kung fu movies are famous for their stunning fight scenes in which characters show off their mastery of martial arts. Considering that most on-screen combat is largely choreographed, most of the moves portrayed in these films would not be effective in a real fight. That said, some cinematic kung fu techniques are fundamental to the fighting style and were practiced and perfected by experts in the field. Actors like Jackie Chan, who still has upcoming films, showed many of these moves to the world and gave the genre widespread popularity. Films like Panda Kung Fu 4 took these techniques to…
Author: Thomas McCollough
The 1970s represent a supreme period in the context of martial arts films. Although these films were released as early as the 1920s, this decade effectively put the genre on the map and brought it popularity with some of the best martial arts film performances of all time. The love for martial arts cinema continued in the following years, with successful releases such as The Karate Kid, that caused such an impact that it justified a Karate Kid sequel 40 years later. Undoubtedly, The most legendary figure of this period was Bruce Lee. As a pioneer of cinematic martial arts,…
Martial arts films have been a staple genre of Western culture since the 1970s. Pioneers like Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan set the standard for fast-paced, epic fight scenes and brought them to the silver screen. Films like Robert Clouse Enter the dragon and Yuen Woo-Ping’s Drunken Master helped create the world of martial arts cinema that is famous today. The genre hasn’t slowed down since its inception, with many upcoming projects such as the highly anticipated Karate Kid reboot set to hit screens in 2025. However, certain martial arts films take themselves more seriously than others. While some plots…
In the world of martial arts cinema, there is certainly a wide variety of fighting styles. Genre stars typically have common techniques, methods, and forms of combat that are consistent across their films. In some cases, the actors have an especially unforgiving view of martial arts. Bruce Lee set the standard for this approach in his classic 1973 film Enter the dragon. Someone like Jackie Chan would be a good exception to this category. Although he is a master of martial arts, he generally relies on more technical, non-lethal combat styles. However, he remains an icon, and Jackie Chan still…