It is clear that Jackie was floundering a bit, trying to find his own unique style here. Just the fact that he decided to change the martial prowess of his own character mid-way through the movie is proof of this. From the fan fight to the sword fight, through the bench fight and skirt fight, to the final showdown, Jackie's character changes, and the style of action changes. When he finally goes up against the fearsome Whang In Sik, he has, more or less, no skills at all and has to overcome by sheer perseverence. It is a marvelous fight, no doubt but doesn't really gel with the rest of the movie.

Storywise, it has some issues as well. Most of the movie sees Jackie searching for his wayward brother, who is, by and large, a total douche. So you don't really care about Jackie's mission and motivation, even though you do care about his character. In its defense, the original cut was reportedly 3 hours long. So when you're forced to trim about 2,5 hours of footage, you are bound to lose coherency and character development in the process.

"The Young Master" is far from a bad movie. The fights, the action, the comedy and so on work well individually. And the movie is peppered with fun performances, familiar faces and great gags. Veteran bad guy, Whang In Sik, gets one of the coolest villain intros of any kung fu flick. And you're never bored or left unsatisfied with the actions on display. But as a whole the movie could have been tighter in style and structure. Nevertheless, a noble effort from the young Chan. And a JC must-have, in my opinion.

This film may be the absolute best (barring films of parades and demonstrations) at showing the beautiful Lion Dance and how power and grace combine to make a fantastic visual feast! The intricate movements are nothing short of stunning! There are no wires here, no trick photography. You will be entranced by this tradition that is centuries old and will want to watch it more than once!

When the Master discovers Tiger betrayed him he is very hurt. Tiger leaves the school and goes in search of work. He ends up with a gang, not knowing their plan is illegal and involves releasing their criminal leader Master Kim, (Whong In - Sik). Meanwhile the Master shows his kind heart and tells Dragon to leave the school - but to return with Tiger.

Almost immediately Dragon finds trouble when he is mistaken for his brother. Chaos and comedy ensue!One of Chan’s most notable fight sequences is in this movie. Dragon goes looking for Tiger and manages to get into a fight with an instructor for the corrupt martial arts school. This is no ordinary fight - but a fight utilizing a large white fan. Yes I said fan. Chan did numerous takes, some have said over thirty takes and some say even more, and that is certainly possible. Chan was adamant about showing the art of fighting with a fan and he gives it his all!

During the journey Dragon is mistakenly arrested by the Sheriff (Shek Kin) and his son (Yuen Biao). There are numerous well choreographed fight scenes which lead up to the wildly manic ending with Dragon fighting the gang leader played by real life Master of Hapkido, Whong In - sik. This is one of the longest fights Chan ever filmed. It’s difficult to describe the intensity, the sheer craziness of it. Chan has stated that in the early years of his career it was necessary to find real fighters to spar with because it was next to impossible to make actors look like martial arts experts believable as opponents. While fans love the more realistic fight scenes it also means Chan gets the daylight beat out of him and he suffered several serious injuries, mostly from the final fight with Whong In - Sik. Viewers are treated to see Hapkido for real. Along with kicks and punches, trappings and joint locks are also employed. The scene is a treat for both those who practice martial arts and those who enjoy watching them! Young Master has held up over the years and is considered a classic!

This film is notable for several reasons. It broke all box office records for time in theatre and money earned and it also gave Jackie the opportunity to show off his legs for a change. It’s the only film where Chan spends any amount of time wearing shorts. He has never specifically mentioned that piece of trivia but I have never heard a complaint from any of his female fans, especially by the time he is taking a shower. Young Master was also the pre - cursor for his now famous out takes of things that didn’t go quite like they were supposed to, as well as showing everyone that it was indeed Jackie himself doing those crazy stunts and incredible fighting. Young Master doesn’t show out takes but rather random images from the movie. Viewers and fans had to wait until Dragon Lord was released which is the first time Chan uses out takes his fans have come to expect. Young Master is as amazing today as when it was first nearly three decades ago!