Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Graphic
- energetic
- earnest
- witty
- kung fu movie night
- hong kong cinema marathon
What critics said
Critics generally found it an entertaining and unusually thoughtful kung fu drama whose moral story and action outweigh its lack of classic status.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The story explicitly contrasts the barefoot kid's impressive kung fu skills with the lesson that fighting ability is useless without morality and sound judgment.
Tuan Ching-Yun manages the dye workshop after withdrawing from martial arts, while the escalating attacks force his past and kung fu expertise back into the conflict.
The dye shop's kind owner is pressured by a strongman seeking her family's secrets, and the workshop is ultimately burned down.
Kuan Feng-Yao arrives from the country to work with his dead father's friend and is gradually pulled into the city's escalating struggle.
Films like The Bare-Footed Kid, and why
Disciples of Shaolin
shared hong kong martial arts tradition, moral conflict, and choreographed action drama
The Millionaires' Express
shared kung fu action, working-class conflict, and themes of honor and moral discipline
Once Upon a Time in China
shared period martial arts setting, family secrets, corrupt strongmen, and righteous resistance
The Blade
shared kung fu melodrama, mentor figures, and escalating conflict between moral restraint and violence
Movie Details
- Director
- Johnnie To
- Release Date
- 1993-04-03
- Runtime
- 87 min
- Rating
- 6.2 / 10 (38)
Cast
- Aaron Kwok Fu-Shing
- Maggie Cheung
- Ti Lung
- Jacklyn Wu Chien-Lien
- Paul Chun Pui
- Kenneth Tsang
- Cheung Siu-fai
- Wong Yat-Fei
- Tin Ching
- Wong San
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- ARROW
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Bare-Footed Kid about?
- A gifted country youth brings his kung fu into a brutal city struggle where protecting a threatened dye workshop demands more than physical strength.
- What is The Bare-Footed Kid like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Bare-Footed Kid as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Bare-Footed Kid violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in The Bare-Footed Kid as graphic.
- What did critics think of The Bare-Footed Kid?
- Critics generally found it an entertaining and unusually thoughtful kung fu drama whose moral story and action outweigh its lack of classic status.
- Which films are like The Bare-Footed Kid?
- Films with a similar feel include Disciples of Shaolin, The Millionaires' Express, Once Upon a Time in China, and The Blade.
- How long is The Bare-Footed Kid?
- The Bare-Footed Kid runs 87 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Bare-Footed Kid?
- In United States, The Bare-Footed Kid streams on ARROW.
