Jet Li, Rosamund Kwan, Siu Chung Mok

Master Wong and his disciples enroll in the 'Dancing Lion Competition' to stop an assassination plot and to battle an arrogant, deceitful opponent.

Flixster Users

75% liked it

8,159 ratings

R, 115 min.

Directed by: Hark Tsui

Release Date: January 14, 1993

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: July 17, 2001

Stats: 224 reviews

Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

Photos


None yet... Got one?

Your Rating



clear rating

Flixster Reviews (224)


  • October 15, 2009
    The Empress of China decides to hold a Lion King competition as a show of strength to foreigners; rather than uniting her people, the impending event causes fights to break out between rival martial arts schools across the country. Out to ensure that as many potential winners are...( read more) quashed before the contest even takes place, the nasty Chiu Tim-ba and his men attack the other competitors, including the father of the legendary Wong Fei Hung.

    Wong (Jet Li) steps in to protect his old man, gets in a few scraps, and eventually becomes involved in foiling an assassination attempt on a high ranking governor, whilst at the same time trying to make sure that the ex-boyfriend of his sweetheart stays his distance.

    As a big fan of Jet Li, I really have tried my utmost to enjoy the OUATIC movies, but, even with the incredible cinematography, lavish sets and costumes, powerful score, and welcome appearances from industry greats such as Yuen Baio and Donnie Yen, the series has left me rather unimpressed.

    And Part 3 does nothing to change that.

    This chapter moves the action from Canton to Beijing, but almost everything else stays the same. We get more xenophobia, more silly wire-work enhanced fight scenes, more playful romance between Wong and his girl (the gorgeous Rosamund Kwan), more lame comedy, and not enough memorable martial arts action from Li. And this time round we also get lion dances. Lots and lots of lion dances.

    If the sight of men dancing and leaping about in brightly coloured lion costumes doesn't sound like fun to you, then I strongly suggest you do not watch this film (lion dance fetishists, however, will have a field day!).

    I had always found the traditional Chinese lion dance rather interesting to watch, but this film has dampened my enthusiasm for them more than just a tad. OUATIC 3 starts with lion dances, has a few lion dances throughout, and end with lots of... you guessed it.... lion dances!!! Sure, some of the lions have booby trapped mouths which fire arrows, and another has blades attached to it, and there's a humongous lion at the end to spice things up, but there's only so much wiggling of lion bodies, jiggling of lion heads, snapping of lion mouths and fluttering of big lion eyes that I can take.

    In fact, only the presence of the delightful Miss Kwan as Aunt (or is it cousin?) Yee kept me sane. Once again, she is a joy to behold and makes the whole lion-infested film worth enduring.
  • November 11, 2008
    The Chinese government call a martial arts tournament and the local triad gangs use violence and intimidation to ensure victory. Enter Jet Li to address the situation and foil an assassination plot in the process. Continuing the exceedingly tall story of Wong Fei-hung, Tsui Hark ...( read more)learned his lesson from the previous film and made the comedy less crude and childish and tempered the melodrama playing more to his strengths; namely action and visual spectacle. And the sight of a horde of Chinese dragons battling in the streets is certainly one of the most colourful spectacles you are ever likely to see. Unfortunately the sea of costumes, masks and flowing fabric means it's extremely difficult to tell what's going on and the result is messy and confusing. The appeal of these films is clearly Jet Li's skill as a martial artist but more often than not his performance is obscured by the visual trappings. The assassination plot also feels like an afterthought and another excuse to vilify foreigners (the Russians this time). The beautiful production design and breakneck pace means that once again the film never feels boring, but there are far better examples of Jet Li's abilities out there.
  • August 8, 2008
    This film series so far has been incredible.
  • November 22, 2009
    I avoid most Asian non-martial arts dramas like the plague. American soap operas make me nauseous as it is.
  • July 16, 2009
    another fantastic movie...pack with cool martial arts moves...
    :p
  • February 11, 2009
    Just as good as the previous two, if not more so.
  • November 26, 2008
    continued to be my favorite....
  • October 22, 2008
    once upon a time...
    in china.. the end..?
  • August 31, 2008
    This was really good! Great story and Jet Le rocked!
  • August 8, 2008
    the third wong fei hong movie of jet li, still good to watch

Critic Reviews


No recent reviews.

Comments


This board looks lonely. Be the first to talk about "Once Upon a Time in China 3 (Wong Fei Hung ji saam: Si wong jaang ba)" !

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Official Trailer

More Like This


Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Wo hu cang long)
    Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Wo hu cang lo... (83%)
  • Once Upon a Time in China 2
    Once Upon a Time in China 2 (88%)
  • Once Upon a Time in China 4
    Once Upon a Time in China 4 (100%)

Facts


No facts approved yet. Be the first

Once Upon a Time ... : Watch Free on TV


Once Upon a Time in China 3 (Wong Fei Hung ji saam: Si wong jaang ba) Trivia

Movie Quizzes


No quizzes for Once Upon a Time in China 3 (Wong Fei Hung ji saam: Si wong jaang ba). Want to create one?

Video Clips


No video clips yet. Want to upload one?

Recent News


No recent headlines. Got one?

Most Popular Skin


No skins yet. Interested in creating one?