runs away with the girl in pursuit. Yat Choh eventually runs into the drunken priest who recruits him to help capture the monster. The rest of the film is filled with an increasingly insane series of events which leads to the capture of Shun-Yi and the happy union of Yat Choh and the girl.

The Yuen brothers are in absolutely top form in this comedy. Director Yuen Wo Ping (Iron Monkey), who also makes a brief cameo as one of the temple priests, fills every shot of this movie with some incredible or unique sight. This is probably his most surreal film and definitely one of the strangest works of kung fu cinema you'll likely ever encounter. Don't be surprised to see wine pouring from a picture of a flask or a wooden cart that pushes itself and is filled with more gadgets than any James Bond vehicle including a full compliment of musical instruments. Also expect to see a giant venomous frog with a killer tongue, Eddy Ko fighting with flaming hands, and even a life-size marionette that shoots fire and farts! Its a testament to the creative genius of Wo Ping and his cohorts that you rarely see the same gag or prop twice and they just keep coming.

What really makes Shaolin Drunkard so great is that for the most part, it could not be replicated... ever. Yes, the props and effects are not necessarily realistic, but the way in which they're used is extremely impressive. Likewise, Wo Ping's bawdy humor once again shines through in every scene and every one of the Yuen players are right on track. This was Yat Choh's first starring role and spawned several supernatural spin-offs that he would subsequently star in including Taoism Drunkard (1984) and The Young Taoism Fighter (1986). Yuen Cheung Yan wears a massive set of false buckteeth and takes his drunken priest role over the edge, nearly becoming an annoyance but manages to be checked by the rest of the cast who also ham it up. Only poor Eddy Ko plays it straight, but he gets to show off some great kung fu skills.

I cannot possibly think of a more outrageous kung fu film executed with greater attention to detail or skill than Shaolin Drunkard, although Wo Ping's Drunken Tai Chi (1984) comes close. While there is a fair amount of great action, the emphasis is on goofy visual gags and props. For those who have ever wondered what it would be like to see the Three Stooges, Evil Dead, and a James Bond film rolled into one, this is it!