Equilibrium - not really a martial arts film but I think the idea of a gun kata is pretty good and can see it going somewhere as they are now the most widely used weapon.
Kung Pow - again not really a martial arts film as a jam of two and some crazy white guy with a wierd tongue!
Seen most of the other big ones but I like the lack of wire fighting in my films.
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Okay, not necessarily top martial arts films, but definitely a few of my favorite fight scenes in films.
In no particular order,
'Meals on Wheels': J. Chan v Benny 'the Jet', in fact pretty much the whole film is amazing with "the trio" at their best.
One for the 30 year olds! Berry Gordy's 'The Last Dragon'!!: This film is just AMAZING. Early 80's film with Timak as 'Bruce Lee Roy' (say no more) in Harlem searching for 'the master' to obtain 'the glow'. Fights with bad guys that are so evil they pull off plastic outer shoulder pads. Those of you who have seen it will be smiling now, if not laughing out loud at some of the genius tag lines. Love it, if you don't you can 'Kiss my Converse'. Is it a martial art film? A music film? God Knows, it is just brilliant though.
'Drive', film is crud but Marc Dacascos' fight in the garage with the electric probe wielding bad guys is great. Plus it has Britney Murphy in it.
'Ong-Bak' and 'Warrior King': Birth of a new martial arts superstar Tony Jaa. Fight scenes are amazing. I agree with LSD, the staircase scene in Warrior King is cinematic greatness. All tribute to the director and cast for what must have been a nightmare to film. Well worth it.
'Old Boy', Yes I know it's not strictly a martial arts film but the 5 minute, (no edit) hallway fight scene is great.
'Above the Law'(?), Cynthia Rothrock tosh but with Yuen Biao. His final fight in the plane hanger is worth sitting through the previous 80 mins. Actually I think the film might be okay.
'The Twilight Samurai' Really good Samurai film that is actually realistic in its fight scenes. Beautifully shot and executed (no pun intended). Watch it.
'Game of Death': Brucy Boy (platinum 2 disc set). Okay, not the actual 'film'. I'm on about the fight scene up the pagoda on disc 2 specials. In my opinion, this footage is Lee at his best (yes including E.T.D, sorry). Simply amazing fights, 'beautifully' choreographed and expressing Lee's attitudes towards set martial arts, (plus, him [and cast] speaking in English in a Hong Kong film!). The nunchaku fight between Lee and Dan Inosanto pisses over the nunchaku scene in E.T.D. In some ways they should have left he film and just released the pagoda footage they had actually with Lee. (I await you hard core E.T.D fans to come get me)
'Hero' Great film especially the Jet Lee fight with Donni Yen, (one of my favorite martial artists)
'Crouching Tiger' The girlie weapons fight is great.
Okay, gonna stop now, apart from one more....
The ABSOLUTE WORST martial arts film EVER!!!! must be.....
GYMKATA!!!
Oh Yeah... Very early 80's film where government recruit a world class gymnast to infiltrate 'Parmistan' (somewhere off the Caspian Sea, apparently) to compete in 'the game' securing (for some reason) some 'star wars' warning location in the country. Sound sort of familiar? Well this is Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/Fred Weintraub production, that according to the vhs sleeve 'introduced Bruce Lee to the American audience'. The film is a blatant, (but incredibly shit), rip off of E.T.D. But I somehow want to delete that last sentence, as it's really NOT a rip off, as it's just shit. I implore you to watch it only to piss yourself laughing and maybe die of embarrassment if not shock. God knows what Richard Norton in doing in this film!? (He's actually the main 'bad guy'!) It's rare (luckily) as you like but vhs copies are out there. I got one from ebay this year, (during a nostalgic buying of films I loved as a kid in the 80's so forgive me). If you are over 27 then you will have watched this at some point and you will have blocked it from your mind, you may remember the 'village of the dammed scene where 'our hero' fights off a whole village of crazies spinning on a rock that looks uncannily like a gymnastic horse. Come round and watch it... I dare you!
NOW I stop.
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It's been mentioned already, but I like Fearless.
There are a few old Jackie Chan films (that I've forgotten their names) that are decent.
I also like...( oh crap...I've really forgotten the name of this one - it was an old classic too. don't worry, I'll edit it again when I remember the title)
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I'd just like to point out that Martial Edge has a database of movie reviews in the pipeline, listed in our DVDs section. Although you may not be able to see them, many of the films you are discussing have already been rated and reviewed on the website. Films like Crouching Tiger, Fearless, Enter the Dragon and Warrior King have already been uploaded and can be viewed if you type the name of the film into the search bar in the top right hand corner.
As the site is still in development, we are working on a way to make film reviews a lot more prominent. In the meantime, happy searching - and why hasn't anybody mentioned The Prodigal Son as the greatest martial arts movie ever yet?
Trying to think of good ones that haven't already been mentioned.
Seven Samurai is an absolute classic.
If you haven't seen this old Japanese black and white classic yet, you simply must.
It's where Hollywood got the idea for 'The Magnificent Seven', though obviously you have Katana instead of Colt 45's.
'Shaolin Soccer' and Kung Fu Hustle are both brilliant and hilarious.
'Knights' with Kathy Long and Kris Kristofferson is quite entertaining.
Tom Cruise's 'Last Samurai' is somewhat haunting, with it's underlying comment about the break from 'tradition'.
'Million Dollar Baby', with Hilary Swank, Clint Eastwood and Morgan Freeman is brilliant.
Oh, and they have to be mentioned....'The Karate Kid', 'Chuck Norris', the 'Rocky' films and D'Niro in 'Raging Bull'.
Huge fan of the genre.
I rummage through bargain basement DVD'd trying to find the worst Kung Fu movies for my collection.
Love the cheesy music and laughable sound effects.
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As you travel to the mountain, there may be people ahead of you. You may pass some of these people on the way, and some of them may pass you. You are all going to the same place, so it is as well to be civil to each other on the journey!
Good luck on your journey, I hope that our paths cross, and we may travel together for a time!
If you touch my Llama, I WILL kill you!
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If we're discussing 'worst kung fu movies', then I have certainly had the displeasure of sitting through some absolute turkies in my time. Some movies are just bad, plain and simple, with no redeeming features. Now I like a good head kicking movie as much as the next guy, but when faced with the following list of z-grade no brainers, you'll quickly realise that by no stretch of the imagination is House of Flying Daggers a bad film.
Time to name and shame. Avoid these at all costs:
- The Tuxedo
- 3 Ninjas Knuckle Up
- Ferocious Female Freedom Fighters 2
- Invincible
- 9 Deaths of the Ninja
- Lethal Weapon 4
- Sci-Fighter
- Naked Weapon
Who else has seen these films? Have you recovered?
Haha - the classic Death Dimension is indeed an abomination, but it is very hard to truly hate anything with Jim Kelly's afro in it, and his Bruce Lee chops are worthy alone. No, a bad kung fu film has to be a horrible combination of bad choreography, wasted talents, awful story-telling and no ironic value whatsoever.
Death Dimension certainly falls into the ironic department, right next to the box labelled 'actors upstaged by 70s fashion'.
I think 36th Chamber/Master Killer with Gordon Liu is my favourite. In no particular order:
36th Chamber
Drunken Master
Once Upon a Time in China
Shaolin Temple
Ong Bak
Zatoichi (the Kitano version)
Lone Wolf and Cub/Babycart series
Seven Samurai
The Magnificent Butcher
Kill Bill
I have lots more and will no doubt edit that list as I have left lots out!
Wow, an admirable list there my friend. Nice to see Magnificent Butcher getting a mention, personally I don't think you can get much better than Sammo Hung films around that period (could also mention Prodigal Son/Warriors Two/Odd Couple etc.) But for pure kung fu aceness you're correct to mention 36th Chamber, could there be a more quintessential kung fu picture?
Have you seen Five Venoms? Another great Shaw movie. Centipede and Toad kung fu - classic!
I'm trying to get hold of Deadly Venoms at the moment,I need a multi region dvd player I think! I also want to get hold of 8 Diagram Pole Fighter. I think Sammo is great but I really admire Liu for the fact that he actually looks like he could kick some serious ass and trains in Hung Gar. 36th Chamber just knocked me sideways, even the opening titles had me!
I think the worst MA film I have ever seen ,though I didn't sit through it all was Bichunmoo.Rubbish!
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