Hong Kong had a prolific pre-1970s film industry, but it was the supremely talented and determined Bruce Lee who brought Hong Kong film to the international stage. This tiny island nation has been integral to the introduction of the martial arts genre to the rest of the world. One look at Uma Thurman's yellow jumpsuit in the Kill Bills is enough to show us this influence is still alive and very much kicking. After Lee's death in 1973 the industry lost some of its momentum and stuck to the tried and true chop socky formula, but by the 1980s a new talent was emerging in the form of John Woo, inventor of so-called 'balletic gunplay'. This style of shooting shoot-outs captured the imaginations of many young American film makers and emerges in films as diverse as 'Reservoir Dogs' and 'The Matrix'. The martial arts genre was reinvigorated by talents such as Jackie Chan and Jet Li who wanted to introduce more story into the action, and in recent years film maker Wong Kar Wai has challenged what it means to be an HK film, steering clear of Kung Fu and concentrating on more personal, quirky stories. Undoubtedly there is more to see from this exciting port of call... Right: There can be no more an iconic figure in the martial arts world, than the master himself, the late, great Bruce Lee.
"The King of Masks" tells a tale steeped in ancient tradition, simultaneously challenging the socio-sexual inequity still plaguing China today. On the... Read more
Veteran director Liu Chia-Liang plays a martial arts teacher whose old-fashioned ways threaten to close down his school. He calls his daughter back f... Read more
Defeated by his foe Sze Mun in a duel, the legendary martial artist Luk Siu-Fung recuperates at the mysterious Phantom Heights resort, where he unexpe... Read more
Aka "The Seven Brothers Meet Dracula". Vampire tracker Van Helsing (Peter Cushing), with the aid of a team of martial arts experts, trek to 19th centu... Read more
This exciting tale of two swordsmen vying with a power-hungry villain for possession of the dangerous 'Peacock Dart' showcases brilliantly choreograph... Read more
One of Jackie Chan's earliest vehicles before his comic adventure films made him an internatial star features the martial arts legend as a warrior who... Read more
Aka "The Dragon Flies". The Far East picks a fight Down Under in The Man From Hong Kong, a cult martial arts action extravaganza from Ozploitation... Read more
Stylish martial arts action adventure inspired by classic kung fu movies. In 19th-century feudal China, a small village is threatened by warring facti... Read more
Stylish martial arts action adventure inspired by classic kung fu movies. In 19th-century feudal China, a small village is threatened by warring facti... Read more
Jet Li arrives in San Francisco after receiving word that his Tai Chi master is in trouble. This classic Kung Fu vendetta film has no real plot surpr... Read more