Hong Kong Flicks
If you're a beginning Hong Kong Movie fan, here's some knowledge of the different Kung Fu Genres:
Forget Hollywood, Hong Kong Cinema is a best. I once caught a late, late show on TV which ran "Close Encounters of a Spooky Kind II" with Samo Hung. Later on as a Freshman, I saw "The Swordsman" and was hooked. My favorite Hong Kong action stars are, not surprisingly: Jet Li, Jackie Chan, and Donnie Yen. I've seen a lots of movies. In the Seattle area I go to Scarecrow Video and Unme. Some of the titles are:
- Shaolin Temple
- Shaolin Temple II
- the OUATIC series (except V)
- Fong Sai Yuk I and II
- The Bodyguard from Beijing
- New Legend of Shaolin
- Fist of Legend
- The Tai Chi Master
- Drunken Master I & II
- Supercop
- Amour of God
- Young Master
- First Strike
- Rumble in the Bronx
- Iron Monkey I and II
- Heroes Among Heroes
- Drunken Tai Chi
- Wing Chun
Also, the supernatural titles like:
- The Swordsman I, II, and III
- Bride With the White Hair
- A Chinese Ghost Story I, II, and III
- Close Encounters of a Spooky Kind I and II
And what would Hong Kong Cinema be without John Woo? I've only seen Hard Boiled, The Killer, and A Better Tomorrow, but I'll work on it.
Also, in the 70's and 80's(?), the Shaw Brothers were the first name in kung fu flicks. Titles like:
- The Five Deadly Venoms
- Shaolin vs. Wu Tang
Master Killer
So, now that you know what kind of movies there are and what they're about, here's my TOP 10 list of favorite Hong Kong Movies of all time:
- Drunken Master II - the final fight scene is the best ever!
- Fist of Legend - Jet Li's best.
- Iron Monkey - Donnie Yen's best. The best of the "wire" films.
- Supercop - after the slow begining, the action is non-stop.
- The Tai Chi Master - very creative scenes. The second best "wire" film.
- Once Upon a Time in China II - the fight between two of the industry's best!
- Project A - The Three Dragons fight pirates. Also has Jackie's best stunt, the fall from the clocktower through two awnings.
- Fong Sai Yuk - another entertaining flick from the Jet.
- Prodigal Son - good action, good actors, great story.
- Swordsman II - the "essence absorbing stance" says it all.
Here are some other good flicks:
- Magnificent Butcher - story of Lam Sai Wing, student of Wong Fei Hung. The kung fu and the characters are creative. Check out Kwan Tak Hing!
- Drunken Tai Chi - Donnie Yen's first. He does everything in this one. Check out the puppet show and the final duel.
- Heroes Among Heroes - Donnie as Beggar Su, the originator of Drunken Boxing. The ladies can throw down in this one!
- Bride With The White Hair - Most people love this movie. The cinematography is absolutely amazing with an interesting story.
- The Swordsman - a classic.
- Close Encounters of the Spooky Kind II - The first one was OK, and this sequel is entertaining. Magic and Ghosts Hong Kong style.
Well, those are some of the good ones I can recommend. Here's the titles to avoid. Although they look interesting on the shelf, they prove to be disappointing:
- Holy Weapon - totally stupid with no action. Get your fast forward button figure ready.
- Magic Crane - the special effects are laughable.
- Beheaded 1000 - I could not follow the story at all. Was there a story?
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