Kung Fu movies!!!

[Robert Wetherelt]

Anyone out there into "Kung Fu" movies!?( or "Gung Fu" or"Wushu") I've been into them for years now. I started off as just a Bruce Lee nut and religiously watching the David Carridine "Kung Fu" t.v. series. Then, thanks to a Buffalo t.v. station, got into the Shaw Bros. movies.

And now thanks to Usagi getting me into Samurai cinema,I've rekindled my love for these kung fu "classics". In recent years they've come out with some "new" films: "Crouching Tiger,Hidden Dragon"
"Hero"
"House of Flying Daggers"
"Fist of Legend"
"Fearless"
And so on...

These new "classics" have breathed new life into this genre of filmdom. So...if you are also into these movies...drop me a line( or 2 or 3 ) and tell me what you think. What are your favorites? How long have you been into these films? Etc.,etc.,etc.

Abayo!!

[Jet_Jaguar]

All of the movies you mentioned are decent-to-good and worth seeing if you're into Asian cinema. Here's some more movies I would say are must-sees:

Drunken Master 2 (aka Legend of the Drunken Master): Probably the best movie Jackie Chan will ever make (obviously, there are plenty of other movies with Jackie Chan you should see too, along with a few you should probably skip). The more modest original Drunken Master is good too, but the second is the real must-see. IIRC, the big ending fight scene took about four months to film!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5S9_5AjV_I

Once Upon a Time in China 1&2: Epic Hong Kong movies about 19th century Chinese folk hero Wong Fei Hong (portrayed by Jackie Chan in the Drunken Master movies...and lots of other people in lots of other movies).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouWZjBAOV-I

LOVE the opening credit sequence of the first movie:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MN_hCJMVaAk

Fong Sai Yuk 1&2: More Jet Li goodness in a similar vein. Some of the action scenes (somehow done without CGI!) must be seen to be believed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5iE1j1MeoQ

Zu: Warriors of the Magic Mountain: Wild fantasy movie directed by Tsui Hark, an influence on Big Trouble in Little China. This might be the one UY fans dig the most.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEs1sHneE2g

The Bride With White Hair: Another great fantasy movie. From Freddy Vs. Jason/ Bride of Chucky/Fearless director Ronny Yu.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfeSngO2s7I

Last Hero in China: Another Jet Li-starring movie. This one is pretty silly, but entertaining if you're in the right mood. Sort of a parody of the Once Upon a Time in China series. It's the reason why I can't see Chinese lion dancers without annoucing "Mr. Wong Fei-Hong gives the muppet a real life. It looks just like a real lion" in a goofy British accent.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLFQ5u5tZvI

I'd also add pretty much anything with Sammo Hung to the list.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYyBbuIxpTc

[Robert Wetherelt]

Konichiwa!! Thanks for the film suggestions dude! I've been picking up all of the good Kung Fu films that I can at a store up here in Toronto called HMV. They have a GREAT martial arts section.
I will in the future be picking up the films that you have suggested. I have a lot of Jet Li's great movies,plus I have all of Bruce Lee's films.

The only Jackie Chan film that I have right now is one that he did with Jet Li called "The Forbidden Kingdom". Jackie plays one of the eight immortals of chinese mythology. The more he drinks the better his kung fu. Jet plays two characters .A mysterious monk and Sun Wu Kong the monkey king.

Anyway...thanks again for the movie list. I shall start picking them up as soon as I can get back to Toronto.( along with my Usagi stuff. My comic shop in Toronto is now selling Usagi again! YEEEAAAAHOOOO!!!!)

honto ni arigato gozaimas!!

Abayo!

[joetraff]

All of the movies you mentioned are decent-to-good and worth seeing if you're into Asian cinema. Here's some more movies I would say are must-sees:

Drunken Master 2 (aka Legend of the Drunken Master): Probably the best movie Jackie Chan will ever make (obviously, there are plenty of other movies with Jackie Chan you should see too, along with a few you should probably skip). The more modest original Drunken Master is good too, but the second is the real must-see. IIRC, the big ending fight scene took about four months to film!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5S9_5AjV_I

Once Upon a Time in China 1&2: Epic Hong Kong movies about 19th century Chinese folk hero Wong Fei Hong (portrayed by Jackie Chan in the Drunken Master movies...and lots of other people in lots of other movies).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouWZjBAOV-I

LOVE the opening credit sequence of the first movie:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MN_hCJMVaAk

Fong Sai Yuk 1&2: More Jet Li goodness in a similar vein. Some of the action scenes (somehow done without CGI!) must be seen to be believed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5iE1j1MeoQ

Zu: Warriors of the Magic Mountain: Wild fantasy movie directed by Tsui Hark, an influence on Big Trouble in Little China. This might be the one UY fans dig the most.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEs1sHneE2g

The Bride With White Hair: Another great fantasy movie. From Freddy Vs. Jason/ Bride of Chucky/Fearless director Ronny Yu.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfeSngO2s7I

Last Hero in China: Another Jet Li-starring movie. This one is pretty silly, but entertaining if you're in the right mood. Sort of a parody of the Once Upon a Time in China series. It's the reason why I can't see Chinese lion dancers without annoucing "Mr. Wong Fei-Hong gives the muppet a real life. It looks just like a real lion" in a goofy British accent.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLFQ5u5tZvI

I'd also add pretty much anything with Sammo Hung to the list.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYyBbuIxpTc

cool sharing.
Keep up the good work.

[Jet_Jaguar]

I just remembered another good movie:

Duel To The Death Trailer

(Contains a little nudity, so don't watch at work or if you're not old enough to look at nudity on the computer. Also, it sorta gives away the whole movie)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVm11PZxYG0

I think this was the directing debut of Ching Siu-Tung, who later directed A Chinese Ghost Story and worked as a fight coreographer on lots of movies.

Someone made a pretty cool mashup video using footage from this movie:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1aTayaxuMU

[Jeff_W]

I'm more a fan of gunfu myself but really anything produced by Tsui Hark is pretty great in my book... and of course you can't go wrong with John Woo's HK cinema (his US stuff is a bit more hit or miss) but his late 80's- early 90's stuff is fantastic.

The Killer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_mfMDNdkuk
Hardboiled http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAtxZHuJNW4
Bullet in the Head http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwmHtnZ-SUM
A Better Tomorrow http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SR7q9_8qmak
A Better Tomorrow II http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOhyyUCBh-8

Stuff like this.

[Stan Sakai]

Drunken Master 2 is terrific, but my favorite Jackie Chan movie is Armor of God II: Operation Condor. Neat stunts, also a lot of comedy.

Iron Monkey is also good. It's like a kung fu Batman in feudal times. But stay away from the sequel.

[Andy]

Good to know, everybody. Now to add these on Netflix!