The Young Master
The Young Master
師弟出馬
Overview
"After his brother betrays their martial arts school to win a lion dance competition for a rival faction, Dragon is expelled and sets out to find him and clear his name. On his journey, he is continually mistaken for a notorious criminal, forcing him to fight the police until he finally confronts the true criminal mastermind."
Iconic Tracked Scenes
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A spectacular Lion Dance competition where opposing schools perform incredible acrobatics on high wooden poles while trying to knock each other down.
"lion dance competition""fighting on poles" - ▶
Dragon fights off multiple police officers using a wooden bench, a large wooden fan, and anything else he can grab while trying to avoid getting ink on his clothes.
"fighting with a fan""dodging ink" - ▶
An agonizingly long, 15-minute final fight where Dragon must endure devastating kicks from Master Kam, drinking opium-infused water to numb the pain and fight back.
"grueling final fight""drinking the opium water"
Why It's Remembered
- ★The opening Lion Dance competition highlighting breathtaking gymnastics and coordination.
- ★Dragon fighting the police chief while holding a wooden bench and dodging ink.
- ★The grueling 15-minute final battle against the leg-fighting expert Master Kam.
Cultural Context
- ◈Jackie Chan's second directorial effort, establishing his signature style of immensely complex, prop-heavy long takes.
- ◈The final fight scene took an extraordinary 30 days to film, featuring a punishing level of physical endurance.
- ◈Pivots definitively away from traditional revenge plots toward acrobatic comedy and mistaken identity.
About the Action Elements
The Young Master is widely celebrated among martial arts cinema fans for sequences involving lion dance, competition, acrobatics, wooden poles, betrayal. One of the most memorable sequences features Jackie Chan naturally executing lion dance competition, where the choreography and unique set pieces become the unexpected highlight of the film.