The pick of the crop from the best kung fu movies list
When it comes to movies the terms kung fu and martial arts are often used interchangeably and the genre of martial arts movies are commonly referred to as kung fu movies. Originating from the Far East they revolve around the acquisition and use of physical skills and even entries on the Best Martial Arts Movies list are characterized by low budgets since not much more than the actor’s physical strength and skill is required. Until the 90s, that is!
New developments contributing to the best kung fu movies list
A recent development in martial arts movies is the use of wires, harnesses and digital filming all geared at showing actors undertaking impossible and gravity-defying physical feats as evidence, not of their super-powers, but of their incredibly physical skill and strength. This is made possible with the using of harnesses worn underneath the actors’ costumes and attached via thin wires to a pulley system overhead. Using digital filming, fight sequences are filmed against blue or green backdrops and scenery is later added during the editing process. An example is The Matrix, the first Western movie making use of these techniques and high on the best kung fu movies list.
The making of movies on the best kung fu movies list
Martial arts or kung fu movies constitute one of the largest movie genres in existence and seem to be timeless as the old movies are as relevant today as the latest ones. That having been said, some of the later kung fu movies fail to hit the spot with informed movie goers as the wire works and GCI detract from the pure kung fu skill of the actors.
A recent trend is to do away with the majority of wire works and use it only occasionally for some dramatic effect. An example is “IP Man” starring Donny Yen (2008). This movie was highly acclaimed at the Hong Kong movie awards for its display of martial arts and traditional storytelling and deserves its place on the best kung fu movies list.
Best kung fu movies list entries set in China
Tastes vary when it comes to martial arts movies but my favorites are the ones set in old China and showing how life used to be in this extraordinary country. There is an endless number of martial arts movies and many can be obtained quite cheaply over the internet so it is possible to build up a collection of many hours of kung fu movies. Still it is useful to have a list of best kung fu movies list and here is my selection:
Enter the Dragon
A striking feature of kung fu movies is the seemingly random occurrence of deadly fight tournaments. In this best kung fu movies list entry, the tournament hides a drug and prostitution scheme and it is up to Bruce Lee to get to the bottom of it all. The western fighters who appear in this movie seem heavy and clumsy in comparison to Lee with his slick fighting style.
Drunken Master
Made before Jacky Chan became a Hollywood star, this film shows off Chan’s skill as kung fu fighter to perfection and it is till referred to as his best work. The plot turns around the life of a disruptive young man whose parents send him away to stay with his uncle after he causes havoc but beating up the local bully. His uncle, however, is a kung fu teacher known for disabling his pupils and this is where the boy learns a unique form of kung fu that comes into its own only once the fighter has been laced with some booze – a skill that comes in handy when the bully’s father sends assassins to take care of his son’s foe.
A worthy entry in the best kung fu movies list.
Fist of fury
The plot of countless kung fu movies tells the story of how a fighter goes out to revenge the killing of his sensei by a gang of thugs. What puts this movie on the best kung fu movies list, however, is the edge given to it by the fact that the avenger is Chinese and the thugs are from Japan – a sensitive issue in the 1930s, the period in which the story takes place. This may be the element that adds flame to the fury of Lee’s fighting as it has never been seen before.
Five Deadly Venoms
A classic kung fu plot that turns to courtroom drama towards the end but nevertheless earns its place on the best Kung Fu Films list with its spectacular fight sequences. The plot leads the protagonists from the deathbed of their teacher in search of former students of the master, to see if they are using their martial arts skills in service of the good instead of for evil purposes. As the students track down the fighters with feet of clay they are increasingly pulled into a world of political corruption that lead the action away from the fighting and into the courtroom. Nevertheless, there is enough action to satisfy lovers of kung fu movies and it deserves its place on the best Kung Fu Movies List.
Crouching tiger, hidden dragon
This movie has all the elements to meet the expectations of movie goers of all genres in terms of costumes, scenery, action and plot. With its focus on characterization supported by a beautiful love story, it traces the search for a mystical sword while at the same time giving kung fu a foothold in the 21st century with its innovative and highly stylized fight sequences – a deserving entry on the best Kung Fu Movie List – in fact, on any list of outstanding and memorable movies.
