Leung Chang (Yuen Baio) believes himself to be a great fighter, taking on all challengers; in reality, Leung's wealthy but concerned father has been paying for his son's opponents to lose. When Leung discovers the truth, he vows to master kung fu for real, following the Lok Fung Lin acting troupe in the hope that one of their performers, Leung Yee-tai (Lam Ching-Ying),will teach him Wing Chun.

Meanwhile, martial artist Ngai (Frankie Chan) is looking for experts to fight, unaware that his father has instructed his men to kill any kung fu masters who might hurt his son. After Ngai expresses an interest in fighting Leung Yee-tai, the Lok Fung Lin company is attacked by deadly ninjas; only the two Yeungs escape with their lives, hiding out at the home of portly calligrapher Wong Wah-bo (Sammo Hung) and his chubby daughter Twiggy (Wai-Hon Ho) where Leung Chan finally gets his wish and learns Wing Chun, which he uses to defeat Ngai when he eventually returns home.

With a cast that includes Sammo Hung, Lam Ching Ying, Yuen Baio and Frankie Chan, there is no shortage of impressive acrobatic martial arts action in The Prodigal Son; unfortunately—for me at least—there is also an equal helping of Asian comedy of the kind that always leaves me scratching my head in bewilderment (are people with red noses, large facial moles, and cotton wool in their mouth really that funny?). The film's humorous content also sits rather awkwardly with the film's occasional brutal violence, the most shocking of which is the slaughter of the Lok Fung Lin performers, whose throats are cut in their sleep.

The final showdown between Yuen Baio and Frankie Chan offers up the best fight action, but it lacks the emotional wallop to be found in many a classic kung fu flick thanks to the fact that Ngai isn't a despicable villain—it's his dad that deserves the whooping.

Review: This is a classic, old school Kung Fu movie with a lot of silly jokes but a dramatic ending. Its about a boy called Leung Chang (Biao Yuen) who things that he's a Kung Fu master because his friends pay people to take his beatings. When he finally comes across someone who is not willing to fall down, he realises that his skills aren't that great and his friends tell him about what they have been doing behind his back. He then seeks training from his opponent, who is reluctant on taking him on as his apprentice. After much persuasion, he finally teaches him Wing Chun, along with his brother who has a different style. When he returns home after some intense training, his master gets murdered by a man who wants to challenge all of the Kung Fu masters, so he steps up to revenge his teacher and friend. Basically it's the old concept of "You Killed My Master" which we have seen many times in this genre but I never get bored of it. Although this film is extremely authentic, with some great action scenes, Sammo Hung's script was quite silly and camp, which was a bit weird for films in this genre in the 80's. I did chuckle at a few scenes, especially the funny English dubbing and it reminded a lot of when I used to watch Kung Fu movies on VHS. Anyway, it's definitely one to have in your collection, if your into your old school karate movies and it's one that I will never get bored of. GREAT!

Round-Up: This movie was directed by Sammo Hung, 63, who brought you movies like Project A, Wheels & Meals, Dragons Forever, Moon Warriors, Evil Cult, Mr. Nice Guy and One Upon A Time in China and America. He's starred in over 160 movies and he's starred in the lead of a successful series called Martial Law, which made him a household name around the world. He has a comedic style, very much like Jackie Chan, who he has starred alongside for many years and he is highly respected in his native country. This movie, which has become an all time classic, pushed him major stardom in the 80's and his chubby stature proved that you can still pull of some amazing moves, no matter what your weight is. He hasn't directed a movie since 1997 but he is still starring in movies like Once Upon A Time in Shanghai and the Last Tycoon. Personally I find his jokes a bit too silly at times, like I did in this film but it still worked. Anyway, the bonus material on the DVD was as interesting as the movie so it's one worth purchasing.

I recommend this movie to people who are into their action/comedy/martial arts movies starring Yuen Biao and Sammo Hung. 7/10

An enjoyable enough kung fu comedy, utilising the directorial talents of Sammo Hung and the acting skills of Yuen Biao, who pair up to deliver a period-set outing in kung fu tomfoolery with the emphasis on slapstick, open comedy with a few dramatic moments thrown in too for good measure. In fact there is one hair-raising set-piece involving a huge fire lit by a gang of black-clad assassins which is hugely effective, and followed by more serious blood and violence which was enough to earn this film an 18 certificate here in the UK. Despite not being the masterpiece I was lead to believe that this was, THE PRODIGAL SON is an engaging, skilfully made comedy/drama which benefits from some great performances.

The first belongs to Yuen Biao, taking the lead as Leung Chang, a young, arrogant boy who believes himself to be a kung fu expert when in reality he is little more than a beginner. Biao's credible transform from would-be master to lowly student to real master makes for engaging viewing, and as for the martial arts, Biao has never been better, especially in the final battle where he takes on nasty villain Frankie Chan in a duel to the death. THE PRODIGAL SON also boasts a weird, eyebrow-less turn from Lam Ching-Ying, playing an extremely camp opera singer (whose dubbed homosexual voice is the most annoying aspect of the movie) who becomes an unwitting mentor to our young learner. Sammo Hung stars in a minor but comedic part as Ching-Ying's wise brother, also a kung fu expert who attempts to teach his comely daughter some of the skills of the art.

The direction is strong, with Hung admirably holding fast, and the film is particularly well photographed. The fight scenes tend to be closely-spaced and both fast and frenetic, and thus hugely satisfying. The end result is a lot of fun. Not perhaps one of the most memorable kung fu movies out there, but THE PRODIGAL SON still has a lot to offer for martial arts buffs and at least proves that Yuen Biao can hold his own in a film, instead of being just another Jackie Chan sidekick.