Jackie Chan is such a joy to watch, especially in his early raw Hong Kong martial arts features and his first solo directorial effort "The Young Master" goes on to show the talent he bestowed in front of the camera. The upbeat tempo and dazzling stunt work is breathtakingly executed, as when they get hit they go flying across the screen and in no time after copping a lot of blows they're back on their feet to go again. This entry does feel like a riveting collection of journey set-pieces (which are sensationally staged with creativity) to simply make up a minor narrative consisting of mishaps that leads to redemption, as it mainly plays for laughs with its goofy comic flair
however it seems to suit Chan's charming persona and flamboyant energy. Never does it loose sight of its destination, as it keeps a fast and exhilarating rhythm throughout with its spectacularly rich and dramatic music score adding another dimension. All of the performances are quite enjoyable with the likes of Lily Li, Pai Wei, Kien Shih, Biao Yuen and Kang-Yeh Cheng. Amazingly fun, light-headed kung-fu antics.
Review of The Young Master
