Signalling the last of more than 130 times Kwan Tak-hing played the role of Wong Fei-hung, “Dreadnaught” is also a classic of HK action cinema, and one of its best entries.
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The movie sets its tone from the initial scene, when a rather violent criminal named “White Tiger” is ambushed by the police in a tavern, with them ending up killing his wife and him escaping after killing a number of them. A bit later, in order to escape the Force, and under the instructions of Master Tam, who has his own agenda about him, he enters a theatre troupe in order to disguise his identity. His already manic mentality, however, has been traumatized even further by the events in the tavern, and soon he ends up killing anyone who triggers him, not to mention those who suspect his identity. Marshall Pao arrives in the city to investigate but finds himself in over his head. In the meantime, Mousy, a cowardly and lazy young man, is trying to become a student of Wong Fei-hung with the help of another student of his, Leung Foon, but repeatedly fails. Eventually, all three of them end up entangled in the case of the White Tiger.
Yuen Woo-ping maestrically combines two completely different styles in the movie, with the Mousy axis moving in comedic paths and White Tiger's in violent thriller/horror/action, occasionally touching the borders of the exploitation. The fact that neither of the two overcomes the other adds much to the overall entertainment the movie offers, as each also functions as a relief from the other. Furthermore, the fact that the narrative includes elements of Chinese opera and a police/crime aspect of sorts (since there is no mystery about the murderer) also works quite well, adding even more fun to the title, even if the particular music can be annoying on occasion.
For this mashup to work, Yuen needed to have actors that fulfil the different aspects of the narrative quite well, and in that regard, it is easy to say he cast some of the best, who truly thrive under his guidance. Yuen Biao is excellent once more in his agile buffoonery, and truly shines during the finale when he finally decides to fight. Kwan Tak-hing is exceptional in a role he has perfected, with his characteristic gaze and the way he uses his eyes and facial expressions providing a masterclass in the particular style of acting. Leung Kar-yan is also great as the archetypical ‘tough lad' Leung Foon, particularly in the action scenes.
The one who truly steals the show however, is Yuen Shun-yee as “White Tiger” who gives a truly manic, non-stop, filled-with-tension performance that occasionally makes him look like a mix of a zombie, a vampire and a paranoid killer all in one. His presence fills the screen every time he appears on it, with his character also being the main source of drama in the movie, both because he is obviously suffering from some kind of mental disease and also because he is being exploited and hunted at the same time. The final scene, which also showcases Yuen Biao's fighting abilities and Yuen Woo-ping's overall great choreography is also a triumph for him, cementing an overall astonishing presence.
Ma Koon-Wah's cinematography captures all the aforementioned elements artfully, focusing on the strong suits of each character, while both the fight scenes and the opera sequences are majestic on occasion. Peter Cheung's editing induces the movie with a very fitting, frantic narrative, that suits the overall aesthetics to perfection.
“Dreadnaught” is a truly great film, a testament to the quality of HK action comedies and one of the best entries in the category.
