Dance of the Drunk Mantis is the actual sequel to the original Jackie Chan film, but this time without Chan in the lead role. Hwang Jang-Lee is back, this time as “Rubber Legs,” and using a drunken mantis style that seems invincible until Foggy (Yuen Shun-Yi) is trained in the “sick fist” technique by a brother of the Sam Seed (Simon Yuen) iconic character.
It’s tough to follow a classic and an actor that would achieve legendary status, but Yuen Shun-Li just doesn’t have the charisma or ability that Chan has. He puts in a game effort, but the real stars are Hwang Jang-Lee and whoever doubled for Simon Yuen during their fights, which are innovative and exciting. Corey Yuen is also excellent in his brief fight and clearly was as skilled as anyone doing fight work at that time. The movie tends to drag a bit in some of the comedic parts, but in the end is enjoyable. Just don’t expect a movie that is at the level of the original Drunken Master.