News

The inaugural release of Shout! Factory’s new line of Hong Kong films long blocked from American distribution due to rights issues, The Jet Li Collection presents five of the martial arts star’s earliest and most beloved hits. Though Li had been a star in mainland China since his film debut in 1982’s Shaolin Temple, he found wider success a decade later with his lead role in Tsui Hark’s Once Upon a Time in China series. The films in this set all came out between 1993 and 1994, a super-concentration of hits that made the actor the new king of Hong Kong’s action scene.

Compared to Hong Kong mainstays like Jackie Chan and Yuen Biao, who blended serious technique with comedic timing, Li harked back to the era of stoic warriors like Bruce Lee and Jimmy Wang. That makes him an odd fit at first glance for Cory Yuen...

Intended or not, the Criterion Channel’s programming of Maurice Pialat and Michael Roemer pairs two auteurs who spoke the same death-riddled language. August’s lineup will bring nine features and one short from the former, four features and one documentary by the latter, while series on Sammo Hung and Bigas Luna will combine the misery with something poppier, sexier, more violent––the perfect way to close out summer.

On the series side, “’90s Soundtrack Movies” finds the overlap between Lost Highway and Pump Up the Volume; a highlight of Martin Scorsese’s World Cinema Project features major works like Kalpana and Chess of the Wind; and a new anime program starts with Ghost in the Shell and Paprika. Criterion Editions feature The Red Balloon, Prince of Broadway, Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould, Trainspotting, Eastern Condors, and Deep Cover. Restorations of Michael Imperioli’s The Hungry Ghosts, Christophe Honoré’s Ma mère,...

When we think of the quintessential movie action hero, we might normally imagine a muscular hero offing the bad guy with a quip, then walking away from an explosion in slow motion. There's a healthy dose of over-the-top absurdity in many big studio action films, but a great action-comedy is a different beast: Equal parts action and consistent humor. The humor should never devalue the action either, which is why every movie we've collected here has real danger and stakes. All-out spoofs and animated features belong on different lists; the best action-comedies make you believe as well as laugh.

Sometimes, the humor comes from two unlikely partners forced to work together. The hero(es) might master astonishing physical feats that make their foes look like fools. Characters who appear serious in their world may make comedic points about ours. All have contributed to many great evenings of escapist thrills and yuks.

It can’t be denied that as far as martial arts movies go, the best ones come from Asia, particularly Hong Kong during their action heyday, which was arguably the 70s, 80s and first half of the ’90s. It’s tough to compete with the likes of the Shaw Brothers and the drunken master known as Jackie Chan. That said, martial arts movies were also making a foothold in the States decades ago, thanks mainly to Bruce Lee-mania following the release of Enter the Dragon. Before that movie, very few actors in Hollywood seemed like they were credible martial artists, except maybe James Coburn, a student of Lee’s, who pulled off some pretty good-looking moves in the otherwise silly Our Man Flint movies. Steve McQueen also had training but didn’t use martial arts on screen. Up to then, though, the most notable uses of martial arts in movies usually revolved around Judo,...

In discussion for at least three years, Ang Lee’s biopic about martial arts legend Bruce Lee appears to be struggling to get the go-ahead from Sony Pictures.

A director who’s repeatedly switched genres over his career, Ang Lee hopes to return to the martial arts realm of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon with a biopic about Bruce Lee. In a recent interview with Deadline, however, it sounds as though the untitled film is stuck in pre-production.

In his feature about Lee, journalist Mike Fleming Jr says that, at the time of meeting the director, “he is struggling to hit a budget number and a green light from Sony Pictures.”

The Bruce Lee film first became public knowledge in December 2022, when it emerged that Mason Lee – Ang Lee’s son – was to play the legendary martial arts star, who died in 1973 aged 32. It was said at the time that Mason...

Two of Ang Lee’s most disruptive films celebrate anniversaries this year; they may be five years apart, but the connective tissue between them is undeniable. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) was such an intense high-wire act, the grueling shoot in China left Lee barely able to stand and fully intending to give it all up. It was Lee’s father who made his son promise to try one more time, because retirement, he thought, would set a bad example for the filmmaker’s son. Lee’s father died in 2004, weeks after making his son promise to give it one more go, and Lee kept that promise with 2005’s Brokeback Mountain, an experience that made the filmmaker fall back in love with storytelling, fueling everything he has done since including Life of Pi, which brought him his second Oscar for directing.

When I meet Lee in his Manhattan offices, he is...

Okay, settle down and listen up, because this premise is a doozy. In the near future, religious extremism leads to so many terrorist attacks that all the world’s faiths finally agree to stop killing each other. Instead, they’ll each train one martial artist and hold a big fighting tournament. The faith that wins will take over the world, and all the others will be outlawed.

That’s Lexi Alexander’s “Absolute Dominion,” and if it sounds more like a Patton Oswalt routine than a real movie, Alexander seems to agree. The movie literally begins with Patton Oswalt, playing a very Patton Oswalt-ish influencer, suggesting the religious rumble off the top of his head. He seems just as surprised as anybody that it went viral, let alone got taken seriously. It says a lot about contemporary culture that whereas once our minds boggled trying to imagine how the dystopian...

Yesterday it was revealed that Shout Factory is bringing a plethora of Hong Kong action titles to 4K with new Ultra HD Blu-rays. Among these releases were the Chow Yun-Fat classics, Hard Boiled, The Killer, City on Fire and the A Better Tomorrow trilogy. Blu-ray.com now has the details of special features and specs on the Jet Li Collection that was also announced. The collection is due to hit retailers on July 29.

“For the upcoming Hong Kong Cinema Classics releases, Shout! Studios, in collaboration with the Hong Kong Film Archives, has been working diligently to remaster and restore several prized hits, all scanned in stunning 4K from the original camera negatives. The video and audio have been restored, and the subtitles have been newly translated. With fans in mind, Shout! Studios is currently producing a variety of bonus content for each physical media release for this numbered and deluxe home entertainment series.

Shout! Studios has unveiled Hong Kong Cinema Classics Line, “a new entertainment label spotlighting a treasure trove of Hong Kong’s most captivating and cinematic masterpieces on digital entertainment platforms in 4K and definitive-edition physical releases (Uhd and Blu-ray) for collectors’ home entertainment shelves,” according to the official release. The first titles will be released this summer.

The home video company “in collaboration with the Hong Kong Film Archives, has been working diligently to remaster and restore several prized hits, all scanned in stunning 4K from the original camera negatives. The video and audio have been restored, and the subtitles have been newly translated. With fans in mind, Shout! Studios is currently producing a variety of bonus content for each physical media release for this numbered and deluxe home entertainment series.”

Many of these titles have long been out-of-print or unavailable in the west, so to have them with brand-new...

It's been over a year since Warner Bros. made it official that The Matrix 5 was in development. However, we know that some projects can take years and sometimes decades to come to life, so the silence after the announcement pointed to a lengthy process. This week, however, Warner Bros. CEOs Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy spoke to Deadline and provided an important update on the fifth installment of the franchise: director and scribe Drew Goddard is already writing a script.

Goddard has been a prolific contributor to both the sci-fi and action genres in Hollywood over the years. The Oscar nominee wrote the scripts of popular titles like The Martian, Cloverfield and World War Z. In the TV world, Goddard created the Daredevil series for Netflix and established the tone that set up the Disney+ revival Daredevil: Born Again. Goddard also penned several episodes from the hit show Lost.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, which brought the magic of wuxia to worldwide audiences 25 years ago, is coming to the small screen. A TV adaptation of the novels the film was based on is in the works at Prime Video. Deadline reports that Jason Ning (Lucifer) and Ronald D. Moore (For All Mankind) are both attached to the project.

The film was based on the Crane-Iron Series, a series of five interlinked books written by Chinese novelist Wang Dulu in the 1940s. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is the fourth book in the series. The project has been in the works for some time at Sony, which released Ang Lee's Oscar-winning film adaptation in 2000. Ning is on an overall deal with Sony and has been with the project since its inception; Battlestar Galactica creator Moore, who recently signed his own deal with Sony, came on board last year. It's the second...

It can’t be denied that in the eighties and nineties, the action movies coming out of Hong Kong revolutionized the industry. Marrying the kinetic style of seventies grid house martial arts epics with the technological innovations and kinetic energy of the best American action movies of the era, directors like John Woo, Tsui Hark and Ringo Lam, and stars like Jackie Chan and Chow Yun-Fat made a huge mark internationally. In the mid-nineties, and in the face of Hong Kong’s 1997 handover to China, many of the biggest names from the scene found their way to America, and outside of Jackie Chan and John Woo, arguably the most successful transition was made by martial arts superstar Jet Li.

A former member of the Bejing Wushu team, Li’s arguably became the biggest martial arts movie star since Bruce Lee. Sure, Jackie Chan movies maybe made more money, but they,...

An action icon is all set to return to screens after being away for five years. Despite announcing his retirement, the martial arts legend and star of such action classics as Once Upon a Time in China, Fist of Legend, Kiss of the Dragon, Fearless, The Expendables franchise, and many, many more, Jet Li is all set to once again demonstrate his particular set of skills in the upcoming live-action adaptation of the comic, Blades of the Guardians.

After rumors began circulating, it has now been confirmed by Chinese Entertainment News that Jet Li will make a triumphant return to screens in Blades of the Guardians, which will adapt the Chinese manhua "Biao Ren," which in turn was given the anime treatment in 2023. Not only will the historical, fantasy, martial arts, action movie feature Li’s return, it is also being helmed by renowned Hong Kong filmmaker and action choreographer Yuen Woo-ping,...

This might surprise you, but Jet Li's Western films -- ones shot primarily in English -- have grossed basically the same amount as Jackie Chan's (not counting Chan's voiceover work in animated films). Each of them have brought in just over two billion dollars with their English-language releases, but the odds are pretty good that regular moviegoers will recognize Chan far more often than they do Li. Why? That's a good question, and the answer probably has something to do with Chan's ubiquitous presence and those aforementioned family-friendly animated films.

Longtime action fans know that Li has delivered just as many absolute bangers as Chan, but while the latter made his name with comedy and a creative use of his environment, Li secured a spot in the action hall of fame based almost solely on his blisteringly fast skills. A fantastic fighter and athlete, as at home on...

Jet Li was one of the most prolific action stars of the 1990s, making a slew of brilliant martial arts and action films back-to-back with great directors. Now, some of his best (and also more difficult to find) films of the era are getting a 4K reissue on digital platforms thanks to Shout! Studios. The five Jet Li classics being re-released are: Tai Chi Master (1993), The Legend (1993), The Legend 2 (1993), Fist of Legend (1994), and The Bodyguard from Beijing (1994). The films become available in 4K on Feb. 18, 2025, through the usual digital platforms. They will also be available together in a digital bundle for the first time on Apple TV and Fandango at Home. The press release from Shout! Studios states:

"The cinema of Hong Kong in the ’80s and ’90s, particularly Jet Li’s martial arts films, is renowned for its thrilling action choreography, unique visual styles, and engaging storytelling. Behold...

Early Hong Kong classics from Jet Li, including works from celebrated filmmakers Gordon Chan, Yuen Woo-ping (perhaps best known by western audiences for his work on “The Matrix”) and Corey Yuen will finally arrive on digital 4K on Feb. 18, courtesy of Shout! Studios in collaboration with Li.

The releases include 1994’s “Fist of Legend,” 1993’s “Tai Chi Master,” “The Legend” and “The Legend 2,” and 1994’s “The Bodyguard From Beijing.” These are the movies that made Li an international superstar and paved the way for him to appear in western blockbusters like “Lethal Weapon 4,” “Romeo Must Die,” “The One” and “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor,” along with Sylvester Stallone’s “Expendables” franchise.

“Thanks to our new partner Shout! Studios, movie fans can now easily enjoy these entertaining films in stunning 4K on various digital platforms. I hope a new generation of audiences will be introduced to these...

The cinema of Hong Kong in the ’80s and ’90s, particularly Jet Li’s martial arts films, is renowned for its thrilling action choreography, unique visual styles, and engaging storytelling. Behold the spectacular Hk action classics from prolific actor, martial artist, and producer Jet Li and early works by celebrated filmmakers Gordon Chan, Woo-Ping Yuen, and Corey Yuen when Fist Of Legend (1994), Tai Chi Master (1993), The Legend (1993), The Legend 2 (1993), and The Bodyguard From Beijing (1994) are set to unleash on Digital in 4K on February 18, 2025 by Shout! Studios, in collaboration with Jet Li.

“Thanks to our new partner Shout! Studios. Movie fans can now easily enjoy these entertaining films in stunning 4K on various digital platforms. I hope a new generation of audiences will be introduced to these action classics that give a glimpse to the talent of directors, writers, actors, stunt people, and crew that come from the rich history of Hong Kong cinema,...

There comes a time in the life of every avid action film fan when something shifts. All of a sudden the invisible becomes tangible. It's like moment Neo embraces his One-hood in The Matrix, predicting the flightpaths of bullets and nodding them to the ground. The components of how action scenes are conceived and executed becomes as easy to read as Ikea instructions. It all starts with admiration for the behind-the-scenes technicians who prioritize safety and verisimilitude; for the directors who know the consequences of each follow-through, calling upon compositional prowess and necessary coverage to convey the most believability, and, most importantly, for the performers who give their bodies to the altar of a genre that never gets enough respect. The downside is that it becomes all too apparent just how few people are really good at producing decent action. For a supposedly lowbrow art form, it certainly seems like...

Will Smith famously turned down the chance to don the iconic trench coat and sunglasses of Neo in The Matrix. The sci-fi film went on to become a cinematic gem with never-seen-before actions, groundbreaking visuals, and mind-bending storytelling. When Smith turned down the role, it went to Keanu Reeves who gave an unforgettable portrayal.

Will Smith as a fictionalized version of himself in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air | Credits: NBC

In a cryptic Instagram post, Smith recently teased a what-if scenario where he would’ve agreed to the role. Fans couldn’t help but imagine Smith playing Neo in the film instead of Reeves. They were sure that if things went differently, The Matrix would’ve taken a different creative direction.

Why did Will Smith turn down the role of Neo in The Matrix? Keanu Reeves as Neo in The Matrix | Credits: Warner Bros. Pictures

Keanu Reeves + Kung Fu is...

Keanu Reeves may be one of the most beloved movie stars currently working, beloved more for his real-life personality and well-documented generosity than he is for his range as an actor. Reeves has a talent for playing taciturn action heroes and comic foils but tends to flounder when asked to play richer, more sophisticated characters. Compare his hilarious turn in "Always Be My Maybe," or his impressive physical performances in the "John Wick" movies to, say, "Bram Stoker's Dracula" wherein he struggles to keep his British accent. 

Moreso than his acting, though, Reeves seems to be loved for being a fathomlessly decent human being. He runs his own leukemia charity. When he caught people trespassing on his property, he invited them in for drinks. He famously gives expensive gifts to the crewmates on many of his movies, like Rolex watches for the "John Wick" crew, or motorcycles for the stunt...

“True Legend” signals the return to the director’s chair for Yuen after he last directed “Tai Chi Boxer” back in 1996. Meanwhile, he had been busy choreographing the fight sequences for films like “The Matrix” series, “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”, “Kill Bill: Volume 1 and 2”, “Fearless” and “The Forbidden Kingdom”. Including an all-star cast set in the late Qing dynasty, “True Legend” tells the story of a retired general Su Can who later mastered the Drunken Fist style and became the folk hero Beggar Su.

Buy This Title

by clicking on the image below

Qing general Su Can (Vincent Zhao) rescues a kidnapped prince held in a mountain fortress and the grateful Emperor wants to promote him to a governor. But Su only wants to set up his Wushu school and live a peaceful family life away from politics. Therefore, his adopted brother Yuan (Andy On) got the position instead.

In Cult Of Criterion, The A.V. Club highlights a new release from The Criterion Collection each month, examining the films entering an increasingly accessible film canon.

Only Sammo Hung could inject a grim Vietnam war movie with the kind of bouncy humor that always seems to accompany his regular troupe of acrobatic action heroes.

Like much of actor-choreographer-director Sammo Hung’s work behind the camera, 1987’s Eastern Condors is a collision of disparate tones held together through sheer force of will. During the Vietnam War, a group of Chinese prisoners get a chance at parole and American citizenship if they undertake a secret mission to destroy a cache of weapons before they can fall into the hands of the Viet Cong. This sets up a standard war movie abundant in heroic sacrifice, last-stand shootouts, and archetype characters, but Hung brings his martial arts expertise and propensity for slapstick to a film otherwise keyed to the tragic human waste of war.

Proof of the influence that Hung, who stars in the film as Tung Ming-sun, wielded within the Hong Kong industry, the members of the ad hoc suicide squad at the film’s center are played by a who’s-who of stars and character actors,...

Add Hi-yah! to your Prime Video lineup and unlock a world of martial arts cinema you never knew you needed.

There’s something beautiful about a perfectly choreographed fight scene—like a kind of dance where every punch, kick, and leap leaves ten bloody fighters in its wake. For fans of martial arts and high-octane action, those scenes are more than just entertainment… they’re art. And if that resonates with you, Hi-yah! could be the next streaming service you add to your lineup. Dedicated to martial arts and Asian action films, it’s like having a front-row seat to the best kung fu battles and adrenaline-fueled showdowns ever put on screen. Here’s everything you need to know about Hi-yah!.

7-Day Free Trial $3.99+ / month hi-yah via amazon.com Everything you need to know about ‘Hi-yah!’:

What is ‘Hi-yah!’?

How much does ‘Hi-yah!’ cost?

Why ‘Hi-yah!’ is the best streamer...

The classic dynamic of the student and the master has long been a cornerstone of kung fu cinema, often culminating in the student overtaking and defeating the person who gifted them with their martial arts skills. This can be seen through literal battles where the student surpasses their teacher's ability and beats them for the first time. However, in other kung fu movies, the defeat can be more symbolic as they utilize the skills they have been given to go further than their teacher was ever capable of, and in the process, the student becomes the master.

Many of the greatest kung fu movies have featured a student-versus-master dynamic, whether that was a bright-eyed kid on a quest for glory or a more withered hero who was thrust into greatness. Many of the greatest martial arts movie stars have played essential roles in these types of stories, as the growth...

Police officers and martial arts movies make a thrilling combination, as the intersection between crime and law has led to some of the most exciting fighting films of all time. While Jackie Chans Police Story may stand as the definitive martial arts cop movie, plenty of other incredible showcases of technical skill, expert choreography, and bafflingly impressive action sequences have utilized cops within their central narrative. From major stars like Donnie Yen to the Girls with Guns stylings of Cynthia Rothrock and Michelle Yeoh, theres no shortage of amazing martial arts cop movies.

Many of the greatest kung fu films of all time have focused on policing, as ongoing investigations commonly serve as the basis for intense, action-packed narratives. Whether its police hunting down a criminal syndicate or a lone no-nonsense cop working toward his own personal version of justice, time and again, law and order have been intrinsically linked to martial arts movies.

Kung fu movies are famous for their dazzling fight scenes in which characters show off their mastery of the martial arts. Considering the majority of onscreen combat is largely choreographed, most of the moves portrayed in these films wouldn't be effective in an actual fight. With that said, some cinematic kung fu techniques are central to the fighting style and have been practiced and perfected by experts in the trade.

Actors like Jackie Chan who still has upcoming movies, showcased many of these moves to the world and gave the genre widespread popularity. Films like Kung Fu Panda 4 took these techniques to another level, adding fictional power elements. In kung fu films, characters frequently use moves that look relatively simple to perform. It's easy to think that the technique might be straightforward to replicate, but it takes years of practice to successfully apply. The fact that these characters can...

Martial arts movies have had a huge impact on the cultural zeitgeist ever since they first made their way to the screen, creating some iconic rivalries in the process. The best martial arts movies have transcended decades, broken boundaries and impacted most other styles of film in one way or another. From the classics of wuxia, the rise of kung fu in the 70s and 80s, as well as the modern Mma landscape, these films have produced many superstars and supervillains.

Rivalries in martial arts movies have been as riveting as theyve been brutal. Iconic match-ups like Bruce Lee vs. Chuck Norris, Jackie Chan vs. Ken Lo, and Michelle Yeoh vs. Ziyi Zhang, have brought to life battles that made audiences feel the emotion in every single roundhouse kick. While a period drama might rely heavily on dialogue, and a comedy will require jokes and visual gags, martial arts films...

Most audiences know Yuen Woo-ping as the influential martial arts choreographer behind films like The Matrix and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, but Yuen has also directed some incredible films as well. Yuen began his directing career with a strong start thanks to the Jackie Chan films Snake in the Eagle's Shadow and Drunken Master. The combination of comedy and action seen in the films would continue to pop up throughout Yuen's career as he continued to collaborate with celebrated martial arts actors like Sammo Hung, Donnie Yen, and Michelle Yeoh.

Yuen is an undeniable talent, putting together some of the most famous action scenes in both Hong Kong and Hollywood films. Yet, Yuen is also referred to as one of the best martial arts directors of all time. His background as a choreographer has lent itself well to Yuen's job as a director. Yuen has been able to create numerous...

Martial arts movies have been a staple genre of Western culture since the 1970s. Pioneers like Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan set the standard for epic, fast-paced fight scenes and brought them to the silver screen. Films like Robert Clouse's Enter The Dragon and Yuen Woo-Ping's Drunken Master helped create the world of martial arts cinema that is famous today.

The genre hasn't slowed down since its creation, with many upcoming projects like the long-awaited Karate Kid reboot set to hit screens in 2025. However, certain martial arts movies take themselves more seriously than others. While some plots are centered around character development and realistic fighting applications, other films go the extra mile and focus on downright absurd scenarios. These campy martial arts movies set aside realism and include fighting that is truly ridiculous, but altogether extremely fun to watch.

Dragon Tiger Gate (2006) Clash Of Brothers

Wilson Yip's...

When it comes to action flicks, Jet Li doesn’t pull punches—literally or figuratively. The martial arts legend has one clear reason why Hollywood keeps trading in the real, gritty moves for flashy CGI: not all actors can actually fight. According to Li, authentic martial arts on screen require an actor who can handle real, complex choreography.

Jet Li in The One (2001) | Credits: Hard Eight Pictures

But in a time when special effects can conjure up almost anything, who needs a training montage? CGI might be a shortcut, but it’s missing the spark that only true martial artists bring to the screen.

Jet Li Opens Up About Why Hollywood Shifted from Real Martial Arts to CGI in Action Movies Jackie Chan as Mr. Han in The Karate Kid | Credits: Columbia Pictures

Jet Li didn’t hold back when it came to calling out Hollywood’s shift from real fight scenes to CGI.

In 1985, Jackie Chan grabbed an umbrella and ran towards a moving bus. Here’s how Police Story changed action cinema forever.

There had never been an action scene quite like the one that appeared in the first few minutes of 1985’s Police Story. Jackie Chan’s plucky cop, in dogged pursuit of crime boss Chu Tao (Chor Yuen) engages in a wildly destructive car chase through a hillside shanty town, demolishing rickety buildings and detonating gas bottles in his wake. When Tao and his goons then make their escape on a stolen bus, Chan’s Sergeant Kevin hooks onto the back with the help of an umbrella, his body flung to and fro as the vehicle lumbers through traffic.

The scene is brilliant not just because Chan’s risking his neck by doing his own stunts. It’s not just brilliant on a technical level (the planning that went into...

Jason Statham’s name in Hollywood is almost always synonymous with action films. From Guy Ritchie’s Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels to his recent film The Beekeeper, Statham has amazed fans with his well-executed stunts. He is famous in the industry as one of the few actors to perform his own stunts. His stunt skills made him an easy choice for franchises like The Expendables and Fast & Furious.

Jason Statham in Expend4bles | Credits: Lionsgate

Despite his expertise in several martial arts forms, Statham’s favorite action style is kickboxing. He is athletic as well, having played soccer professionally and being part of Britain’s national diving team in the 1990 Commonwealth Games.

Jason Statham’s Preferred Fighting Style Is Kickboxing Jason Statham recently starred in David Ayer’s The Beekeeper | Credits: Amazon MGM Studios

Jason Statham went on to build a $1.5 billion career, becoming one of the most...

The '90s saw the mainstream rise of martial artist actors like Jet Li and Jackie Chan, resulting in some of the best kung fu films to be released within the decade. The introduction of such stars and films brought an increased interest in the genre and influenced a variety of American films, including The Matrix. As fans of Hong Kong cinema themselves, The Wachowskis asked famous martial arts director Yuen Woo-Ping to help with their film's fight choreography.

Chan himself has been quite an influence on kung fu films. Starting in the late '70s, Chan was just one of the actors to lead kung fu comedies, which revived interest in the genre within the following decades. Chan and Li are just a few who started working in Hong Kong cinema before moving to American films after their breakthrough. As a result, the best kung fu films the decade...

Drunken Master had a great sequel long before Jackie Chan's return to the lead role of Wong Fei-hung in 1994. Released in 1978, the Golden Harvest martial arts classic has received a lot of credit for Jackie Chan's rise to stardom. After starring in both Drunken Master and Snake in the Eagle's Shadow in 1978, the actor quickly turned into Hong Kong's most prominent kung fu movie star at the time. Some of Jackie Chan's movies were successful enough to justify becoming franchises, with Drunken Master being among them.

In 1994, Chan famously returned to the character that helped make him a martial arts icon. Alongside former Shaw Brothers star Ti Lung and fellow martial arts legend Lau Kar-leung, Jackie Chan reprised his role as Wong Fei-hung in Drunken Master II, which went on to become a martial arts gem in its own right. But while it took 20 years for Chan to finally play Wong Fei-hung again,...

Many film historians speculate that cinema's first martial arts movie was Zhang Shichuan's The Burning of the Red Lotus Temple. Released in 16 parts between 1928 and 1931, The Burning of the Red Lotus Temple ran 27 hours long. Unfortunately, The Burning of the Red Lotus Temple is now a lost film, but there are plenty of incredible martial arts films that now exist to help fill the void.

It was not until the late 1960s that martial arts movies began to appeal to international audiences. Cheng Pei-pei and Jimmy Wang Yu were among the first internationally recognized martial arts movie stars thanks to their performances in films such as Come Drink with Me and The One-Armed Swordsman. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, martial arts movies produced by Shaw Brothers Studio and Golden Harvest turned actors such as Bruce Lee, Alexander Fu Sheng, Gordon Liu, Sammo Hung, and Jackie Chan into cinema's greatest action movie stars.

Jet Li’s 1994 film Fist Of Legend caught the attention of the Wachowskis as they were looking for someone prolific in Hong Kong action styles for The Matrix. They contacted Yuen Woo-ping, who had earlier worked with the legend Jackie Chan in Drunken Master. Yuen was initially hesitant but eventually brought his expertise into the film.

Keanu Reeves and Hugo Weaving in The Matrix | Warner Bros.

After The Matrix, Yuen returned to work on the classic Chinese film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. However, he was soon called back to Hollywood and it was Quentin Tarantino who needed his slick action choreography in his films, Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2.

Martial Arts Legend Yuen Woo-ping Was Convinced To Do Stunt Choreography In The Matrix Yuen Woo-ping | Debbie Cerda, licensed under Cc By-sa 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Lana and Lilly Wachowski had a vision that most people couldn’t understand, when they were making...

The Matrix aka one of the greatest sci-fi films of all time is a groundbreaking classic that blew everyone’s minds with a trip to a world where everything makes you question reality. One of the best parts about the film is its wild action sequences that keep viewers on the edge of their seats. However, it was not an easy task to achieve such perfection.

The Matrix (1999) | Warner Bros.

Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Hugo Weaving had to go through a grueling training regimen to make sure that they would be able to execute the fight scenes perfectly and do justice to them. Of course, anyone who has seen the film knows that the training paid off well but it sure did take a toll on the actors including Hugo Weaving who revealed that their training went on for about six months.

Hugo Weaving Opened Up about...

Let’s face it, streaming services have lost a lot of their appeal. Between their ever shifting libraries, their kneecapping of theaters, and their tendency to overwhelm viewers with substandard garbage, it’s hard to be excited about our streaming present. Heck, most services now play the same couple of ads over and over, even for paying customers!

With every annoying insurance ad and every movie suddenly shoved from a service you bought to a different service you don’t have, Tubi looks better and better. Tubi is one of many free streaming services available online. Like most other services, free or otherwise, Tubi interrupts the programming with occasional ads.

But Tubi also has an outstanding library, one that rivals Max, with its oft-threatened TCM and Ghibli channels. Still, Tubi can be overwhelming to some users, who can’t always see the gems alongside stinkers such as Big Stan (starring Rob Schneider!

Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill wasn’t just a movie, it was a martial arts masterpiece forged in the battle heat. Given the filmmaker’s pursuit of perfection on the set, this film has touched hearts, birthing a genre-bending marvel.

Quentin Tarantino | Gage Skidmore/ Creative Commons

Now, as Tarantino’s retirement looms, Hollywood’s currently dealing with the loss of a visionary who’s left an unparalleled legacy of audacious storytelling!

Three Days? Not on Tarantino’s Watch: How Kill Bill Became a Masterclass in Action Filmmaking Uma Thurman as Beatrix “The Bride” Kiddo | Miramax/A Band Apart

Picture this: Uma Thurman. Dripping sweat, fueled by fury, a blur of lethal grace. Now imagine capturing that in three days? Hollywood scoffs. But Quentin Tarantino‘s dedication to his movies shine. Take Kill Bill, his epic ode to martial arts movies. Blood, sweat, and Katanas—this is a story of a bloody good time,...

Four hundred and eighty-seven members of the global film community — among them Killers of the Flower Moon star Lily Gladstone, Past Lives filmmaker Celine Song, CAA managing partner Chris Silbermann, and SAG-AFTRA national executive director and chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland — are receiving invitations on Tuesday to become members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the organization announced this morning.

“We are thrilled to welcome this year’s class of new members,” Academy CEO Bill Kramer and president Janet Yang said in a joint statement. “These remarkably talented artists and professionals from around the world have made a significant impact on our filmmaking community.”

Invitees who wish to accept, as the vast majority tend to, will join the specific branch of the Academy that invited them. Eight were invited by more than one branch — Michael Andrews (film editors and short films/feature animation), Bahram Beyzaêi (directors and writers...

Leading Chinese film studio, Alibaba Pictures has announced a slate of seven tentpole movies that it hopes will reinvigorate the mainland China box office.

The titles straddle martial arts, drama, history, sci-fi and comedy and are presented as the first elements of the company’s second five year plan.

They were revealed on Monday at a major event within the ongoing Shanghai International Film Festival and with large numbers of relevant producers, directors and stars in attendance.

“At a time when the film market needs vigor, we need more tentpole productions to keep it working,” said Li Jie, Alibaba Pictures president. In notes provided, the company pointed out that the mainland China box office last year recovered to 85% of its pre-pandemic level and that, so far in 2024, the Chinese box office is the world’s largest.

However, there are worries that recent film industry prosperity may falter. Indeed, 2024 box office...

A cowardly governor hides under the covers, clutching his wives and hoarded riches. Outside the governor’s guard squabbles with warriors hired to provide extra protection. They all fear a secret defender of the people, a masked hero who has never failed to escape the grasp of oppressors. The warriors and the guards draw their weapons, ready and waiting. But when a sleekly masked figure all dressed in black lands within their midsts, they can do nothing to stop him. He floats above their heads, dives below their punches, and deflects all of their attacks.

He leaps from their heads and disarms them with a single swift move, making his way to the governor’s hidden treasure. Grasping the ill-gotten plunder, the figure slips away, thanking the governor for his “contribution” to the people. The Iron Monkey has struck again.

The above description could match any number of superhero hero movies,...

The movie that launched a million memes has lost none of its conspiratorial power, and its action sequences still dazzle – but was it actually trying to tell us something we’ve all missed?

To paraphrase Apu in The Simpsons, this was the year filmgoers were partying like it was on sale for $19.99; it offered the vintage of American Beauty, Fight Club, The Sixth Sense and more. But The Matrix seemed to me then – and seems to me now – more exciting than any of them, first among equals in the previous century’s final graduating class. Rereleased for its 25th anniversary, this barnstorming sci-fi paranoia thriller, produced by action veteran Joel Silver and written and directed by the Wachowskis, holds up tremendously well. The martial arts sequences choreographed by Yuen Woo-ping are gripping and nothing about the bullet-time effects or production design feels dated. Even the ringing payphone – an unexceptional detail...

Jackie Chan & Jet Li have both portrayed Wong Fei-hung multiple times in their kung fu careers. Wong Fei-hung, a real-life kung fu master, was known for his martial arts prowess and medical skills. Wong Fei-hung's popularity as a character in kung fu films allows for creative interpretations in storytelling by filmmakers.

Jackie Chan and Jet Li have had multiple turns at playing Wong Fei-hung in their kung fu movies. For the most part, the paths of the two kung fu legends have only converged once on the big screen, which was the time Jackie Chan and Jet Li starred together in The Forbidden Kingdom. However, their history with real-life kung fu master Wong Fei-hung marks gives them another connection.

Along with Bruce Lee, the two are widely regarded as the biggest stars in the history of kung fu movies. Chan and Li have all led separate, thriving careers as leading actors,...

Donnie Yen's Drunken Tai Chi remains his sole classic kung fu film in a career dominated by martial arts movies. Yen's range shines through in his varied martial arts projects, from wuxia to comedy to period pieces and more. Despite Drunken Tai Chi's success, Yen believes it was a one-time experience due to the evolving nature of the genre.

Donnie Yen's first and only contribution to the old-school kung fu movie genre is Drunken Tai Chi, a movie the actor starred in 40 years ago. In his long career in the industry, Donnie Yen has headlined a long list of movies, most of which being martial arts films. His work has yielded a number of films that are often hailed as some of the best kung fu films in recent decades, including the four Ip Man movies, Iron Monkey, and Once Upon a Time in China.

While all of...

Hugo Weaving’s iconic way of speaking has become synonymous with villainous roles, but the actor is no stranger to playing positive characters, with one notable example being Elron Half-elven. Appearing in all three The Lord of the Rings entries, Weaving played the character to perfection and was lauded by fans and critics for bringing the character’s archaic style of speech to life.

But despite garnering critical acclaim for his portrayal of the noble ruler, Weaving had no interest in stepping into Elrond’s shoes ever again, as he isn’t particularly a fan of the character.

Hugo Weaving Didn’t Find Elrond Satisfying to Play

A Still of Hugo Weaving from Lord of the Rings | New Line Cinema

Following his commanding presence as the noble Elven ruler and his intense love for his daughter, Elrond won over fans. But while most love the eloquently spoken character, the man...

In “The Fall Guy,” Ryan Gosling plays Colt Seavers, the stunt double for Hollywood action star Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). Seavers, like “The Fall Guy” director David Leitch and stunt designer Chris O’Hara, got his professional start as a stunt performer before 1999, when “The Matrix” served as a turning point for the profession.

“When my generation came in, ‘The Matrix’ was a big influential time in my career as a stunt performer,” said Leitch on the IndieWire Toolkit podcast. The director worked as a stunt performer on Lana and Lilly Wachowski’s 1999 groundbreaking film. “I learned [and] became heavily exposed to wire work.”

Not only did “The Matrix” successfully integrate wire work, which had become a staple in 1980s and ’90s Hong Kong action films when they hired legendary Chinese fight choreographer Yuen Woo-ping, but the film broke ground in combining practical stunts with visual effects.

“Visual effects became a really big part of that movie,...

Bill Kong aims to bring the Hong Kong film industry back to the summit of the global action movie genre, starting with the upcoming martial arts film The Furious. The veteran Asian producer was behind motion pictures such as Jet Li's Fearless, Hope, and the Academy Award-winning Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

The Furious, which has started production in Bangkok, is an English-language martial arts action thriller directed by Japanese stunt director and action choreographer Tanigaki Kenji (Monkey King). Producer Kong told Variety that he intended to make a film that would have a global impact. "Im going to do an action movie that rocks the world. And to prove that Hong Kong still has something to give the film industry," he said. "I want to show that Asian people can still make an action movie that is better than the rest of the world."

Related Bill Skarsgard's 'Animalistic'...

Bill Kong is cautious, vastly experienced and has an impeccable reputation as a key gateway between Hollywood and China to maintain. He is someone far more likely to deadpan than gush.

So, to hear him getting into high gear with a pitch for his bucket list martial arts movie project “The Furious” immediately invites comparison with previous Kong-produced action pictures including Oscar-winner “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” “Jet Li’s Fearless” or the Zhang Yimou-directed “Hero.”

“I’m going to do an action movie that rocks the world. And to prove that Hong Kong still has something to give the film industry. I want to show that Asian people can still make an action movie that is better than the rest of the world,” Kong tells Variety.

Significantly, “The Furious” is a project made by Hong Kong, rather than made in Hong Kong. Kong’s Edko Films is financing and producing.