The 411 Top 5 4.18.08: Week 109

Posted by Trevor Snyder on 04.18.2008

Our Top 5 Favorite Kung-Fu Flicks!

Hi-Ya!

…ahem…

Sorry about that. But then, I can't help myself. Today sees the release of The Forbidden Kingdom, the long-awaited first collaboration of martial-arts legends Jackie Chan and Jet Li. Do I think it's going to be any good? Not necessarily. Still, for someone like myself, who spent a great deal of my formative years absolutely obsessed with kung-fu flicks, it's a pretty big deal, and you can bet I'll be checking it out.

In fact, the release of The Forbidden Kingdom has me so excited that lately I have reverted back to my old kung-fu obsession, and so I figured I'd let it spill over to the Top 5, as well. That's why this week we're taking a look at:

OUR TOP 5 FAVORITE KUNG-FU FLICKS


Trevor Snyder

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Enter the Dragon - Well, I'd feel pretty silly not giving it at least a shout-out. Probably the most imitated martial arts film of all time, and for good reason. Unlike many films of the era, it still holds up pretty well today. I have no doubt that, if not for his untimely death, Bruce Lee would have gone on to make even better films than this. But, as is, you could do a lot worse than be remembered for this classic.

Unleashed - This isn't really the best showcase for Jet Li's fighting skills. For that, you would have to turn to something like Once Upon a Time in China or Fearless. Still, this is one of the best stories I've ever seen in the genre, which is all the more remarkable given how cheesy it sounds on paper. But Jet Li brought his dramatic acting A-game to this tale of a man raised as a vicious dog (I guess acting alongside Morgan Freeman will do that for you), and it really raised this film to something much more than just another generic action piece.

Ong Bak: The Thai Warrior - With Jet Li and Jackie Chan's peak days behind them, the genre needed a new rising star. Enter Tony Jaa, who, judging by this amazing flick, should have no problem grabbing the crown and wearing it for years to come.

THE TOP 5

5. Above the Law

No, not the Steven Seagal flick. I'm not that crazy. I'm talking about the 1986 film (also commonly known as Righting Wrongs) starring martial-arts icons Yuen Biao and Cynthia Rothrock. You can't help but feel bad for Biao, who sat by and watched as his friends and collaborators – such as Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, and Jet Li – all went on to achieve success in America, while he himself never quite pulled it off. And it's hard to understand why that's the case when watching a terrific movie like Above the Law, featuring Biao as a morally-confused vigilante prosecutor and Rothrock as the no-nonsense inspector hunting him down…until, that is, the two are forced to join forces against Rothrock's corrupt superior. This might be an odd one to watch for American audiences not accustomed to the stylistic oddities of Hong Kong action films – for instance, there's quite a bit of cheesy, over-the-top comedy thrown in, which makes the surprisingly violent and nihilistic ending all the more shocking. But it's definitely worth a watch for some of the coolest fights ever, including one between Rothrock and fellow kickboxing champion Karen Shepard that is without a doubt one of the best female fight scenes ever put on film.

4. Five Deadly Venoms

Whether they saw it as Five Venoms or Five Deadly Venoms, many a chop-socky fan cut their teeth on this 1978 classic. A dying martial arts teacher decides to find out whether any of his five former pupils – each one trained in a different kung-fu style – have turned to evil, and so he enlists his current student, who knows a little bit of each of the five styles, to find them all. The only problem is that the five venoms all wore masks during their training, and no one knows who they really are. It sounds like it could get a bit confusing, and I suppose at times it kinda does. But the amazing fight scenes more than make up for it.

3. Kung-Fu Hustle

Kung-Fu Hustle was the first film I ever reviewed for 411, and is, to date, the only one I have ever given a perfect score of 10 (although, it should be said, I also would have given 10's to the next two flicks on my list, if I had ever reviewed them). I stand by this score, as I can't think of a single complaint to throw at the film. If you can watch this, Stephen Chow's masterpiece, without a smile on your face, then I think it's a safe bet that the whole kung-fu genre is not for you. What really makes Kung-Fu Hustle work is how well it functions as both a comedy and action movie. Usually, kung-fu comedies simply parody the more ridiculous aspects of the genre, and don't really concern themselves with topping the action scenes of the movies they're poking fun at. Kung-Fu Hustle showed you can respectfully pay tribute to the best traditions of the genre and mix in slapstick humor to create something wholly new and unforgettable.

2. Drunken Master 2 (Legend of Drunken Master)

You could – and I have – debate for hours on which Jackie Chan film is the best. Personally, I have to go with Drunken Master 2 (re-titled Legend of the Drunken Master for its U.S. theatrical release), which came 16 years after the original film…and yet Jackie still plays a teenage Wong Fei-Hung! Oh well, best not to linger on that, especially when the fight scenes in this one are so damn good. The finale, with Jackie actually downing grain alcohol in order to amplify his skills to battle the baddies, has to be seen to be believed. But, even better is the action extravaganza that comes at the movie's midpoint, which sees Jackie taking on an entire restaurant full of axe-toting henchmen. There aren't so many of the crazy stunts that Chan is known for in this one, but in terms of pure fighting scenes, he's never done better than here.

1. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

I suppose this could be a somewhat controversial choice, but I don't care. To me, this movie is absolutely flawless, and a part of me will never forgive Ridley Scott's Gladiator for beating it for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. This film almost single-handedly resurrected the wu-shu genre, making "wire-fu" the norm in the years to follow. But what really sets it apart is its haunting and beautiful story, which went a long way towards disproving the idea that films of this kind can't be moving as well as exciting. A number of similar films (Hero, House of Flying Daggers, Curse of the Golden Flower) followed in its wake, and while they were all quite good, it's doubtful we'll ever again see its equal…unless, of course, Ang Lee finally gets around to making that long-rumored prequel.



Owain J. Brimfield

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Kung Pow: Enter the Fist (2002) - Childish and juvenile? Yes. Perfect stoned humor? Yes. "That's a lot of nuts!"

Iron Monkey (1977) - one of the most revered kung fu movies ever made, and rightly so.

Ong-Bak (2003) - technically muay thai and not kung fu, but still wonderful.

THE TOP 5

5. Hero (2002)

Although I still think the movie was vastly overrated on its release, it deserves to make this list simply for the stunning cinematography from Christopher Doyle. It's undeniably one of the best looking movies to come out of the wushu sub-genre, and the scale of the movie is perfectly complemented by the sumptuous eye-feast on offer. Both Doyle and director Zhang Yimou have a superb grasp of color and the movie is photographed to perfection. I suppose the actual martial arts ain't too bad either, especially the first black-and-white battle, and hell, Jet Li deserves at least some recognition on this list for his contributions to chop-socky moviemaking, even if his western ventures have tended to be rather underwhelming.

4. Enter the Dragon (1973)

Arguably the most famous kung fu movie there is, due in a large degree to the part it played in introducing Bruce Lee, and by extension all martial arts films, to the western world. Of course, it helps that the movie itself is a cracker, but there's no denying that the star attraction is Lee, who commands an almost otherworldly presence at the center of the stage. Much has been written about ol' Bruce, and his abilities, philosophies and legacies, but for all his mystique (he faked his death to go undercover and combat the Triads, y'know) all you need to know is that he makes a damn good movie star and an even better ass-kicker. The supporting cast of characters are memorable, the fights outstanding and the story decent, but this is Lee's show, and he shines brighter than anything else.

3. Project A (1983)

Give Jackie Chan full credit for the idea of "pirates versus ninjas versus pirate ninjas" in one of the coolest concepts ever committed to the screen. Despite a barely cohesive plotline, the film moves at a relentless pace with a series of innovative set pieces and some genuinely funny moments, and as is typical of Chan's earlier movies the stunt work is just brutal. If you don't see this movie for anything else, it needs to be seen for the outrageous stunt where Chan plummets three or four stories through a series of awnings and lands horribly on the hard ground below. Oh, and for the fantastically (and presumably unintentionally) amusing freeze frame that closes out the end credits. Top stuff.

2. Drunken Master (1978)

Another Chan entry in the list, and probably his finest movie to date, although it has to be the original and not the much more recent pseudo-sequel also featuring Jackie, Legend of Drunken Master. Based on the famed folk hero Wong Fei-Hung, it's not only a compelling master/student story featuring one of the coolest mentors in kung fu history, but it also exhibits one of the most entertaining martial arts styles around. As Chan learns from the Eight Drunken Gods in order to battle a notorious assassin, it's hard to find fault with the storytelling, and the action sequences are consistently on the mark. Perhaps the only fault is the presumed legions of teenage fans who'll come to believe that getting pissed improves your fighting skills.

1. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)

I'm honestly not sure whether this truly qualifies as a kung fu movie, but I'm going to give it the benefit of the doubt simply because Crouching Tiger is an honorable member of my all-time top 10 films. I imagine it's one of those films that a lot of people simply won't like, and I'm fine with that, but I think it's one of the most beautiful films ever made. The martial arts action on display pretty much created the now-oft-spoofed art of 'wire-fu', but the fights are choreographed with such sublime excellence that they transcend the boundaries of traditional action sequences. Yo-Yo Ma's haunting cello score creates an intensely ethereal feel that surrounds the film, and it's extremely hard to tear yourself out of the experience. For those reasons and many more, the finest martial arts film ever made.



Bryan Kristopowitz

I just want to say right off the bat that I'm not as well schooled in the world of kung fu movies as others, so some of my choices may be viewed as "weird." I apologize ahead of time. I know I need to see more varied movies in this genre.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

The Octagon (1980): This, of course, is the great Chuck Norris flick where he's some kind of guy with a shady past (is he supposed to be a secret agent or a former military whatever? I remember seeing Chuck in a tuxedo and thinking the director must think we already know what he is so he's not going to come out and tell us what's obvious. So what the heck is Chuck here?) who must stop a gang of ninja gangsters from training terrorists around the world. And the head of the bad guy ninjas is his old buddy Seikura (Tadashi Yamashita), the guy Chuck keeps having weird beard flashbacks over. And who can forget Lee Van Cleef showing up as that guy in the coat, McCarn? I mean, the story itself isn't that great, but the thing I like about the movie is how it just keeps building and building to its "Chuck infiltrates the compound and kills everyone" ending. Chuck never really did another movie quite like it.

Rumble in the Bronx (1995): At the time this movie came out, my experience with Jackie Chan pretty much was the Cannonball Run movies and that's it. So when this came out and I checked it out I was blown away because it was not the movie I expected it to be. I thought it was going to be a "serious" martial arts movie. The comedy aspect of it, at the time, for some reason, just blew me away. How can a movie with intricate fights be, well, funny?

Black Mask (1996): Jet Li as a sort of masked superhero/ex-super soldier running around beating the crap out of everything in sight. Why didn't this get a larger release? I mean, the movie, as I remember it, makes very little sense, but as long as the fights are cool and you can kind of figure out what's going on, the lack of overall sense is forgiven. I haven't seen the sequel, though. Is that any good?

THE TOP 5

5. Ong Bak: The Thai Warrior (2003)

Tony Jaa is simply amazing in this movie. I've seen this movie twice now, and I still have no idea what it's about. All I can picture is Jaa flying around the screen and not using wires or "help" of any kind. How the heck did he (really, how could> he) do all of it? I saw Jaa's other flick, The Protector, and while it had intense fight scenes, it just doesn't have the same energy as Ong Bak. I think I'm going to have to watch it again soon and try to pay attention to what the movie is really about. It's about restoring something, isn't it? Something Buddhist?

4. Hero (2002)

When I learned that this Jet Li Chinese epic was told in flashbacks, my first thought was "Good God, is this some kind of pretentious 'art' kung fu movie?" Because I already went through that with the run up to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (which is a good movie, sure, but greatly overrated). And Quentin Tarantino's name on the poster didn't exactly endear me to it (Switchblade Sisters anyone?). But I rented it and saw it and was annoyed with myself that I didn't go and see it on the big screen. Because the action sequences, the fights, the way they are staged, shot, the way the movie "looks," it's just amazing. Probably Jet Li's best movie.


3. Master of the Flying Guillotine (1975)

I remember catching the end of this movie on Showtime Extreme (the final fight between the one armed boxer, played by Yu Wang, and the blind assassin with the razor-thing-on-a-chain, the Flying Guillotine) and thinking what the hell is this movie? So I watched for it to come on again and watched the whole thing. And after watching the whole thing I still asked the same question: what the hell is this movie? I don't think I've ever seen a movie as (and I hate this word but I can't think of a better one) "kinetic," as whacked, as this one. I'm surprised that no one has tried to do an American remake. I don't think anyone could do a good remake of it, but there's enough "weird" stuff here to do it again.

2. Enter the Dragon (1973)

The best Bruce Lee movie, and his last completed movie before dying from whatever it is he died from. I've heard some people complain that Enter the Dragon is really nothing more than a low budget spy movie with martial arts fights in it. I have no idea why they're complaining about that aspect of the movie, because, yeah, it is a "spy" movie in a sense, but it's the kind of movie Lee wanted to make and it was successful. Enter the Dragon isn't a "fantasy" kung fu movie. It's "real." It's about "real" things. I think that's why the movie is so good. It's a well made "realistic" kung fu fighting movie. That and it's got John Saxon in it. That's always cool.

1. Drunken Master (1978)

I finally saw this Jackie Chan movie after reading about it in the Joe Bob Briggs book Profoundly Disturbing. I obviously saw this after Rumble in the Bronx, so the whole "martial arts comedy" thing wasn't new to me. I was expecting it. But Drunken Master, seventeen years its senior, was, and is, just better. It flows better, it's funnier, the fight scenes and choreography are more interesting. It's just the complete package. Now, I have to see the sequel to see if that is better than the first one. I'll bet it's just as fun.

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