I ran across the paintings of artist Chow Chun Fai on David Bordwell's blog Observations on film art and FILM ART and I immediately consulted Google to learn more. Recreating stills from Hong Kong films in a raw, but faithful style, the paintings speak to me in a big way. I'd love to own one. The following, stills from King Hu's classic Dragon Inn and Andrew Lau's more recent masterpiece Infernal Affairs, are prime examples of the style:
For more visit the artist's site:
I don't know how valuable this review will be for people not named Rob Larsen, but I loved this movie. It's not the equal of the true classics that Lau Kar Leung and his adopted brother Lau Kar Fai put together under the Shaw Brothers umbrella in the 70s and 80s, but it's still a fun refresh of the old school, tried and true martial arts movie formula. I was nearly giddy during the fun-as-all-get-out training sequence towards the end of the film and the classic finale (both in structure and execution) had me beaming. I would love to see a series of new films done in this style, just to keep the traditional martial arts movie feel alive. I love the modern style as much as anyone, but there's still something to be said for the joy of watching a film with such a simple setup (a simple tale of revenge mixed with the standard desire to learn a specific martial arts style) executed with such directness. That Lau, maybe the best director the genre has ever seen, was at the helm certainly helped matters in this specific case, but I'd love to see other people take a shot at this sort of retro style.
I can dream right?
Hopping Vampires, Taoist Priests… Yes. Yes. If you've got the chance, curl up today with some classic Hong Kong supernatural hijinks. Here's some Youtube goodness to whet your whistle:
Sammo was a real trend-setter in this area. This is finale from the sequel to his original Encounters of the Spooky Kind/Spooky Encounters.
Lam Ching Ying is the classic Taoist Priest/Vampire Killer in this beloved series of films.
Rent it now if you've never seen it and just pick up where this bit leaves off…
I haven't actually seen this yet. Shame on me.
and what the hell
One caveat- with the exception of Jackie, these aren't really in any order.
Other than that, on with the fun…
Say what you will about Jackie, for my money there's no denying he's the greatest screen fighter of all time. For me, it boils down to this- no one else has made my jaw hit the floor as many times as Jackie Chan. From his 1978 pair of Yuen Wo-Ping directed classics Snake in the Eagle's Shadow and Drunken Master, through his unmatched brilliance in the 80s with films like Police Story, Dragons Forever, Project A and Wheels and Meals, through to his later Hong Kong work like Who Am I, Police Story III and IV and Rumble in the Bronx, he was unmatched in his ability to wow audiences worldwide with his incredible screen fights and stunts. Decade by decade he created films and scenes that rank amongst the best the genre has to offer, culminating with Drunken Master 2, a film that can easily lay claim to the mantle of "best fight film of all time."
Don't believe me? Let's go to the video replay. Keep in mind, the following ignores a lot of really great fights, since I've already posted them here once before.
Here's a great little drunken boxing scene (this is drunkenfist.com after all) from the aforementioned Drunken Master 2:
Here's an awesome scene full of that old school flavor from Snake in the Eagle's Shadow:
And finally, here's the incredible "ladder fight" from Police Story IV/First Strike. I never get tired of this scene.
Interviewing Jackie was definitely one of the highlights of my time as a film writer.
Without a doubt my favorite screen fighter of all time. Jet Li may not be the same athlete he was when he was winning Wu Shu championships, but even now he still sells fights with more style than just about anyone and in his prime he possessed breathtaking athleticism. Li's Wu Shu training, which really focused more on appearance than practical ass-kicking ability, perfectly primed him for martial arts movie greatness. Put plainly, his whole life has been about looking good and having appealing form while doing martial arts. Sounds like a recipe for cinematic success, doesn't it?
Here's a great scene from First of Legend, my favorite Jet Li film:
And a killer scene from Fearless, his latest (last?) martial arts epic
and finally the excellent "four seasons" training sequence scene from his debut film, Shaolin Temple
Donnie is definitely one of the better martial artists on this list. What's funny about that is, he's not even the best martial artist in his family- his mother being the inimitable Bow Sim Mark. Anyway, Donnie is a real favorite around these parts (and not just because I've met him a half dozen times and interviewed him on three separate occasions.) He was a key figure in both the Wuxia revival of the early-mid nineties and the frenetic action trend of the mid-late eighties. That goes a long way in my book since those two eras are personal favorites.
Here's a brilliant fight from Tiger Cage 2- an excellent example of the kind of balls-out action prevalent in Hong Kong in the late 80s:
and here's one of the better scenes from the classic Iron Monkey. Donnie only shows up 2:45 in, but the first half is all Yu Rong Guang kicking ass, so I figured I'd post it anyway. Yu Rong Guang is 100% cool.
Maybe the most surprising screen fighter in the world. Looking at him, I'm sure people don't know what to expect, but he possesses startling speed and agility. He's also the best "fake Bruce Lee" ever- ignoring the fact that he looks nothing like him. His "Bruce Lee" in Enter the Fat Dragon is a thing of (fat) beauty.
Check out a baby-faced Sammo in King Hu's classic A Touch of Zen. Maybe not his best fight but it gives you some sense of how long he's been at this:
And here's a ridiculous scene from Enter the Fat Dragon with Yuen Biao as "Jim Kelly" (as well as Leung Kar Yan)
The underrated "little brother" of Sammo Hung and Jackie Chan is a brilliant screen fighter in his own right. Possessing incredible agility, flexibility and speed Yuen is one of the genre's true giants.
Here's some proof:
The classic final fight from 1981's Prodigal Son
And a killer fight with Melvin Wong from the end of Righting Wrongs
She's the best. A fine actress with screen presence who just happens to be beautiful, fearless, and physically gifted? What's not to love?
Like I said- she's the best.
Here's a recent classic from the mega-hit Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
And here's a crazy little fight versus a huge dude gigantic man from Project S:
And while we're here, check out her famous motorcycle stunt from Supercop:
And if I didn't include him, I'd have about a half dozen complaints in the comments 
Seriously though, while the choreography in his fights can't compare to a lot of what came after it's hard to ignore the quality of his fight scenes. Bruce had true grace, power and an undeniable screen presence.
Evidence (for those of you might have forgotten?) Bruce Lee versus Chuck Norris:
Remember that Dojo fight above from Fist of Legend? Here's the original from Lee's Fist of Fury (aka the Chinese Connection)
For my money- he's the ultimate Shaw brothers star. If I were to choose a star to represent every decade covered on this list Lau Kar Fai would be the poster boy for the 70s. As the star of some of the genre's greatest films, he provided precise, powerful movements as the focus of all that delicious Shaw era choreography.
An excellent "Iron Head Kung Fu" battle with his adopted brother Lau Kar Leung from the brilliant Legendary Weapons of China
Here's the intro from 36th Chamber of Shaolin- one of the great genre classics.
If anyone is lucky enough to be in Boston reading this with no plans for tonight- for the love of all that's holy go see Shanghai Express tonight. If just to see one of the greatest stunts in Hong Kong cinema history, Yuen Biao's flip off of a three story burning building.
I'm going tomorrow night to see Duel to the Death. A brilliantly over-the-top wire fu classic from the 80s. The final battle, which takes place entirely in the sky, is one of the true classic Wuxia scenes.
For five nights this September, a vacant lot near Boston’s Chinatown Gate will become a free, outdoor theater, showing Kung-Fu and classic Chinese-language films under the stars. Films at the Gate returns with a focus on Hong Kong comedians and some of their early influences. Join us for an event that brings back a tradition of watching movies together in Chinatown
Back by popular demand, here's an extension of my original Hong Kong martial arts movie post. As with the last this isn't a "top ten" or "top twenty." There's no way all the fights I'd want to include would be on Youtube (for example there's a Kwan Tak Hing fight that I'd love to include that's nowhere to be found) and coming up with such a list would take me a lot longer than the few hours each one of these posts take. This just a continued exploration of the incredible content out there on Youtube with a little commentary by me.
And with that, more kung fu goodness:
This is one of my favorite Corey Yuen Kwai fights. It's a nice blend of the wild wire-enhanced antics he's known for and plain old ass-kicking. I absolutely love where Jet uses the wet towel as a weapon.
Kent "Fatty" Cheng makes an appearance at the beginning. Always a bonus.
If you've never seen a supernatural themed film from Hong Kong, I implore you to do whatever it takes to see one as soon as possible. There's enough familiarity that it won't be completely alien but the differences are enough to make your head spin. The short description- the vampires hop around and Taoist priests fight them with kung fu. That's 45 kinds of cool.
Anyway, this scene from the excellent Sammo Hung helmed supernatural film doesn't actually have any supernatural elements. What it does have is Sammo Hung and around these parts, that's enough. I love this fight. I've seen it about a million times and it never gets old for me.
This is a great little fight from a film filled with great fights. The precision of the choreography will please old schools fans to no end. Maybe not the flashiest scene I'll post today, but it still brings a smile to my face.
My exuberance for this film has never diminished. I wrote my first article for Shovel Magazine partially on this film and my love for this movie has only grown in the intervening (ten!) years. this scene is a great example of the sort of tight choreography that Lau Kar Leung produced with stunning regularity during his lengthy and illustrious career and, hell, it's the finale of one of the unquestioned genre classics. That's got to count for double points.
Basic formula for success? Lau Kar Fai + three sectioned staff = mad cool.
I was originally going to post just one of these Jackie Chan vs. Benny Urquidez fights, but after re-watching the pair I realized I couldn't choose just one. The Dragons Forever fight might be a little cooler in terms of pure "fight" but there's a real charm about this one for me. The little touches are great- like when Urquidez kicks out the candles or when Jackie goes into "just pretend it's practice" mode. It's a real classic.
There are a couple of versions that show just the Jackie Chan vs. Benny Urquidez fight, without the interspersed scenes with Sammo and Yuen Biao. I figured I'd go for the original.
Excluding my slightly inexplicable love affair with City Hunter, Dragons Forever might be my favorite Jackie Chan film. This finale is a major reason why. It starts with one of Yuen Biao's best sequences. Full of great acrobatics, stunt work and plain old screen fighting, he really shows his incredible talent in the beginning of this reel. The fact that, amongst the sea of stuntmen, he faces off against personal favorite Billy Chow certainly helps matters…
And then there's Jackie. While I enjoy Jackie's comedic side, this is how I want to see him. He starts off with some great environmental stuff and then goes toe to toe with Urquidez in an absolutely perfect capper to the scene.
I also love Yuen Wah in this movie.
I really wish I could embed this fight, which is my favorite from the series, but I can't so this excellent, stylized duel will have to do.
And why not? This is drunkenfist.com after all. I've got to have some drunken styles in the list or else I'll lose my lease or something…
Where the finale of this film (posted in the previous list) was all Jackie, this fight obviously has touches of the master, Lau, all over it. I'm not complaining about the existing finale of this film, it's one of my favorites of all time after all, but one can't help but wonder how the finale might have been handled had Lau still been on the film.
Whatever the answer to that question, this fight is an unquestioned classic.
Obviously, if you're not a fan of the wire enhanced style employed in this movie, then you're not going to love this scene. If, like me, you love all that stuff, then this scene will be right up your alley. It's not the wildest scene in this film full of wild scenes, but it's short and oh-so-sweet. Yu and Yen absolutely go to town up on that rooftop. A great little fight from one of my favorite martial art movies…
My review of the film and an interview with Donnie Yen
Sadly (and surprisingly), the choices aren't great for Michelle Yeoh videos on youtube. While I was sorely tempted to post the excellent fight from Crouching Tiger between her and Zhang Zhiyi (I love that film and fight), I figured I'd go to my first love, 80s style Hong Kong action. This one has everything I love about that era - including Michelle Yeoh herself of course
These are in no order and definitely not meant to be a definitive top ten list. Doing a definitive list would take me a year of thinking and re-watching films (And how awesome would that be?) It would also stretch even YouTube's limits as a source.
Anyway, here's some kung fu goodness. Enjoy and make sure to check out part two
I think these guys fought five thousand times in the 80s. This one fight always stuck out in my mind. Dick is the guy in the red shirt that comes in a few seconds into the fight.
Quick, but great.
Directed and action by Sammo Hung*
Billy Chow is one of my favorite screen fighters from the 90s. Discovered by Sammo Hung, this kickboxer provided a bunch of highlight reel stuff throughout the 90s. This is one of his best moments, playing the heavy in what might be Jet Li's best martial arts** film.
I actually had a hard time picking a clip from this film. The Dojo fight earlier is maybe even a little better, even if it doesn't have Billy Chow.
Directed by Gordon Chan. Action by Yuen Wo-Ping.
Truly one of the great fight scenes ever filmed. From one of the greatest pure fight films ever made. As the standard anecdote goes, Lo was Chan's real life bodyguard. He's also a pretty good kicker.
Directed (credited) by Lau Kar-Leung. Jackie took over after a falling out with the master. Jackie and his team did the action for this scene.
I just dig this scene. There are plenty of problems with this Wong Jing*** helmed Wong Fei Hung film. This fight isn't one of them. I get all geeked out when "On the General's Orders" comes on about 2:30 in…
Directed by Wong Jing. Action by Yuen Wo-Ping.
Two of the greatest talents ever to work in the genre face off in a classic battle. Lau was 53 when this sequence was filmed, by the way.
Directed and Action by Sammo Hung.
This is a prototypical 80s style fight (and film.) Michael Woods is a great screen fighter and Donnie is, obviously, on of the greatest screen fighters of all time.
Michael Woods, as big as he is, can do Hwang Jiang Lee's triple kick. Just thought you should know.
He does a great double kick in this one.
Directed and Action by Yuen Wo-Ping
Michelle Yeoh is all kinds of awesome and contrary to what you might think, under the right tutelage Cynthia Rothrock can fight her ass off on-screen.
This is a really good example from the slew of films featuring female protagonists in the 80s. Yes, I said "slew." Where Hollywood had Sigourney Weaver's Ripley and little else that I can remember, Hong Kong produced a few dozen films featuring ass-kicking female leads.
Put that in your pipe and smoke it.
Directed and Action by Corey Yuen Kwai
This is the sort of intricate choreography that old school fans drool over. From one of the greatest martial arts move ever made, by the way. Lau Kar Leung is truly a master of the genre. If I had to pick just one martial arts film to represent the genre, 36th Chamber of Shaolin would be on my short list of candidates.
Directed and Action by Lau Kar Leung.
Easily one of Jackie's best sequences. Pure mid 80s Hong Kong action brilliance. Stay with it to the very end for a great (and dangerous) little car stunt.
Speaking of stunts, pay close attention to the bumps these guys take. Those aren't special "soft" jungle jims. What you see is what you get- being a Hong Kong stunt man in the 80s was like being a superhero.
Directed and Action by Jackie Chan
Saving the best for last, here's the greatest action sequence of all time- the blistering finale of Jackie Chan's original Police Story. I could write a book just on this scene.
And yes, both Brigitte Lin and Maggie Cheung are in this film.
Directed and Action by Jackie Chan
*I'm doing my best to credit folks for the work here. It's not an exact science, and I'm working from memory. Also, these fights were collaborative efforts between the director, the stunt men, the action director and whoever else was on set, so there are a lot of people that deserve props for these gems.
**he's been in better movies. This one works really well as a pure martial arts film.
***Not that that means I don't like Wong Jing's work. Quite the opposite. I unashamedly think he's a genius.
Want more? check out- 8 Great Screen Fighters - Hong Kong's Greatest Martial Arts Movie Stars
Skinny Tiger and Fatty Dragon
Here's a clip that shows a lot of what I'm talking about.
For those of you unfamiliar, Maka is the bald guy. I think he's a great comic actor. His timing and mannerisms are funny in any language and he's not a bad screen fighter which makes him a perfect fit for films like this and the Aces go Places series. Sammo is just plain special. One of the best choreographers, action directors, screen fighters, etc. etc. etc. of all time, it's just a pure joy to watch him in a fight scene. His size mixed with his ability make for a still stunning sight even after all these years. Maybe I'll start working my way through the 80s again. Oh wait…. what's that I hear? Police Story* is calling to me? Yes it is….
*The last reel of Police Story is the greatest action sequence of all time. It's the purest expression of what makes Jackie so great. It's ten minutes of blistering fights, jaw dropping stunts, and general mayhem. It's just unbelievable. Here's a rip of the scene on youtube. For bonus points, watch Maggie Cheung, one of the world's great actresses, play the role of the helpless girlfriend.
I love Maggie.
Curse of the Golden Flower
This scene features the two most influential/ talented director/choreographers in Hong Kong going at it. Truly a historic fight scene.
