Directed by Sammo Hung • 1997 • Hong Kong
Starring Jet Li, Rosamund Kwan, Xiong Xin-Xin
Jet Li returns in the sixth and final entry in the ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA series, here under the direction of Sammo Hung, who transfers the action to the American Wild West for a rootin’ tootin’ cowboys-meet-kung fu mashup. This time around, our hero Wong Fei-hung (Li) heads to the States to visit the San Francisco branch of his traditional Chinese medicine clinic—only to find himself stricken with amnesia and embroiled in tensions between racist politicians and Chinese immigrants. Shot largely in Texas, ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA AND AMERICA cleverly reverses the conceit of the preceding entries by bringing Chinese culture to the West, while serving up the requisite smorgasbord of spectacular action-comedy set pieces.
Up Next in Hong Kong Action Classics
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Last Hurrah for Chivalry
Directed by John Woo • 1979 • Hong Kong
Starring Damian Lau, Wei PaiWith this tale of two swordsmen who team up on a mission of revenge, John Woo attempted to revive the moribund wuxia genre. A flop at the time of its release, this early work has since been recognized as an artistic breakthroug...