TOP
MARTIAL ARTS FILMS
To star in a martial arts
film takes intense training, athletic talent and charisma. Actors
including Bruce Lee, Jet Li, and Jackie Chan have mastered this art
and are widely recognised as international superstars both for their
martial artistry and their on-screen presence. Jackie Chan
re-introduces his magnetising energy later this month as producer,
choreographer and lead actor in DRAGON BLADE, which arrives on
Blu-ray and DVD from 14th
March. To celebrate Mr Chan’s return, let’s take a look at
some of the top martial arts films of recent times...
DRAGON BLADE (2016)
The living martial arts legend that is
Jackie Chan made his long awaited return to action in DRAGON BLADE
this year, the riveting martial arts historic action flick, starring
John Cusack and Adrien Brody. Set two thousand years ago, General
Lucius’ (Cusack) legion of Roman soldiers marches East along the
famous Chinese Silk Road to protect Publius, the youngest son of
Consul Crassus, from his vicious brother Tiberius (Brody). After
becoming lost in the desert they arrive at Wild Geese Gate, where
Lucius meets Huo An (Chan), the Commander of the Silk Road Protection
Squad of the Western Region. The two men - who have each been framed
for treason - earn each other's respect and form an allegiance
against Tiberius. To protect his country and to clear his name of
treason, Huo An gathers all the allies of China to unite together and
take on Tiberius in an epic battle that will be remembered forever…
A soaring martial arts epic where East brutally meets West. Jackie
Chan’s inimitable style is put to unforgettable effect.
KUNG FU KILLER (2015)
Donnie Yen stars as Hahou, a former
martial arts instructor imprisoned after accidentally killing an
opponent. When a vicious killer played by Wang Baoqiang starts
targeting martial arts masters, Hahou offers to help the police
capture him in return for his freedom. Donnie Yen displays his
incredible ability once again in this all-action feature.
IP MAN (2008)
This 2008 semi-biographical martial
arts film is loosely based on the life of Yip Man, a martial arts
grandmaster, founder of the martial art Wing Chun and master of Bruce
Lee. It centres on the events in Ip’s life during the Sino-Japanese
war. Donnie Yen stars as Yip Man, once again bringing his martial
arts expertise to the big screen. Sammo Hung and Tony Leung Siu-hung
designed the martial arts choreography for the film. Ip Man was
hugely successful and soon became part of a franchise, the third
instalment of which was released last year.
ONCE UPON A TIME IN
CHINA (1991)
Jet Li stars in Once Upon A Time In
China - a film that alerted the world to the incredible talents
of the unknown, but extremely gifted martial artist and actor. It
follows his character Wong Fei-Hung and sees the locals become
concerned with the growing influence and presence of Westerners and
foreigners in Foshan. General Liu Yong Fu of the Black Flag Army
approaches Wong Fei-Hung and requests that he helps gather and train
a militia to assist in defending the town. Directed by Tsui Hark, the
film is a dazzling and colourful spectacle. Once Upon A
Time In China was one of the first to cross over into western
pop-culture in the post-Bruce Lee era, and is a firm favourite of
martial arts fans around the world.
CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN
DRAGON (2000)
This absolute classic is synonymous not
only with the genre of martial arts films, but martial arts itself,
winning numerous accolades over the years, including the 2000 Academy
Award for Best Foreign Language Film. The film tells the story of
Master Li Mu Bai (Chow Yun-Fat) an expert swordsman and martial
artist and his warrior friend Yu Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh) on their
search for a stolen sword. Crouching Tiger... combines action
packed kung-fu seamlessly with a truly moving love story, thanks to
the genius director that is Ang Lee, who also introduced the Matrix’s
choreographer, Yuen Woo-ping, to orchestrate the film’s incredibly
complex fight scenes.
ENTER THE DRAGON (1973)
A blockbuster hit, Enter the Dragon
is rightfully considered one of the best martial arts films of all
time and was Bruce Lee’s final film before his death. The film was
the first Chinese martial arts film to be produced by a Hollywood
Studio (Warner Brothers) and the story follows a master martial
artist who agrees to spy on a reclusive crime lord by entering a
martial arts tournament as a cover. It is an exotic and extravagant
spectacle and Lee is a unique and humble star who exudes emotion and
unsurpassable martial arts prowess.
HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS
(2004)
Set during the Tang dynasty in China,
this film follows two police captains (Andy Lau and Takeshi
Kaneshiro) on their search for the leader of the counterinsurgency
group, the flying Daggers. Jin (Kaneshiro) poses as an average
citizen and busts Mei (Zhang Ziyi) out of jail because they believe
her to be a secret member of the Daggers, but it turns out that
nothing is quite what it seems. Directed by Zhang Yimou, this film
contains fantastic fight choreography, dancing, traditional Chinese
music, and of course: martial arts.
A TOUCH OF ZEN (1971)
A Touch of Zen made cinematic
history when it became the first Chinese film to win an award at the
Cannes Film Festival in 1971. It stars Feng Hsu as Ku, an artist who
meets the beautiful Yang and discovers that she is being pursued by
agents of an Imperial noble who have murdered her family. He becomes
entangled in her struggle to survive, and many fierce battles are
fought before there is any resolve. The story effortlessly combines
elements of comedy and romance along with its drama and action.
KILL BILL VOL. 1 and 2
(2003 & 2004)
Written and directed by Quentin
Tarantino and starring Uma Thurman, Kill Bill Volumes 1 and 2
follow the story of The Bride, as she seeks revenge on an
assassination squad led by Bill (David Carradine) due to his
assassination attempt on her and her unborn child. The film received
both critical and commercial success and is considered one of
Tarantino’s best films to date. Kill Bill is extremely
unique in the martial arts genre as it stars an American female
protagonist as opposed to the more traditional Asian male. It also
co-stars Daryl Hannah and Lucy Lui proving that women can be deadly
too!
HERO (2002)
Another Jet Li film, Hero is a
wuxia film that is based on the story of Jing Ke’s assassination
attempt on the King of Qin in 227 B.C. When the film was released it
became the highest grossing motion picture in Chinese film history.
The film was nominated for both the Academy Award and Golden Globe
Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Li stars as Nameless, a master
swordsman and the primary conspirator in the assassination attempt.
He brings his usual style and energy, while the film also stars Tony
Leung, Maggie Cheung and Chen Daoming.
ONG-BAK (2003)
In Ong-Bak, Tony Jaa stars as a
young martial artist living in rural Thailand who goes to the big
city to retrieve the head of his village’s sacred statue: Ong-Bak.
The film used no special effects or stunt doubles, but you wouldn’t
believe it when you watch Jaa’s speed and execution of his martial
artistry. The film was directed and written by Prachya Pinkaew and
features stunt choreography by Panna Rittikrai. The fights are staged
excellently as Jaa takes down every enemy that gets in his way. It
was so successful that it also inspired two prequels: Ong-Bak 2 and
Ong-Bak 3.
THE RAID: REDEMPTION
(2012)
As a rookie member of an
elite special-forces team, Rama (Iko Uwais) is instructed to hang
back during a covert mission involving the extraction of a brutal
crime lord from a rundown fifteen-story apartment block. But when a
spotter blows their cover, boss Tama (Ray Sahetaphy) offers lifelong
sanctuary to every killer, gangster, and thief in the building in
exchange for their heads. Now Rama must stand in for the team's
fallen leader (Joe Taslim) and use every iota of his fighting
strength - winding through every floor and every room to complete the
mission and escape with his life. The Raid showcases the
traditional Indonesian martial art Pencak Silat, with fight
choreography by Uwais and Yayan Ruhian.
***
DRAGON
BLADE arrives on Blu-ray and DVD from 14th
March 2016, courtesy of Signature Entertainment