Led by Yuen Cheung-Yan, the Yuen Clan collaborates on this release which, like some of their previous efforts such as Miracle Fighters, combines kung fu and fantasy elements into a package that is undeniably bizarre, yet still extremely entertaining, even if you haven't been imbibing a few adult beverages yourself.

In addition to directing the film and coordinating some of the action, Cheung-Yan also plays two major roles, so perhaps it was inevitable that he got stretched a bit too thin and some of Taoism Drunkard's core elements (namely the story) fell by the wayside, a situation that is only made worse by the near-incomprehensible subtitles featured on many home video versions.

At any rate, the core story centers on a mystical tablet that a villain named Old Devil (Yuen Shun-Yi) is trying to obtain so that he can get revenge on his former clan and take control of the Taoist society. So, of course, it's up to a grandmother (Cheung-Yan), her grandson (Yuen Yat-Choh), and a drunken priest (also played by Cheung-Yan) to save the day.

Really, it's hard to describe just how weird this movie is. Case in point is a creature/robot named the "banana monster" that guards the tablet. Looking like a blackface version of Pac-Man, the bananas this monster goes after aren't the fruit, if you get my drift. And let's not get into the scene where a guy tries to win the affections of his crush by dressing up in a suit that is so obviously and blatantly phallic that Freud would blush upon seeing it.

There are more than a few points during Taoism Drunkard where you might question if you just dropped a tab of acid, and that is ultimately its' main draw. As off the wall as it is, Taoism Drunkard is still strangely compelling and fun to watch. The fact that there's some pretty good fights with inventive weapons (continuing with the twigs and berries symbolism, one character employs huge steel balls) thrown in doesn't hurt, either.

RATING: 7