Okay, rewind your minds with me. Picture this: it's the mid-90s, you're browsing the Action section at the local video store, the fluorescent lights humming overhead. You spot a familiar face – Jet Li – on a VHS cover, dressed as the legendary folk hero Wong Fei-hung. But wait... the title isn't Once Upon a Time in China. It's Last Hero in China (sometimes titled Claws of Steel or Deadly China Hero on those slightly dodgy international tapes). You take a gamble, pop it in the VCR later that night, and BAM! You're hit with something wilder, weirder, and way funnier than you expected.
Not Your Grandfather's Wong Fei-hung
Let's be clear: this 1993 flick isn't the stately, epic martial arts drama of the Tsui Hark films it clearly riffs on. Oh no. This is Wong Fei-hung filtered through the gloriously chaotic lens of director Wong Jing, a filmmaker known for his lightning-fast production schedules and penchant for blending genres like a mad cinematic scientist. Fresh off the success of the Once Upon a Time in China series, Jet Li actually formed his own production company, Eastern Productions, and this was one of its first ventures – a sort of parallel-universe Wong Fei-hung adventure. Wong Jing, never one to miss a trend, crafts a film that simultaneously pays homage to and cheerfully parodies the more serious source material.
The plot? Well, Wong Fei-hung (Jet Li, radiating stoic cool even amidst the madness) moves his Po Chi Lam clinic, only to find it situated right next door to a brothel. Cue misunderstandings, culture clashes, and plenty of opportunities for slapstick involving his disciples, notably the hyperactive "Bucktooth" So, played with manic energy by Dicky Cheung. Meanwhile, there's a nefarious plot involving corrupt officials, foreign exploitation, and a truly bizarre cult practicing virgin-kidnapping and some kind of... hypnotic kung fu? It's a lot, and it rockets along at a breakneck pace typical of Hong Kong cinema of the era.
When Kung Fu Met Comedy (and Wirework)
What makes Last Hero in China such a quintessential slice of 90s Hong Kong action-comedy is its sheer audacity. One minute, you're watching Jet Li deliver breathtakingly intricate, lightning-fast traditional martial arts – the kind of precise, powerful choreography that cemented his legendary status. His fight against the corrupt monk is pure physical poetry. The next minute? He's engaging in the utterly ridiculous "Chicken Style" kung fu battle, complete with clucking sound effects and feathered arm movements. It's jarring, it's silly, and honestly? It's kind of brilliant in its own way.
This era was the peak of practical, wire-assisted martial arts, and Last Hero revels in it. Forget seamless CGI; here, the wires are often charmingly visible, lending a certain theatricality to the gravity-defying leaps and kicks. But don't mistake the wirework for a lack of skill. The performers, Li especially, are doing incredible work on those wires. The complexity and speed of the fight scenes, orchestrated by legendary choreographer Yuen Woo-ping (yes, that Yuen Woo-ping, of The Matrix and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon fame!), are still dazzling. Remember how mind-blowing those leaps across rooftops felt back then, long before digital doubles took over? There's a tangible weight and impact here, even amidst the absurdity.
Behind the Madness
Part of the fun of revisiting these films is appreciating the context. Hong Kong studios in the 90s churned out movies at an incredible rate. Wong Jing was particularly notorious for his speed and commercial instincts, often juggling multiple projects at once. Last Hero in China feels like it was born from that high-energy environment – throw everything at the wall, keep the pace frantic, blend laughs with astonishing action, and get it into cinemas fast. Sharla Cheung, a frequent collaborator with Wong Jing and a staple of 90s HK cinema, adds her reliable presence, though her role feels a bit sidelined by the surrounding chaos.
While perhaps not reaching the dramatic heights or polished production values of its Tsui Hark cousins (which reportedly had significantly higher budgets – Once Upon a Time in China cost around HK$34 million, a hefty sum then, compared to the likely faster, cheaper production here), Last Hero carved its own niche. It wasn't trying to be high art; it was aiming for pure entertainment, mixing genuine martial arts prowess with gags that ranged from clever satire to outright groan-inducing puns (especially in some English dubs!). It knew exactly what it was: a fun, slightly crazy ride.
Still Got Claws?
So, does Last Hero in China hold up after all these years, beyond the warm glow of VHS nostalgia? Absolutely, if you appreciate it on its own terms. The tonal whiplash might be dizzying for newcomers, but for fans of 90s Hong Kong cinema, it's pure comfort food. Jet Li is magnetic, the action choreography by Yuen Woo-ping is genuinely spectacular (even when silly), and the whole thing has an infectious, slightly unhinged energy that's hard to resist. It perfectly captures that specific moment when HK cinema was throwing everything it had onto the screen with gusto.
It may lack the thematic depth of the films it spoofs, but it compensates with sheer kinetic joy and laugh-out-loud moments (intended or otherwise). I remember renting this tape multiple times, drawn back by the unique blend of incredible skill and utter goofiness. It felt like discovering a secret, slightly wilder chapter in Wong Fei-hung's story.
Rating: 7.5 / 10
Why this score? While the plot is messy and the comedy doesn't always land, the sheer quality and creativity of the Jet Li / Yuen Woo-ping fight sequences are undeniable highlights of the genre. It earns points for its audacious energy, its place as a fascinating companion piece to the OUATIC series, and for being such a perfect example of Wong Jing's particular brand of controlled chaos. It loses a couple of points for tonal inconsistency and moments where the silliness undercuts the action.
Final Thought: Last Hero in China is a hyperactive sugar rush of 90s Hong Kong action-comedy – less a refined historical epic, more like Wong Fei-hung gatecrashing a Looney Tunes marathon. And sometimes, especially late on a Saturday night with the VCR whirring, that's exactly what you need.