The Prodigal Son (1981)

The Prodigal Son (1981)

Director: Sammo Hung

Stars: Biao Yuen, Ching-Ying Lam, Sammo Hung

In this Hong Kong martial arts classic, A young man is known as the ultimate street fighter in his area. He's fought over 300 times and hasn't been beaten once. Of course, he doesn't realize that his rich dad is using the young man's servant to bribe the opponents into losing so he won't get hurt. This earns him the nickname of Prodigal Son. When he's beaten easily by a  very feminine stage  actor/ Wing Chun master, he decides to buy the theater company so he can be trained by the master. There's also another rich guy looking for fights, and Sammo Hung plays a goofy Wing Chun master who also tries to train the Prodigal Son. 

Loaded with humor, lots of killing, and great martial arts moves. It's well worth a look at for fans of the genre.

Six Things I've Learned from The Prodigal Son

1. Never tell your servant to attack you at random times for training. I learned my lesson when mine threw me into a lava pit. I was a hot mess!

2. It doesn't matter who does it, but the feminine actor/Wing Chun master looks like a creepy baby without his eyebrows.

3. Considering that (SPOILER) the theater group is slaughtered and the tent burned down, maybe it's best to NOT have someone in the troupe who keeps kicking people's asses. Maybe throwing confetti a lot. Rip Taylor is a blackbelt in Wig-Fu though so he's out.

4. Protip: if someone has beaten you in a fight so badly that he renders your arm useless, not amount of training is gonna prepare you when you lose both arms. Dumbass.

5. If I was the Prodigal Son, after I learned real martial arts I'd beat the shit out of all those people mocking me. I'd EARN those 300 fights back.

6. Any move can be used as a martial arts technique, as demonstrated by Hung's toilet technique. I'm currently working on a technique that involves eating pizza. Classes start soon.