Best action director / fight choreographer

[Sifu]

My favorite, period, is Yuen Woo Ping. I really don't have much to say about him, I've said so much about his skills in the past and how his films Drunken Master and Iron Monkey are what solidified my interest in the MA genre. I can't think of anyone that's reinvented themselves more times. He may not be as public, but without him we wouldn't have some of the stars of today. We owe alot to him. With the sick action in Crouching Tiger we wouldn't have some of the domestic, continued popularity of Jackie and Jet today, IMO anyway. :D Tell me your faves.

http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/8789/99088509up0.jpg

Faves (choreographed or directed):

1) Iron Monkey

2) Drunken Master

3) OUATIC II

4) Fearless

5) Snake in the Eagle's Shadow

6) Wing Chun

7) Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

so on and so forth.....................................

[Sifu]

I meant for this to be in the GENERAL DISCUSSION forum, so answer this as if you talkin' all time greatest choreographers! I've already Mark to move it. So don't worry. I'm the perfectionist, I feel bad :o

[AlbertV]

Yuen Woo-Ping is definitely tops

I also think that Lau Kar-Leung and Sammo Hung are deserve credit for their amazing choreography in films. Sammo has that fast crispy movement in his choreography while Lau relies on technique and does it to a tee.

Jackie Chan has that multiple opponent style that I like where he can get attacked from anyone at anytime without the guys waiting in the background. Plus, he pretty much pioneered the famous "Hong Kong spin", where a guy would get kicked in the face and spins in the air.

On the American shores, many might think Pat Johnson just because of Karate Kid. However, I think when it comes to American choreography, two names come to mind.

Art Camacho and Chuck Jeffreys

Art Camacho was the guy for PM Entertainment, a small company based in the 90's. They used double takes and slow motion making the fight scenes very well done. Camacho worked with Don Wilson, Gary Daniels, and T.J. Roberts. He also worked on Half Past Dead 1 & 2 as action director.

Chuck Jeffreys is to Wesley Snipes the same way Corey Yuen is to these days, Jet Li. Chuck is also a great martial arts actor (Bloodmoon, Superfights, Honor and Glory) and he did choreography duties in Spider-Man, Blade and Blade: Trinity as well as having Freddy Krueger go after Jason kung fu style in Freddy vs. Jason. He was last seen in front of the screens that I can remember in a short scene in The Pink Panther, getting beaten up by Jean Reno.

[Sifu]

Wu Ma is quite underrated as well. He had some crappy movies, then he also had those classics that are up there for the greats.

[Morgoth Bauglir]

Wu Ma underrated? As a choreographer?

[Delirious]

wasn't Fong Sai Yuk directed by Corey Yuen?

[Morgoth Bauglir]

Yeah Corey directed it and him and Yuen Tak did the action.

[AlbertV]

Yeah Corey directed it and him and Yuen Tak did the action.

You can call Yuen Tak "Richard Hung" as this is the name he is using now. His full name is Richard Hung Cheung-Tak, hence the Yuen Tak.

[Morgoth Bauglir]

I had no idea. Thanks for the info. I probably won't call him that, because I'm already so used to Yuen Tak. But if you remind me enough times I'm sure I'll remember:p I just recently got used to calling Ngai Sing Collin Chou. Took me like a year.

[Endsang]

The Yuen clan are probably the most versatile amongst the choreographers.

My favorite is probably Ching Siu-Tung.

[gravedigger666]

Venom Trio

[Sifu]

Ching Siu-Tung.

I don't know why, but for some reason I think he's overrated. I remember that interview on the Along Comes a Tiger DVD where Robert Tai SLAMS Tung as being a worthless hack. But then again, Tai's the one working in a Chinese takeout shop and Tung's raking in the cash from Zhang Yimou's trilogy.

[TibetanWhiteCrane]

Robert Tai is an awesome AC! But his ego and temper, has kept him from moving up! Most directors/producers hate his guts!

[Endsang]

I don't know why, but for some reason I think he's overrated. I remember that interview on the Along Comes a Tiger DVD where Robert Tai SLAMS Tung as being a worthless hack. But then again, Tai's the one working in a Chinese takeout shop and Tung's raking in the cash from Zhang Yimou's trilogy.

I don't think Ching Siu-Tung is overrated one bit, atleast not his type of choreography. I'm sure there are some grumpy ACs out there criticising his style, as it is too aesthetic and not realistic enough. His choreography suits wuxia movies perfect, and really contribute to the cinematography and whole mood of the movies. But let's not forget that he's done a very different type in old school flicks like Monkey Kung Fu and The Master Strikes, equally well. As for his current style, he is the top dog. YWP did well in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, but Ching's choreography has alot better flow, and the moves all seem to be connected, kinda like dancing.
So it's basicly different choreographers for different types of movies, which is why I think it's petty of Robert Tai to diss Ching, who does completely different action scenes. I'm saying that Ching deserves the credit he's gotten, and he has definately proven he can do more than the flying feathery wuxia style.

[thundered mantis]

Plus I think Chin Siu Tung did some awesome tv work.

The ones mentioned plus Chan Siu Lung, Tony Leung Siu Hung and Tsui Siu Ming

[Jstn]

Plus I think Chin Siu Tung did some awesome tv work.

The ones mentioned plus Chan Siu Lung, Tony Leung Siu Hung and Tsui Siu Ming

Yeah, I liked Tsui Sui Ming alot....wish I could get more info on him.


I really like the choregraphy in "Fearless Dragons" - top notch, though, I can't remember the name of the AC from that one.

[Morgoth Bauglir]

Jacky Chen Shao Lung and Dai Sai Aan did the action for Fearless Dragons. http://hkmdb.com/db/movies/view.mhtml?id=6172&display_set=eng

[Jstn]

Jacky Chen Shao Lung and Dai Sai Aan did the action for Fearless Dragons. http://hkmdb.com/db/movies/view.mhtml?id=6172&display_set=eng

Thanks Morgoth, forgot their names :)


I've always loved the Yuen Clan works as well, even with some of the nutty movies they've choreographed for.

[AlbertV]

Tony Leung Siu-Hung is also an action choreographer whose work I enjoy. Bruce Leung's little brother did some fine work choreography wise in The Master Strikes, No Retreat No Surrender 3, King of the Kickboxers, Superfights, and Bloodmoon.

Last I heard, he did the action for two martial arts/horror hybrids, Seven Mummies and Shadow: Dead Riot and was working on a Turkish action television series.

On the American side, John Barrett actually did some pretty nice choreography for American Kickboxer 1 and Shootfighter, replacing Pat Johnson after producers didn't like his choreography, even though Johnson got the credit (BS if you ask me).

[thekfc]

The following guys are all tops for me:
Ching Siu-Tung Have given us (especially me) great pieces as Heroic Trio 1 & 2, Hero, A Chinese Ghost Story Trilogy, Swordsman Trilogy, Duel to the Death, House Of Flying Daggers, Naken Weapon, just to name a fewetc
Sammo Hung - If you don't know the man's work, shame on you.
Lau Kar-Leung - See above.
Yuen Woo Ping - Have given us a lot of great work, including some of my fav John Liu flicks.

They have brought us a wide range of excellent work thus ensuring us that we will not be "stuck" with one style of action.

[Sifu]

Lau Kar-Leung - See above.

Second choice.

[Bus]

i would've liked to have seen Tommy Lee take the helm on more projects he showed promise

[FrankBolte]

Lau Kar Leung without a doubt
then

Sammo Hung

then

Lau Kar Wing

the Yuen Clan

[TheGrimReaper]

My opinion sums up well the above mentioned choreographers - won't go as N1 or N2 in no particular order:

Sammo Hung - very solid indeed
Lau Kar Leung - always finds way to impress
Corey Yuen - refreshing in every movie
Yuen Woo Ping - Drunken Master said enough :)
Donnie Yen - speed is essential

Probably there is more, these came to my mind for now

Greetings from Bulgaria

[Sifu]

i would've liked to have seen Tommy Lee take the helm on more projects he showed promise

Yeah, he's another one like Robert Tai that disappeared to obscurity in the U.S. and now works as a cook in a fast food joint! What a waste. Shows how brutal HK's market is.

[Gkunedo]

I'd say either Jackie's later stuff or Sammo's earlier stuff is the best choreography.

[Jstn]

Sammo Hung is truly amazing; love his work!

[AlbertV]

Ching Siu-Tung's early work was great also. My favorite of his classic works is definitely The Master Strikes, which he choreographed with Tony Leung Siu-Hung. He really made himself and Meng Yuen-Man look good as well as the always phenomenal kicker Casanova Wong. His fantasy work is also a delight to watch as well.

I like Siu Tak-Foo's work as well. He was the man behind the fight scenes for Kickboxer's Tears, with Moon Lee and Yukari Oshima.

Jacky Chen Shao Lung was the star and action director of Of Cooks and Kung Fu. I thought he did some pretty good action directing in that film as well.

[Morgoth Bauglir]

Chen shao Lung is highly underrated. He did Fearless Dragons and angel Terminators, and his TV work is some of the sickest stuff I've ever seen.

[Jstn]

Chen shao Lung is highly underrated. He did Fearless Dragons and angel Terminators, and his TV work is some of the sickest stuff I've ever seen.

Superb choreography from 'Fearless Dragons', right there with ya on that one Morgoth :)

[Morgoth Bauglir]

Yes superb indeed. he also did another one of your favorites, Dynamite Trio.

[ekisha]

1.Lau Kar Leung - is the best,no one else.
2.Yuen Biao & Lam Ching Ying & Yuen Wah- most of the best Sammo movies choreographed by these 3 guys,so they are the second.
3.Sammo Hung - fat guy did lost of good stuff,without him it wouldn't be interesting.
4.Hsiao Ho - he is underrated as an actor and director,but he helped Lau Kar Leung a lot.And he is superb action director,only Disciples of the 36th Chamber is enough as an example.
________
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[Jstn]

Yes superb indeed. he also did another one of your favorites, Dynamite Trio.

:D
One of my first movies ever purchased.