Hong Kong Cinema
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.
Warriors Two (1978)
7.4/10
Director: Sammo Hung
Starring: Ka-Yan Leung , Sammo Hung, Casanova Wong, Fung Hak-on
Sammo Hung's ode to the Wing Chun style is one of the greatest martial arts epics of all time. It features a career best from Ka-Yan Leung as a maste... Read more
Knockabout (1979)
7.4/10
Director: Sammo Hung
Starring: Yuen Biao, Sammo Hung, Ka-Yan Leung , Hoi San Lee
Two con-men brothers, Yipao (Yuen Biao) and Taipao (Ka-Yan Leung) manage to lose all their cash and get into trouble with a casino owner. When their p... Read more
Exodus (2007)
6.4/10
Director: Ho-Cheung Pang
Starring: Simon Yam, Nick Cheung, Annie Liu, Irene Wan, Maggie Siu, Candice Yu On-on
Simon Yam is an average cop on the beat; his wife is disinterested in him, his mother-in-law is disappointed and he doesn't have any real friends to s... Read more
Ashes of Time Redux (1994)
Director: Wong Kar-wai
Starring: Jacky Cheung, Leslie Cheung, Maggie Cheung, Tony Leung (Chiu Wai), Brigitte Lin,...
An all-star cast including Brigitte Lin, Leslie Cheung, Tony Leung, Maggie Cheung and Jackie Cheung star in this action-packed epic of impossible love... Read more
To Kill With Intrigue (1977)
5.4/10
Director: Lo Wei
Starring: Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan stars as a young lord who possesses an unusual potential in Chinese Martial arts. After his family is slaughtered, he seeks revenge and ge... Read more
Beyond Hypothermia (1996)
6.8/10
Director: Patrick Leung
Starring: Wu Chien-Lien, Lau Ching Wan, Shirley Wong, Sang Woo Han
Jacqueline Wu plays a (literally) cold-blooded nameless assassin. She knows only two people, the Cambodian woman who gives her assignments and Long S... Read more
Human Lanterns (1982)
6.5/10
Director: Sun Chung
Starring: Chen Kuan-tai, Lo Lieh, Linda Chu, Tanny Tien Ni, Liu Yung
The Shaw Brothers' first international star, Lo Lieh, stars in this maniacal masterpiece of the macabre from director Sun Chung. Swordsman Tan brags... Read more
Overheard (2009)
7.1/10
Director: Alan Mak Siu Fai, Felix Chong
Starring: Lau Ching Wan, Louis Koo, Daniel Wu, Michael Wong, Waise Lee Chi-Hung, Jingchu Z...
Being a cop can be a demoralising business, working long hours in a high stress environment, putting pressure on your personal relationships, all for... Read more
The Man from Hong Kong (1975)
Director: Brian Trenchard-Smith
Starring: George Lazenby, Jimmy Wang Yu
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
Nightfall (2012)
6.4/10
Starring: Nick Cheung, Simon Yam
An old but serious miscarriage of justice clouds a current police investigation looking into the death of a mutilated corpse. Read more