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A group of bandits make a daring attack on a convoy and kidnap the son of the local governor.  In return for giving the governor’s son his life, they demand the return of their leader who has been held prisoner.  Their plan is going well until the arrival of Golden Swallow, the governor’s highly skilled daughter who aims to extract her brother by sheer force.  Teaming up with the local vagrant Drunken Cat, the form their plans of attack as they begin the fight for her brother’s life!

A group of bandits make a daring attack on a convoy and kidnap the son of the local governor.  In return for giving the governor’s son his life, they demand the return of their leader who has been held prisoner.  Their plan is going well until the arrival of Golden Swallow, the governor’s highly skilled daughter who aims to extract her brother by sheer force.  Teaming up with the local vagrant Drunken Cat, the form their plans of attack as they begin the fight for her brother’s life!

Shaw Brothers films are much like Hammer films; they come with a distinct atmosphere and quality that makes them stand out as their own sub-genre all together.  Sure, the majority of them are kung fu flicks, but there’s always an element to them that makes them transcend above your typical fleet of foot fist fight.  In Come Drink With Me, they introduce a consummate fighter that is female in a world dominated by male arch-types.  She’s really really good at it too.  So it’s no surprise that this one manages to captivate in the good parts of the film.  Unfortunately there’s a bit too much singing and slowness in between the fight scenes. 

The fights are handled well throughout the movie; extravagantly choreographed and entertaining.  The downfall to these fights begins to grow apparent as the fights last longer and longer.  Typically they start out strong and frenetic but slowly dwindle to a slower and more plodding nature.  Chan Pei-Pei, well known for her role in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon handles the fight scenes gracefully and fluidly; the fault seems to come in the choreographers reluctance to plunger her headlong into the fray.

The story behind Come Drink With Me is one we’ve heard before, especially if you’re a fan of the genre.  There are enough twists on characters however that keeps it fresh and entertaining.  The drunken fighter is a well worn device in kung fu flicks throughout history.  Drunken Cat’s tender side that comes forth when he works with the local orphans helps to bond to a character we normally be repulsed by. Chan Pei-Pei’s Golden Swallow leaves you little time to feel sorry for, or doubt the skills of the dainty female solider.  She waists no time in kicking some butt and showing her dominance in a bar brawl allowing us to instantly back her in any path she may take.

Come Drink With Me as a movie is well shot and well acted leading it into the modern era as a classic of the kung fu genre.  As for the DVD packing itself, the Weinstein’s Dragon Dynasty line manages to pack in tons of extras to go along with the feature film.  Included on the DVD is an at length interview with Chan Pei-Pei, star of Come Drink With Me, an interview with Drunken Cat himself, Yueh Hua, an in depth retrospective on the film from Hong Kong Cinema expert Bey Logan, as well as an introspective from acclaimed directo Tsui Hark.  All of these extra combine together to form an excellent primer for those new to Hong Kong Cinema packed with loads of information on the stars and movies of the day. 

Come Drink With Me is a Shaw Brothers classic and with Dragon Dyansty’s fully featured package, makes for a excellent jumping on point for new fans of the genre as well as for the well seasoned veteran.

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