The Decline and Fall of martial arts film and the rise of the blockbuster action film
martial arts films of the 1970s the action blockbusters 2009/10 compared
Red Cliff, Ip Man and True Legend are already iconic of the early 21st century "Martial arts films" -Although many can argue more action spectacle are as true "kung-fu" movies. The 1970s, on the other hand, have more defined not on eye-candy effects and were by True Grit his martial arts actor Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, the five Venoms, Tomisaburo Wakayama, Jimmy Wong and other real fighters in real kung fu, karate and other arts formed.
Martial Arts Mainstream Will but Evolves into Spectacle
cult classic like Enter the Dragon helped Hollywood change. His growing popularity forced filmmakers martial arts in the formula to take the "action movie." By the eighties and nineties spectacle thrillers were expected "The fight moved" to deliver, even if it is supported by some stuntmen and wires only a few basic movements. Action movies was a spectacle, the same mixtures of history necessary drama, tempo, "Kung Fu", special effects and improbable twists.
In the 21st century it less "equal" at first leave with movies on special effects, then improbable twists (surprise is important, is not it?), Followed by Tempo, martial arts skills, drama and last and perhaps least today Story. This trend extends even to the hot films of recent years, including Kung Fu Panda, Forbidden Kingdom, GI Joe and even the Transformers.
Asian Film Industry Threatens to out-Spectacle Hollywood
With the full support and weight of China's cultural industry, Asian Film has blossomed into mainstream glasses in high demand , led by CGI treats like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, House of Flying Daggers and other instant classic. Arguably, long Asian film surpassed before Hollywood for imagination to buy with western producers rights to several hugely successful Asian films. With the largest population demographic in the world, there can be no doubt that the Chinese films dominate the movie industry over the years.
Red Cliff and Ip Man are perhaps the best of this new hit classics known but the gossip mills and fan sites buzzing with the latest "coming soon" gossip. The large Buz films in 2010 is True Legend (Su Qi Er), with Zhao Wen Zho as historical Begger Su, the copyright holder of the Drunken Kung Fu. Donnie Yen returns in both Part 2 of Ip Man saga and in the highly anticipated 14 blades. Chow Yun-Fat breaks the mold and surprises everyone in his role as Confucius.
Both Hollywood and Asia rely on CGI and special effects
The growing drama and the importance of "action movie" is both enjoyable to the escapist and annoying for the aficionado of true martial art. While the actor in many films-especially Asian films-are genuine martial artist (as Donnie Yen, Jet Li and Chow Yun-Fat) -the over-reliance on CGI and elaborate choreography makes the adventure in comic book. With notable exceptions like Ip Man and Tony Jaa in Ong Bak (and to a lesser extent Ong Bak 2 and 3), most action movies rely on the 'wow' factor of dazzling camera angles and computerized "extensions".
Ninja Assassin and the cross-over
There are, to be sure, Cross -About movies like Ninja Assassin, where actors rain trained 14 hours a day for perfecting months real martial arts moves (even if only a handful of repetitive movements), mixed together with more matrix-like special effects. To the beauty of realistic CGI accepts observed by the joy away well choreographed real martial arts.
Ong Bak, on the other hand, out of genuine martial artist Tony Jaa, got off to a solid martial arts and good choreography. No stuntmen, thank you. Tony Jaa has been called the "next Bruce Lee" for this reason, with a lot of enthusiasm and excitement in the martial arts community and martial arts film celebrated fansites.
There is no escape Escapism
action movies are, by design, escapist entertainment. You have some comic (pardon me, graphic novel) become, but that's what most viewers want. We want to forget the reality.
Kill Bill and Kill Bill 2 was probably closest to the ideal mix for both the escapist fan and martial arts practitioners fan. While it is not was "real" by any means, and contained a brilliant and piquant blend of satire, comic book parody and choreography, it never the less nostalgic wonderful back in the days of Enter the Dragon and the classic hearkened Japanese Samarai films of the 70s. faithful
Japanese film remains Martial Arts Traditions ?
Perhaps the film industry most aligned with the older traditions of martial arts film production is Japan. Zatoichi, the Blind Swordsman was a low-budget film, which has become an instant cult classic. Zatoichi took moviegoers back to the classic real sword skills of the old Samarai films of the previous decades, and brought video games and a whole industry.
Less is more? Where is the real martial arts skill?
genuine Martial arts actor nor Superstars abound led like Donnie Yen and Jet Li, and most Chinese have mastered martial arts actor. In Hollywood, the filmmakers opt for four-movement choreography (two kicks, a block and a stamp), multiple camera angles (especially close-ups when the skills of martial artists are not real), pounding music, FX and stuntmen. gone with the old hopefuls from the large-screen Chuck Norris, Jean-Claude Van Damme Hollywood and other promising real martial artists-there is now a world of difference between the Asian film actor working in frigid cold, 14 hours a day in often primitive conditions, banging for relatively meager paychecks and really complex martial arts moves from Hollywood movies, now leaving stand-ins on computers and actor.
Batman Became Kung Fu
Batman now makes Kung Fu, and so does GI Joe and even Hellboy. They are fun, but the martial arts fan missed the big lights of martial arts films that her career built on the "real thing": Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, David Chiang, Sonny Chiba, Chen Kuan-tai, Tomisaburo Wkayama, Jimmy wong Yu, Ti Lung and Liu brothers.
