Last Hero in China

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Last Hero in China

Directed by	Wong Jing Yuen Woo-ping
Produced by	Jet Li
Written by	Wong Jing
Starring	Jet Li Chan Pak Cheung Dicky Cheung Cheung Man Chung Fat
Music by	Lui Tsung Tak
Cinematography	Tom Lau Jingle Ma
Release date(s)	1993
Running time	108 mins
Country	Hong Kong
Language	Cantonese
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Last Hero in China is a 1993 film written and directed by Wong Jing. It was released after the original Once Upon a Time in China trilogy. It is derivative of the original Once Upon a Time in China series, and unlike other imitation films, it can be considered a spinoff or spoof to some extent. The film's action director was Yuen Woo-ping and like the first three Once Upon a Time in China films, it starred Jet Li as legenderay Chinese folk hero, Wong Fei Hung. However, it differs greatly in tone from the Once Upon a Time in China series, containing stronger elements of violence and broader, more slapstick, comedy.

The film was also known by the following alternative titles:

"Claws of Steel"
"Deadly China Hero"
"Iron Rooster vs. Centipede"

[edit] Plot

Due to economic pressures, Wong is forced to move his kung fu school and Po Chi Lam clinic. Unknowingly he re-opens next to a brothel. Wong comes into conflict with a corrupt police chief (an exponent of the Boxer Rebellion) who is aiding local monks as they kidnap young women and sell them into slavery in Southern Asia. Whilst investigating the monks' temple, Wong gets involved in a fight and is subsequently accused of an unprovoked attack on the monks. He is also poisoned, leading to temporary deafness. In a later battle, Wong intervenes in the police chief's attempts to assassinate a foreign official.

In one infamous scene, parodying traditional lion dances, Wong is dressed as a chicken or rooster, complete with an iron beak and claws. He clucks as he battles against his enemies who are shrouded in a giant metallic centipede. This scene has it's roots in the 1956 film Huang Fei-hong tie ji dou wu gong (Huang Fei-hong: The Iron Rooster Versus the Centipede), which starred Kwan Tak Hing in the title role.