The Dragon Lives Again (1977, Hong Kong). Director: Law Kei (AKA, Lo Ke). Action directors: Bruce Leung & Tony Leung Siu-Hung.
IMO, this is the most bizarre and surreal kung fu movie (and one of the most bizarre movies, period) ever made, and I like it a lot, but have hesitated posting it, because the full movie has all the fight scenes, but the full movie also has scenes that are highly inappropriate for the forum. Also, the picture quality is not very good, but this is the best I could find online. I’m only posting the opening credits and a recent trailer for it. The movie’s fights are fair; its main draw is the weirdness and novelty of it all (plus it’s funny, IMO).
In a nutshell, in the movie, after Bruce Lee’s death, he goes to **** (the underworld) and encounters other iconic characters who are either friend or foe. Bruce Lee’s foes include:
The Godfather (played by Shin Il-Lung)
007/James Bond (played by Alexander Grand)
The Man With No Name (played by Bobby Canavarro)
Emmanuelle (played by “Jenny”, AKA Gera)
Dracula (played by Cheung Hei)
The Exorcist (played by Fang Yeh)
Zatoichi (played by Wong Mei)
The King of the Underworld (played by Tang Ching)
Bruce Lee’s allies include:
Popeye (played by Eric Tsang)
The One-Armed Swordsman (played by Nick Cheung)
Kwai Chang Caine (played by Han Kwok-Choi)
Clearly, the movie is a pure spoof, and none of the actors really look like the characters/people they’re playing, except maybe for Eric Tsang, who IMO is funnier as Popeye than Robin Williams was. Off the top of my head, this was the only Bruce Leung movie in which he actually portrayed “Bruce Lee”.
Opening credits:
https://youtu.be/CwZUp0kdzG0
Recent trailer:
https://youtu.be/kSytEMiyKjY
Jim
Favorite movie fight scenes
Re: Favorite movie fight scenes
The Millionaires’ Express (alternate title: Shanghai Express; 1986, Hong Kong). Filmed in Canada, Hong Kong & Thailand. Director: Sammo Hung. Action directors: Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao, Yuen Wah & Lam Ching-Ying.
Director/lead star Sammo Hung had a very high budget for this movie, and he tried to cram as many big-name actors of Hong Kong cinema at the time as he could into it. Not only action stars, but also comic and romantic actors as well.
There were some good fights (especially the Sammo Hung vs Yuen Biao fight), but due to the sheer number of actors featured in the movie, for the most part, the final fights are all fairly brief, and few of the participants get to adequately display their fighting talents. One of the few exceptions is Japanese action star Yukari Oshima, who made her onscreen debut here, and went on to star in many Hong Kong action films of the late ‘80s/early ‘90s.
The most impressive stunt comes early in the movie, with Yuen Biao performing an aerial cartwheel off the roof of a burning 2-story building, landing on the dirt, getting up, running, and delivering some dialogue, all in one take. From the roof to the ground appears *at least* 30 feet high, if not higher. And from the looks of the building, one take was all they had for that extremely dangerous stunt.
This post contains 3 clips.
Yuen Biao burning building stunt (@ 4:54):
https://youtu.be/oCxAK6QVq8U
Sammo Hung vs Yuen Biao;
https://youtu.be/4BCgjkFrkEA
Final fights (in no particular order);
Yuen Biao vs Dick Wei;
Meng Hoi & Hsiao Hou vs Wang Lung-Wei;
Sammo Hung vs bandits;
Richard Norton vs Yasuaki Kurata;
Yukari Oshima vs bandits;
Sammo Hung vs Cynthia Rothrock;
Hwang Jang-Lee vs James Tien, Lau Kar-Wing, Chung Fat, Philip Ko Fei & Paul Chang Chung;
Yukari Oshima vs Richard Norton;
Yuen Biao & Sammo Hung vs Hwang Jang-Lee:
https://youtu.be/cKIyO5tda1A
Jim
Director/lead star Sammo Hung had a very high budget for this movie, and he tried to cram as many big-name actors of Hong Kong cinema at the time as he could into it. Not only action stars, but also comic and romantic actors as well.
There were some good fights (especially the Sammo Hung vs Yuen Biao fight), but due to the sheer number of actors featured in the movie, for the most part, the final fights are all fairly brief, and few of the participants get to adequately display their fighting talents. One of the few exceptions is Japanese action star Yukari Oshima, who made her onscreen debut here, and went on to star in many Hong Kong action films of the late ‘80s/early ‘90s.
The most impressive stunt comes early in the movie, with Yuen Biao performing an aerial cartwheel off the roof of a burning 2-story building, landing on the dirt, getting up, running, and delivering some dialogue, all in one take. From the roof to the ground appears *at least* 30 feet high, if not higher. And from the looks of the building, one take was all they had for that extremely dangerous stunt.
This post contains 3 clips.
Yuen Biao burning building stunt (@ 4:54):
https://youtu.be/oCxAK6QVq8U
Sammo Hung vs Yuen Biao;
https://youtu.be/4BCgjkFrkEA
Final fights (in no particular order);
Yuen Biao vs Dick Wei;
Meng Hoi & Hsiao Hou vs Wang Lung-Wei;
Sammo Hung vs bandits;
Richard Norton vs Yasuaki Kurata;
Yukari Oshima vs bandits;
Sammo Hung vs Cynthia Rothrock;
Hwang Jang-Lee vs James Tien, Lau Kar-Wing, Chung Fat, Philip Ko Fei & Paul Chang Chung;
Yukari Oshima vs Richard Norton;
Yuen Biao & Sammo Hung vs Hwang Jang-Lee:
https://youtu.be/cKIyO5tda1A
Jim
Last edited by James Y on Fri Apr 03, 2020 12:49 am, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Favorite movie fight scenes
My Lucky Stars (1985, Hong Kong; filmed in Hong Kong and Japan). Director: Sammo Hung. Action directors: Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao, Yuen Wah, Lam Ching-Ying & Billy Chan Wui-Ngai.
IMO, Sammo Hung was a better director than Jackie Chan was and, in general, Jackie almost always looked better under Sammo’s direction and choreography than in Jackie’s own self-directed films. Not only was Sammo’s fight choreography more intense, but IMO, his sense of comic timing was sharper than Jackie’s.
Final fight:
Jackie Chan vs Dick Wei
Eric Tsang, Richard Ng, Stanley Fung & Charlie Chin vs gangsters & boss (Paul Chang Chung)
Sibelle Hu vs Michiko Nishiwaki
Sammo Hung vs Lau Kar-Wing
Yuen Biao (with Jackie Chan) vs Lam Ching-Ying:
https://youtu.be/LtoEybBFovU
Jim
IMO, Sammo Hung was a better director than Jackie Chan was and, in general, Jackie almost always looked better under Sammo’s direction and choreography than in Jackie’s own self-directed films. Not only was Sammo’s fight choreography more intense, but IMO, his sense of comic timing was sharper than Jackie’s.
Final fight:
Jackie Chan vs Dick Wei
Eric Tsang, Richard Ng, Stanley Fung & Charlie Chin vs gangsters & boss (Paul Chang Chung)
Sibelle Hu vs Michiko Nishiwaki
Sammo Hung vs Lau Kar-Wing
Yuen Biao (with Jackie Chan) vs Lam Ching-Ying:
https://youtu.be/LtoEybBFovU
Jim
Re: Favorite movie fight scenes
Snake and Crane Arts of Shaolin (1978, Hong Kong; filmed in Taiwan and South Korea). Director: Chen Chi-Hwa. Action directors: Jackie Chan & To Wai-Wo.
*Full movie.
**Please note: The movie is in Mandarin language, but has no English subtitles.
Although this movie never achieved the popularity of Jackie Chan’s comedies, IMO, it contains some of Jackie’s most difficult, complex choreography, in regards to the weapons play. Wang Chi-Sheng, Peng Kang, and Mao Ching-Shun, who played the three assassins whom Jackie fights near the end, were all alumni of the Fu Hsing Peking Opera Academy in Taiwan. Jackie and his classmates were trained in Peking Opera under Master Yu Jim-Yuen at the China Drama Academy in Hong Kong.
The opening credits sequence alone has more complex performances and action in it than entire martial arts films coming out in recent years.
The arch-villain, played by Kam Kong, possesses a type of “invulnerability” kung fu like Jin Zhong Zhao or Tie Bu Shan (“Golden Bell Cover” or “Iron Shirt”), as well as Tie Tou (“Iron Head”) kung fu.
Opening credits sequence (from 0:10 - 5:07):
Final fight (from 1:28:50); Jackie Chan vs Kam Kong & three assassins (Wang Chi-Sheng, Mao Ching-Shun & Peng Kang):
https://youtu.be/SNZc0bz1SYg
Jim
*Full movie.
**Please note: The movie is in Mandarin language, but has no English subtitles.
Although this movie never achieved the popularity of Jackie Chan’s comedies, IMO, it contains some of Jackie’s most difficult, complex choreography, in regards to the weapons play. Wang Chi-Sheng, Peng Kang, and Mao Ching-Shun, who played the three assassins whom Jackie fights near the end, were all alumni of the Fu Hsing Peking Opera Academy in Taiwan. Jackie and his classmates were trained in Peking Opera under Master Yu Jim-Yuen at the China Drama Academy in Hong Kong.
The opening credits sequence alone has more complex performances and action in it than entire martial arts films coming out in recent years.
The arch-villain, played by Kam Kong, possesses a type of “invulnerability” kung fu like Jin Zhong Zhao or Tie Bu Shan (“Golden Bell Cover” or “Iron Shirt”), as well as Tie Tou (“Iron Head”) kung fu.
Opening credits sequence (from 0:10 - 5:07):
Final fight (from 1:28:50); Jackie Chan vs Kam Kong & three assassins (Wang Chi-Sheng, Mao Ching-Shun & Peng Kang):
https://youtu.be/SNZc0bz1SYg
Jim
Re: Favorite movie fight scenes
Paper Marriage (1988, Hong Kong; filmed in Canada). Director: Alfred Cheung Kin-Ting. Action directors: Sammo Hung, Yuen Wah & Lam Ching-Ying.
Billy chow was a former WKA world welterweight kickboxing champion fighting out of Edmonton, Canada, before he started acting in movies.
Kickboxing fight: Sammo Hung vs Billy Chow:
https://youtu.be/ZdN1O2NRNSk
Jim
Billy chow was a former WKA world welterweight kickboxing champion fighting out of Edmonton, Canada, before he started acting in movies.
Kickboxing fight: Sammo Hung vs Billy Chow:
https://youtu.be/ZdN1O2NRNSk
Jim
Re: Favorite movie fight scenes
Gorgeous (1999, Hong Kong). Director: Vincent Kok Tak-Chiu. Action director: Jackie Chan & Jackie Chan’s Stuntmen Association.
IMO, this movie features the LAST of the GREAT screen fights of Jackie Chan’s career. And both of those fights involve Australian martial artist Brad Allan. He was the only non-Chinese member of the Jackie Chan Stuntmen Association. His movements, his rhythm, timing and transitions/combinations were outstanding. He has worked in Hollywood as an action director on several films, including Hellboy II: The Golden Army, The Chronicles of Riddick, and several others.
Jackie was 44 years old during filming.
The fight scenes in Gorgeous are fast-paced and light-hearted.
Jackie Chan vs Brad Allan, 1st fight (6:38 - 12:55)
Jackie Chan vs Brad Allan, 2nd fight (from 12:56):
https://youtu.be/iVArzrwrS6s
Jim
IMO, this movie features the LAST of the GREAT screen fights of Jackie Chan’s career. And both of those fights involve Australian martial artist Brad Allan. He was the only non-Chinese member of the Jackie Chan Stuntmen Association. His movements, his rhythm, timing and transitions/combinations were outstanding. He has worked in Hollywood as an action director on several films, including Hellboy II: The Golden Army, The Chronicles of Riddick, and several others.
Jackie was 44 years old during filming.
The fight scenes in Gorgeous are fast-paced and light-hearted.
Jackie Chan vs Brad Allan, 1st fight (6:38 - 12:55)
Jackie Chan vs Brad Allan, 2nd fight (from 12:56):
https://youtu.be/iVArzrwrS6s
Jim
Re: Favorite movie fight scenes
The Protector (1985; filmed in New York City and Hong Kong). Director: James Glickenhaus. Action director: Jackie Chan & Jackie Chan’s Stuntmen Association.
The Protector was Jackie Chan’s 4th foray into American movies, the first three being: The Big Brawl(AKA, Battle Creek Brawl, 1980); The Cannnonball Run (1981); and Cannonball Run II (1984).
First off, The Protector is, IMO, one of Jackie Chan’s worst movies, especially the purely American version. Director James Glickenhaus (who also directed The Exterminator), didn’t have a clue how to direct Jackie Chan, much less how to film his fight scenes. Glickenhaus and Jackie supposedly did not get along. Glickenhaus did such a bad job, especially with the final fight scene, that after Glickenhaus left Hong Kong, Jackie actually reshot much of the final fight scene with Bill Wallace. The bulk of the fight is the same, only filmed better with some improvements, and at a much faster pace; Glickenhaus’s version is slow-paced and lumbering. The reshot version is the “Hong Kong version,” which played in theaters in Asia, and is the version I’m presenting here. The Hong Kong version of The Protector also included Hong Kong characters and fight scenes that were not in the American version. Even in its improved Hong Kong version, The Protector was NOT a great film by Jackie Chan standards.
The fight between Jackie and Bill “Superfoot” Wallace could have been much better than it is. In 1982, I took a weeklong kickboxing seminar taught by Bill Wallace. He was a beast of a fighter, and his overall movement, his fluidity and his speed, especially with his footwork and his legendary left leg kicks, were astonishing. Which is why, when this film came out a few years later, I wondered why Bill Wallace looked relatively stiff, lacking fluidity, and why the fight scene wasn’t great. I read an interview where Bill Wallace explained that Jackie wanted him to leave his arm out after punching so he (Jackie) could use his Wing Chun to move up his arm. I wasn’t there, but that’s highly unlikely. Besides Jackie not being a Wing Chun guy, if you watch his other modern-day action fights, Jackie and all his other onscreen opponents (including American kickboxing champion Benny “The Jet” Urquidez), all snapped their blows out and back quickly and fluidly. While Bill Wallace was a great real fighter, he wasn’t a great SCREEN fighter. Of utmost importance to Jackie is that anyone who works with him must be able to meet his “rhythm” requirements. Fighting great in the ring (or in the octagon) and looking great onscreen are two entirely different things.
And if anybody actually read all that, I’m surprised! :p
Final fight (Hong Kong version); Jackie Chan vs Bill “Superfoot” Wallace (also featuring Danny Aiello and Roy Chiao):
https://youtu.be/NhUbD59ITio
Jim
The Protector was Jackie Chan’s 4th foray into American movies, the first three being: The Big Brawl(AKA, Battle Creek Brawl, 1980); The Cannnonball Run (1981); and Cannonball Run II (1984).
First off, The Protector is, IMO, one of Jackie Chan’s worst movies, especially the purely American version. Director James Glickenhaus (who also directed The Exterminator), didn’t have a clue how to direct Jackie Chan, much less how to film his fight scenes. Glickenhaus and Jackie supposedly did not get along. Glickenhaus did such a bad job, especially with the final fight scene, that after Glickenhaus left Hong Kong, Jackie actually reshot much of the final fight scene with Bill Wallace. The bulk of the fight is the same, only filmed better with some improvements, and at a much faster pace; Glickenhaus’s version is slow-paced and lumbering. The reshot version is the “Hong Kong version,” which played in theaters in Asia, and is the version I’m presenting here. The Hong Kong version of The Protector also included Hong Kong characters and fight scenes that were not in the American version. Even in its improved Hong Kong version, The Protector was NOT a great film by Jackie Chan standards.
The fight between Jackie and Bill “Superfoot” Wallace could have been much better than it is. In 1982, I took a weeklong kickboxing seminar taught by Bill Wallace. He was a beast of a fighter, and his overall movement, his fluidity and his speed, especially with his footwork and his legendary left leg kicks, were astonishing. Which is why, when this film came out a few years later, I wondered why Bill Wallace looked relatively stiff, lacking fluidity, and why the fight scene wasn’t great. I read an interview where Bill Wallace explained that Jackie wanted him to leave his arm out after punching so he (Jackie) could use his Wing Chun to move up his arm. I wasn’t there, but that’s highly unlikely. Besides Jackie not being a Wing Chun guy, if you watch his other modern-day action fights, Jackie and all his other onscreen opponents (including American kickboxing champion Benny “The Jet” Urquidez), all snapped their blows out and back quickly and fluidly. While Bill Wallace was a great real fighter, he wasn’t a great SCREEN fighter. Of utmost importance to Jackie is that anyone who works with him must be able to meet his “rhythm” requirements. Fighting great in the ring (or in the octagon) and looking great onscreen are two entirely different things.
And if anybody actually read all that, I’m surprised! :p
Final fight (Hong Kong version); Jackie Chan vs Bill “Superfoot” Wallace (also featuring Danny Aiello and Roy Chiao):
https://youtu.be/NhUbD59ITio
Jim
Re: Favorite movie fight scenes
The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (alternate title: Master Killer; 1978, Hong Kong). Director and action director: Lau Kar-Leung.
*Note: Director Lau Kar-Leung’s name in Mandarin pronunciation is Liu Chia-Liang, as listed in the opening credits.
Gordon Liu’s name in Mandarin is Liu Chia-Hui; the Cantonese pronunciation is Lau Kar-Fai. In case there is any confusion as to how the names are credited. This movie, like the vast majority of movies put out by Shaw Brothers studios, was originally filmed in the Mandarin dialect.
The 36th Chamber of Shaolin is one of the greatest kung fu movies ever filmed. It spawned two spinoffs with the name “36th Chamber” attached, but which were not direct sequels. Although Gordon Liu had appeared in many movies before this one, this was the movie that catapulted him to superstardom, and cemented his cinematic image as a Shaolin monk.
Opening credits:
https://youtu.be/qPoHagM_uAM
Weapons duels with senior monk: Gordon Liu vs Lee Hoi-Sang:
https://youtu.be/5NcnMnsyFnQ
Final fight: Gordon Liu vs Lo Lieh:
https://youtu.be/5SZNU5OR2Cc
Jim
*Note: Director Lau Kar-Leung’s name in Mandarin pronunciation is Liu Chia-Liang, as listed in the opening credits.
Gordon Liu’s name in Mandarin is Liu Chia-Hui; the Cantonese pronunciation is Lau Kar-Fai. In case there is any confusion as to how the names are credited. This movie, like the vast majority of movies put out by Shaw Brothers studios, was originally filmed in the Mandarin dialect.
The 36th Chamber of Shaolin is one of the greatest kung fu movies ever filmed. It spawned two spinoffs with the name “36th Chamber” attached, but which were not direct sequels. Although Gordon Liu had appeared in many movies before this one, this was the movie that catapulted him to superstardom, and cemented his cinematic image as a Shaolin monk.
Opening credits:
https://youtu.be/qPoHagM_uAM
Weapons duels with senior monk: Gordon Liu vs Lee Hoi-Sang:
https://youtu.be/5NcnMnsyFnQ
Final fight: Gordon Liu vs Lo Lieh:
https://youtu.be/5SZNU5OR2Cc
Jim
Re: Favorite movie fight scenes
The Secret Rivals, Part II (1977, Hong Kong; filmed in Taiwan). Director: Ng See-Yuen. Action director: Yuen Woo-Ping.
*Full movie.
Northern Leg (John Liu) must team up with Southern Fist (Tino Wong) to defeat Gold Fox (Hwang Jang-Lee), who seeks to avenge his brother Silver Fox, the villain of part 1, (who was also played by Hwang Jang-Lee). In part 1, Wong Tao (AKA Don Wong) played Southern Fist, but he was unavailable for part 2, so he was replaced by Tino Wong, who plays the original Southern Fist’s younger brother. The opening credits show the end fight from part 1, which was filmed in South Korea.
Many of the stunt extras, including in the “hand gang” and the “kick gang”, went on to become big names in Hong Kong martial arts and action films, including Yuen Biao, Yuen Wah, and Corey Yuen. Corey Yuen actually has a role as one of Gold Fox’s friends, as well as being an extra throughout the movie. Corey Yuen would later go on to direct Jean-Claude Van Damme’s first American film (No Retreat, No Surrender); and would also co-direct and choreograph The Transporter films, which made Jason Statham into an action star. Lu Feng went on to fame as “The Centipede” in the original “Five Deadly Venoms”, and the subsequent “Venom Mob” films, at Shaw Brothers Studios. Wang Li later gained fame as one of the “secondary venoms” in Venom Mob films.
Note: Neither of the two leads (John Liu and Tino Wong), nor the arch-villain (Hwang Jang-Lee) were acrobats. All of the purely acrobatic stunts their characters did were doubled by Peking Opera alumni, like Yuen Biao, Yuen Wah, Corey Yuen, and others.
John Liu & Tino Wong vs Hwang Jang-Lee (first encounter, @ 103:45):
John Liu vs hand gang (To Wai-Wo, Corey Yuen, Lu Feng & Shin Wu-Cheol); Tino Wong vs kick gang (Chen Chin-Hai, Wang Li, Yuen Wah & Yuen Biao, @ 1:10:35):
Final fight: John Liu & Tino Wong vs Hwang Jang-Lee (@ 1:14:40):
https://youtu.be/EWT8KX3H_VI
Jim
*Full movie.
Northern Leg (John Liu) must team up with Southern Fist (Tino Wong) to defeat Gold Fox (Hwang Jang-Lee), who seeks to avenge his brother Silver Fox, the villain of part 1, (who was also played by Hwang Jang-Lee). In part 1, Wong Tao (AKA Don Wong) played Southern Fist, but he was unavailable for part 2, so he was replaced by Tino Wong, who plays the original Southern Fist’s younger brother. The opening credits show the end fight from part 1, which was filmed in South Korea.
Many of the stunt extras, including in the “hand gang” and the “kick gang”, went on to become big names in Hong Kong martial arts and action films, including Yuen Biao, Yuen Wah, and Corey Yuen. Corey Yuen actually has a role as one of Gold Fox’s friends, as well as being an extra throughout the movie. Corey Yuen would later go on to direct Jean-Claude Van Damme’s first American film (No Retreat, No Surrender); and would also co-direct and choreograph The Transporter films, which made Jason Statham into an action star. Lu Feng went on to fame as “The Centipede” in the original “Five Deadly Venoms”, and the subsequent “Venom Mob” films, at Shaw Brothers Studios. Wang Li later gained fame as one of the “secondary venoms” in Venom Mob films.
Note: Neither of the two leads (John Liu and Tino Wong), nor the arch-villain (Hwang Jang-Lee) were acrobats. All of the purely acrobatic stunts their characters did were doubled by Peking Opera alumni, like Yuen Biao, Yuen Wah, Corey Yuen, and others.
John Liu & Tino Wong vs Hwang Jang-Lee (first encounter, @ 103:45):
John Liu vs hand gang (To Wai-Wo, Corey Yuen, Lu Feng & Shin Wu-Cheol); Tino Wong vs kick gang (Chen Chin-Hai, Wang Li, Yuen Wah & Yuen Biao, @ 1:10:35):
Final fight: John Liu & Tino Wong vs Hwang Jang-Lee (@ 1:14:40):
https://youtu.be/EWT8KX3H_VI
Jim
Re: Favorite movie fight scenes
Tiger on the Beat (AKA, Tiger on Beat; 1988, Hong Kong). Director: Lau Kar-Leung. Action Directors: The Lau Family.
Note: The high kicks and splits that villain Gordon Liu does were stunt doubled. Although Gordon Liu was a fabulous traditional southern-style kung fu practitioner and performer, he was never a high kicker or an acrobat, nor did he possess a particularly high degree of flexibility. Gordon was much better in “period” costume kung fu movies than in action films set in modern times, but of his modern fights, this was one of his best, IMO, and probably the best fight scene ever involving chainsaws. Filming this scene must have been ****, due to the extreme dangers involved. Plus, the air quality must have been terrible.
Final chainsaw fight: Conan Lee vs Gordon Liu. Also featuring Shirley Ng Ling, Chow Yun-Fat & Norman Chu:
https://youtu.be/BytR7Lw9k_U
Jim
Note: The high kicks and splits that villain Gordon Liu does were stunt doubled. Although Gordon Liu was a fabulous traditional southern-style kung fu practitioner and performer, he was never a high kicker or an acrobat, nor did he possess a particularly high degree of flexibility. Gordon was much better in “period” costume kung fu movies than in action films set in modern times, but of his modern fights, this was one of his best, IMO, and probably the best fight scene ever involving chainsaws. Filming this scene must have been ****, due to the extreme dangers involved. Plus, the air quality must have been terrible.
Final chainsaw fight: Conan Lee vs Gordon Liu. Also featuring Shirley Ng Ling, Chow Yun-Fat & Norman Chu:
https://youtu.be/BytR7Lw9k_U
Jim
Re: Favorite movie fight scenes
Who Am I? (1998, Hong Kong; final fight filmed in Rotterdam, Netherlands). Directors: Jackie Chan & Benny Chan. Action director: Jackie Chan.
If ‘Gorgeous’ (1999; see earlier post on this page) featured Jackie Chan’s last great movie fights, then ‘Who Am I?’ features Jackie’s second-to-last great movie fights. Which is apropos, since ‘Who Am I?’ was the movie that directly preceded ‘Gorgeous’. After these two films, Jackie became more of a star in the US, but his action scenes went way downhill for many reasons, one of which is Jackie was getting older, and another was, well, Hollywood. Jackie was well past his prime (and past his peak popularity in Asia) when he finally became popular in mainstream Hollywood films with the American ‘Rush Hour’ and ‘Shanghai Noon’ franchises.
Ron Smoorenburg, the Dutch martial artist who plays one of the hit men, holds black belts in karate and something called ‘Free Fight,’ a combination that includes judo and Tae Kwon Do. Although his style looks almost purely like Tae Kwon Do.
Kwan Yung, who plays the other hit man, is a practitioner of Choy Lay Fut kung fu.
*Note: The final fight is in 2 clips; the second clip continues directly from the first clip.
Final skyscraper fight, parts 1 & 2: Jackie Chan vs Kwan Yung & Ron Smoorenburg:
https://youtu.be/yQYyXBJJfTM
https://youtu.be/u8j2zqRkDIw
Jim
If ‘Gorgeous’ (1999; see earlier post on this page) featured Jackie Chan’s last great movie fights, then ‘Who Am I?’ features Jackie’s second-to-last great movie fights. Which is apropos, since ‘Who Am I?’ was the movie that directly preceded ‘Gorgeous’. After these two films, Jackie became more of a star in the US, but his action scenes went way downhill for many reasons, one of which is Jackie was getting older, and another was, well, Hollywood. Jackie was well past his prime (and past his peak popularity in Asia) when he finally became popular in mainstream Hollywood films with the American ‘Rush Hour’ and ‘Shanghai Noon’ franchises.
Ron Smoorenburg, the Dutch martial artist who plays one of the hit men, holds black belts in karate and something called ‘Free Fight,’ a combination that includes judo and Tae Kwon Do. Although his style looks almost purely like Tae Kwon Do.
Kwan Yung, who plays the other hit man, is a practitioner of Choy Lay Fut kung fu.
*Note: The final fight is in 2 clips; the second clip continues directly from the first clip.
Final skyscraper fight, parts 1 & 2: Jackie Chan vs Kwan Yung & Ron Smoorenburg:
https://youtu.be/yQYyXBJJfTM
https://youtu.be/u8j2zqRkDIw
Jim
Re: Favorite movie fight scenes
Lackey and the Lady Tiger (1980, Hong Kong). Directors: Siao Lung & Norman Law Man. Action director: Chan Siu-Pang.
*Full movie.
Mars (AKA, Huo Hsing) was mostly a stuntman who also played supporting characters. He also came from a Peking Opera background in Hong Kong. Off the top of my head, this was his first and only leading role. In terms of stunt work, acrobatic ability and physical/mental toughness, Mars was in the same league as Jackie Chan, Yuen Biao, Sammo Hung, and other elite-level old-school performers with whom he worked extensively. But in terms of star power, not so much. He wasn’t leading man material at all, but he already had experience in so many films since he was a child that taking on this role was natural for him. And he was a perfect fit for his character.
Shek Kin (Mandarin pronunciation: Shih Kien) is mostly familiar to Western audiences as Mr. Han, the arch-villain of Enter the Dragon. But well before ETD, Shek Kin already had a huge resume of movies behind him, going back to the early 1940s. He’d already been famous for playing the arch-nemesis of Chinese hero Wong Fei-Hung in countless movies starring Kwan Tak-Hing, mostly from the late 1940s to the end of the 1960s. While he mostly portrayed villains onscreen, he began taking more benign roles as he got older.
Tien Niu plays Shek Kin’s mischievous tomboy granddaughter. In this movie, she shows some surprising ability at wielding a staff, considering that she wasn’t a screen fighter, and at the time was mostly known for playing mischievous love interests in romantic comedies and some kung fu films. However, her character’s acrobatic stunts were doubled.
Hwang Jang-Lee is awesome as usual as the villain. It’s not a spoiler to say that his eventual defeat at the hands of Mars is totally unconvincing.
Hwang Jang-Lee vs Linda Lin Ying; Hwang Jang-Lee vs Mars [from 1:01:17]:
Final fights: Hwang Jang-Lee vs Shek Kin; Mars & Tien Niu vs Hwang Jang-Lee [from 1:26:10]:
https://youtu.be/xh9ktj9q0ns
Jim
*Full movie.
Mars (AKA, Huo Hsing) was mostly a stuntman who also played supporting characters. He also came from a Peking Opera background in Hong Kong. Off the top of my head, this was his first and only leading role. In terms of stunt work, acrobatic ability and physical/mental toughness, Mars was in the same league as Jackie Chan, Yuen Biao, Sammo Hung, and other elite-level old-school performers with whom he worked extensively. But in terms of star power, not so much. He wasn’t leading man material at all, but he already had experience in so many films since he was a child that taking on this role was natural for him. And he was a perfect fit for his character.
Shek Kin (Mandarin pronunciation: Shih Kien) is mostly familiar to Western audiences as Mr. Han, the arch-villain of Enter the Dragon. But well before ETD, Shek Kin already had a huge resume of movies behind him, going back to the early 1940s. He’d already been famous for playing the arch-nemesis of Chinese hero Wong Fei-Hung in countless movies starring Kwan Tak-Hing, mostly from the late 1940s to the end of the 1960s. While he mostly portrayed villains onscreen, he began taking more benign roles as he got older.
Tien Niu plays Shek Kin’s mischievous tomboy granddaughter. In this movie, she shows some surprising ability at wielding a staff, considering that she wasn’t a screen fighter, and at the time was mostly known for playing mischievous love interests in romantic comedies and some kung fu films. However, her character’s acrobatic stunts were doubled.
Hwang Jang-Lee is awesome as usual as the villain. It’s not a spoiler to say that his eventual defeat at the hands of Mars is totally unconvincing.
Hwang Jang-Lee vs Linda Lin Ying; Hwang Jang-Lee vs Mars [from 1:01:17]:
Final fights: Hwang Jang-Lee vs Shek Kin; Mars & Tien Niu vs Hwang Jang-Lee [from 1:26:10]:
https://youtu.be/xh9ktj9q0ns
Jim
Re: Favorite movie fight scenes
The Loot (AKA, Bloody Tattoo; 1980, Taiwan). Director: Eric Tsang. Action directors: Chih I-Hsiung & Ho Chi-Wai.
The Loot is one of my favorite kung fu comedies; it has a fun story, and several bits of dialogue between David Chiang and Norman Chu are quite funny, especially in original Mandarin. Unfortunately, the full movie is not available on YouTube, and the parts that are, are presented far from ideally and are incomplete. Which is a shame. This remains my favorite performance by David Chiang, and is another great performance by arch-villain Philip Ko Fei. In the movie, the beginning part of the final fight featured Korean super kicker Kwon Yung-Moon as a villain, but only a partial clip of that is on YouTube, so I’m not including it.
The clip of the final fight has poor picture quality; it would have been much better in widescreen, but instead it’s vertically stretched (I don’t know what that’s called; narrow-screened?), which makes the people appear a little too tall and skinny. But under the circumstances it’s acceptable, and it’s the only full clip available of the end fight against Philip Ko Fei and Lily Li.
Villain fight; Philip Ko Fei vs Ho Chi-Wai, So Yuen-Fung & Chen Chun-Bao:
https://youtu.be/X8-Y1JK7IGc
Final fight: Norman Chu & David Chiang vs Philip Ko Fei & Lily Li (Mandarin language w/out subtitles):
https://youtu.be/SPvkBnIcVxU
Jim
The Loot is one of my favorite kung fu comedies; it has a fun story, and several bits of dialogue between David Chiang and Norman Chu are quite funny, especially in original Mandarin. Unfortunately, the full movie is not available on YouTube, and the parts that are, are presented far from ideally and are incomplete. Which is a shame. This remains my favorite performance by David Chiang, and is another great performance by arch-villain Philip Ko Fei. In the movie, the beginning part of the final fight featured Korean super kicker Kwon Yung-Moon as a villain, but only a partial clip of that is on YouTube, so I’m not including it.
The clip of the final fight has poor picture quality; it would have been much better in widescreen, but instead it’s vertically stretched (I don’t know what that’s called; narrow-screened?), which makes the people appear a little too tall and skinny. But under the circumstances it’s acceptable, and it’s the only full clip available of the end fight against Philip Ko Fei and Lily Li.
Villain fight; Philip Ko Fei vs Ho Chi-Wai, So Yuen-Fung & Chen Chun-Bao:
https://youtu.be/X8-Y1JK7IGc
Final fight: Norman Chu & David Chiang vs Philip Ko Fei & Lily Li (Mandarin language w/out subtitles):
https://youtu.be/SPvkBnIcVxU
Jim
Re: Favorite movie fight scenes
The Mar’s Villa (alternate title: Wu Tang Magic Kick; 1979, Taiwan). Director: Ting Chung. Action directors: Stephen Tung Wai & Chia Kai.
*Full movie.
Note: Many Westerners are puzzled by the original English title “The Mar’s Villa.” ‘Mar’ is another English spelling of the Chinese surname ‘Ma’ (same as the surname of the late knife designer, Al Mar), which is the surname of John Liu’s character. Thus it refers to John Liu’s character’s family house or estate. ‘Magic Kick’ is really the accurate English translation of the Chinese title, “ Shen Tui,” and ‘Wu Tang’ was most likely added to the title sometime in the late ‘90s/early 2K by American video/DVD distributors, because of the hip-hop group The Wu Tang Clan. And obviously, The Wu Tang Clan were heavily inspired and influenced by old-school kung fu movies, and they had a hand in releasing many of them on mainstream American video/DVD.
Stephen Tung Wai, who plays the nephew of the arch-villain (played by Philip Ko Fei), is known to most Westerners as Bruce Lee’s young student in the opening scenes of Enter the Dragon, whom Bruce swatted on the head for not paying attention. He was a Peking Opera alumni. Here he plays a young fighter whose kicking skills are supposedly the equal of Ma (played by John Liu). Although Stephen Tung Wai was a great all-around talent, in reality, his kicking skills were not in the same league as John Liu’s, and it shows in his final matchup against John Liu. For whatever reason, their styles didn’t mesh well together onscreen.
Philip Ko Fei plays two villain roles; as one brother who is killed, and as the other brother, the arch-villain, out to avenge him. The arch-villain, like many kung fu movie villains, possesses a form of Tie Bu Shan (“Iron Shirt/Iron Cloth”) kung fu, which renders him difficult to injure.
The “Hang ‘Em High” soundtrack was ‘borrowed’ liberally throughout much of the movie.
Final fights (starting @ 1:17:38): John Liu vs Stephen Tung Wai; John Liu & Chia Kai vs Philip Ko Fei:
https://youtu.be/T05au-MIm78
Jim
*Full movie.
Note: Many Westerners are puzzled by the original English title “The Mar’s Villa.” ‘Mar’ is another English spelling of the Chinese surname ‘Ma’ (same as the surname of the late knife designer, Al Mar), which is the surname of John Liu’s character. Thus it refers to John Liu’s character’s family house or estate. ‘Magic Kick’ is really the accurate English translation of the Chinese title, “ Shen Tui,” and ‘Wu Tang’ was most likely added to the title sometime in the late ‘90s/early 2K by American video/DVD distributors, because of the hip-hop group The Wu Tang Clan. And obviously, The Wu Tang Clan were heavily inspired and influenced by old-school kung fu movies, and they had a hand in releasing many of them on mainstream American video/DVD.
Stephen Tung Wai, who plays the nephew of the arch-villain (played by Philip Ko Fei), is known to most Westerners as Bruce Lee’s young student in the opening scenes of Enter the Dragon, whom Bruce swatted on the head for not paying attention. He was a Peking Opera alumni. Here he plays a young fighter whose kicking skills are supposedly the equal of Ma (played by John Liu). Although Stephen Tung Wai was a great all-around talent, in reality, his kicking skills were not in the same league as John Liu’s, and it shows in his final matchup against John Liu. For whatever reason, their styles didn’t mesh well together onscreen.
Philip Ko Fei plays two villain roles; as one brother who is killed, and as the other brother, the arch-villain, out to avenge him. The arch-villain, like many kung fu movie villains, possesses a form of Tie Bu Shan (“Iron Shirt/Iron Cloth”) kung fu, which renders him difficult to injure.
The “Hang ‘Em High” soundtrack was ‘borrowed’ liberally throughout much of the movie.
Final fights (starting @ 1:17:38): John Liu vs Stephen Tung Wai; John Liu & Chia Kai vs Philip Ko Fei:
https://youtu.be/T05au-MIm78
Jim
Re: Favorite movie fight scenes
The Dragon, The Hero (alternate title: Dragon on Fire; 1979, Hong Kong). Director: Godfrey Ho. Action directors: Tang Tak-Cheung & Wong Chi-Ming.
*Full movie.
Director Godfrey Ho is famous for being THE schlockmeister of Hong Kong cinema. Most of the movies he was responsible for are notoriously bad (or to his fans, so bad they’re good). ‘The Dragon, The Hero’ is unanimously considered to be Godfrey Ho’s best-made movie. I’m sure much of that had to do with his casting of John Liu as the leading man. John Liu lived in France at the time, and had to commute to Hong Kong (or Taiwan) to make movies; he wasn’t going all that way to star in a totally garbage movie.
Philip Ko Fei appeared in at least 6 movies with John Liu, and they fought each other in at least 4 of those. I consider their matchup here the most fun to watch. Compare this final fight to their final fight in ‘The Mar’s Villa’ (the previous post); this movie is over-the-top and takes itself far less seriously, although John Liu was always serious. Philip Ko Fei looks like he had a lot of fun in his role as a killer/bodyguard who ‘absorbs’ kung fu styles by watching other fighters, then hunts them down and kills them with their own styles. One of the ‘styles’ he absorbs is a type of Shen Da (Spiritual Boxing), which gives him special powers of invincibility similar to Jin Zhong Zhao (‘Golden Bell Cover’) or Tie Bu Shan (‘Iron Shirt/Iron Cloth’). The difference is that instead of developing it through Hard Qigong and body toughening, the Shen Da practitioner invites spirit possession to take over his body and make it more powerful and invulnerable. The cue for when he starts using it is when he points to the sky and assumes a solid horse stance; and there’s a metallic sound whenever he’s struck. His feet must also be firmly planted on the ground for it to work. Of course, this is all cinematic ’movie-fu’, but in real life, there were similar beliefs and practices among the “boxers” during the failed “Boxer Rebellion” in 1900.
“Mad Dog,” played by Chan Lau, was one of the weirdest characters ever in a kung fu movie. Chan Lau really got into the character, and he is so bizarre and overdone, he pretty much steals his scenes. IMO, his death scene is priceless.
Tino Wong appeared with John Liu in several films. They team up again here.
Dragon Lee is the muscular Korean Bruce Lee imitator. Plot-wise, there is really no reason for his character to be here, other than Godfrey Ho liked him a lot and wanted to include him in the film. Dragon Lee was a student of Korean Hapkido master Hwang In-Shik (see Jackie Chan’s ‘The Young Master’ and ‘Dragon Lord’ in earlier entries in this thread). He was a very good martial artist, and his Bruce Lee imitations were quite funny (perhaps unintentionally).
Final fights (starting @ 1:14:14):
Philip Ko Fei & Chan Lau vs Tino Wong & John Liu.
Tino Wong & Dragon Lee vs Chan Lau.
John Liu vs Philip Ko Fei.
John Liu & Tino Wong vs Philip Ko Fei:
https://youtu.be/5PVrDtTIO8M
Jim
*Full movie.
Director Godfrey Ho is famous for being THE schlockmeister of Hong Kong cinema. Most of the movies he was responsible for are notoriously bad (or to his fans, so bad they’re good). ‘The Dragon, The Hero’ is unanimously considered to be Godfrey Ho’s best-made movie. I’m sure much of that had to do with his casting of John Liu as the leading man. John Liu lived in France at the time, and had to commute to Hong Kong (or Taiwan) to make movies; he wasn’t going all that way to star in a totally garbage movie.
Philip Ko Fei appeared in at least 6 movies with John Liu, and they fought each other in at least 4 of those. I consider their matchup here the most fun to watch. Compare this final fight to their final fight in ‘The Mar’s Villa’ (the previous post); this movie is over-the-top and takes itself far less seriously, although John Liu was always serious. Philip Ko Fei looks like he had a lot of fun in his role as a killer/bodyguard who ‘absorbs’ kung fu styles by watching other fighters, then hunts them down and kills them with their own styles. One of the ‘styles’ he absorbs is a type of Shen Da (Spiritual Boxing), which gives him special powers of invincibility similar to Jin Zhong Zhao (‘Golden Bell Cover’) or Tie Bu Shan (‘Iron Shirt/Iron Cloth’). The difference is that instead of developing it through Hard Qigong and body toughening, the Shen Da practitioner invites spirit possession to take over his body and make it more powerful and invulnerable. The cue for when he starts using it is when he points to the sky and assumes a solid horse stance; and there’s a metallic sound whenever he’s struck. His feet must also be firmly planted on the ground for it to work. Of course, this is all cinematic ’movie-fu’, but in real life, there were similar beliefs and practices among the “boxers” during the failed “Boxer Rebellion” in 1900.
“Mad Dog,” played by Chan Lau, was one of the weirdest characters ever in a kung fu movie. Chan Lau really got into the character, and he is so bizarre and overdone, he pretty much steals his scenes. IMO, his death scene is priceless.
Tino Wong appeared with John Liu in several films. They team up again here.
Dragon Lee is the muscular Korean Bruce Lee imitator. Plot-wise, there is really no reason for his character to be here, other than Godfrey Ho liked him a lot and wanted to include him in the film. Dragon Lee was a student of Korean Hapkido master Hwang In-Shik (see Jackie Chan’s ‘The Young Master’ and ‘Dragon Lord’ in earlier entries in this thread). He was a very good martial artist, and his Bruce Lee imitations were quite funny (perhaps unintentionally).
Final fights (starting @ 1:14:14):
Philip Ko Fei & Chan Lau vs Tino Wong & John Liu.
Tino Wong & Dragon Lee vs Chan Lau.
John Liu vs Philip Ko Fei.
John Liu & Tino Wong vs Philip Ko Fei:
https://youtu.be/5PVrDtTIO8M
Jim
Re: Favorite movie fight scenes
Ok, here's the infamous Bruce Lee scene from Once Upon A Time In Hollywood.
I suppose there's some serious disrespect here, BUT... it's a fantasy movie and not reality.
I liked the fight a lot, both guys hold their own pretty well. More importantly, it establishes the Brad Pitt character as a certified bad ***, so things later in the movie fall into place.
https://youtu.be/tlUuNg6PEXA
I suppose there's some serious disrespect here, BUT... it's a fantasy movie and not reality.
I liked the fight a lot, both guys hold their own pretty well. More importantly, it establishes the Brad Pitt character as a certified bad ***, so things later in the movie fall into place.
https://youtu.be/tlUuNg6PEXA
Re: Favorite movie fight scenes
shunsui,shunsui wrote: ↑Tue May 05, 2020 2:20 amOk, here's the infamous Bruce Lee scene from Once Upon A Time In Hollywood.
I suppose there's some serious disrespect here, BUT... it's a fantasy movie and not reality.
I liked the fight a lot, both guys hold their own pretty well. More importantly, it establishes the Brad Pitt character as a certified bad ***, so things later in the movie fall into place.
https://youtu.be/tlUuNg6PEXA
Thanks for posting! Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is a great film. It’s the most entertained I’ve been by a Hollywood movie in years. Then again, I don’t watch a lot of Hollywood films anymore, and even before the pandemic, hadn’t visited a movie theater in 18 months.
Personally, this scene didn’t bother me as much as it did some people. Donnie Yen (who actually knows Tarantino) said that after this scene, he couldn’t even finish the rest of the movie.
The scene doesn’t bother me much because, like you said, it establishes the Cliff Booth character as a genuine tough guy. At least his character wasn’t able to totally dominate Bruce Lee. And it is true that in real life, Bruce Lee talked A LOT. I’ve met and spoken with people who knew him. Mike Moh got that part down. What DID bother me is when the Bruce character insulted the karate champion and American kickboxing pioneer Joe Lewis. The late Joe Lewis was a beast. In real life he and BL had been friends and had trained together, and though they later had a falling out, there was always a mutual respect.
Another thing that bugged me was Quentin Tarantino’s response when people complained about the scene. Regarding Bruce saying he could have beaten Muhammad Ali, QT said, “I HEARD him say that.” No he didn’t. If anything, he READ about it, like I did, back in the ‘70s. QT and I are the same age. He wouldn’t have met BL or hung out with him, and there is no footage of BL saying that for anyone to see or hear. What QT forgot to portray is that when BL said that, he had been kidding, and afterwards even jokingly said, “Look at these little hands; do you really think they could beat Ali?”
QT also called Bruce Lee arrogant. So are most of the martial arts people I’ve met over the decades. I’ve met far worse. BL’s cockiness was nothing special; he was just more famous for it. And BL’s arrogance was nothing compared to UFC fighter Chael Sonnen (who has called BL a fraud, BTW). That QT took creative license is perfectly fine, but QT’s dishonest, passive-aggressive response to the criticism made me lose some respect for him, not as a director, but as a person. If you’re going to take creative liberties, then own up to it, especially when the dialogue tarnishes the character of a real person.
All that said, I still highly recommend Once Upon a Time in Hollywood as great cinema.
Jim
Re: Favorite movie fight scenes
Jim, I agree 100% with ALL your comments.
I think Tarantino’s responses brought a lot of grief down on himself, but he's probably pretty callous about criticism by now.
Gotta say, I did love the last 15 minutes of that movie.
I think Tarantino’s responses brought a lot of grief down on himself, but he's probably pretty callous about criticism by now.
Gotta say, I did love the last 15 minutes of that movie.
Re: Favorite movie fight scenes
Oh, yeah. That last act is awesome.. It’s the revisionist history that we all (or at least those who aren’t psychopaths) wish had happened.
Jim
Re: Favorite movie fight scenes
Armour of God (1986, Hong Kong; filmed in the former Yugoslavia, Austria, Spain, France & Morocco). Directors: Jackie Chan & Eric Tsang, Action directors: Jackie Chan/Jackie Chan’s Stuntmen Association, Danny Yuen & Lau Kar-Wing.
This final fight between Jackie Chan and the 4 Amazonian women is literally the best part of the movie. The woman standing on the far left just prior to them attacking Jackie is Linda Denley, who was a very famous American karate point fighter/tournament champion in the 1970s, throughout the ‘80s, and well into the ‘90s. She was/is a practitioner and teacher of Tang Soo Do in Texas. She later appeared in projects with Chuck Norris (‘Sidekicks’, and ‘Walker: Texas Ranger’).
Jackie has stated that many parts of the women’s fighting, and all of their stunt work, had to be done by members of his own Hong Kong stunt team, because 1: The women weren’t stunt performers, and 2: They weren’t always able to meet Jackie’s extremely high demands...not because they are women, but because they had no previous onscreen experience, and had definitely never worked with Jackie Chan before. This would have been a very difficult scene to film for anyone, regardless of experience level. Jackie placed a very high emphasis on specific rhythm patterns and proper timing in his fight scenes, and his screen opponents must be able to have it and keep up with him. Many professional and even champion martial artists failed to completely satisfy his high demands. If you look very closely during the fighting, in some shots you can see that some of the ‘women’ are actually Chinese stuntmen in drag and dark makeup doubling for the women. In addition, as filming progressed, some of the women began dropping out for various reasons; hence the reason five women are credited as playing Amazons, when there were only four Amazon fighters. But the crew succeeded in making the scene work. Most people who see it remain totally unaware that the women had any doubling at all.
Final fight; Jackie Chan vs “Amazons” (Linda Denley, Alicia Shonte, Vivian Wickliffe, Marcia Chisholm & Stephanie Evans):
https://youtu.be/8sxwbaKJnZ4
Jim
This final fight between Jackie Chan and the 4 Amazonian women is literally the best part of the movie. The woman standing on the far left just prior to them attacking Jackie is Linda Denley, who was a very famous American karate point fighter/tournament champion in the 1970s, throughout the ‘80s, and well into the ‘90s. She was/is a practitioner and teacher of Tang Soo Do in Texas. She later appeared in projects with Chuck Norris (‘Sidekicks’, and ‘Walker: Texas Ranger’).
Jackie has stated that many parts of the women’s fighting, and all of their stunt work, had to be done by members of his own Hong Kong stunt team, because 1: The women weren’t stunt performers, and 2: They weren’t always able to meet Jackie’s extremely high demands...not because they are women, but because they had no previous onscreen experience, and had definitely never worked with Jackie Chan before. This would have been a very difficult scene to film for anyone, regardless of experience level. Jackie placed a very high emphasis on specific rhythm patterns and proper timing in his fight scenes, and his screen opponents must be able to have it and keep up with him. Many professional and even champion martial artists failed to completely satisfy his high demands. If you look very closely during the fighting, in some shots you can see that some of the ‘women’ are actually Chinese stuntmen in drag and dark makeup doubling for the women. In addition, as filming progressed, some of the women began dropping out for various reasons; hence the reason five women are credited as playing Amazons, when there were only four Amazon fighters. But the crew succeeded in making the scene work. Most people who see it remain totally unaware that the women had any doubling at all.
Final fight; Jackie Chan vs “Amazons” (Linda Denley, Alicia Shonte, Vivian Wickliffe, Marcia Chisholm & Stephanie Evans):
https://youtu.be/8sxwbaKJnZ4
Jim