Even with one arm, he’s the only one with the swordsmanship to bring him down. Kang is found by a peasant girl who nurses him back to health, but then Kang catches news of a wicked man, The Long-Armed Devil, coming to kill the master who raised him. He tries to run away, but they catch him, lop off his arm and leave him for dead. Only his snobbish peers are jealous of his skills and mock him for his impoverished upbringing. Why's this movie here? After his father sacrifices himself to save a kung fu master’s life, Fang Cheng becomes a student at a prestigious school. Why’s he fighting? He’s forgiving of his peers and his master is in danger. What’s his style? One-arming it better than most two-arm it. Who’s the hero? Fang Cheng, a poor kung fu student who gets his armed lopped off by his richer peers. Starring: Jimmy Wang, Lisa Chiao Chiao, Angela Pan In his film debut, Bruce Lee isn’t given much, but he still proved nobody looked stronger or handsomer while doing high-kicks on-screen, setting him up for much better shit. Then he kicks a whole mountain of ass during the ultimate showdown, slicing people open to bleed red corn syrup, then, at one point, kicking a guy through a wall. A promise he ultimately breaks, first with one of the quickest one-two kick of all time, disarming a foe of his knife then catching him in the face. Only Lee promised his mother he wouldn’t fight. Essentially, Lee’s character goes to Thailand to work for an ice company, when he realizes the owners are drug smugglers and also murderers of whoever figures out that they are drug smugglers. The dubbing is stilted with dorky Americans meal-mouthing corny lines over Lee’s stoic, menacing, stare downs. Why's this movie here? Bruce Lee’s first feature film isn’t that terrific. Why’s he fighting? Drug lords killed his cousins. What’s his style? It’s Bruce Lee so quick, vicious and instantly iconic. Who’s the hero? Cheng Cho-an, a Chinese immigrant to Thailand, who is very good at fighting, but promised his mother he wouldn’t. And if watching a Jack-Black-voiced Panda skadoosh away the naysayers doesn’t make you feel good inside, then you should spend less time on the internet. The plot follows the most obvious path to a happy ending, and even if it is a telegraphed story about an underdog beating the odds, the execution of the cliches is novel and delightful. The other kung-fu students Tigress, Monkey, Mantis, Viper, and Crane are not pleased, but their red panda master encourages Po, helping him develop a style all his own that utilizes his tremendous gut. This feel-good flick centers around Po, a dumpling and kung fu loving panda that accidentally wins a martial arts tournament and so becomes the Valley of Peace’s prophesied defender against an evil snow leopard. So, it’s surprising it took until 2008 for the genre to enter the mainstream animation realm-where literally anything is possible. Why's this movie here? The kung fu film genre has always flouted the physical limitations of the human body, either through super-specialized training or wires. Why’s he fighting? Fulfillment of lifelong dream/prophecy/making sure the Valley of Peace keeps making sense as a name. Who’s the hero? Po, a full-grown panda, not an animal known for kung fu. Starring: Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman, Ian McShane, Jackie Chan, Lucy Liu Here are the 24 Best Kung Fu Movies Of All Time. When was the last time you saw a great movie? Better question, when was the last time you heard of a Kung Fu movie coming out? It’s been a minute, right? Sometimes we have to go back to what we know. If this list makes you want to search on Netflix for a good Kung Fu movie, then we have done our part. Masters of kung fu tend to be reluctant fighters because they know violence usually begets more of the same. Grounded in the pacifist, naturalist worldview of Buddhism, it requires discipline, patience and most of all, strength-mentally, to know when to use it, and physically, to act effectively when the time comes. Kung fu is a very specific form of violence. And Jackie Chan is the comedian-a man who gets laughs first for his gleeful goofiness, then out of disbelief for the batshit stunts he completes. Jet Li is the empty vessel-a man with a blandly benevolent personality, but who moves with unrivaled grace and power. Bruce Lee is the ideal-a man with equal parts intense charisma and blindingly quick movies. Starting in the 1970s and continuing steadily onwards, kung fu has remained an international cinematic interest, giving rise to three main stars. It takes patience to become a master of anything. It actually starts with “jacket on, jacket off.” Kung Fu is about dedication and hard work. If you are a fan of Kung Fu movies, you know that it doesn’t start with high kicks and karate chops.
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