Subgenre Sampler
Martial Arts: 371 Films to Buy & Rent
- Tracing Shadow (Zhui ying) (2009)
- Dir. Marco Mak, Francis Ng
Feat. Jaycee Chan, Hao Dang, Francis Ng
- This batty Ming Dynasty comedy is a worthy throwback to Hong Kong’s campy martial arts movies of the early 90s, with an extravagant blend of…
- Treasure Hunter, The (2009)
- Dir. Yen-ping Chu
Feat. Jay Chou, Chiling Lin, Eric Tsang…
- Madcap fusion of Indiana Jones and martial arts mayhem, with Mandarin popstar Jay Chou leading the charge as a protector of relics on the hunt for a…
- An Empress and the Warriors (Kong saan mei yan) (2008)
- Dir. Ching Siu Tung
Feat. Donnie Yen, Xiaodong Guo, Zhenghai Kou…
- Jazzed up historical drama with a young woman thrust into the role of Empress upon her father's death, and fight for her kingdom.
Conventional…
- Butterfly Lovers (2008)
- Dir. Jingle Ma
Feat. Charlene Choi, Chun Wu, Ge Hu…
- Martial arts 'M Butterfly' charts the afflictions that befall two lovers destined to always be parted. Gaudy, gender–bending romance from Hong…
- Chanbara Beauty (2008)
- Dir. Yôhei Fukuda
Feat. Eri Otoguro, Chise Nakamura
- Fan–servicing bikini swashbuckler, with two scantily clad babes slashing their way through zombie hoards. A crummy, if entertaining hodgepodge…
- Chocolate (2008)
- Dir. Prachya Pinkaew
Feat. JeeJa Yanin, Hiroshi Abe, Pongpat Wachirabunjong
- Impressive newcomer Jeeja Yanin plays a butt kicking autistic girl (!) in this exhilarating revenge movie, a standout amongst Thailand’s recent…
- Forbidden Kingdom, The (2008)
- Dir. Rob Minkoff
Feat. Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Michael Angarano
- Hokey martial arts vehicle for Hong Kong’s two biggest action stars, which finds an American teen transported back to ancient China in the throws…
- Ichi (2008)
- Dir. Fumisiko Sori
Feat. Haruka Ayase, Shido Nakamura, Yôsuke Kubozuka
- ZATOICHI spin–off turns tradition on its head by casting a woman in the role of a blind singer who also happens to be handy with a samurai…
- Ip Man (2008)
- Dir. Wilson Yip
Feat. Donnie Yen, Simon Yam, Siu-Wong Fan…
- Kung fu stalwart Donnie Yen assumes the legend of Ip Man, celebrated master of the rare and deadly form of martial arts, Wing Chun (later adopted by…
- Kung Fu Panda (2008)
- Dir. Mark Osborne, John Stevenson
Feat. Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie…
- Spot–on animation featuring a daydreaming panda called Po (Jack Black) that finds his portly middle and lazy ways getting in the way of his…