Films of Fury: The Kung Fu Movie Movie

This is a rare documentary that's actually fun to watch, and interesting. While there are probably dozens of other more "topical" and "academic" documentaries out now, this film is a great and guilty pleasure. highly recommended for serious film buffs or anyone who wants to know more about the Kung Fu sub genre. http://bitly.com/nH9zP9 (Filler) This is a rare documentary that's actually fun to watch, and interesting. While there are probably dozens of other more "topical" and "academic" documentaries out now, this film is a great and guilty pleasure. highly recommended for serious film buffs or anyone who wants to know more about the Kung Fu sub genre. http://bitly.com/nH9zP9 (Filler)

As a documentary, FILMS OF FURY is a very limited and shallow viewing experience. Viewers are subjected to awful animation and unfunny situations as the hyperactive narrator and various comic characters introduce and provide a history of kung fu cinema from its origins to the then-present (2010-ish). There's no insight here, no interview with stars or producers, no analysis beyond the most basic (this actor was in this film, this actor was in that film).

However, as a clip compilation, it's pretty fun. Clips are shown from a whole host of different kung fu movies, from Chuck Norris shoot-em-ups to Bruce Lee classics, Jackie Chan comedies, and even a section on the grandmaster himself, Chang Cheh. I enjoyed seeing some of these films again and the documentary works well as a simple celebration or reflection on an undeniably entertaining genre of movies. I'm glad I watched it, but I have reason to do so again.

I enjoyed this movie as an overview of the martial arts film genre; however, I must admit that I'm just a casual fan who watches these movies when I encounter them on TV but doesn't really seek them out. I recognized most of the names of the major artists covered in this film and did come away with more respect for the performers and their craft. That being said, if I'd been a devoted follower of the genre, I would've been disappointed. Even I could tell that it only skimmed the surface of martial arts films, focusing primarily on those featuring names recognizable to the American film-goers. I liken it to being a big fan of a music group who's happy that the group is finally being recognized in commercials, soundtracks, etc., but disappointed that only the group's most popular songs are used time and time again, while the lesser known, but often superior, songs are ignored.

On a final note, I found the narration and little animation shorts inserted between the film clips really poor and simplistic. I would've appreciated the film more if it had been narrated by an actual participant in the martial arts genre and if the simplistic animation segments were deleted entirely.

For those of you who enjoyed the two documentaries by Mark Hartley, Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation! (2008), Machete Maidens Unleashed! (2010) or enjoyed watching American Grindhouse (2010)will probably enjoy this entertaining film about the kung fu/wuxia genre.

This documentary starts in silent era, moves quickly into 60's & 70's with names like King Hu, Cheh Chang, Bruce Lee, Gordon Liu etc.

80's & 90's dominates by names like Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, Tsui Hark and of course John Woo.

2000's with names like Donnie Yen, Stephen Chow etc and also what the future for this genre may be with films like Kung Fu Panda (2008)becoming box office hits.

The film also depicts the women who did kung fu films such as Pei-pei Cheng, Michelle Yeoh and Cynthia Rothrock.

Critics may say that the documentary only deals with the biggest names, most well known, renowned films of this genre but this film serves its purpose as an brilliant introduction and summary.

The biggest flaw for this writer, is the lack of interviews & anecdotes that makes for example Mark Hartleys films so highly entertaining. But despite this I think anyone with interest for kung fu/wuxia films should see this.

I managed to sit all the way through this bargain-bin schlock only because watching clips of martial art movies provides a minimum level of entertainment. The animated framing device and the annoying, "Yahoo web clip"-sounding voice narration that link the clips together provided virtually no insight into history of kung fu movies. The intellectual level of the narrated "analysis" is about on par with a thesis-lacking essay from a below average student in high school. The historical analysis presented amounted to basically just putting a random movie on screen and mentioning who starred in it. Attempts at linking films together to provide a sense of historical development were largely absent and completely inept when present. The film might have worked better if it stayed in strictly chronological order but it jumps back-n-forth in time so much that it leaves the viewer confused. The film is shapeless and shallow. The writers seem to only have had a superficial understanding of subject matter and it just seems like a couple of kung fu geeks somehow managed to convince somebody to fund this. In this end, this is a movie built to ride of the coat-tails of the films it covers. Given the history of exploitation of kung fu stars (something mentioned in the film) makes this rather ironic.