Jet Li - The Chinese Cinema

The Chinese Cinema

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Jet Li

A collection of 16 posts

The Bodyguard from Beijing (Corey Yuen, 1994)

Paid-members only

The Bodyguard from Beijing (Corey Yuen, 1994)

Last Hero in China (Wong Jing, 1993)

Paid-members only

Last Hero in China (Wong Jing, 1993)

The Shaolin Cinematic Universe

The Odd One Dies

The Shaolin Cinematic Universe

This was originally commissioned by the Vulgar Cinema website in July 2014, and was published in December 2015. Then, after that site disappeared, it was revised and republished at Frame.land in May 2019. Now that site too appears to be defunct, so I'm posting it once again

High Risk (Wong Jing, 1995)

Paid-members only

High Risk (Wong Jing, 1995)

Fist of Legend (Gordon Chan, 1994)

Paid-members only

Fist of Legend (Gordon Chan, 1994)

The Tai Chi Master (Yuen Woo-ping, 1993)

Paid-members only

The Tai Chi Master (Yuen Woo-ping, 1993)

My Father is a Hero (Corey Yuen, 1995)

Paid-members only

My Father is a Hero (Corey Yuen, 1995)

The Master (Tsui Hark, 1992)

Paid-members only

The Master (Tsui Hark, 1992)

Kung Fu Cult Master (Wong Jing, 1993)

Paid-members only

Kung Fu Cult Master (Wong Jing, 1993)

The Legend of Fong Sai-yuk II (Corey Yuen, 1993)

The Legend of Fong Sai-yuk II (Corey Yuen, 1993)

The second part of the story, released four months after the first, brings back most of the cast and shifts the setting from Canton to the headquarters of the Red Flower Society. Jet Li’s Fong is apprenticed to the leader of the group, whose ostensible aim is the restoration

The Legend of Fong Sai-Yuk (Corey Yuen, 1993)

The Legend of Fong Sai-Yuk (Corey Yuen, 1993)

The Once Upon a Time in China Series

The Once Upon a Time in China Series

With the fall 2021 release of Criterion’s Once Upon a Time in China boxset, I put all my reviews of the series together here in one convenient place. Once Upon a Time in China (Tsui Hark, 1991) Tsui Hark is the John Ford of Chinese cinema, and Once Upon

Jet Li Capsule Reviews

Jet Li Capsule Reviews

Martial Arts of Shaolin (Lau Kar-leung, 1986) — June 18, 2014 Of interest for the early Jet Li performance and the location shooting in China. A glimpse of things to come in the move out of the Shaws studios and into the big, varied world. Lau Kar-leung keeps putting Li in

Hero (Zhang Yimou, 2002)

Hero (Zhang Yimou, 2002)

There’s a little making-of featurette on the Miramax DVD of Hero⁠[1] that has some decent interviews with the cast and crew along with some breathless Hollywood narration. Maggie Cheung, Tony Leung, and Donnie Yen speak impeccable English, which makes one wonder what might have been if Hollywood wasn’

Flying Swords of Dragon Gate (Tsui Hark, 2011)

Flying Swords of Dragon Gate (Tsui Hark, 2011)

Tsui Hark’s second variation on Kung Hu’s masterpiece, after 1992’s New Dragon Gate Inn (nominally directed by Raymond Lee). While that version added Tsui’s Blues–movie style sexual complications and gender-ambiguity along with a healthy dose of cannibalism while minimizing the fighting, this one ramps up

Swordsman and Swordsman II (Ching Siu-tung, 1990 and 1992)

Swordsman and Swordsman II (Ching Siu-tung, 1990 and 1992)

Swordsman II is a film I’ve known for years, having first encountered it during the Jet Li repertory boom of the late 90s (my theatre used to run HK double features all the time, this is where I first saw it, paired I think with Dr. Wai and the