Heroes Among Heroes
Heroes Among Heroes (Chinese: 蘇乞兒) is a 1993 Hong Kong martial arts film produced and directed by Yuen Woo-ping and starring Donnie Yen as the titular protagonist, So Chan, whom was one of the Ten Tigers of Canton. The film shows opium smugglers in the Qing Dynasty, China, with Officer Lin Zexu and Chinese martial arts master and folk hero of Cantonese ethnicity, Wong Fei-hung fighting against them. It was released in the US as Fist of the Red Dragon.
| Heroes Among Heroes | |
|---|---|
 A DVD cover with the film's US title: Fist of the Red Dragon | |
| Directed by | Yuen Woo-ping Chan Chin-chung |
| Produced by | Yuen Woo-ping Chan Chin-chung Lam Shue-kin |
| Screenplay by | Lau Tai-muk Jobic Chui Chan Chin-chung Anthony Wong |
| Starring | Donnie Yen Wong Yuk Ng Man-tat Fennie Yuen |
| Music by | William Wu |
| Cinematography | Stephen Poon Ma Koon-wa |
| Edited by | Kwok Ting-hung |
Production company | Art Sea Films |
| Distributed by | Regal Films Distribution |
Release date | 11 November 1993 |
Running time | 92 minutes |
| Country | Hong Kong |
| Language | Cantonese |
| Box office | HK$7,020,771 |
| Heroes Among Heroes | |||||||||||
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| Traditional Chinese | 蘇乞兒 | ||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 苏乞儿 | ||||||||||
| Literal meaning | "Beggar So" | ||||||||||
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Plot
Close to the end of the Qing Dynasty, opium is being smuggled to China. Officer Lin Zexu (Pau Fong) and Master Wong Fei-hung (Wong Yuk) join forces against opium smugglers.
Meanwhile, So Chan, also known as Beggar So (Donnie Yen), a man from a rich family, is famous for stealing food for his poor foster father (Kwan Hoi-san) and friends. He lives with his father (Ng Man-tat) and aunt, Jean (Sheila Chan). So befriends a British teacher named Yi-teh (Fennie Yuen), a niece of Prince Barac of Twelve (Hung Yan-yan).
So fights and defeats the Fire Lotus Gang, causing an explosion in which many citizens are hurt and Master Wong demands an apology. Later, Prince Barac of Twelve offers So opium; So becomes addicted to it. He goes to his foster father and learns drunken boxing; his foster father is then killed by the Fire Lotus Gang, for whom Prince Barac of Twelve has betrayed So.
So eventually returns home, joins forces with Wong Fei-hung, and seeks revenge. In the end, So and Wong win against Prince Barac of Twelve and Yi-teh becomes So's girlfriend. Lin Zexu and Wong Fei-hung watch as the opium is burned.
Cast
- Donnie Yen as So Chan
- Fennie Yuen as Yi-teh
- Ng Man-tat as Chan's father
- Sheila Chan as Aunt Jean
- Wong Yuk as Wong Fei-hung
- Hung Yan-yan as Prince Barac of Twelve
- Kwan Hoi-san as foster-father
- Pau Fong as Lin Zexu
- Dickson Lee as Leung Foon