Who's the Greatest? Help with movie selection...

[massa_yoda]

Hey everyone, i need some advice.

I am hosting a Kung Fu Theater at my house and our next round of movies will revolve around the theme, "Who's the Greatest?" Not necessarily the best all-around movies, but the movies that show the best of each actor. For example, instead of picking Jackie's "Project A" (My fav), i'd probably do "Wheels on Meals" instead because of his great bout with 'the Jet'. At the end, my group (mostly initiates) will decide on who they think is the 'greatest'. I'm kinda stuck because of the body of work everyone has. It's hard to choose. Re-watching it all is making me cross-eyed, so i am open to everyone's opinions here.

I'm pretty set with Yuen Biao in "Knockabout" and Bruce Lee in "ETD", but i haven't seen all of Jet Li's earliest movies when he was faster, and Sammo has so much good stuff. What do you guys think? Sammo, Jet, Donnie Yen, any advice on these guys' best showcases would be appreciated. Thanks for reading.

[massa_yoda]

Alright, now that i've had time to clear my head a little, let me explain more. When it comes to Sammo Hung, i am thinking of something like Iron-Fisted Monk because of the flexibility he shows here more than any other film. I am also thinking of something like Skinny Tiger, Fatty Dragon which has less acrobatics, but plenty of fights and faster choreography. If i were to pick just one film to represent him, which one would it be? Also The Victim is good, but Sammo isn't involved in the fighting in the last 30 minutes or so. If he was, that one would be a no-brainer.

And with Jackie, i could pick his earliest stuff like DM or SITES, or i could go with Wheels, or Police Story with the big stunt at the end. So if you guys could vote on say an early work or a later work like the ones i've listed above, which one would you vote for? Why? Am i making more sense? I know i'm making too big a deal out of this, but i just thought i'd be fun to hear other people's arguments.

[AbeRudder]

I see what you mean, for Jet his best performances kung fu wise were his shaolin movies, so for him id pick Martial Arts of Shaolin and Shaolin Temple (how many movies are you doing per actor?). For Sammo Magnificent Butcher would be my pick, its a great all round performance from him. For Donnie id pick Tiger Cage 2 but SPL, ITLOD4, Drunken Tai Chi and Flashpoint are all good picks. For Jackie i'd go with Police Story or Wheels on Meals, i feel he stands out more in a modern context. Btw are your friends Kung fans? Also are you doing any other kung fu stars part from the ones you mentioned?

[lillippa328]

Jet Li - Martial Arts of Shaolin

Sammo - Iron Fisted Monk or Enter the Fat Dragon

Gordon Liu - Heroes from the East

Donnie Yen - Ip Man

[jkl]

Bruce - fist of fury
jackie - drunken master 2 (chinese version)

[massa_yoda]

I see what you mean, for Jet his best performances kung fu wise were his shaolin movies, so for him id pick Martial Arts of Shaolin and Shaolin Temple (how many movies are you doing per actor?). For Sammo Magnificent Butcher would be my pick, its a great all round performance from him. For Donnie id pick Tiger Cage 2 but SPL, ITLOD4, Drunken Tai Chi and Flashpoint are all good picks. For Jackie i'd go with Police Story or Wheels on Meals, i feel he stands out more in a modern context. Btw are your friends Kung fans? Also are you doing any other kung fu stars part from the ones you mentioned?

I'm just doing one per actor, but i will have plenty of opportunity to show more in the future. My friends are interested in watching more kung-fu, most have not seen any other then American releases. I've already showed them Ip Man and Magnificent Butcher as part of my previous session entitled "The Essentials"! This also saw Project A and OUATIC. The response has been good so far. They loved Ip Man. Thanks for responses.

[TibetanWhiteCrane]

ETD is probably the worst representation of BL I can think of! But that's just my opinion! I would go with Way Of The Dragon!

Jackie- Police Story or Drunken Master 2

Sammo- Magnificent Butcher or Skinny Tiger, Fatty Dragon

Jet Li- Fist Of Legend

Donnie- ITLOD 4 or Flashpoint

[butcher wing]

Donnie Yen -Dragon Inn
Benny "the Jet"- Dragons Forever
Billy Choung - Fistful of Talons
Jet Li- Shaolin Temple 1 or 3
Chen Kwan Tai - Iron Monkey
Jackie Chan - Drunken Master 1
Tong Wei - Hot Cold and the Viscious

these are just a few I might suggest

[inframan]

Although the ending is good I thought Meals on Wheels was kinda boring compared to the other "3 Brothers movies". Are you gonna watch the whole movie or just the scenes?

[One Armed Boxer]

Although the ending is good I thought Meals on Wheels was kinda boring compared to the other "3 Brothers movies". Are you gonna watch the whole movie or just the scenes?

I have to agree with Inframan on this one, as a showcase Wheels On Meals isn't the best as a lot of it is the usual Canto comedy, and even though it starts and ends strongly, I still prefer the end fight between Benny & Jackie from Dragons Forever, because it showed more creativity.

My personal choices to highlight the best of the modern day actors would be:

Jackie Chan: Drunken Master 2 (great fights throughout and a well paced story)

Sammo Hung: Encounters Of The Spooky Kind (another great extended finale and also has Lam Ching Ying showing off his stuff)

Yuen Biao: Prodigal Son (this shouldn't even need an explanation!)

Jet Li: Fist Of Legend (excellent right the way through)

Donnie Yen: Iron Monkey, or for more grounded action go with In The Line of Duty 4 or Flashpoint.

[massa_yoda]

Thanks everyone. I'll watch Dragon Forever again and compare the two end fights. To my recollection though, i don't think it had much more action overall than Wheels did it?

As for DM2, my group is mostly initiates as i've said earlier, but i think most have seen DM2 cause it's been readily available in the States for a while. So you can understand i want to show them something new here. I'll keep you all posted. I may go Police Story with Jackie, Flashpoint with Yen. Sammo is my toughest battle.

[One Armed Boxer]

I'll watch Dragon Forever again and compare the two end fights. To my recollection though, i don't think it had much more action overall than Wheels did it?

Dragons Forever definitely has more action that Wheels On Meals, and on top of that the comedy is also a lot funnier...the scene where Jackie is trying to hide Sammo & Biao in his apartment is priceless...so in my opinion it is the much better film.

Also by the time Dragons Forever was made Jackie & Sammo both had their own established stunt teams, so in the finale you can clearly see there is some competition going on as each stunt man takes the most brutal looking falls they can!

Throw into the mix Billy Chow, Dick Wei, Yuen Wah, & Ko Fei and you can't go wrong.

[Asmo]

For Sammo, Pedicab Driver is worth a viewing. Especially considering its relatively rarity (in a decent format). Pantyhose Hero also has some brutal choreography if we're talking modern day. The rarity is another factor... I agree with Enter the Fat Dragon and Spooky Encounters though.

[inframan]

I was gonna say Pedicab Driver too but I don't know if the burned in subs would be the best for your friends who arent hardcore kung fu addicts.

Dragons Forever would be a good one, maybe Spooky Encounters or Eastern Condors if you need another Sammo pick. Maybe Dirty Tiger, Crazy Frog if you want to throw some old school in there.

[TibetanWhiteCrane]

You guys are all off:wink:

For Sammo, Magnificent Butcher is the way to go! Alot of great fights, among them, one of the greatest old skool fights ever... the Po Chi Lam fight, with Yuen Biao, Wei Pai, Lam Ching Ying and Yuen Mo!

[One Armed Boxer]

TibetanWhiteCrane...there's one slight problem with your reccomendation...:smile:

I've already showed them Ip Man and Magnificent Butcher as part of my previous session entitled "The Essentials"!

[Drunken Monk]

Sammo Hung - "The Odd Couple" is the greatest kung fu movie ever. While it's purely a weapons movie, the action is thick, fast and complex. Plus, you get double the Sammo and double the Lau Kar Wing!

Donnie Yen - Difficult. "Flash Point" and "Sha Po Lang" tend to be a little mixed in terms of genre but a movie like "Iron Monkey" may not the best example. I'd go for "In the Line of Duty 4."

Jackie Chan - "Young Master." Superb choreography and great humour. Definitive Jackie, despite being an early effort.

Jet Li - While I love "Shaolin Temple," I'd also go with "Fist of Legend." Straight forward, brutal, little wire work, remake of a Bruce Lee tale and just great.

Yuen Biao - I'd say "Prodigal Son" simply because it highlights Biao's skills as a fighter and not just an acrobat.

As a side note, I do feel "Eastern Condors" is too often looked over. It's well worth bringing that one out just because it's actually a very impressive blending of war action and martial arts.

[TibetanWhiteCrane]

TibetanWhiteCrane...there's one slight problem with your reccomendation...:smile:


This is why you should read the entire thread before commenting.....:neutral:

[inframan]

Another problem, Sammo has made way too many classic, must see movies.

[massa_yoda]

Sammo Hung - "The Odd Couple" is the greatest kung fu movie ever. While it's purely a weapons movie, the action is thick, fast and complex. Plus, you get double the Sammo and double the Lau Kar Wing!

As a side note, I do feel "Eastern Condors" is too often looked over. It's well worth bringing that one out just because it's actually a very impressive blending of war action and martial arts.

All i have left is Sammo. Eastern Condors is an intriguing choice, as Sammo has never looked better physically, but is there a lot of hand-to-hand in that movie? I remember the finale being really good and the budget looked great for HK. I'll check it again. And as for "The Odd Couple"...great open, great close, lots of Sammo...but man that middle is a drag. Dean Shek moving with a drum beat? The whole thing with the eggs...i re-watched it and that is just painful to me. I guess i could fast forward. Of course i did say i was going for the best of the actor, not the best movie...any movie i pick will have something i don't like about it...i'll figure it out soon. Should i stop thinking out loud?

You all have convinced me to go with Dragons Forever over Wheels on Meals. The stunt work is pretty top notch here, Jackie looks mega-powerful. Thanks for the suggestions.

[massa_yoda]

Ok, Eastern Condors does have plenty of kung fu action. A lot of Yuen Biao, but Sammo gets to show off plenty at the end. And his character takes out bad guys in all sorts of awesome ways early on. I think this would be the best choice given my audience.

So in review this is my possible final listing. I will send my group short YouTube videos for the runner ups. Most of my choices came down to two movies anyway and since i didn't own half of them, youtube clips seemed sensible and will create a more well-rounded review of each actor.

Donnie Yen in Flash Point. Fantactic MMA. Great all-around showcase.
Runner up: In the Line of Duty 4

Jet Li in Fist of Legend (Fast, brutal, and action packed!)
Runner up: Shaolin Temple

Jackie Chan in Dragons Forever (Great stuntwork, a true tribute)
Runner up: Wheels on Meals (aka round 1)

Sammo in Eastern Condors
Runner up: Encounters of the Spooky Kind

Yuen Biao in Knockabout (Sorry Prodigal Son fans! Nothing beats kung fu while jumping rope)
Runner up: His kick in Twinkle Twinkle

Bruce Lee in Enter the Dragon (shows speed, power, and Bruce's own philosophy on fighting. Apologies to those who disagree on this pick)

Thanks everyone, you all helped a great deal!

[inframan]

NIce, can I come over? I'll bring the popcorn

[butcher wing]

NIce, can I come over? I'll bring the popcorn

I'll bring the beer and erb.

[massa_yoda]

i'll see ya there!

[kloro]

Hello, not if this one is the site(place) to put this message, but he(she) would be grateful if you were answering me.

I would like to know the name of a movie, of the years 80/90 more or less.

Argue VAT of three children (brothers) who were practising karate, each of them with a belt of different range.

Thank you

[DiP]

Bruce - Way of the Dragon
Jackie - Police Story
Sammo - Pedicab Driver
Biu - The Prodigal Son
Jet - Fearless
Donnie - Flash Point