Daxtreme Posted May 30, 2018 Author Share Posted May 30, 2018 (edited) #24 Jackie Chan | Mall sequence Police Story (1985) Hong Kong (Cantonese) Directed by: Jackie Chan Fight Choreography: Jackie Chan Starring: Jackie Chan, Brigitte Lin, Maggie Cheung Box office - HK $26,626,760 Synopsis: A virtuous Hong Kong police officer must clear his good name when the drug lords he is after frame him for the murder of a dirty cop. My rating for this movie: ★★★★½ My rating for this specific fight sequence: ★★★★½ Police Story is quite simply the craziest movie ever made. It has reached legendary status among action junkies, and it's fully deserved. It's also one of my overall favorite action movies. The action sequences in this movie are without a doubt among the best ever put on film. Huge props should go the stunt team who are so dedicated that frequent trips to the hospital didn't deter them. I say this numerous times in this top, I think, but I will say this again: you haven't seen the pinnacle of action filmmaking until you've watched the best 80's Hong Kong movies, and this movie is one of them. The action is just so bonkers! If you think modern directors -- including modern Hong Kong directors! -- learned from these older movies and have perfected the technique since then... well, unfortunately, they haven't. Everything you see is real, as revealed in the ending credits. Cars aren't slowed down either. It is so because Jackie Chan wanted it that way as a middle finger to his previous producer. He wanted to make the best and most authentic action movie, and so he did. And not only that, but it's in the way Jackie Chan frames action that makes it truly stand out. In case you want to read almost an essay on the subject, here's a great review on how exactly Jackie Chan works his magic on letterboxd that I absolutely agree with. I recommend that anyone who likes Action (so basically everyone these days if recent box office numbers are any indication?) should watch this movie at least once in their lives. You won't regret it. It's a true classic. They wrote the movie around the setpieces. This movie's whole purpose is to entertain you with epic action sequences one after the other! Then, of course, add in some tropes-filled drama to tie it all together. While you're at it, you should simply watch the whole original Police Story trilogy if you haven't already. They're available on Blu-Ray, and a 4k remaster of the trilogy is on its way. What this sequence's all about Jackie Chan is out of his mind, as you can see in the stunt above which he performed himself. No wires, no safety. He broke 3 bones and had serious burns on his hands after (yes he was back on his feet regardless). So, unto the fights, Jackie does what he does best with his signature action-comedy fighting here as he uses all the props in the room to great effect, but also receives equal punishment at every turn! I don't usually spoil the sequences but the gif above is the cherry on top for this... and trust me, it's still only the cherry on top. The whole mall sequence is simply ridiculous. Jackie Chan fights a bunch of people, and apparently also a building, and wins! Everyone involved in this sequence are athletes worthy of recognition. So many crazy stunts, they chain one after the other and you're left stunned as the movie ends (because old Hong Kong movies end abruptly). Bonus: watching a young Maggie Cheung get beaten up repeatedly and thrown down flights of stairs does feel a little weird. She performs her own stunts of course, everyone does in these movies. They won't hire you if you don't! She also takes all kinds of punishment in Police Story 2 and Police Story 3... poor Maggie Cheung! I suggest not watching only the scene, but the whole movie! I have a link to the mall sequence but it's from a full upload of the movie on YouTube. No one uploaded only the sequence, unfortunately. If you want it, search for it yourself or PM me. edit: By the way Police Story is available basically everywhere online. iTunes, YouTube movies, Google Play, name it. You can rent it for 3 bucks. There are way worse ways to spend $3 in my opinion! Edited May 30, 2018 by Daxtreme 7 1 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brainbug Posted May 30, 2018 Share Posted May 30, 2018 Police Story was the first Jackie Chan film i saw. And what a way to introduce me to this legend! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daxtreme Posted May 30, 2018 Author Share Posted May 30, 2018 Time for a new country to make an appearance in this list! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daxtreme Posted May 30, 2018 Author Share Posted May 30, 2018 #23 Takeru Satoh vs Ryunosuke Kamiki | Final Fight Rurouni Kenshin - The Legend Ends (2014) Japan Directed by: Keishi Otomo Fight Choreography: Kenji Tanigaki Starring: Takeru Satoh, Min Tanaka, Tatsuya Fujiwara Worldwide Box office - US$49.9 million (Japan only) Synopsis: Shishio has set sail in his ironclad ship to bring down the Meiji government and return Japan to chaos, carrying Kaoru with him. In order to stop him in time, Kenshin trains with his old master to learn his final technique. My rating for this movie: ★★★½ My rating for this specific fight sequence: ★★★★½ This is the 3rd and final Rurouni Kenshin movie, and they amped up the stakes and fights in this one (not that the previous 2 entries were bad on that front). It's a highly popular series in Japan based on the manga of the same name, and it's by design that the characters look the way they do. In the manga, the main character is continuously mistaken for a girl. But he knows how to fight. Oh yes he does! The fights throughout the whole series are pretty damn good, but in the third one, they become top tier! For the Rurouni Kenshin trilogy in particular, I would commend the action for being so consistently good and well filmed throughout... and bloody. If that's your sort of thing, be sure to check it out. Story is also pretty good. They're widely considered one of the best live-action manga adaptation ever. Watch with an open mind, however, this is still a manga adaptation. What this sequence's all about Here's what Gareth Evans, director of The Raid movies, has to say about these movies and this fight in particular: Quote God damn the action in Rurouni Kenshin is [frick]ing beautiful. Huge tip of the hat to choreographer Kenji Tanigaki. Piled through the trilogy on a flight. Sojiro vs Kenshin is poss one of the best sword fights I’ve seen. Must buy, must rewatch, must study! More on that here: The fight he's referring to is the titular fight of this entry. Obviously, it's longer than that. Japanese fight choreographer and stuntman Kenji Tanigaki was discovered by legend Yuen Woo-Ping at the age of 19, and taken under his wing. He has done stuntwork and assistant choreography for many Hong Kong movies, and even fought in one, the upcoming #18! He then returned to Japan for the Rurouni Kenshin series. When you look at those awesome fights out there, through the decades and through the different cultures, you quickly realize that it's a small, small world that is the world of movie fight choreography. Almost everyone can be traced back to Yuen Woo-Ping and his friends... who are none other than Jackie Chan's crew, and Sammo Hung and his friends (more on him later). You know about the Bacon number? Well, in the world of movie fight choreography, it would be the Yuen Woo-Ping number. How far removed from Yuen Woo-Ping is the fight choreographer on x movie? Answer: If the choreography's any decent, not that far. Yes, even American movies (Scott Adkins movies), Japanese movies (like this one), Thai movies (Panna Rittikrai was a Jackie Chan fanatic), etc. And as for Jackie Chan, he takes his inspiration from the works of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, and has stated as such in numerous interviews. He simply blended them with traditional Chinese kung fu styles of the 60's and 70's, and put his own spin to it. Sammo Hung then started directing his fights like Jackie. Yuen Woo-Ping too. And then lots of people copied them. So really, every time you watch an epic fight scene these days, know that it's partly inspired by Chaplin and Buster Keaton... amazing, isn't it? So what about this sequence, choreographed by Yuen Woo-Ping's protégé? Well... it's damn great! As usual in 99% of movie fight sequences involving weapons, aiming for realism wasn't the goal. Most weapons fights in real life are over in 2 or 3 strikes (source: professional swordfight tournaments). Think of it as a deadly ballet instead! I can dig that. sequence: 6 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daxtreme Posted May 30, 2018 Author Share Posted May 30, 2018 (edited) #22 Jet Li vs Donnie Yen Once Upon a Time in China II (1992) Hong Kong (Cantonese) Directed by: Tsui Hark Fight Choreography: Yuen Woo-Ping, Donnie Yen, Yuen Shun-Yee, Huen Chiu Ku Starring: Jet Li, Rosamund Kwan, Donnie Yen Worldwide Box office - $30,399,676 (domestic N/A) Synopsis: In the sequel to the Tsui Hark classic, Wong Fei-Hung faces The White Lotus society, a fanatical cult seeking to drive the Europeans out of China through violence, even attacking Chinese who follow Western ways. Wong must also defend Dr. Sun Yat Sen, a revolutionary, from the military. With his friends, loved ones, and the future of China itself at stake, Wong must once again use his martial arts skills to defend the innocent. My rating for this movie: ★★★½ My rating for this specific fight sequence: ★★★★½ The sequel to the first classic of the same name, and although the first one has some great fights sprinkled throughout, this one actually tops its predecessor, both in story and action. With movies such as this one, Tsui Hark marked the return for a few years in Hong Kong to a more traditional approach in style as characters fight in a "wire-fu" style, which means of course aided by wires. They fly around, defy gravity somewhat, but in a very distinctive style which works for me. Think of it as the Chinese superhero movies of the time. They can be very much enjoyable! By the way fight choreographer Yuen Shun-Yee above is Yuen Woo-Ping's brother (Chinese surnames come first, except for international stars). Yuen Woo-Ping has 5 brothers, who are all fight choreographers, actors, and stuntmen. I think all of them eventually show up one way or another in this top, working in the shadows. 5 of the 6 siblings have been at least nominated once in the Hong Kong awards for best action choreography. What kind of family is that?! What this fight's all about This is Jet Li and Donnie Yen, 2 martial arts legends, at the top of their game. Need I say more? The wire work and sound effects are a little bit silly sometimes but yeah... these are fairly dated and mid-budget Chinese movies, one must watch them with an open mind Still, this is a top tier duel and fight scene overall. I love the staff work in this! I guess I don't really have much else to say. A Jet Li vs Donnie Yen fight is pretty self-explanatory. Edited May 30, 2018 by Daxtreme 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daxtreme Posted May 30, 2018 Author Share Posted May 30, 2018 Last sequence for the night, and we're heading to a new country again! @chasmmi although your guess made the top 25, unfortunately it didn't place first. Still one of my favorite fights though! On 5/27/2018 at 7:42 AM, JamesCameronScholar said: If any MCU "fight scene" makes it into this list over that Neo vs Smith scene I will really start to question @Daxtreme's perception of reality. Not a single fight scene from the MCU made this top. I do like them though. Not sure one of them would make my top 100. Maybe? I think most of the fights in the MCU are above-average compared to other blockbusters. Except fights directed by James Gunn. He can't direct a fight to save his life. I still love the GOTG movies though The airport sequence in Captain America: Civil War is my favorite fight sequence in the MCU. Wonderful. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daxtreme Posted May 30, 2018 Author Share Posted May 30, 2018 #21 Min-sik Choi vs the Hallway Thugs Oldboy (2003) South Korea Directed by: Chan-wook Park Fight Choreography: Ji Jung-Hyeon Starring: Min-sik Choi, Ji-tae Yu, Hye-jeong Kang Worldwide Box office - $14,980,005 ($700,000 domestic) Synopsis: After being kidnapped and imprisoned for fifteen years, Oh Dae-Su is released, only to find that he must find his captor in five days. My rating for this movie: ★★★★ My rating for this specific fight sequence: ★★★★½ Oldboy is probably the highest-rated movie on this list in terms of cult status. Although a few other movies are close, it's one of only 2 movies in my top that are on the IMDb top 250 all-time (the other is Raging Bull), and yes, it features a pretty awesome fight sequence! As with all cult movies, Oldboy became increasingly more popular only after its initial release. Director Chan-wook Park is also well known in the West for another movie of his, The Handmaiden, one of my favorite movies of 2016 (sadly, I saw it after the BOT top movies of 2016 ran). Here's a review from @75Live on Oldboy that I think summarizes it quite well: On 2/22/2014 at 10:15 PM, 75Live said: I just saw this as well and glad I did.Totally effed up and I am glad they didn't wimp out.Amazing revenge flick.A-/B+ What this fight's all about What is there left to say about this scene? Hundreds of YouTube comments reading something along the lines of "best fight scene ever" having thousands of upvotes summarize it quite well, albeit being a bit short on the descriptive parts. The scene is so stylish with the groovy music, our main character here never abandoning, cleaving through ranks and ranks of featureless thugs, fighting for his life. And falling.... And standing up again! It's all filmed in one beautiful take, and results in one of the roughest fighting scenes I've seen. But mark my words, this fight scene is not even in the top 5 reasons why you should watch this movie. Go in blind, please. If you absolutely don't want to, here's the scene: Spoiler 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baumer Posted May 30, 2018 Share Posted May 30, 2018 So....you're going to love this @Daxtreme...I just found out that Collin Chou was also Seraph in Matrix Reloaded. I'm watching it now and Neo just fought Seraph, the guy who takes him to the Oracle. I always thought Seraph was awesome to watch even when I first saw it.....now it all makes sense. He, as you showed us, was the guy in Flashpoint. He's amazing. See I'm learning new stuff by reading this thread! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomCruiseTop Posted May 30, 2018 Share Posted May 30, 2018 3 hours ago, baumer said: See I'm learning new stuff by reading this thread! The best kind of threads! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrGlass2 Posted May 30, 2018 Share Posted May 30, 2018 It is because of Once Upon a Time in China I fell in love with HK movies. Great list and thread Dax! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brainbug Posted May 30, 2018 Share Posted May 30, 2018 Man, all of these awesome lists kinda make me want to do one myself (i have lots of time the next 3 months lol). Im thinking about something like the Top 100 Movie Soundtracks of all time. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4815162342 Posted May 30, 2018 Share Posted May 30, 2018 (edited) 8 minutes ago, Brainbug said: Im thinking about something like the Top 100 Movie Soundtracks of all time. We do that every other year And it's coming up again in 2019 Unless by soundtrack you mean licensed songs, in which case I think the forum did that once Edited May 30, 2018 by 4815162342 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brainbug Posted May 30, 2018 Share Posted May 30, 2018 Just now, 4815162342 said: We do that every other year Nevermind then Didnt find a list like that anywhere here which kinda surprised me. When was the last time it was made? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4815162342 Posted May 30, 2018 Share Posted May 30, 2018 Last year. All of them are in the Speakeasy subforum 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EarlyDeadlinePredictions Posted May 30, 2018 Share Posted May 30, 2018 12 hours ago, Daxtreme said: Not into live action anime/manga but this is looks really good. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daxtreme Posted May 30, 2018 Author Share Posted May 30, 2018 I'm busy later today so I'm gonna post all entries today starting now. I was talking about some completely unknown gems making it in this top earlier... Well the next entry is one of them. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daxtreme Posted May 30, 2018 Author Share Posted May 30, 2018 (edited) #20 Moon Lee vs Yukari Ôshima Iron Angels (1987) Alternative title: Fighting Madam, Angel, Midnight Angels Hong Kong (Cantonese) Directed by: Teresa Woo Fight Choreography: Tony Leung Siu-Hung, Kai-Ming Lai Starring: Saijo Hideki, Moon Lee, Elaine Lui, Yukari Ôshima Box office: HK $8,174,790 Synopsis: A crimefighting organization called the Angels goes up against a drug-smuggling ring headed by a female kung-fu killer. My rating for this movie: ★★★★½ My rating for this specific fight sequence: ★★★★½ This is another entry in the 'Girls with Guns" genre popular in Hong Kong during those years, following Royal Warriors and She Shoots Straight in this top. This one though is a bit of a cult classic and propelled the genre to new heights. It's basically Hong Kong's Charlie's Angels -- with way more ass-kicking. 2 sequels were released in 1988 and 1989, neither of which were ever released in any English-speaking country in the world. They are incredibly hard to find, and thus, are stuck on my watchlist for now (I do not wish to settle for trash-quality YouTube uploads). I am told they are absolute must-watch. Yes, I don't like this situation! Here's a review from Carlo V on letterboxd that gives you an idea of what to expect. Quote There's a stunt in this near the end that looks so completely BUGNUTS dangerous that it had me s c r e a m i n g and legit questioning whether or not they used a puppet. Honestly, why do I even bother watching something other than 80s-90s Hong Kong action movies? The hit ratio of these has single-handedly caused a spike in my rating average. Oh yeah and the soundtrack is pretty much the greatest up-tempo J-Carp cheese imaginable. Fuckinggggg WATCH IT One thing's for certain -- if Iron Angels (or its sequels) ever comes out on Blu-Ray, I don't care about the price, I don't care where it comes from, I NEED IT!!!! Killer electric guitar-powered synth soundtrack, mind-blowing fights, Moon Lee and Elaine Lui being simultaneously cute yet monumental ass whoopers, Yukari Ôshima chewing the scenery, and shoot-outs the likes of which I've never seen outside of a John Woo movie... right up my alley! Mad legit. Moon Lee is such a petite badass. What's so great about this movie is how it makes a point of saying "yes these girls kick ass, in fact they kick lots of ass and here's why" and then they show you how they just destroy everyone around them, continuously, either through dual-wielding machine guns, chain-throwing grenades, performing ridiculous stunts, or kicks to the face -- lots of kicks to the face. About 50 recorded kills for each of them I think. Naturally, when these supergirls face off at the end, it has to be worth the build-up. Yes there's some cheese in this movie but I don't care, it's too awesome. What this fight's all about Yukari Ôshima doesn't have much to prove really, as she is a highly accomplished and trained karateka and stuntwoman. Moon Lee, for her part, was rising quickly through the ranks of action stars in Hong Kong back then. She used her dancing background to learn how to fight and perform stunts, and soon enough she had nothing to prove either as she high-kicked her way through fame. This is one of her earliest roles. She suffered 3rd degree burns and had to be hospitalized for a month when filming this stunt (yes she's 100% on fire) on another Hong Kong movie but was back filming action roles 4 months later. Since 2001, she lives in Denver, Colorado. So now that the actresses' physical abilities are out of the way, the next tough part for the filmmakers was how to choreograph and frame the fight. Well, they went for short and brutal. And I love it! This sequence is so over-the-top but damn, it works! sequence: Moon Lee is the one wearing pale clothes. Naturally, I'd recommend finding the DVD though. Watch this in a proper setting, it's worth it. Edited May 30, 2018 by Daxtreme 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daxtreme Posted May 30, 2018 Author Share Posted May 30, 2018 (edited) #19 Tony Jaa | Restaurant single take sequence The Protector (2005) Thailand Directed by: Prachya Pinkaew Fight Choreography: Panna Rittikrai, Tony Jaa Starring: Tony Jaa Worldwide Box office - $27,165,581 ($12,044,087 domestic) Synopsis: A young fighter named Kham must go to Australia to retrieve his stolen elephant. With the help of a Thai-born Australian detective, Kham must take on all comers, including a gang led by an evil woman and her two deadly bodyguards. My rating for this movie: ★★★½ My rating for this specific fight sequence: ★★★★½ The Protector is mostly known as the relatively successful follow-up to Ong-Bak (2003), and although it's far from being as influential as its predecessor, it still features one truly amazing fight sequence, one that all fans of cinema can enjoy equally, not just martial arts fans. Quote What a mess! But I'm kind to a film about a man who breaks everybody's bones to save a lovely elephant. - Julius, on letterboxd What this sequence's all about The stairwell sequence in this movie is, I think, the longest single-take nonstop fight sequence ever filmed. You can watch it below. Clocking in at 3 minutes 56 seconds without a single cut, spanning over 3 floors, it was an excruciatingly long and hard process to film this scene. It just so happens that filming intense combat and physical choreography quickly takes a toll on the body, and immense praise should be given to Tony Jaa and the crew for pulling it off. I say the crew because the producers actually had to replace the original cameraman because he wasn't in great enough shape and couldn't follow the action through the scene. Behold: So much to love about this sequence. Props to those stuntmen throwing themselves down without looking. Jesus... Yes it's obvious that, by the end, Tony Jaa looks a bit tired, but it's entirely excusable in my opinion. No one's ever filmed a fight sequence for that long before, and since. The ending fight scene with him breaking the bones of about 40 people is also awesome and worthy of note. And the warehouse fight. Edited May 30, 2018 by Daxtreme 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daxtreme Posted May 30, 2018 Author Share Posted May 30, 2018 @IronJimbo nice guess for The Protector, it may not be #1, but 19 isn't too shabby either 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronJimbo Posted May 30, 2018 Share Posted May 30, 2018 23 minutes ago, Daxtreme said: @IronJimbo nice guess for The Protector, it may not be #1, but 19 isn't too shabby either damn.. no golden jimbo for the time being. It's a great scene I gotta say. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
