Once Upon a Time in China II
Encyclopedia
Once Upon a Time in China II is a 1992 Hong Kong martial arts action film written and directed by Tsui Hark
and starring Jet Li
returning as Chinese folk hero Wong Fei-hung. It is the second film and first sequel in the Once Upon a Time in China film series. The Mandarin version of the iconic theme song A Man Should Better Himself (男兒當自強) was performed by Jackie Chan
while the Cantonese version was sung by George Lam
.
, Wong Fei-hung travels by train to Canton
to attend a seminar on Western and traditional Chinese medicine
. He is accompanied by his romantic interest "13th Aunt" Siu-kwan and disciple Leung Foon. He gives a lecture during the seminar on the benefits of acupuncture
while a fellow Chinese doctor helps him translate for the predominantly Caucasian
audience.
The seminar is disrupted by members of the fanatical White Lotus
Society, an extreme nationalist cult led by the sinister and seemingly invincible Priest Kung. The cult aims to drive all foreigners out of Canton and they have been killing foreigners and destroying everything regarded as foreign. Later, Wong learns that his translator friend, by the name of Suen Man
, is actually the leader of a group of pro-democratic rebels who wish to establish a republic
in China. Suen Man and another fellow rebel named Luk Ho-dung
are planning to travel to Hong Kong
to continue with their plans for revolution
.
Wong decides to help Suen and the rebels in their plan, but they encounter an official of the Manchu
imperial government called General Nap-lan who stands in their way. Further chaos ensued when the cult attack a foreign-language school for children. Siu-kwan brings the children to hide in the British Consulate
. Nap-lan suspects that the rebels are hiding inside the Consulate and orders his men to disguise themselves as cult members and attack the Consulate. Wong defends the Consulate while Suen escapes secretly. Nap-lan enters the Consulate in the name of protecting the foreigners from the "cult members" while taking the opportunity to search for Luk. Luke disguises himself as Leung and follows Wong out of the Consulate safely. Meanwhile, Leung disguises himself as Luk to lure Nap-lan away. To put an end to the cult's evil activities, Wong and Luk travel to the cult's headquarters to confront Priest Kung. After an intense battle, Wong defeats Kung and the cult is disbanded.
Wong, Luk and Leung proceed to retrieve the hidden contact name list of the rebels. They encounter Nap-lan and his soldiers. Luk is killed by gunfire. In the final scenes of the film, Wong Fei-hung and Nap-lan have a dramatic showdown dubbed as "the greatest fight of Jet Li on screen". Eventually, Nap-lan is killed and Wong manages to retrieve the name list. He returns it to Suen Man, who had been waiting at the dock and Suen sails to Hong Kong safely. The closing scenes of the film are exactly the same as the prequel film.
at Europe
in Region 2
.
Two years later, Hong Kong Legends DVD were released on April 7, 2003 at 3 disc set Tsui Hark's Once Upon a Time in China Trilogy.
Three years later, The Donnie Yen Collection DVD were released on May 29, 2006 at 4 disc set including two films they were New Dragon Gate Inn
and 2 disc platinum edition Iron Monkey.
This version also includes scenes cut from the international releases:
Tsui Hark
Tsui Hark , born Tsui Man-kong, is a Hong Kong New Wave film director and producer. He is viewed as a major figure in the Golden Age of Hong Kong cinema .-Early life:...
and starring Jet Li
Jet Li
The fame gained by his sports winnings led to a career as a martial arts film star, beginning in mainland China and then continuing into Hong Kong. Li acquired his screen name in 1982 in the Philippines when a publicity company thought his real name was too hard to pronounce...
returning as Chinese folk hero Wong Fei-hung. It is the second film and first sequel in the Once Upon a Time in China film series. The Mandarin version of the iconic theme song A Man Should Better Himself (男兒當自強) was performed by Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan, SBS, MBE is a Hong Kong actor, action choreographer, comedian, director, producer, martial artist, screenwriter, entrepreneur, singer and stunt performer. In his movies, he is known for his acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, use of improvised weapons, and innovative stunts...
while the Cantonese version was sung by George Lam
George Lam
George Lam Chi Cheung, also known professionally by his surname Lam, is a Hong Kong-based veteran Cantopop singer and actor of Xinhui area origin. Lam studied at the Diocesan Boys' School in Kowloon, Hong Kong...
.
Plot
In 1895, during the late Ching DynastyQing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
, Wong Fei-hung travels by train to Canton
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
to attend a seminar on Western and traditional Chinese medicine
Traditional Chinese medicine
Traditional Chinese Medicine refers to a broad range of medicine practices sharing common theoretical concepts which have been developed in China and are based on a tradition of more than 2,000 years, including various forms of herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage , exercise , and dietary therapy...
. He is accompanied by his romantic interest "13th Aunt" Siu-kwan and disciple Leung Foon. He gives a lecture during the seminar on the benefits of acupuncture
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a type of alternative medicine that treats patients by insertion and manipulation of solid, generally thin needles in the body....
while a fellow Chinese doctor helps him translate for the predominantly Caucasian
White people
White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...
audience.
The seminar is disrupted by members of the fanatical White Lotus
White Lotus
White Lotus was a type of Buddhist sectarianism that appealed to many Han Chinese, who found solace in worship of the "Unborn or Eternal Venerable Mother" , who was to gather all her children at the millennium into one family....
Society, an extreme nationalist cult led by the sinister and seemingly invincible Priest Kung. The cult aims to drive all foreigners out of Canton and they have been killing foreigners and destroying everything regarded as foreign. Later, Wong learns that his translator friend, by the name of Suen Man
Sun Yat-sen
Sun Yat-sen was a Chinese doctor, revolutionary and political leader. As the foremost pioneer of Nationalist China, Sun is frequently referred to as the "Father of the Nation" , a view agreed upon by both the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China...
, is actually the leader of a group of pro-democratic rebels who wish to establish a republic
History of the Republic of China
The History of the Republic of China begins after the Qing Dynasty in 1912, when the formation of the Republic of China put an end to over two thousand years of Imperial rule. The Qing Dynasty, also known as the Manchu Dynasty, ruled from 1644 to 1912...
in China. Suen Man and another fellow rebel named Luk Ho-dung
Lu Hao-tung
Lu Hao-tung , born Lu Chung-gui , courtesy name Hsien-hsiang , was the first "revolutionary martyr" of the Republic of China...
are planning to travel to Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
to continue with their plans for revolution
Xinhai Revolution
The Xinhai Revolution or Hsinhai Revolution, also known as Revolution of 1911 or the Chinese Revolution, was a revolution that overthrew China's last imperial dynasty, the Qing , and established the Republic of China...
.
Wong decides to help Suen and the rebels in their plan, but they encounter an official of the Manchu
Manchu
The Manchu people or Man are an ethnic minority of China who originated in Manchuria . During their rise in the 17th century, with the help of the Ming dynasty rebels , they came to power in China and founded the Qing Dynasty, which ruled China until the Xinhai Revolution of 1911, which...
imperial government called General Nap-lan who stands in their way. Further chaos ensued when the cult attack a foreign-language school for children. Siu-kwan brings the children to hide in the British Consulate
Consul (representative)
The political title Consul is used for the official representatives of the government of one state in the territory of another, normally acting to assist and protect the citizens of the consul's own country, and to facilitate trade and friendship between the peoples of the two countries...
. Nap-lan suspects that the rebels are hiding inside the Consulate and orders his men to disguise themselves as cult members and attack the Consulate. Wong defends the Consulate while Suen escapes secretly. Nap-lan enters the Consulate in the name of protecting the foreigners from the "cult members" while taking the opportunity to search for Luk. Luke disguises himself as Leung and follows Wong out of the Consulate safely. Meanwhile, Leung disguises himself as Luk to lure Nap-lan away. To put an end to the cult's evil activities, Wong and Luk travel to the cult's headquarters to confront Priest Kung. After an intense battle, Wong defeats Kung and the cult is disbanded.
Wong, Luk and Leung proceed to retrieve the hidden contact name list of the rebels. They encounter Nap-lan and his soldiers. Luk is killed by gunfire. In the final scenes of the film, Wong Fei-hung and Nap-lan have a dramatic showdown dubbed as "the greatest fight of Jet Li on screen". Eventually, Nap-lan is killed and Wong manages to retrieve the name list. He returns it to Suen Man, who had been waiting at the dock and Suen sails to Hong Kong safely. The closing scenes of the film are exactly the same as the prequel film.
Cast
- Jet LiJet LiThe fame gained by his sports winnings led to a career as a martial arts film star, beginning in mainland China and then continuing into Hong Kong. Li acquired his screen name in 1982 in the Philippines when a publicity company thought his real name was too hard to pronounce...
as Wong Fei-hung - Donnie YenDonnie YenDonnie Yen is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film director and producer, action choreographer, and world wushu tournament medalist...
as General Nap-lan - Rosamund KwanRosamund KwanRosamund Kwan Chi-lam is a Chinese actress born in Hong Kong with ancestry in Shenyang, Liaoning in China on her father's side and from Shanghai on her mother's side. She is the daughter of Shaw Brothers star Kwan Shan and actress Cheung Bing Sai...
as "13th Aunt" Siu-kwan - Max Mok as Leung Foon
- Zhang TielinZhang TielinZhang Tielin , sometimes credited as Cheung Tit-lam, is a Chinese actor and film director best known for his role as the Qianlong Emperor in the Princess Pearl television series. He took up British citizenship in 1997.-Biography:...
as Suen Man (Sun Yat-senSun Yat-senSun Yat-sen was a Chinese doctor, revolutionary and political leader. As the foremost pioneer of Nationalist China, Sun is frequently referred to as the "Father of the Nation" , a view agreed upon by both the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China...
) - David ChiangDavid ChiangJohn Chiang is a Hong Kong actor. His Chinese name is Chiang Da-wei . He is sometimes credited as David Chiang.-Biography:...
as Luk Ho-dung (Lu Hao-tungLu Hao-tungLu Hao-tung , born Lu Chung-gui , courtesy name Hsien-hsiang , was the first "revolutionary martyr" of the Republic of China...
) - Hung Yan-yan as Priest Kung
- Yen Shi-kwan as Governor Chung
- Dion LamDion LamDion Lam Dik-On is a Hong Kong action choreographer and actor.- Filmography :*The Hangman *Energetic 21 *Crazy Blood *Mistaken Identity *The Killer *Ghost Ballroom *Angel Enforcers...
as Governor Chung's assistant - Ho Ka-kui as Innkeeper Mak
- Paul Fonoroff as British Consular
- Mike Miller as Dr Thompson
- Chu Kai-sang as White Lotus Sect regiment commander
- Chun Kwai-bo as White Lotus Sect member
- Kong Chuen as White Lotus Sect member
- Chan Siu-wah as White Lotus Sect member
- Ling Chi-hung as White Lotus Sect member
- Leung Yat-ho
- Ho Chi-moon
- Chow Shu-kei
- Chang Kin-ming
- Wong Wai-leung
- Leung Shing-hung
DVD release date
On July 2, 2001, DVD was released in Hong Kong LegendsHong Kong Legends
Hong Kong Legends was a United Kingdom DVD distribution company, based in Hertfordshire and operating from the UK and Australia between 1999 and 2007...
at Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
in Region 2
DVD region code
DVD region codes are a digital-rights management technique designed to allow film distributors to control aspects of a release, including content, release date, and price, according to the region...
.
Two years later, Hong Kong Legends DVD were released on April 7, 2003 at 3 disc set Tsui Hark's Once Upon a Time in China Trilogy.
Three years later, The Donnie Yen Collection DVD were released on May 29, 2006 at 4 disc set including two films they were New Dragon Gate Inn
New Dragon Gate Inn
New Dragon Gate Inn is a 1992 Hong Kong wuxia film directed by Raymond Lee and produced by Tsui Hark, starring Tony Leung Ka-fai, Brigitte Lin, Maggie Cheung and Donnie Yen. It was released as Dragon Inn in North America....
and 2 disc platinum edition Iron Monkey.
Historical references
- The Chinese doctor Suen Man is Sun Yat-senSun Yat-senSun Yat-sen was a Chinese doctor, revolutionary and political leader. As the foremost pioneer of Nationalist China, Sun is frequently referred to as the "Father of the Nation" , a view agreed upon by both the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China...
, the founder of the Republic of ChinaRepublic of ChinaThe Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
. "Luke Ho-tung" is the CantoneseCantoneseCantonese is a dialect spoken primarily in south China.Cantonese may also refer to:* Yue Chinese, the Chinese language that includes Cantonese* Cantonese cuisine, the cuisine of Guangdong province...
pronunciation of "Lu Hao-tungLu Hao-tungLu Hao-tung , born Lu Chung-gui , courtesy name Hsien-hsiang , was the first "revolutionary martyr" of the Republic of China...
".
- The film's setting is after the First Sino-Japanese WarFirst Sino-Japanese WarThe First Sino-Japanese War was fought between Qing Dynasty China and Meiji Japan, primarily over control of Korea...
. At the beginning, there is a student protest against the unfair Treaty of ShimonosekiTreaty of ShimonosekiThe Treaty of Shimonoseki , known as the Treaty of Maguan in China, was signed at the Shunpanrō hall on April 17, 1895, between the Empire of Japan and Qing Empire of China, ending the First Sino-Japanese War. The peace conference took place from March 20 to April 17, 1895...
in which Formosa (present-day TaiwanTaiwanTaiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
) was handed over to the Empire of JapanEmpire of JapanThe Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
.
- The White LotusWhite LotusWhite Lotus was a type of Buddhist sectarianism that appealed to many Han Chinese, who found solace in worship of the "Unborn or Eternal Venerable Mother" , who was to gather all her children at the millennium into one family....
Cult in the film is most likely based on an anti-foreign secret society called the YihequanBoxer RebellionThe Boxer Rebellion, also called the Boxer Uprising by some historians or the Righteous Harmony Society Movement in northern China, was a proto-nationalist movement by the "Righteous Harmony Society" , or "Righteous Fists of Harmony" or "Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists" , in China between...
(aka Boxers of the Boxer RebellionBoxer RebellionThe Boxer Rebellion, also called the Boxer Uprising by some historians or the Righteous Harmony Society Movement in northern China, was a proto-nationalist movement by the "Righteous Harmony Society" , or "Righteous Fists of Harmony" or "Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists" , in China between...
). The cult also has references to the historical White Lotus such as the cult of MaitreyaMaitreyaMaitreya , Metteyya , or Jampa , is foretold as a future Buddha of this world in Buddhist eschatology. In some Buddhist literature, such as the Amitabha Sutra and the Lotus Sutra, he or she is referred to as Ajita Bodhisattva.Maitreya is a bodhisattva who in the Buddhist tradition is to appear on...
.
- An "Eastern Extension Australasia and China telegraph company" office can be seen, where the locals are demonstrating outside.
Alternative version
The Taiwanese VHS release distributed by Long Shong opens with a 7 minute-long recap of the first film in series.This version also includes scenes cut from the international releases:
- Siu-kwan tastes some medicine and says that it tasted bitter. Leung Foon tries it and agrees. Wong Fei-hung returns but they are unsuccessful in their prank on him.
- Luke discloses Suen's plans for revolution. Wong Fei-hung protests angrily by saying that China should not experience any more turmoil.
- After the scene featuring children learning martial arts at the foreign-language school, Siu-kwan and Leung Foon discovers that they were writing their wills. Unexpectedly, Leung manages to raise their spirits by teaching them martial arts.
Box office
This was a rare sequel to a Hong Kong film to exceed the original film's box office take. It grossed $30,399,676 HKD.http://hkmdb.com/db/movies/view.mhtml?id=7576&display_set=engAwards and nominations
- 1992 Golden Horse Film FestivalGolden Horse Film Festival and AwardsThe Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards is a film festival and awards ceremony held annually in Taiwan. It was founded in 1962, by Government Information Office, Republic of China...
- Won: Best Original Song (James Wong)
- 199312th Hong Kong Film Awards-Best Film:-Best Director:-Best Screenplay:-Best Actor:-Best Actress:-Best Supporting Actor:-Best Supporting Actress:-Best New Performer:-Best Cinematography:-Best Film Editing:-Best Art Direction:-Best Costume Make Up Design:...
Hong Kong Film Awards- Won: Best Action Choreography (Yuen Woo-pingYuen Woo-pingYuen Woo-ping is a Chinese martial arts choreographer and film director, renowned as one of the most successful and influential figures in the world of Hong Kong action cinema. He is one of the inductees on the Avenue of Stars in Hong Kong...
) - Nominated: Best Film
- Nominated: Best Supporting Actor (Donnie YenDonnie YenDonnie Yen is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film director and producer, action choreographer, and world wushu tournament medalist...
) - Nominated: Best Director (Tsui HarkTsui HarkTsui Hark , born Tsui Man-kong, is a Hong Kong New Wave film director and producer. He is viewed as a major figure in the Golden Age of Hong Kong cinema .-Early life:...
) - Nominated: Best New Performer (Hung Yan-yan)
- Nominated: Best Art Direction (Eddie Ma)
- Nominated: Best Cinematography (Arthur WongArthur WongArthur Wong Ngok-Tai is a nine time Hong Kong Film Awards-winning cinematographer, actor, screenwriter, film producer and film director.-Career:...
) - Nominated: Best Film Editing (Marco MakMarco MakMarco Mak Chi-Sin is a Hong Kong film editor, director, production manager, actor, screenwriter, film producer, music composer and assistant director.-Director:* The Blood Rules * Love Correction * A Gambler's Story...
) - Nominated: Best Original Film Score (Richard YuenRichard YuenRichard Yuen Ming-fai, JP is the current Commissioner of Customs and Excise for the Customs and Excise Department of Hong Kong.-Background:Richard Yuen joined the Administrative Service in August 1980...
, Johnny Njo)
- Won: Best Action Choreography (Yuen Woo-ping