Prodigal Son, The (1982)

Yuen Biao is the pampered son of a wealthy businessman who discovers his kung fu training has been a sham. He struggles to learn real kung fu (Wing Chun) from a Chinese opera performer (Lam Ching Ying) and his oddball martial brother (Sammo Hung) and seeks revenge on the fighters responsible for the deaths of the other opera performers.

The Prodigal Son is arguably the best film Sammo Hung has directed. It has been praised by aficionados for its detail in portraying the Wing Chun style of kung fu which Sammo had taken great interest in. In truth, the film lives up to its reputation and stands the test of time as an entertaining action film and homage to the conventions of chop-socky films that have gone before.

Yuen Biao plays Leung Chang, the son of a wealthy business man who dreams of being a great martial artist. But fearing for his safety, his parents pay off his opponents to lose so that Chang is not injured. When a Chinese opera troupe comes to town, Chang is beaten by one of its members and vows to learn real kung fu. After the troupe is virtually wiped out by Manchu officials, Chang and his teacher, Leung Yee-tai seek refuge with Yee-tai’s old companion, Wong Wa-po (Sammo Hung). Chang begins training in Wing Chun kung fu under the tutelage of both men until Yee-tai becomes ill. Chang returns home with his master where his family can care for him but runs into the Manchu officials. Yee-tai is killed and Chang has a final showdown with the Manchu leader.

Yuen Biao shines in his second starring role with the boyish charm and acrobatic grace that his fans would come to expect. The martial arts scenes are excellent, particularly the training scenes with Sammo and the final fight at the end which would be to painfully brutal to watch if it weren’t so perfectly staged.

Sammo as Wa-po displays his usual knack for humor by playing a kung fu expert who is trying (unsuccessfully) to become a scholar, makes a fool of Biao’s character, and quarrels with his old friend, Yee-tai, all while raising his precocious teenage daughter. The humor balances well against the serious plot of a Manchu official’s son whose protectors slit the throats of an entire opera troupe and kill Biao’s teacher which leads Biao to seek revenge. The film ends more grim than Western audiences would be accustomed to but fits the pattern of your typical Hong Kong fare.

I would argue that Sammo Hung produced his best films in this period of the late ’70’s and early ’80’s when kung fu films were beginning to fade. Sammo’s work in many films previous, from Enter the Dragon (1973) to Shaw Brothers classics gave him a chance to develop and master the best elements of kung fu combining humor, realistic martial arts, solid choreography and fast-paced storytelling. The Prodigal Son has all this in spades and is surely a classic of the genre.