There are so many different kung fu movies available to rent and buy that it can be tricky to figure out which one to watch next. Let's look quickly at four of the most amazing examples of this incredibly popular film genre.
You can even ask someone who is not much of a fan of the genre, and they have probably heard of or seen The Five Deadly Venoms. This is a classic 1978 film from Chinese master director Chang Chen, and it tells the story of a student sent by his dying master to find and defeat five former students who have taken the evil route.
The five bad pupils all use different forms of martial arts based on their particular specialty within the Poison Clan. The unique fighting styles of Toad, Lizard, Snake, Scorpion, and Centipede must each be overcome by the protagonist. The only problem is that while the protagonist is reasonable skilled in each of the five venom styles, he is not equal to any of the bad guys at their chosen specialty. For this reason he must show great cunning and adaptability if he is to survive against these men.
One of the most recognized Chinese actors around, Jackie Chan is the star of the 1994 release The Legend Of Drunken Master. In it he portrays Wong Fei Hung, a Chinese man who becomes embroiled in a plot to make off with some of China's most valued artifacts.
This is arguably Jackie Chan's peak performance, and the action star is at his most outrageous. Excellent direction and a solid plot mean that those people who claim that no good martial arts flicks have been released since the seventies should rethink that statement. The Legend Of Drunken Master is a 1994 release.
If you like fight choreography and really insane acrobatics, then you might like the third film on this list. The Magnificent Butcher is a Sammo Hung vehicle which mixes action and comedy with great success. This film has some truly amazing wire work.
Finally, no mention of Chinese martial arts cinema would be complete without the legendary Bruce Lee. Fists of Fury, otherwise known as The Big Boss, is perhaps the ultimate Bruce Lee experience. It's not exactly the best Bruce Lee film, but for sheer energy and excitement you can't beat it. There is possibly no more charismatic action star in this genre than Bruce Lee.
At its heart, Fists Of Fury is a story about the tensions between Japanese and Chinese martial arts students in the same town. There are some absolutely classic fight scenes in this one, many involving weapons and flying kicks. This is probably the film that made American audiences fall in love with Bruce Lee as an actor.
Dying masters sending star pupils on seek and destroy missions, Jackie Chan and his incredible stunts, a fat Sammo Hung tearing things up, and the fantastically charismatic Bruce Lee should be the only reasons you need to get watching these four kung fu movies. Most places have them for rent, or you can purchase them online.
You can even ask someone who is not much of a fan of the genre, and they have probably heard of or seen The Five Deadly Venoms. This is a classic 1978 film from Chinese master director Chang Chen, and it tells the story of a student sent by his dying master to find and defeat five former students who have taken the evil route.
The five bad pupils all use different forms of martial arts based on their particular specialty within the Poison Clan. The unique fighting styles of Toad, Lizard, Snake, Scorpion, and Centipede must each be overcome by the protagonist. The only problem is that while the protagonist is reasonable skilled in each of the five venom styles, he is not equal to any of the bad guys at their chosen specialty. For this reason he must show great cunning and adaptability if he is to survive against these men.
One of the most recognized Chinese actors around, Jackie Chan is the star of the 1994 release The Legend Of Drunken Master. In it he portrays Wong Fei Hung, a Chinese man who becomes embroiled in a plot to make off with some of China's most valued artifacts.
This is arguably Jackie Chan's peak performance, and the action star is at his most outrageous. Excellent direction and a solid plot mean that those people who claim that no good martial arts flicks have been released since the seventies should rethink that statement. The Legend Of Drunken Master is a 1994 release.
If you like fight choreography and really insane acrobatics, then you might like the third film on this list. The Magnificent Butcher is a Sammo Hung vehicle which mixes action and comedy with great success. This film has some truly amazing wire work.
Finally, no mention of Chinese martial arts cinema would be complete without the legendary Bruce Lee. Fists of Fury, otherwise known as The Big Boss, is perhaps the ultimate Bruce Lee experience. It's not exactly the best Bruce Lee film, but for sheer energy and excitement you can't beat it. There is possibly no more charismatic action star in this genre than Bruce Lee.
At its heart, Fists Of Fury is a story about the tensions between Japanese and Chinese martial arts students in the same town. There are some absolutely classic fight scenes in this one, many involving weapons and flying kicks. This is probably the film that made American audiences fall in love with Bruce Lee as an actor.
Dying masters sending star pupils on seek and destroy missions, Jackie Chan and his incredible stunts, a fat Sammo Hung tearing things up, and the fantastically charismatic Bruce Lee should be the only reasons you need to get watching these four kung fu movies. Most places have them for rent, or you can purchase them online.
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