Once Upon a Time in China IV

Once Upon a Time in China IV is a 1993 Hong Kong martial arts action film directed by Yuen Bun and produced by Tsui Hark. The film is the fourth installment the Once Upon a Time in China series. The film also saw Vincent Zhao taking over the role of Chinese folk hero Wong Fei-hung from Jet Li, who played the character in the previous three films.

Plot

Set in the late Qing Dynasty in Beijing, China, in 1900, Wong Fei-hung and his companions (his new love interest 14th Aunt, his father Wong Kei-ying, and his disciples Leung Foon and Clubfoot) face new enemies. This time, their opponents include German and British forces, as well as the anti-foreign feminist Red Lantern Society.

During a parade, the Red Lantern Society attack a German church. Before things get out of control, Wong comes to the foreigners' aid and he fights with the society's members, who are armed with rope weapons and ether-filled lanterns.

As the champion of the National Lion Dance Competition in the previous film, Wong is invited by a Chinese general to join him in representing China in an international lion dance competition. The contest is actually a challenge by the Eight-Nation Alliance to China, and the Chinese people need to win in order to uphold their dignity and display their national strength. Since the competition is an international one, contestants are not limited to using lion masks, hence other animal masks, such as dragon, centipede and eagle, are present.

Wong is late for the competition as he is busy dealing with the Red Lantern Society, hence the general's dragon dance teams started without him. The contest turned out to be a brutal massacre, as the foreigners' animal masks are equipped with various types of weapons and they are using "dirty" tricks to ensure that they will win. The general and several dancers are killed in the competition.

When Wong finally arrives, he is shocked and issues a formal challenge to the foreigners, requesting for a rematch. This time, Wong's teams are better prepared and they emerge victorious. Ironically, after Wong's victory, he receives news that the armies of the Eight Nation Alliance have invaded and occupied Peking, inflicting a crushing defeat on China. Wong has no choice but to leave Peking with his companions and return to Fat-san, where they will plan their next move.

Cast

• Vincent Zhao as Wong Fei-hung
• Jean Wang as 14th Aunt
• Max Mok as Leung Foon
• Hung Yan-yan as Clubfoot
• Billy Chow as Iron Fist
• Chin Kar-lok as Tuen Tin-lui
• Lau Shun as Wong Kei-ying
• Louis Roth as Father Thomas
• Wang Zhiwen as Deputy governor
• Kwok Nga-cheung
• Wang Jinhua
• Wong Tak-yan
• Ling Kam-wah
• Ho Moon-chow
• Siu Bing-lam
• Leung Yat-ho
• Lam Chi-tai
• Tong Pau-chung

Box office

The departure of Jet Li and the reduced input of Tsui Hark heavily affected the box office takings. However, this also allowed the film to be made with much lower budget. Despite many negative reviews it received, the fourth installment grossed HK $11,301,790^[1], a return significant enough for the producers to go ahead with the next film in the franchise, Once Upon a Time in China V.

References

External links

• Wong Fei-hung zhi sei: Wang zhe zhi feng aka "Once Upon a Time in China IV" at the Internet Movie Database
• Once Upon a Time in China IV at AllRovi
• HKMDB
• HK Cinemagic