Once Upon a Time in China and America

Once Upon a Time in China and America (黃飛鴻之西域雄獅, 1997) is a Hong Kong martial arts western you can watch online on iFILM. Jet Li reprises his role as Master Wong Fei-hung, with Sammo Hung taking over directing duties for the sixth entry in the Once Upon a Time in China series.

Wong heads to the American West to open a martial arts school, and immediately finds himself in the middle of something uglier: Chinese railroad laborers being brutalized by local gangs and employers who face no consequences for it. He didn't come looking for this fight. But the Frontier runs on violence, and Wong's skills end up being the only currency that registers.

Dropping a principled Qing dynasty hero into a lawless American setting is the film's smartest idea — it creates friction that a China-set sequel couldn't manufacture. Sammo Hung's choreography is clean and purposeful throughout. Stream Once Upon a Time in China and America online on iFILM.