What is your favorite Martial Arts film? Favorite actors?
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wow,so many Chinese films are listed here.
I can't recall how many martial arts films i have seen up to now,it must be enormous, i watched so many as i was growing up before switching to foreign films.Admittedly, Bruce Lee is the boss of Chinese martial arts. I think he did a great job in promoting Chinese martial arts films awareness to the west,see if i am right.
Just read an article about how to translate film titles. I was greatly shocked that the film title which literally means HuangFeihong(name of the main character) was translated into Once Upon a Time in China,making me think of the titles Once Upon a Time in America and Once Upon a Time in the West.I think this is pretty acceptable to English film goers and it's much easier to understand and of course it makes more sense than HuangFeihong.But making me feel baffled.I almost have to check every film listed here to see what you are talking about.Because the English counterparts appear to be totally irrelevant to Chinese titles, has anybody ever thought about translating film titles while you are supposed to get across the main idea to the foreign audiences but maitain the cultural meaning at the same time? I consider it to be a demanding and tricky task but it's a lot fun.
Anyway, my favourite martial arts film goes to HuoYuanjia,known as Fearless to you all. And i like Hero very much.both starring Jet Li.
I can't recall how many martial arts films i have seen up to now,it must be enormous, i watched so many as i was growing up before switching to foreign films.Admittedly, Bruce Lee is the boss of Chinese martial arts. I think he did a great job in promoting Chinese martial arts films awareness to the west,see if i am right.
Just read an article about how to translate film titles. I was greatly shocked that the film title which literally means HuangFeihong(name of the main character) was translated into Once Upon a Time in China,making me think of the titles Once Upon a Time in America and Once Upon a Time in the West.I think this is pretty acceptable to English film goers and it's much easier to understand and of course it makes more sense than HuangFeihong.But making me feel baffled.I almost have to check every film listed here to see what you are talking about.Because the English counterparts appear to be totally irrelevant to Chinese titles, has anybody ever thought about translating film titles while you are supposed to get across the main idea to the foreign audiences but maitain the cultural meaning at the same time? I consider it to be a demanding and tricky task but it's a lot fun.
Anyway, my favourite martial arts film goes to HuoYuanjia,known as Fearless to you all. And i like Hero very much.both starring Jet Li.
Jackie Chan is my all time favourite martial arts actor, I dont think ive seen a movie with him in that I don enjoy. I also like some of Jet Li but not a lot of them.
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I don't care what anyone one says, Sidekicks!! Staring Chuck Norris, the best actor in the world!
And when I am Chuked out i will pop in Double Team with another bad as pair of dudes,jean-claude van damme and Dennis Rodman!!
lol
And when I am Chuked out i will pop in Double Team with another bad as pair of dudes,jean-claude van damme and Dennis Rodman!!
lol
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Is there someone inside you?
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Is it Captain Howdy?
I really like that there are many more quality martial arts being made now than before (however, the bad ones are still seem to be being made at the same rate).
So, here's a list my favorite top ten:
10. Game Of Death
Even though Enter The Dragon & Fist Of Fury often interchange with this movie as far as my being my favorite Bruce Lee film, Game Of Death is the one that I find myself watching the most.
Maybe it's cuz, with since it actually remains unfinished (in my eyes, the post-Lee parts don't count... ) it leaves plenty of room for interpretation on what could have been.
After Lee's death, martial arts genre took a real nose dive as far as the kind of quality & especially the kind of integrity that Bruce seemed to be striving for.
And while lately, the genre has taken many strides forward as far as being taken more seriously as a cinematic artform, watching the ideas that Bruce set upon this early "kung fu flick" always make me wonder about the potential that the original Dragon must have dreamed about & hoped for.
9. Heroic Trio
At first glance, this looked like a B-style action-flick that was just too goofy for me. But as I watched it, it became more like a movie that seem to sufficiently balance between the lines of well-crafted high-fantasy creditability & a comicbook-like storyline. And also at the same time, between epic wuxia style battle moves & cheesy yet energetically fun kung-fu camp.
And at the center, tying all these almost conflicting themes together are three high-flying colorful female warriors whose chemistry made it impossible for me not to fall in love with each one of them. This trio of hot asian super-heroines who fight crime with such cool moves & kick-ass sultry outfits are so sexy, that it makes my pimp-ass want to do sumthin villainous just for the spanking.
Plus, I defy any one not to "loose their head" over the villianous Kau & his throwing "skull-cage" on a chain.
While I realize that this isn't really considered a maverick of this field,for me, the charisma between these well-rounded & distinct characters was enuff to hook me into this non-guilty guilty pleasure.
8. Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
A martial arts film that decides that it's not goin to be one.
Many forms of physical combat like to brag of itself as being a form of violent ballet, but Crouching Tiger Hidden dragon is one that just wants to portray it martial arts as an art tool that blends into the majesty of the story's theme of honor, love & wisdom, that this film ends up laying claim to that dance-metaphor that the other fighting films wish they could be truly worthy of.
No character in this film, no matter how small, is colored in the simple black & white colors of good & evil, and all are dutied bound by a personal sense of honor. And both men & women are equally capable in either mastefully full contact engagement or scaling the walls & even the very air in gravity defying leaps that serve more to enhance the fable-like atmosphere of the story.
Intelligent, straightforward & "martially artistic", Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon is a pure fun action flick merged into a story whose simplicity is hidden behind the human depth of a group of characters who believe their respective situations to be truly epic.
7. Drunken Master
Now while I agree with most people that (Legend Of The) Drunken Master II was technically a better & more "tightly woven" movie, this film is the first, not to mention, my favorite one featuring Jackie Chan's comedic style of "combat". There are still times when I watch the action scenes of DM & they still seem as energetic, cool & creatively crazy today as back when this kung fu classic first came out.
The combat moves in this flick are so inspired, that sometimes, I feel like I could probably fight like that too.
That is, if I was drunk.
Like really drunk.
6. Iron Monkey
Monkey see, monkey fu.
5. The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi
I had heard of Zatoichi, but never bothered looking up anything about this long-lasting character of the East. I stumbled on this DVD, & found myself enjoying it so much, that the end result was multiple viewings with no diminishment in enjoyment. The movie, just like the series of an earlier time, follows the latest adventure of a mystery traveler commonly referred to as the "blind masseuse", who in actuality is a gentle samurai warrior who's lone wolf journeys could've well been the inspiration of the Italian counter-part, "Man With No Name" of spaghetti western fame. Silent, noble & despite his blindness, the ability to see with more clarity, not just the world around him, but also the will & intentions contained within the hearts of all he encounters.
A great classic character of the Japanese tradition.
4. Hero
A martial arts movie with beautifully colored fighting themes, an actual purpose in it's plotline & more arrows than some metaphor that would contain a point about many more arrows that any situaion would ever deem necessary.
An epic kung-fu flick that is way more poetic than this or any description of Hero could ever hope to be.
3. Kill Bill
Only two words can be used to describe this movie: Bad ass.
Not only is this Quentin's homage to martial arts flix, but it also includes homage's to anime & those funky, grainy 70's Bruce Lee's wannabe's that made us laugh with their unsynchronized voice-overs, jagged camera movements & b-level musical sound effects. And yet, he was able to combine all this in a manner that was just plain...
well....
... bad-ass.
Oh, & by the way,
out of sheer curiosity, I just performed the Five Point Palm Exploding Heart technique on myself, just to see if it works. Now, as I post this, I have just finished taking the 5 steps forward, to see if anything will actually happ
So, here's a list my favorite top ten:
10. Game Of Death
Even though Enter The Dragon & Fist Of Fury often interchange with this movie as far as my being my favorite Bruce Lee film, Game Of Death is the one that I find myself watching the most.
Maybe it's cuz, with since it actually remains unfinished (in my eyes, the post-Lee parts don't count... ) it leaves plenty of room for interpretation on what could have been.
After Lee's death, martial arts genre took a real nose dive as far as the kind of quality & especially the kind of integrity that Bruce seemed to be striving for.
And while lately, the genre has taken many strides forward as far as being taken more seriously as a cinematic artform, watching the ideas that Bruce set upon this early "kung fu flick" always make me wonder about the potential that the original Dragon must have dreamed about & hoped for.
9. Heroic Trio
At first glance, this looked like a B-style action-flick that was just too goofy for me. But as I watched it, it became more like a movie that seem to sufficiently balance between the lines of well-crafted high-fantasy creditability & a comicbook-like storyline. And also at the same time, between epic wuxia style battle moves & cheesy yet energetically fun kung-fu camp.
And at the center, tying all these almost conflicting themes together are three high-flying colorful female warriors whose chemistry made it impossible for me not to fall in love with each one of them. This trio of hot asian super-heroines who fight crime with such cool moves & kick-ass sultry outfits are so sexy, that it makes my pimp-ass want to do sumthin villainous just for the spanking.
Plus, I defy any one not to "loose their head" over the villianous Kau & his throwing "skull-cage" on a chain.
While I realize that this isn't really considered a maverick of this field,for me, the charisma between these well-rounded & distinct characters was enuff to hook me into this non-guilty guilty pleasure.
8. Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
A martial arts film that decides that it's not goin to be one.
Many forms of physical combat like to brag of itself as being a form of violent ballet, but Crouching Tiger Hidden dragon is one that just wants to portray it martial arts as an art tool that blends into the majesty of the story's theme of honor, love & wisdom, that this film ends up laying claim to that dance-metaphor that the other fighting films wish they could be truly worthy of.
No character in this film, no matter how small, is colored in the simple black & white colors of good & evil, and all are dutied bound by a personal sense of honor. And both men & women are equally capable in either mastefully full contact engagement or scaling the walls & even the very air in gravity defying leaps that serve more to enhance the fable-like atmosphere of the story.
Intelligent, straightforward & "martially artistic", Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon is a pure fun action flick merged into a story whose simplicity is hidden behind the human depth of a group of characters who believe their respective situations to be truly epic.
7. Drunken Master
Now while I agree with most people that (Legend Of The) Drunken Master II was technically a better & more "tightly woven" movie, this film is the first, not to mention, my favorite one featuring Jackie Chan's comedic style of "combat". There are still times when I watch the action scenes of DM & they still seem as energetic, cool & creatively crazy today as back when this kung fu classic first came out.
The combat moves in this flick are so inspired, that sometimes, I feel like I could probably fight like that too.
That is, if I was drunk.
Like really drunk.
6. Iron Monkey
Monkey see, monkey fu.
5. The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi
I had heard of Zatoichi, but never bothered looking up anything about this long-lasting character of the East. I stumbled on this DVD, & found myself enjoying it so much, that the end result was multiple viewings with no diminishment in enjoyment. The movie, just like the series of an earlier time, follows the latest adventure of a mystery traveler commonly referred to as the "blind masseuse", who in actuality is a gentle samurai warrior who's lone wolf journeys could've well been the inspiration of the Italian counter-part, "Man With No Name" of spaghetti western fame. Silent, noble & despite his blindness, the ability to see with more clarity, not just the world around him, but also the will & intentions contained within the hearts of all he encounters.
A great classic character of the Japanese tradition.
4. Hero
A martial arts movie with beautifully colored fighting themes, an actual purpose in it's plotline & more arrows than some metaphor that would contain a point about many more arrows that any situaion would ever deem necessary.
An epic kung-fu flick that is way more poetic than this or any description of Hero could ever hope to be.
3. Kill Bill
Only two words can be used to describe this movie: Bad ass.
Not only is this Quentin's homage to martial arts flix, but it also includes homage's to anime & those funky, grainy 70's Bruce Lee's wannabe's that made us laugh with their unsynchronized voice-overs, jagged camera movements & b-level musical sound effects. And yet, he was able to combine all this in a manner that was just plain...
well....
... bad-ass.
Oh, & by the way,
out of sheer curiosity, I just performed the Five Point Palm Exploding Heart technique on myself, just to see if it works. Now, as I post this, I have just finished taking the 5 steps forward, to see if anything will actually happ
__________________
Right now, all I'm wearing is a mustard-stained wife-beater T-shirt, no pants & a massive sombrero.
Right now, all I'm wearing is a mustard-stained wife-beater T-shirt, no pants & a massive sombrero.
Last edited by TheMightyCelestial; 05-29-11 at 01:09 AM.
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Favorite Movies
Big Trouble in Little China
Loved it as ...erm...well, lets just say back in the day. Not really a "serious" martial arts film, but who really cared?? Plus it had Kurt Russell, who so cool back back then. Wore the VHS out. Its embarrassing.
Jet Li
Anything Jet Li does is on my "To Watch" list. To me, he's like Jackie Chan if Jackie Chan was serious, slightly crazed, and somewhat scary. Ever notice how Jet Li always seems off his meds in that very sinister quiet rage-inside kind of way? Yeah. That's how I'd define his kind of action - edgy and dark, but appealing in some primal way.
Cynthia Rothrock
Ok. I've lost all credibility with this one, but she's the only chick from the old days I remember watching over and over and over again. And I would never watch her movies (or her type of movies) today. How odd is that?
Enter the Dragon / Bruce Lee
This should need no explanation, and should be on everyone's list. Right?
Hilary Swank
She gets honorable mention because she did the girl Karate Kid, and got her brains beat out so bravely in Million Dollar Baby.
Matrix / Matrix 2 / Matrix 3
I do not apologize for liking the Matrix, although years ago I had to finally admit that Keanu Reeves is a putz. No. All the glory goes to the Wachoski Brothers (er...siblings, at this point) for the unparallelled and groundbreaking (production? direction?).
Chow Yun Fat
Great man. Great films. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was a masterpiece of a film, and really bridged the gap between the oldm clearly unrealistic and campy feeling epic-battle martial arts movies and today. A great first step. CTHD was actually visually stunning and very charming in a quaint and romantic way. but to Chow Yun Fat's credit, he also did his share of gritty kill-em-up movies, and is quite fun to watch.
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa
I would probably watch Tagawa comb his hair. For hours.
This guy HAD to be the first older man I ever had the hots for. I mean seriously. I probably watched Nemesis an inordinate amount of times just to see him. You know it was bad when I once viewed it my mom, her sisters, and her mother, and they all agreed that he was a looker. I'm probably just weird, but that guy is almost 60, and he is still SMOKING hot!
I cant think of any other favs off the top of my head, but there are definitely more...later!
Loved it as ...erm...well, lets just say back in the day. Not really a "serious" martial arts film, but who really cared?? Plus it had Kurt Russell, who so cool back back then. Wore the VHS out. Its embarrassing.
Jet Li
Anything Jet Li does is on my "To Watch" list. To me, he's like Jackie Chan if Jackie Chan was serious, slightly crazed, and somewhat scary. Ever notice how Jet Li always seems off his meds in that very sinister quiet rage-inside kind of way? Yeah. That's how I'd define his kind of action - edgy and dark, but appealing in some primal way.
Cynthia Rothrock
Ok. I've lost all credibility with this one, but she's the only chick from the old days I remember watching over and over and over again. And I would never watch her movies (or her type of movies) today. How odd is that?
Enter the Dragon / Bruce Lee
This should need no explanation, and should be on everyone's list. Right?
Hilary Swank
She gets honorable mention because she did the girl Karate Kid, and got her brains beat out so bravely in Million Dollar Baby.
Matrix / Matrix 2 / Matrix 3
I do not apologize for liking the Matrix, although years ago I had to finally admit that Keanu Reeves is a putz. No. All the glory goes to the Wachoski Brothers (er...siblings, at this point) for the unparallelled and groundbreaking (production? direction?).
Chow Yun Fat
Great man. Great films. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was a masterpiece of a film, and really bridged the gap between the oldm clearly unrealistic and campy feeling epic-battle martial arts movies and today. A great first step. CTHD was actually visually stunning and very charming in a quaint and romantic way. but to Chow Yun Fat's credit, he also did his share of gritty kill-em-up movies, and is quite fun to watch.
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa
I would probably watch Tagawa comb his hair. For hours.
This guy HAD to be the first older man I ever had the hots for. I mean seriously. I probably watched Nemesis an inordinate amount of times just to see him. You know it was bad when I once viewed it my mom, her sisters, and her mother, and they all agreed that he was a looker. I'm probably just weird, but that guy is almost 60, and he is still SMOKING hot!I cant think of any other favs off the top of my head, but there are definitely more...later!
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I didn't even remember that Hillary Swank was in that movie.Great movie by the way.But i liked the ones with Daniel better.
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The film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was a well-done and well photographed film, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
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Hammer of God
Kung Fu Hustle
Duel of the Iron Fists
The Chinese Connection
Fearless
(Although the movie "The Protector" was crap, the scene with Tony Jaa fighting in the water is an all time classic scene for me.)
Kung Fu Hustle
Duel of the Iron Fists
The Chinese Connection
Fearless
(Although the movie "The Protector" was crap, the scene with Tony Jaa fighting in the water is an all time classic scene for me.)
I really liked Hero (2002). It starred Jet Li, and was made in the style of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (lots of wire work). Also, it had this really kick-butt poster.
But the greatest martial arts film has gotta be Master of the Flying Guillotine. It's full of awesome.
But the greatest martial arts film has gotta be Master of the Flying Guillotine. It's full of awesome.
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Popcorn A web comic about movies.
Popcorn A web comic about movies.
I loved Hero, was very over the top but that's what it aimed to be.
This scene below is one of the most memorable scenes from any movie. The leaves turning red at the end is just so beautiful.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x26...iyi_shortfilms
This scene below is one of the most memorable scenes from any movie. The leaves turning red at the end is just so beautiful.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x26...iyi_shortfilms
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We already had an existing thread pertaining to the same subject Cannibal... so I merged your thread with the earlier one. In the future, please use the Search feature when making threads of this nature. Nine times out of ten someone else has beaten you to it... 
Mine are still the same...
Bruce Lee - Enter the Dragon and Fists of Fury…
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AiSv Nv wa do hi ya do...
(Walk in Peace)
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