Cantonese: Bai ga jai
Mandarin: Bai jia zi
English: Son Ruining the Family

Alternate English Title: Pull No Punches

Praised by practitioners of Wing Chun as the feature that most accurately depicts that martial art, this widely respected effort is one of Golden Harvest's greatest kung fu films. Leung Chang (Yuen Biao) has carved himself a formidable reputation as "The Street Brawler," who can make short work of any challenger and is undefeated after 200 fights. Unbeknownst to Leung, the boy’s affluent father has ordered his son's servant (Peter Chan Lung) to bribe all of the opponents, to ensure Chang's safety. The boy gets a harsh taste of reality when he foolishly challenges Peking Opera performer/martial arts master Leung Yee-tai (Lam Ching-ying) to a duel. One of the opera company's performances is attended by Master Ngai Fai (Frankie Chan Fan-kei), a martial artist looking for a worthy competitor. He deems Yee-tai to be just that man and goads him into a fight, which comes to a premature end when the actor suffers a serious asthma attack. Just as Leung Chang's father sought to protect him, Ngai's father has ordered two servants (Dick Wei and Chung Fat) to kill anyone who may possess skills superior to those of his son. Taking their order to bloody extremes, the attendants direct a squad of killers to murder the opera company in their beds. Yee-tai awakens in time to save his own life but is crippled by another dose of asthma. The master is saved by Chang and the two seek refuge at the farm of Wong Wa-po (Hung, who also directed), Yee-tai's brother and a Wing Chun master, whose occasional bouts of clumsiness belie his incredible abilities. Chang uses the brothers' age-old feud to his advantage, appealing to their pride, and receiving instruction from both men. When tragedy strikes, Chang challenges Ngai to a final, decisive battle.

Considering the always potent combo of Yuen Biao and Sammo Hung, it is rather surprising to see the film stolen by Lam Ching-ying. His numerous "One Eyebrow Priest" horror comedies required a measure of martial talent but nothing like the sort of dexterity he is required to display on numerous occasions here. The late actor also displays the measured timing and droll reactions of a seasoned comedian. While Hung's endearingly broad persona and incredible acrobatics tend to dominate the second half, one leaves the film remembering Lam's character, who is a far cry from the typical wizened sifu. Dubbed with a high female voice while in his performance make-up, he is able to have fun with the persona, while still maintaining the character's dignity. Frankie Chan is also intriguing in a role that is a departure from his more recent work. While Ngai is seemingly the villain of the piece, he is really just an ethical but misguided young man who needs to be taught a good lesson, something Yuen sees to with customary panache in the final reel. Wei Pai, Wu Ma, James Tien Chun, and Lee Hoi-sang also appear.

Hong Kong Legends/Medusa #MDV 651 (UK label) Dolby Digital 2.0 Cantonese and English Language Tracks (both post-synced) Optional English and Dutch Subtitles 28 Chapters Illustrated in the Menu With (Tiny) Stills Enhanced for 16:9 Displays Letterboxed (2.35:1) Coded for Region 2 Only Macrovision Encoded PAL Format 100 Minutes (at 25 frames-per-second) Contains brutal violence

DVD menu courtesy Hong Kong Legends.

THE PRODIGAL SON is available at Poker Industries.