Once Upon a Time in China III
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Plot
The Qing Dynasty was set in a time of turmoil at the turn of the century (c. 1900), when foreign nations began taking over and ruining China's sovereignty. To restore China's pride and power, the Empress Dowager and Governor Li Hongzhang sponsor a national King Lion Competition, where it features competing lion dancers.
Wong Fei Hung and his disciple Leung Foon arrive in Beijing to visit Fei Hung's father, Kei Ying. The two meet Aunt Yee at the train station, where she just reunited with a friend, a Russian diplomat named Tomonvsky, who vies for her attention to the annoyance of Wong.
Upon meeting his father, Fei Hung learns he was attacked by a wealthy rival martial artist named Chiu Tim Ba and his formidable fighter and lackey, Club. Luckily there were only minor injuries. Kei Ying, who runs a martial arts school and a shop selling lion masks, decides to grant Fei Hung's blessings since his son and Aunt Yee develop closer relations.
At the first round of the Lion Dance competition, Fei Hung merely decides to be a spectator. However, Foon has just reunited with his younger brother and the two secretly join the contest for fun, but they run afoul of Club. Foon and Club have a short scrimmage, and Club's foot is seriously injured by a dozen rampaging horses. Fei Hung has to intervene, and then he meets Chiu and his nasty personality. He vows revenge for his wrongdoings.
Club was abandoned by the heartless Chiu, and Fei Hung decides to heal his injuries. Club rejects his help at first, but realizes the kindness of Fei Hung and his family, and eventually becomes his loyal disciple and Foon's good friend. But the situation with Chiu becomes more serious, as he attempts to kill Fei Hung several times.
Later, with the help of the first-ever movie camera, Aunt Yee inavertantly uncovers an assassination plot on Governor Li at the final round of the contest. She is dismayed to learn Tomonovsky is behind it all. She informs Fei Hung and, knowing he has no authority to warn the Governor face-to-face, he has no choice but to enroll in the final round, taking place at the Forbidden City. He, Club, and Foon registers, along with hundreds more of lion dancers, and battle their way through. Chiu enrolled as well, wearing the largest and deadliest lion mask. Aunt Yee confronts Tomonvsky, and ultimately, he is killed by his fellow diplomats after he fails to murder the governor. Fei Hung proceeds to defeat Chiu, and Club wins the gold trophy. But Fei Hung gives the trophy to Hongzhang, explaining the win was Pyrrhic and the whole contest was just the wrong way to prove China's restoration. He adds that it brought many deaths to their own people, and to bring power and faith back to the nation, everyone must co-operate as a whole.
Awards and nominations
Nominated: Best Film Editing (Marco Mak, Angie Lam)
Box office
It grossed $27,540,561 HKD in Hong Kong
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