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.
Once Upon A Time In China And America (1997)
6.4/10
Director: Sammo Hung
Starring: Jet Li, Rosamund Kwan, Chan Kwok Pong
Martial arts goes western in this action-filled saga starring Jet Li as Master Wong, who journeys with his aunt to the American West, where they encou... Read more
The King of Masks (1996)
7.6/10
Director: Wu Tianming
Starring: Chu Yuk, Chao Yim Yin
"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
Ebola Syndrome (1996)
6.6/10
Director: Herman Yau
Starring: Anthony Wong, Fui-On Shing, Yeung Ming Wan
Anthony Wong is Kai, a man with a grudge against the world. Fleeing from a murder charge he winds up in Africa where he rapes a dying woman. He cont... 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
Black Mask (1996)
6.1/10
Director: Daniel Lee
Starring: Karen Mok, Lau Ching Wan, Jet Li, Francoise Yip
High-energy action saga stars Jet Li as an artificially-enhanced super-soldier who escapes from the military and tries to live a peaceful life as a li... Read more
Black Sun: The Nanking Massacre (1995)
7.5/10
Director: T F Mou
Portrays the ordeals of the members of a poor Chinese family as they try to survive the Japanese occupation of their city. This is an uncompromising p... 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
Fist of Legend (1994)
7.6/10
Director: Gordon Chan
Starring: Yasuka Kurata, Billy Chow, Jet Li, Siu-hou Chin
Over twenty years since the first telling of the story, Bruce Lee's 'Chinese Connection' (aka 'Fist of Fury') returns to the screen. The classic story... Read more
Burning Paradise (1994)
7/10
Director: Ringo Lam
Starring: Willie Chi, Carmen Lee, Kam-Kong Wong
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
Dragon Chronicles: The Maidens of Heavenly Mountains (1994)
Director: Wing Keung Chien
Starring: Brigitte Lin, Gong Li, Man Cheung, Norman Chu
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