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.
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 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
AKA 'Iron Fingers of Death'. A traitorous Lord usurps the Emperor's throne and his young sons are sent into hiding. One learns the art of the sword... Read more
Two brothers grow up poor on the streets of Macau involved in organised crime they soon rise to the top of their game, but one wants to go straight.... Read more
Action legend Sammo Hung re-invented action-comedy by combining it with supernatural horror in this inventive and incredible showcase of his martial a... Read more
At a wedding reception Chi-ching walks in on a woman covered in blood crawling along the bathroom floor. Her kidneys have been removed, supposedly fo... Read more
Representing the very best in martial arts filmmaking, from acclaimed director Yuen-Woo Ping, this is the fictionalised life story of revered martial... Read more
Policewoman Mina (Joyce Godenzi) marries into a family of cops and must struggle to gain acceptance from her husband's (Tony Leung Ka Fai) crime-fight... Read more
Leon Lai and Richie Jen headline this hardboiled crime actioner as opposing cops with dark pasts that build to even darker consequences. Ill-tempered,... Read more
Willie Chi plays the legendary Fong Sai Yuk as a Shaolin student escaping with his master from the clutches of Manchu soldiers who have destroyed the... Read more