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.
Hong Kong comedy king Stephen Chow directs and stars in this sci-fi family comedy as a struggling single father whose quest to find his son the perfec... Read more
A mysterious killer in a face mask has begun murdering noted martial arts heroes with the aid of a deadly poison stolen from the Spirit Water Palace.... Read more
Tony Leung plays world-weary detective Hei, who, following the brutal murder of his father-in-law, enlists the help of his former partner-turned-priva... Read more
This mesmerising portrayal of Hong Kong at the start of the 60's stars Leslie Cheung as the disaffected, self obsessed Yuddi, drifting through life wi... Read more
A surreal journey into the world of cheap special effects and brain-twisting plots, this low budget martial arts flick features a snail that is able t... Read more
Yen Shih-san (Ling Yun) is reputed to be a swordsman without equal, and in a brief space of time kills several challengers, all of whom were also skil... Read more
When the mysterious deaths of a series of loyal subjects threaten to delay the 690 A.D. inauguration of Empress Wu Zetian (Carina Lau), she summons th... Read more
How do you explain the unexplainable? A wealthy Taiwanese businessman is discovered frozen to death at the desk of his penthouse office. A government... Read more
AKA: 'The Immortals'. This big budget wu shu spectacular was slated on its original release, and though the plot, based on a complex novel, is somewh... Read more
Cheng Pei-Pei ('Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon') is a naive young martial artist sent to retrieve the Jade Dragon Sword and her own long lost mother i... Read more