This awesome list is a post written by my buddy Alex Miller, a guy whose knowledge of Hong Kong / Kung Fu movies far surpasses mine! Over the years certain kung fu movies have transformed from cult items to a significant genre in our cinematic language. One of the great, and occasionally frustrating aspects of kung fu movies is just how many productions there are. Hong Kong was a major contender in the market of international cinema, and the bulk of these pictures were martial arts/wuxia movies. Occasionally frustrating, but always rewarding when you stumble across a new title that for some reason or another that has gone unnoticed. Pedicab DriverPedicab driver is famous among kung fu fans for two good reasons, one of those being a legendary fight scene between Sammo Hung and kung fu guru Lau Kar Leung, the other reason being it’s a great movie. Directed and starring Sammo Hung, Pedicab Driver is a great vehicle for the seasoned luminary of the Hong Kong movie business, and this is one of his many great movies. Aside from the famous fight between Sammo Lau-Kar-Leung there’s also a wonderfully weird Star Wars homage where two rival pedicab drivers duke it out with florescent bulbs with light saber sound effects and all. Sammo Hung will appear quite a bit on this list, as he should. For many good reasons, he’s a great fighter, wonderful choreographer, superlative actor, and above all a terrific director. Pedicab Driver is one of his best titles as actor/director. The movie is extremely hard to come by unless you don’t mind dropping $80.00 on Amazon, but the movie can be seen in its entirety on Youtube. Dirty HoI’ve been twiddling my thumbs for years waiting for a Dragon Dynasty release of this seminal film from masters Lau Kar-Leung, and Gordon Liu (of 36th Chamber fame) and prayers are gone on unanswered. Dirty Ho is another great martial arts adventure comedy from the eminent duo Lau Kar Leung and Gordon Liu and demands to be seen by any self-respecting kung fu fanatic. Great fight scenes are assured with any Lau Kar-Leung production but Dirty Ho has some choice scenes including Liu posing as an antique dealer bouting (ever so subtly) with a prince while the two parry and exchange attacks while discussing the merits of a Tang Dynasty Jade carving. Great action and comedy deftly blend and Dirty Ho can be rented on Youtube, or you can pick up an English dub DVD available on Amazon. Shanghai ExpressShanghai Express, not Shanghai Noon. Shanghai Express is one of the more unique of all the Hong Kong action films from this period. Shanghai Express (or better known in Hong Kong as Millionaires Express) is a grab bag of that makes Hong Kong cinema great; Wong Fei Hung, great fight choreography, blending genres, and Cynthia Rothrock. Shanghai Express is like a mixture of American western mythology Chinese culture weaved into a good old-fashioned adventure yarn. Confidentially directed by its star Sammo Hung, who also stars in the film alongside Yuen Biao, and Cynthia Rothrock and many other talented actors from Sammo’s Lucky Stars Series. Shanghai Express is a Hong Kong western where a town of criminals, pimps, prostitutes, and every other kind of misfit band together to fight off plundering bandits as well as some Japanese warriors who just happen to be passing by. As we have seen the “east meets west” movie model doesn’t always work (Lethal Weapon 4, Shanghai Noon, The Protector) but this is the west imagined by the east, and the western actors are working under the eastern terms, and if history has taught us anything the east knows how to make an action film. The film has everything you could want from a western as well as a Hong Kong martial arts picture, and Sammo pays more than homage to the great actors of silent comedies and musicals such as Laurel & Hardy, Fred Astaire, and Buster Keaton. Sammo, an unsung auteur of the action film has directed what might be one of his greatest titles, try not to have too much fun! There’s a wonderful release from Dragon Dynasty, with interviews, and a superb audio commentary with Hong Kong cinema expert Bey Logan. Duel For GoldThe Shaw Brothers are responsible for so many classic kung fu/wuxia movies it’ll only be sensible to name a few, The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, Come Drink with Me, King Boxer, and of course many more, Duel for Gold is a title that should be among the many classics but seems to have gotten lost in the archives. A down and dirty tale of betrayal centering around a gold heist A Duel for Gold is great fun, with action galore including a bamboo tree top fight ( and Ang Lee said his inspiration came from King Hu ), and some great acting from Shaw legend Lo Lieh. Bloody fight scenes and campy Shaw Brothers entertainment assured, a must see! Some badly dubbed DVDs of this feature are floating around, but eBay might be your best bet for hard to find Hong Kong action movies. The Valiant Ones
Like most of Hu’s movies, the film is constructed around corruption and intrigue regarding the dynasty (The Ming Dynasty), and The Valiant Ones is one of his tightly paced and liveliest productions. Sammo Hung might not have had the opportunity to bolster his screen presence the way he would in later films, but his fight choreography shines brighter than his performance. Sammo’s choreography paired with King Hu’s elevated sense of artistic flair makes The Valiant Ones one of his most entertaining films. Thanks to it’s running time and pacing The Valiant Ones is doesn’t suffer from the occasional lags one might experience with his more epic films like The Fate of Lee Khan, or his infamous (and masterful) A Touch of Zen. The film is hard to find, there are some copies you can find on eBay, but it is available on youtube, without English subtitles though. Project A 2You might be saying to yourself, “why not the first Project A?’, and that’s because this is the ten best kung fu movies you “never” seen. Project A is a great Jackie Chan film with the three brothers in top form (Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao) but part II has a lot to offer that makes it more than just an admirable sequel. As always Jackie was constantly one-upping his death-defying stunts and Project A II is filled with the great Jackie Chan nearly killing himself in order to entertain his fans. The homage paying to the great silent actors Chan emulates goes one step further as we see him execute to falling building Buster Keaton gag, except this time Jackie is actually running down the side of the building while it was falling. Unfortunately, the three brothers are missing from part II but Jackie’s one man show won’t disappoint anyone in the mood for action, gags, stunts, and humor. Since it’s a Jackie Chan film, it’s more available than some of these other titles, and there’s a Region A Bluray including both films in the series. The Way of the DragonNaruto Movies In EnglishBruce Lee completists will know this movie thoroughly, but most casual Lee fans might find themselves surprised when they hear about this one. Since it exists outside the holy trinity of Bruce Lee films, Fist of Fury (aka Chinese Connection), The Big Boss, and Enter the Dragon, The Way of the Dragon is mostly known for the film with the famous fight scene between Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris, but there’s a little more to it than that. Bruce travels to Italy in order to help out some family members who are being harassed by mobsters, and of course Bruce is there to save the day. Bruce Lee (who directed the film as well) had complete control over the production and incorporated a bit of humor into some scenes as well as some extraordinary fight sequences. The film is accessible, but beware of international dubb’s that exist as a result of being the first Hong Kong film to be set entirely in Italy. This may not be the best Bruce Lee movie it will satisfy anyone’s Bruce Lee fix, especially considering the limited filmography thanks to Bruce Lee’s tragically short career.Of course this will always be the film where “Bruce Lee schools Chuck Norris, and yes of course that is a highlight, but there’s more to the movie than that. Available in a new four film box set from Shout Factory. Other versions may only exist in an English dub. Bastard SwordsmanWilder than wild later era Shaw Brothers production The Bastard Swordsman is a wonderfully bizarre and action packed wuxia fantasy film. Starting as an underdog storyline as the titular bastard becomes the student of an unidentified benefactor/trainer who insists on remaining unknown and anonymous. The Wudang Clan engages in a high-stakes battle with the rival Invisible Clan every ten years who the bastard (played by Norman Chu) is being groomed to fight by attaining the sought after “silkworm skill”. The Bastard Swordsman is a wonderfully bizarre mixture of mysticism and wuxia, kung fu, wild wire work, and choreography. To summarize the film succinctly, it’s crazy. And extremely fun every step of the way, it’s one of those surreal experiences that you can only get from a crazy 80’s era Hong Kong movie. And probably the best mixture of sorcery and swordplay predating Ronny Yu’s The Bride with White Hair. Followed by a sequel “Return of Bastard Swordsman” and delivers just as many (if not more) outlandish fighting scenes. The Bastard Swordsman is readily available (with many other titles) from Funimation’s Hong Kong connection series. The 18 BronzemenWhat’s great about Hong Kong movies is there shamelessness when it comes to knocking off other movies, or piggybacking on other successful formulas to make a buck.The director of The 18 Bronzemen Joseph Kuo is an overlooked master of strangely superlative Taiwanese knock-off films. And that’s not to say that The 18 Bronzemen is a “knock off” of any other production (unlike his 1979 film World of Drunken Master) since the word “Shaolin” appears in countless titles over the years, but The 18 Bronzemen (aka The 18 Bronzemen of Shaolin) exists in its own world as it is truly strange and wonderful movie. A film that really has to be seen to be believed, as we see Shaolin monks go through rigorous training exercises (not too different from Lau Kar-Leung’s 36th Chamber) and the eventual sparring with the seemingly undefeatable Bronzemen. They might just be guys with bronze paint, and armor, yet they are quite imposing and thanks to some persuasive sound editing that adds a surprising amount of peril to the fight scenes. The significance of the bronzemen is never really explored, but if you’re watching a movie where Shaolin monks fights large, bronzemen than don’t be let down by the lack of logic. Joseph Kuo doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but as a director he knows timing and how shoot an exciting action sequences and fight scenes tend to go on longer than your average productions. The movie was followed by a sequel cleverly titled “The 18 Bronzemen Part II”, just as much fun, just as many bronzemen. You can see the film on youtube in an English dub, and as a cult item it’s available on DVD. Shaolin TempleA breakout hit for Jet Li in his debut film was a huge success in Hong Kong and is a staple in the kung fu genre but it has gone relatively unseen in the US. For whatever reason, this seems to allude audiences in the states, and it means a lot of people are missing out on a fun entry in the seemingly never ending Shaolin martial arts movies. Jet Li’s star status was assured when you see him parade his abilities before the camera, and for good reason because he is just that damn good. The story is pretty routine, young man escapes oppressive captors and finds a home in The Shaolin Temple where he goes through the vigorous “training for revenge” story but Jet Li’s physical prowess takes what would normally be a six making it a close nine. The film is comprised of studio-bound interior shots, where fake snow and painted backdrops just add to the charm to wide battle scenes that seem to compliment each other nicely. Although Li wouldn’t reach superstardom in 1991 starring as the iconic folk hero Wong Fei Hung in Tsui Hark’s Once Upon a Time in China series, still this is one hell of a debut acting vehicle Shaolin Temple is available if you look on Amazon, you can also see the film in its entirety (dubbed in English) on YouTube. Although some of these movies star major actors, directed by famous filmmakers these films don’t get the attention they deserve in the states. Sometimes the funnest films are right under your nose, other times you have to do some hunting, regardless the enormous output of martial arts movies are so plentiful that the most ardent fan has a lifetime of entertainment to pursue. Hopefully this will turn you on to some new titles, or remind you of some ones you might have forgotten. 25 Martial Arts Movies All Fans Must See - FREE GUIDEYou'll receive the latest updates and info on Martial Arts and action movies. Thank You, please check your email to confirm your subscription :)
The Shaolin Temple (Chinese: 少林寺) is a 1982 Hong Kong–Chinese martial arts film directed by Chang Hsin Yen and starring Jet Li in his debut role (though his name is misspelled in the credits as Jet Lee) along with Ding Lan and Yu Hai in supporting roles. The film is based on the Shaolin Monastery in China and depicts Shaolin Kung Fu.[1] The film was among the first major co-productions between Hong Kong and mainland China and the first to be filmed in mainland China with a mostly mainland cast.[2] It became one of China's biggest blockbusters of all time, with an estimated 300million box office admissions.[3] A remake of the film was released in 2011 titled Shaolin and starred Andy Lau, Nicholas Tse and Jackie Chan.[4]
Plot[edit]The film is set during the transition period between the Sui and the Tang dynasties. It opens with various shots of the Shaolin Temple, including the wall paintings, the many beautiful trees, gardens, shrines, gates, and statues of Buddha and the Gods. The temple bells toll as the monks kneel in the pillared inner sanctum and bow before the great altar of the Golden Buddha, before which sits the Abbot of Shaolin. A shaven-headed, blue-robed novice (Jet Li) stands with his palms pressed together and his head bowed. He is about to be accepted into the Shaolin Temple. The Abbot speaks to him of ceremony, purification, and learning to respect one's self and others. Then the Abbot asks for his name. 'Jue Yuan', he answers. The Abbot tells him that to be accepted into the Shaolin Temple, he must vow to not commit murder. He asks if he can obey this, but Jue Yuan is silent, staring downward. The Abbot repeats the question, and Jue Yuan slowly raises his eyes, gazing intensely at him. The Abbot asks the question a third time.. The film flashes back to the warlord and deadly fighter Wang Shichong killing an old man with a throat lock and throwing him off a high brick wall into a muddy river, then abusively ordering the rest of his slaves back to work. They're at a labor camp by the great river, toiling in the mud among corpses that hang from gallows as the soldiers whip them. It is during the rebellions at the end of the Sui Dynasty, when China became divided between various factions. Wang Shichong, who ruled from Luoyang, has treacherously installed himself as Emperor of the East Capitol, and is overseeing the bolstering of his riverfront defenses against the rival warlords on the opposite bank. They are near the Shaolin Temple. He forces even the old, crippled, and sick to work, but still the work isn't progressing fast enough for him. He orders an officer to bring all his prisoners, who are opposing rebels, to join the slaves. These rebels include an older kung fu master, famous for his kicking skill, and his long-haired son, Jue Yuan. The soldiers whip the slaves, and one old slave collapses and drops a wooden beam, which causes an officer's horse to rear and throw the officer. The officer begins to beat the slave to death, but Jue Yuan's father attacks him, though his ankles and wrists are chained together. The officer proves to be a kung fu fighter, and they fight, but Jue Yuan's father still manages to defeat him. This draws the attention of the Emperor, who attacks Jue Yuan's father himself and rips his throat out with his bare hand. Jue Yuan rushes in and unleashes the kicking skills that his father taught him, scattering the guards and fighting the officers, but then the Emperor beats him up and deals him a deadly Dim Mak palm strike to the chest. Jue Yuan is thrown into the river, and he manages to swim away and escape. He staggers through the wild, dying of his wounds, but finally he manages to reach the Shaolin Temple. The Sifu (Yu Hai) is teaching the monks staff kung fu when Jue Yuan arrives and falls unconscious. Throngs of refugees from the war-torn countryside are flocking to the Shaolin Temple every day. The Abbot proclaims that it is their holy duty as Buddhist monks to pray for the refugees and do all they can to help them. They nurse Jue Yuan back to health. When he has recovered, he joins them in carrying water from the river to the Temple, which they use as kung fu conditioning. He struggles, but is helped by a beautiful girl named Bai Wu Xia (Ding Lan), who sings and herds rams in the beautiful wildlife-filled forested hills that surround the Shaolin Temple. Jue Yuan spies on the monks' kung fu training and gets himself into various other comedic misadventures around the Shaolin Temple, befriending the light-hearted, fun-loving, mischievous Sifu and his equally mischievous kung fu students in the process. One night they all sneak out to eat and party around a fire in the woods. There he learns more about the Sifu and his former family in the North. He learns that the Sifu is Bai Wu Xia's father, that she was one of the main ones who nursed him back to health, and that she is skilled at kung fu. The Sifu says that nine years ago, he and his wife were being chased by the Emperor and his soldiers, and he left his wife with a farmer to hide while he fled on, eventually hiding in the Shaolin Temple. The farmer, who had no children, spoiled Bai Wu Xia when she was young. Jue Yuan declares that he will kill the Emperor, and he asks the Sifu to train him in his Northern Shaolin kung fu. The Sifu tells him that Shaolin kung fu is for defense, not killing, and besides, Jue Yuan isn't a monk. Jue Yuan drops to his knees, presses his palms together, and says that he wants to become a monk. Jue Yuan’s head is shaven, and he bows before the Abbot of Shaolin on the great altar of the golden Buddha. The assembled monks sing mystic hymns, ring bells, and strike gongs. A mosquito bites Jue Yuan as he kneels there, and he kills it, but the Abbot blesses and accepts him, and he is ordained as a junior monk. Jue Yuan joins his fellow monks in Northern Shaolin kung fu training. After a time of at least several months he has gained impressive fighting abilities, but while sparring, his enemy flashes with the visage of the Emperor in his mind, and he almost kills his partner. He is banned from practicing kung fu. His emotions flare quickly out of control, and he runs away from the Shaolin Temple. Jue Yuan attempts to assassinate the Emperor, but fails and is forced to flee. Ashamed, he returns to the Shaolin Temple. His Sifu admonishes him, but welcomes him home and allows him to resume his Northern Shaolin kung fu training. Jue Yuan trains for at least another year, as seen in a ‘four seasons’ training sequence, and becomes highly adept at Northern Shaolin kung fu. Then another refugee comes fleeing to Shaolin, this one pursued by the Emperor and his men. This refugee is Li Shimin, son of a great leader who founded the Tang Dynasty, Li Yuan. The Shaolin monks keep peace with the Emperor and his men, and make a show of helping them hunt for Li Shimin. But Jue Yuan helps Li Shimin escape through the mountains, and Jue Yuan and Li Shimin end up hiding together in an abandoned ancient mountainous cave temple with many giant statues of Buddha and the Gods. Bai Wu Xia stealthily brings them food and water. Li Shimin must escape, though, so Jue Yuan and Bai Wu Xia help him, sneaking and bribing their way past the Emperor’s patrols in disguise. Throughout this time, a forbidden romance builds between Jue Yuan and Bai Wu Xia. But they fail in their clean escape, and Li Shimin and Bai Wu Xia flee on a raft down a river, Li Shimin with an arrow in his leg, while Jue Yuan sacrifices himself to slow down the Emperor’s outriders. However, his Sifu from Shaolin and a group of Shaolin warrior monks come to his aid and massacre the outriders. They save Jue Yuan’s life, but his Sifu excommunicates him from Shaolin for his acts and banishes him. He desperately follows them back to the Shaolin Temple anyway, but they throw him out and drive him away. The Emperor learns what the Shaolin monks did, and marches on the Shaolin Temple with his army to destroy it. Jue Yuan comes back yet again, and this time his Sifu sends him away along with Ba Wu Xia, to take her to safety and never return. The Abbot of Shaolin orders the monks not to fight, even while the Emperor’s army surrounds the Shaolin Temple. The Abbot pleads with the Emperor. He appeals that the Temple has a very long history, and a crime should not merit the destruction of the buildings, or any of the monks. As the Abbot, he accepts the blame. The Emperor has him placed on a great pyre, which is set aflame. He tells the monks that if they reveal the traitors’ whereabouts, he’ll spare the Temple and the Abbot’s life. When no one talks, he has his men kill several of the other top monks, and threatens that if no one talks, they’ll all be killed. Then the Sifu and the warrior monks reveal themselves. The Sifu cries that they must fight. The Abbot, as he is immersed in fire, tells the Sifu to release the souls of the Emperor and his men and send them to Heaven. And so the battle is joined. Many monks are killed. Swiss watch serial number lookup. JTD has given you the date (1907) in which the patent for your movement was granted, and 'later than 1907' is therefore when your watch was made. Jue Yuan and Ba Wu Xia return to the embattled Shaolin Temple. The Emperor’s army takes the outer walls and outer grounds, and kills all the monks therein. The surviving monks fall back within the inner walls. The Sifu is shot full of arrows. He entreats Jue Yuan to protect Shaolin and uphold justice, and dies. The Emperor and his men break open the inner gate with a battering ram, and they’re about to massacre the rest of the monks, but then the Emperor receives word that Li Shimin and his army are approaching his own East Capital, and they abandon the siege of the Shaolin Temple and ride for the East Capital with all speed. Jue Yuan and the warrior monks ride after the Emperor and his men and join the battle at the ravaged East Capital, at the very site where the Emperor killed Jue Yuan’s father. Jue Yuan and the Emperor duel with swords and empty hands and feet on the shores of the great river. Their battle climbs up a great wooden structure, falls off the top into the river, and returns to the shore. Finally Jue Yuan uses his Northern Shaolin kung fu to kill the Emperor, and the battle for the East Capital is won. The film returns to its beginning, with Jue Yuan in the sanctum of the Shaolin Temple, kneeling before the high altar, as the new Abbot asks him if he can obey the vow to do no murder. Jue Yuan vows that he shall not kill save to uphold righteousness, and the Abbot accepts this. Jue Yuan continues to swear his vows, but when he reaches the vow of celibacy, he is again conflicted. He opens his folded palms to look at a jade amulet. He flashes back again. He and Bai Wu Xia kneel and bow before the shrine of the fallen previous Abbot, to whom they have offered many baskets of fruit and other foods. Jue Yuan speaks aloud to the Abbot of how he is determined to enter Buddha. Bai Wu Xia gazes at him with tears in her eyes, knowing what this means. Jue Yuan vows to defend Shaolin and uphold justice, quoting the last words of his fallen Sifu, Bai Wu Xia’s father. Bai Wu Xia gives him the jade amulet, a token of her love, and departs. Now, in the present, he looks up from the jade amulet to see Bai Wu Xia, who has sneaked into the side wing of the sanctum and is staring at him from behind a great pillar. He hesitates, then vows to remain celibate, and she leaves. The great bell of Shaolin tolls, and the gongs and drums are beaten as Jue Yuan is ordained as a true monk of Shaolin. The film’s closing scene is of Jue Yuan, now the new kung fu Sifu of the Shaolin Temple, leading the monks in their training. Cast[edit]
Reception[edit]The movie's popularity swiftly encouraged filmmakers in China and Hong Kong to produce more Shaolin-based movies.[5] Box office[edit]In China, it became one of the biggest blockbusters of all time, estimated to have sold 300million box office admissions[3] (US$85 million).[6] In Hong Kong, the film grossed HK$16,157,801[7] (US$2.7 million).[6] In Japan, it was the fourth top-grossing film of 1982, with a distribution income of ¥1.65 billion[8] (US$6.62 million).[6] 100 most used verbs. 26 rows Click though to see full conjugation tables of each verb. Irregular verb forms are in red Bonus: Download a printable pdf of this list, and learn the most important English verbs offline. In South Korea, the film sold 294,065 tickets in Seoul,[9] equivalent to approximately ₩882.2 million[10] (US$1.21 million).[11] Combined, the film's total box office gross in the East Asia region was an estimated US$96 million, equivalent to US$250 million adjusted for inflation. Accolades[edit]
Legacy[edit]The film spawned a revival of popularity in mainstream martial arts in China.[13] A 3D remake will be directed by Justin Lin and produced by Beijing Enlight Pictures.[14] See also[edit]References[edit]
External links[edit]
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