Once Upon a Time in China and America
Seen it?1997 | 102 min | Action, Western
Weeknight Watchearly ratingWhy it’s a Weeknight Watch
With a lukewarm 5.9 out of 10 from audiences and little lasting buzz, it's a mixed bag. Fine if it's on; don't plan your night around it.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for action fans. If you loved Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story, start here.
- The mood
- Exciting.
- The pace
- Fast-moving, at 1 hr 42 min.
- What might put you off
- It's in Cantonese, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
So goes to the U.S. to open a martial arts school. Around this time, many Chinese people were sold off to U.S. railroad companies, and were brutally treated by the Americans under the harsh working conditions. Thus, the American workers' hatred towards the Chinese immigrants is high. As a result, So gets into trouble with the Americans and the mob, and calls Master Wong for help.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsSolid
Generally positive reviews
- AudiencesBelow par
5.9 out of 10
- AwardsWeak
0 wins and 1 nomination from smaller awards and festivals
- Box office & staying powerSolid
$30 million worldwide on a $12 million budget
- Buzz & cultural impactBelow par
About 23K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Sammo Hung Kam-bo
- Jet LiWong Fei Hung
- Rosamund Kwan Chi-LamAunt Yee / Diana
- Xiong XinxinKwai Geuk-Chat
- Power Chan Kwok-pongDr. So
- Jeff WolfeBilly
- Joseph SayahBandit Leader
- ChrystabellSarah, the Indian Girl
- Patrick Lung KongUncle Lone
- Richard Ng Yiu-honUncle Han
- William Fung Kwun-ManImmigrant Worker