THR examines state of martial arts cinema

The Hollywood Reporter has published an article by Chris Koseluk that looks at the current state of martial arts cinema, specifically the dwindling output from Asia and attempts by Hollywood filmmakers to fill the gap with MMA-related films.

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This is an important topic that I don’t always like to discuss simply because it’s disheartening. I wouldn’t go so far as to state that the martial arts movie genre is dying but it is ailing and so far neither Asia nor Hollywood has a cure.

However, I do not believe that audiences have lost interest. The issue is how to package martial arts in a way that entices today’s audiences. The answer lies in producer Kevin Misher’s statement which caps Koseluk’s article. He states, “It’s all about your storytelling.”

It doesn’t matter how good your action is. In the end you need a good story or else you might as well be shooting martial arts instructional videos or stunt demo reels.

Many of the great martial arts movies of old were based on or at least heavily inspired by classic wuxia literature and martial arts folklore. Today, filmmakers seem to take more inspiration from disposable video games, comic books and previous martial arts movies. Audiences know when they’re being sold short, even when they don’t know exactly how.

The challenge that martial arts filmmakers have today is to reclaim the heart of the martial arts genre while continuing to update and improve the packaging. That means real martial arts and philosophy from real martial artists, real moral dilemmas that audiences can relate to, creative and complex choreography, and performances that inspire and thrill audiences.

Martial arts actor Chin Siu-ho summarized the ideal scenario in a recent interview on Dragon Dynasty’s release of FIST OF LEGEND. “I’d prefer a combination of old directors [like Lau Kar-leung] and new cinematic techniques. That would make for very good films.”