Kung Fu gifts?

November 30, 2007 1:31 AM

What Kung Fu movie would make a good gift?

This is for a friend who's seen pretty much all the popular ones (anything with Jet Li/Sammo Hung/Jackie Chan/Donnie Yen, Shaw Brothers classics) but I don't believe he's seen the not-so-popular ones. He does mixed martial arts too, so anything related would work, but I'm really trying to find something he hasn't watched.

posted by pantsrobot to Human Relations (28 answers total)

i don't know if this one has shown up on the radar, but has he seen "unleashed", also known as "danny the dog". with jet li. My brother sent it to me from Hong Kong, and i've never heard anything about it in britain which is why i mention it.

It had some absolutely cracking fight scenes. no particular style, related to plot issues, just jet li kicking ass. And if you've ever been to Glasgow, where it's set, there's another level of hilarity because not a SINGLE person in the film is from glasgow or even scotland.
posted by galactain at 3:07 AM on November 30, 2007

Best answer: But unleashed SUCKED! Casting Jet Li in that role was such a big mistake. If they'd used someone younger like Tony Jaa it would probably have been better but Yuen Wo Ping's choreography in the movie is still lame. Not recommended.

The only descent martial arts flicks I've seen lately are Sha Po Lang and Ong Bak.

The greatest non-wirework wuxia I've seen is Tsui Harks The Blade and most people interested in the genre have not seen that movie
posted by uandt at 3:30 AM on November 30, 2007

Kung Fu Hustle was pretty mainstream/popular, but as it's a comedy it might be be just different enough from his usual fare that he didn't see it.
posted by -harlequin- at 3:57 AM on November 30, 2007

I enjoyed Kung Fu Hustle.

On Preview, nthing.
posted by krisjohn at 3:58 AM on November 30, 2007

Sorry - I linked to the wrong movie. Kung Fu Hustle (wikipedia).
posted by -harlequin- at 4:00 AM on November 30, 2007

Has he seen Master of the Flying Guillotine? It's a pretty famous classic one but you didn't mention anyone related to it.
posted by burnmp3s at 4:01 AM on November 30, 2007

Here's a couple of my favs:

Lone wolf and baby cub (Baby Cart) Films.

The 36th Chamber of Shaolin

Five Deadly Venoms

Drunken Master

7 Samurai

Fist of Legend

Once Upon a Time in China

Zatoichi Blind Swordsman
posted by bleucube at 4:12 AM on November 30, 2007

n'thing Kung Fu Hustle and I'd even throw in Chow's previous film, Shaoulin Soccer.
And because it hasn't been mentioned, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
posted by willmize at 4:24 AM on November 30, 2007

Another vote for The 36th Chamber of Shaolin and Five Deadly Venoms. Great flicks.
posted by Hutch at 4:56 AM on November 30, 2007

Seconding Master of the Flying Guillotine
posted by doppleradar at 5:04 AM on November 30, 2007

You mention what seem like mostly recent flicks. What about Bruce Lee? "Enter the Dragon" was an awesome flick. I am not sure anything in the genre ever matched the Bruce Lee flicks. "Billy Jack" is a lot of fun, but is perhaps not technically a kung fu flick, despite the flying bodies.
posted by caddis at 5:07 AM on November 30, 2007

nthing Master of the Flying Guillotine and 36th chamber.

I also heartily recommend Chinese Super Ninjas and The Killer Meteors.
posted by zennoshinjou at 6:25 AM on November 30, 2007

The Bride With White Hair 1 and 2 are really great. 2nding The Blade which is very very good. This set of Chinese Ghost Story parts 1-3 looks really keen. Has he seen everything Jet Li has done? If he hasn't seen Fong Sai Yuk 1 + 2 he's REALLY missing out. Li is totally different from his normal stoic self in those, and the results are hilarious with some awesome Fu action. In Last Hero In China he fights a crew who are dressed as a centipede; after initially getting stomped, he realizes that in order to defeat these enemies, he must adopt the ways of the mighty chicken to win. Shaolin Soccer was mentioned above and is one of the greatest Fu flix of all time, perhaps second only to Drunken Master 2, which is one of the best films ever of any genre.
posted by waraw at 6:41 AM on November 30, 2007

Seconding Fong Sai Yuk. Amazing fight scenes and really funny.
posted by Lazlo Hollyfeld at 6:48 AM on November 30, 2007

Born Invincible or The Kid With the Golden Arms.
posted by electroboy at 7:05 AM on November 30, 2007

Oh, and Fist of the White Lotus.
posted by electroboy at 7:06 AM on November 30, 2007

GO CLASSIC: Yojimbo, Sanjuro, Seven Samurai, the Hidden fortress. While not exactly Kung Fu movies they do have their place.
posted by Gungho at 7:19 AM on November 30, 2007

I saw The 36th Chamber when it first came out. A couple of friends of mine and I were in the habit of going over to a Chinese movie theater to watch kung fu movies on Saturdays. That one was really, really good. (In fact, I'm going to be ordering a copy for myself soon.)
posted by Steven C. Den Beste at 7:34 AM on November 30, 2007

When I saw Kerd ma lui (also known as Born to Fight) it was billed as the next Ong Bak, well it wasn't but it took almost all of the stuff that can get in the way of some martial arts films like plot and character. The result will suit someone who wants to see old school stunts and jaw dropping fight scenes. There will be a lot of pause, how the hell, rewind, play, pause, play again slowly, shake head.

If your friend likes that sort of thing I would recommend it heartily.
posted by itsjustanalias at 7:36 AM on November 30, 2007

nthing 36th Chamber of Shaolin, The Blade, Bride with White Hair 1 (but not 2! it's poo), Master of the Flying Guillotine, Ong Bak, and Fong Sai Yuk.

The Heroic Trio is one of the rare martial arts films featuring only women (Anita Mui, Michelle Yeoh, and Maggie Cheung) as its stars, and has, as a bonus, Anthony Wong as a finger-eating wielder of a flying guillotine.

One of Jet Li's worst movies is Kung Fu Master (also known as Kung Fu Cult Master). It's one of my personal favorites despite being a really poor movie - basically the epitome of the bad, cheesy martial arts film, complete with bad translations of ribald dialogue, cheap-looking costumes and antiquated special effects. it was the first of a planned trilogy but did so poorly that the sequels were never made.
posted by dropkick queen at 7:38 AM on November 30, 2007

I agree with Master of the Flying Guillotine. There's also a movie by the name of The Fatal Flying Guillotine, which isn't as good, but is hilarious nonetheless.

The Heroic Trio, as mentioned, is good.

Mr Vampire is great, particularly the first one (there are 3).
posted by Camel of Space at 8:03 AM on November 30, 2007

I also agree with those who mentioned Kurosawa's samurai movies, though I don't know if that's what's being looked for or not. They're some of my favorite movies.
posted by Camel of Space at 8:04 AM on November 30, 2007

Best answer: I think that the recommendations for movies that are outside of the genre but made in east Asia might be best, depending on the gift recipient's taste. I would second all of the kung fu recommendations, but I want to respectfully point out that many of the movies listed so far are classic kung fu movies made by the Shaw Brothers or starring Jet Li and Jackie Chan, and this is exactly what the gift recipient in question has already seen.

Having said that, I'm not sure if my recommendation is any better. All I can say is that none of my friends who are into HK kung fu films had seen it before I found out about it: Dreadnaught (1981), starring Yuen Biao and Kwan Tak-Hing, and directed by Yuen Wo-Ping. The movie includes some inspired (and funny) fight scenes, such as the one in which one of the heroes parries the Demon Tailor, who is simultaneously taking measurements for an outfit and trying to poision his customer, or the one in which the other hero takes care of the family's laundry using kung fu (see also Jet Li's Tai Chi Master for a similar scene).
posted by cobra libre at 8:37 AM on November 30, 2007

See if you can dig up a copy of A Valiant Villain in addition to some awesome fight scenes, it also has a guy in a wrestling match with a stuffed tiger, and a fight scene with a sea serpent. Oddly enough I found a copy at my local library in the Chinese language section.
posted by Pink Fuzzy Bunny at 12:18 PM on November 30, 2007

Arahan
Zatoiichi
Shinobi
So close
the returner
Azumi
posted by browolf at 6:13 PM on November 30, 2007

Your friend has probably seen or heard of Iron Monkey, but this is one of those films that you do not forget once you have seen it. Well worth a watch and released before the Kung Fu craze in America. I have friends that are huge Kung Fu fans and will check with them for more recommendations.
posted by Odinhead at 1:17 AM on December 1, 2007

I just bought "The 36th Chamber of Shaolin". First time I've seen it in 20 years, and it's just as good as I remember it being. What a wonderful film...
posted by Steven C. Den Beste at 1:55 PM on December 1, 2007

Seconding Enter the Dragon--it's a classic.
posted by ostranenie at 11:11 AM on December 3, 2007