Movie

The Prodigal Son

1981 · 100 min

A warm, funny kung fu coming-of-age story that turns surprisingly poignant, with inventive fights and a bittersweet finish.

Tagline: The fighting men in Chinese opera house.
Overview: A rich man's son believes himself to be the best kung fu fighter in Canton. Unfortunately, his father, anxious for his son's safety, bribes all his opponents to lose. After a humiliating defeat at the hands of an actor in a traveling theatre company, the son resolves to find a better teacher.

In the UKNo streaming, rental or purchase options known.

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How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone: lightstrength 2 of 3
warmstrength 2 of 3
melancholicstrength 1 of 3
tensestrength 1 of 3
Pacing: measured, 2 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention: engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes: coming-of-age
identity
family
betrayal
redemption
Places: small town
big city
Era: period
Audience: teen
Form: ensemble
Content intensity: Gore mild
Language mild
Violence strong
Sex none

All scales, 0 to 10

Scales, 0 to 10
Scale	Value	0 to 10
Action	8
Horror	2
Humour	6
Realism	6
Romance	1
Tension	5
Darkness	4
Complexity	4
Emotional weight	6

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Where to watch in the UK

No UK streaming, rental or purchase options are known.

Streaming data from JustWatch.TMDB

Details

Genres: action, comedy
Directed by: Sammo Hung Kam-bo
Written by: Barry Wong Ping-yiu, Sammo Hung Kam-bo, Wong Jing
Starring: Yuen Biao, Frankie Chan Fan-kei, Lam Ching-ying, Sammo Hung Kam-bo, Peter Chan Lung, Paul Chung Fat, Dick Wei, Wai Pak
Music: Philip Chan Fei-Lit, Frankie Chan Fan-kei
Cinematography: Ricky Lau Koon-wai
Runtime: 100 min
Country: Hong Kong
Languages: Cantonese

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The Prodigal Son

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