Kung Fu Movies

All right, I'm a big fan. I think Kung Fu movies deserve more talk about them. Where does everybody stand on Jackie Chan vs. Jet Li? I think that their Chinese movies are comparable in style but Jet Li is better. Their new movies are quite different, however I think that Chan survived Americanization better than Li (think Black Mask). Any Comments?

Chan is Numero Uno in my book. He seems like the friendliest guy on Earth. I wonder what it would take to stop him from smiling. The guy will fall 30 feet, and then, laying on the ground in a cast, will flash a thumbs up towards the camera. What a cool guy. Aside from his personality, though, I love his use of props. That stuff with the ladder in Operation: Condor is awesome.

Jet Li rules all. Such a cool man. Talent wise, he is much better than Chan, although Chan is very cool too. I tend to enjoy Li's movies more also. Fist of Legend, the Enforcer, the Defender, Twin Warriors, Kiss of the Dragon...all very good movies. I have to say though that I don't think Li feel into Americanization. Black Mask was made four years before it was released in the US. The only reason it was released in the US was because of his success in Lethal Weapon 4.

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Okay, good point. Buty you have to admit that Black Mask, which I found unbearable, did have a noticeable amount of Americanization in its style. Rollerblading baddies throwing CDs? I mean, come on.

And Chan adpated well to Hollywood by almost creating a new genre. He didn't conform because he made new. His movies now are as much comedy as action and no one has ever done that consistently and well.

ANybody have all time favorites? I like Fist of Legend, Police Force, Snake Fist Fighter, Twin Warriors... Otehr opinions?

For Li: Fist of Legend
Chan:Gorgeous, Drunken Master

My favorite Jet Li film has to be his debut film Once Upon A Time In China. Excellent fight scenes especially the last one.

I wish Li would go back to Asia cos thats where he's made his best films by far.

Jet Li is such a pimp in that movie with the hat and the umbrella and all. Oh, sorry Rat, his bumbershoot.

I think Li would have been good in Romeo Must Die if it wasn't for the impossible move scenes. Chan is the man though. He has and will always be one of the most moveable martial artists out there. Some of the moves he does are breathtaking.

Those two seem to be the leading martial artists out there right now. If someone else comes along as limber as they are I give them credit.

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I am a big fan of both actors, but have to give the nod to Jet Li, providing it's one of his asian films. Jackie Chan is fun to watch and his stunts are amazing, but Li is just so damned talented that I can't help but love his movies. I also really enjoy how a lot of his movies are 'period' pieces that deal with honor, loyalty, etc. These things seem to be missing in Hollywood today (3000 Miles to Graceland, let's kill as many cops as possible) and it's refreshing to see old fashioned ideals on the big screen.

Jet Li is my hero.

As for rising martial artists, I don't know their names but I can think of two. The first being Chan's opponent in Gorgeous. The American Boxer. Very talented. Second would be the boy who played Li's son in the Enforcer. Very, very talented. Almost as good as Li.

Amen to that! I loved the little kid in The Enforcer... when Li put him on the end of a rope I thought I was going to die laughing it was so damned cool!

the scene in the Enforcer where the kid and the woman beat up all those dudes was probably the best scene in the movie and Jet Li wasn't even in it. That kid was amazing. Chan has the period films too, you've just gotta dig through all his newer, more successful stuff to find it. It's easier to find older Jet Li movies because most of his stuff is just now being released in the US, so it's all out there. My brother was a huge chan fan over ten years ago so I was raised on movies like Fearless Hyena, Snake Fist Fighter, New Fist of Fury... Those are among his best. (esp. Snake fist Fighter)

Jackie Chans finest hour has to be the final fight scene in The Young Master. The fighting style may be unusual to watchers of the more modern kung-fu films, playing out more like a game of physical chess than cut, cut, cut every second. Jackie swinging his limbs around attacking his arch nemesis with the classical piece `Mars` (from Holst's `The Planets`) was almost too much to take for this writer.

Second has to come, Once Upon a Time in China's confrontation between Wong Fei Hung and `Iron Robe`, a fantastic example of the more modern style of kung-fu cinema, where Wong fei Hung eventually cruelly exposes the myth of `Iron Robe` with some incredible moves: defying gravity and the best use of scenery in any fight I've seen (i'd be intrested to hear if anyone disagrees or has a better example of use of scenery).

Jackie Chan Vrs Jet

yeah Jet would win and i prefer him as an fighter but i dont want to take anything away from Jackie Chan he has been in action movies and comedys, sometimes a mix of both but i also prefer Jackie as an actor. So fighting Jet, Acting Jackie. Also im a LONG time fan of Kung Fu fighting movies, although the fights are impossible, i would still love to be able to throw my arms and kick my legs at those impossible and impressive speeds!

Jet Li is the man!

Jackie IS DA BOMB! Jet was good in The One and he was good in Romeo Must Die BUT CHAN has better films as far as im concerned

The main difference between the two of course is that Jet Li is a martial artist first and foremost. He was a martial artist before he debuted in the "Shaolin Temple" movies and subsequently one of his most notable performances as Wong Fei-Hung in "Once Upon a Time in China" which for me is one of THE best martial arts movies. Technically, from a martial artists perspective I prefer to watch Jet as he is an outstanding exponent of Wushu and amazing to watch.

Jackie Chan however was an actor first and to be honest it does show. He has made a comfortable niche for his comedy kung-fu fight style and at that he is the best.......nobody else would really want to do it. Jackie plays for the pure entertainment factor so his comedic antics are bound to translate better to the US market as that is what is expected. Jackie Chan is fun, and his stunts are daring but basically his movies are no brain entertainment and are played for laughs.

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Jet Li is more proficient in Kung Fu, but Jackie Chan is 100 times more entertaining. That, and Jackie Chan wasn't in Kiss of the Dragon, the all time worst Kung Fu film ever!!! (Bridget Fonda as a prostitute?!?! How could they?!? I love her!! ...plus the script was really horrible, too.)

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Luc Besson has a lot to answer for concerning that film. Not so much Jet Li as I am sure you can see during the film, he is not a problem. The script, the direction, the casting and a couple of the supporting performances were terribly defficient but on the whole Jet Li did what he could.

Bridget Fonda was dreadfully miscast and so was Bert Kwouk (cato) but nice to see him in something other than a Pink Panther movie.

There will always be two kinds of martial arts movie fans...... the "entertaining, comedy kung-fu" flick fans on the one side and the more plutonic, pure martial arts and technically (sometimes spiritually) aware fans on the other, they are usually fellow martial artists, but there are a few exceptions.

no offence to the man, but Jet is yes a master at martial arts but when it comes to acting, it shows he started fighting before he took acting lessons and without his fighting abilities it would be unlikely he would get anymore acting jobs, anywhere. Jackie has his entertaining and all round good guy reputation to fall back on