Once Upon a Time in China II (黃飛鴻之二：男兒當自強). 1992. Hong Kong. Directed by Tsui Hark. Screenplay by Tsui, Chan Tin-suen, Cheung Tan. Martial arts direction by Yuen Woo-ping. With Jet Li, Donnie Yen. DCP courtesy Janus Films. In Cantonese; English subtitles. 112 min.
Tsui Hark’s Once Upon a Time in China II shifts focus from foreign imperialism to China’s internal political fractures. Jet Li returns as legendary folk hero Wong Fei-hung, who becomes entangled with a fanatical sect and a ruthless imperial officer (Donnie Yen). Yuen Woo-ping grounds his award-winning choreography in traditional Southern kung fu while infusing it with Peking Opera theatricality and gravity-defying fantasy. The result is a series of astonishing encounters, including Wong’s signature “shadowless kick” and the climactic duel between Li and Yen—a ferocious clash of wet-cloth whip and bamboo staff that ranks among the most celebrated fight scenes in martial arts cinema.