Drunken Master II (1994)

While the majority of Chan's films from the 1980s and 1990s are current action flicks, for this sequel to his 1978 masterpiece, he returned to the traditional period piece. Chan appears in "Drunken Master II" as the rambunctious son of a respected man, and his pranks get his family into problems. The plot sets Chan's Wong Fei-hung against British gangsters attempting to transport Chinese riches out of the country, and it strikes a balance between Wong's two "fights" against the bad guys and his father's constant sadness.

With no fewer than three iconic setpieces interspersed with smaller bursts of pleasure, the action is endlessly brilliant, brutal, and stunning. The film begins with Chan and Lau Kar-Leung fighting beneath a train and a platform, both of which compel them to fight stooped over in close spaces. Later, they partner up for a legendary teahouse brawl against hundreds of goons, in which they use every bench, chair, and pole available. Chan is scorched, bruised, and red in the face in his final bout with Ken Lo, a top-five match in Chan's career, as he imbibes rage-inducing alcohol almost to the point of bursting.