Wu Jing

[daisho2004]

I'm a little off when it comes to HK Movies lately been watching to many Japanese movies, but I'd like to know which Wu Jing movies you guys would recommend. I plan on getting all of his but which ones first.

I do have SPL.

[Guest ekisha]

Tai Chi Master TV series and Drunken Monkey.

If you want modern day action then try to find Invisible Target and Fatal Contact.

________

JUSTIN BIEBER

[mark187]

SPL is easily the best, so otherwise I'd recommend Invisible Target as well, and Fatal Contact is a decent showcase for him in a leading role, although it obviously could be better. personally, although it had some good action...I didn't really like Drunken Monkey, far too much stupid comedy dragged it way down! Fatal Move isn't terrible like some people make it out to be, but it isn't a great film by any means. Honestly, the fight between Sammo Hung and Wu Jing is not very good, so if you're looking for great fight scenes you'll probably be disappointed as there aren't any. however, if you keep your expectations low it can be somewhat entertaining. then there's Twins Mission, which I wouldn't recommend unless you're pretty desperate as there is a decent amount of energetic action, but everything else is completely laughable (especially the CGI snakes!). Finally, the one that I would recommend to avoid completely is The Legend of Zu. Wu Jing doesn't even have a big role in it, and the whole thing easily ranks among Tsui Hark's worst...even his really crappy movies like Knock Off were at least more entertaining than this! so to make it all short, I'd rank his best in this order- 1. SPL, 2. Invisible Target, 3. Fatal Contact

[GwaiLoMoFo]

I really liked "Invisible Target", and the fight scenes are good in "Fatal Contact". "Drunken Monkey" was decent, and "Tai Chi Master" TV series was excellent.

[Morgoth Bauglir]

I think his best work is in that Tai Chi Master series ekisha mentioned. I haven't seen the full show, but the Tai Seng DVD basically just has a bunch of awesome fight scenes strung together. he is good in Fatal Contact but I thought it was a horrible movie. And I really hated Invisible Target. I enjoyed like 3 minutes of that movie. And I also hated Drunken Monkey, but not quite as much as I hated Invisible Target.

[Bus]

the only one i think that hasn't been mentioned is tai chi 2 which is different then tha tai chi tv series

[sonnychibaidol]

I recommend the series done by Wu Jing in 1999 in collaboration between Hong Kong and Mainland China called: "The New Shaolin Temple" (this is what it reads literally in the Chinese language). The focus is more on the character played by none other than Fan Siu Wong, Li Shi-min. Wu Jing plays none other than Jue Yuan and Chin Siu Ho plays none other than Wang Ren Ze. This consists of 20 episodes and also includes none other than Yu Hai playing his role of Master Tan-Zong. This series was based around the plot of Jet Li's Shaolin Temple but with more focus on Li Shi-min and more historical details surrounding the events.

[lillippa328]

some people are hard 2 please!!!

I highly enjoyed the following....

Tai Chi Boxer

Tai Chi Master

Fatal Contact

Fatal Move

SPL

Invisible Target

[emacs]

SPL is easily the best, so otherwise I'd recommend Invisible Target as well ...

the latter film was okay although i wish the producers cast someone against Wu Jing that was closer to his athletic ability. it would have may the martial arts sequences more interesting. overall, however, the film was good.

[kaleyboy]

How come no one mentions his latest movie, Legendary Assassin, which I thought was quite entertaining in a retro 80's stylie.

[lillippa328]

^LA was better the 2nd/3rd times I watched it...the 1st i hated it...it was so much hype for me just to be a let down...but then i rewathed it and it was a good movie

[emacs]

How come no one mentions his latest movie, Legendary Assassin ...

perhaps, in comparison to his other films, Legendary Assassin is not as notable. i noticed the film is available from yesasia for about $20 Canadian.

[Guest WuxiaFan]

daisho,

Aside from SPL, which I think is his best work, definiately agree with ekisha, check out the Tai Chi Master TV series. I loved it. Also, I liked Drunken Monkey, but not quite the comeback it was meant to be. However, Lau Kar Leung and Gordon Liu, along with Jing, were awesome it in. I haven't seen any of the other Wu Jing movies mentioned because there have too many other movies I'm interested in, and they have not gotten very good reviews anyway. What I would suggest is reading Mark Pollard's reviews of his movies first before you buy anything. I find Mark's reviews spot on about 98% of the time. But go ahead and get Tai Chi Master now. It's outstanding:D

http://www.hkflix.com/xq/asp/filmID.534336/qx/details.htm

[Grimmjow]

What will it take for this guy to become a star?

I think Hong Kong cinema and Martial arts cinema really need someone new to break out asap, with Tony Jaa now taking a hiatus (and he may never regain his momentum) and Donnie Yen approaching 50 we need to see someone step up and take the reigns as the kung fu movie star of this decade. I like many thought it may be Wu Jing, he's been often called the next Jet Li due to there background being the same and has a good fanbase. I spent 3 months in China this year and all the young guys I met love Wu Jing and think he's a national hero.

So why's he not become a star yet?

He seems to fail as leading man, is it his acting skills? the movies he's made? Well lets take a look at each one

Tai Chi Boxer - Didn't particularly care for this, it was too much like every other kung fu comedy that came out during the early 90's plus this was at the end of the boom so it's not surprising this didn't help him take off. He also used too much wire work so there wasn't anything that really made him stand out.

Drunken Monkey - I know this movie had a lot of hype about it, the reunion of the Lau clan and the first new Shaw Brothers film in a good few years, this surely should of been the big one for Wu Jing but he dosn't stand out in it and the film just isn't that good.

SPL- Now this is where he came back in a big way, having spent a good few years making mainland tv shows it caught a lot of attention to hear that this wushu kid was now playing a bad guy and would face Donnie Yen, I think he stole the show in this classic movie and thought this was the film to launch him into stardom, but then...

Fatal Contact - A decent flick but suffers from a few problems, its depressing where it really shouldn't be, I hate the finale and have spoke to a few people who think it ruins the film. The actions good but Jing dosn't look as great here as he should do, a lot of wire work which isn't needed as Jing has the talents and it always looks bad in a modern day setting. With a better script this could have been the big one.

Following this were a few support roles untill...

Legendary Assasin - Again should of done more for him, the trailer made this look great but the film failed to deliver, there were some good fights, the smackdown with Ken Lo and the big guy and the finale were done well but the film moved too slow and didn't live up to its title.

In addition to these Wu Jing has appeared in supporting roles in the following movies(there may be more but these are the main ones)..

Twins Mission - Maybe a good choice as it at least helped get his name out there but the film was pretty much garbage although the fights were watchable

Invisible Target - I really like his role here, he comes across as an unbeatable badass and a cool villain but again too much wire work and limited screen time.

Fatal Move - Has some of the best scenes but is just a supporting role. The end fight with Sammo is a highlight.

Kung Fu Cyborg - Haven't seen it, he's on bad guy duty again but everything I hear about this film is bad.

Mummy 3 - The thought of him taking on Jet Li was exciting but this was a very brief cameo.

So some of his supporting roles have been more mainstream and helped get his name out there, he has a following but with roles in further big productions like Shaolin, Wind Blast and City Under Seige perhaps Wu Jing will forever be a supporting actor and never a lead man.

How can he improve from here and become a lead man and worldwide star?

I think he needs a better choreographer for one, Nicky Li relies too much on wires and constant kicks and I think it's time for a change for him, he looked amazing under Donnies direction.

I'm interested to hear everyones views on why he hasn't made it and what it will take for him to make it, or indeed if anyone else see's someone new on the horizon.

[Charuto]

His biggest problem is that most of his movies suck. Good and/or interesting choreography can make up for this, but you already touched on that.

I think he should forget about leading roles and do a full-on heel turn-he seems to have a knack for playing villains. As a villain, he could probably build a fanbase for doing gruesome, bad-ass, evil deeds in his movies.

[DiP]

I think he needs a better choreographer for one, Nicky Li relies too much on wires and constant kicks and I think it's time for a change for him, he looked amazing under Donnies direction.

Not just a better choreographer. He needs to work with film crews that truly knows and understands his potentials, are very communicative to him in order for him to strive and improve, and also are very experienced in the overall appeal of movie-making (directing, writing, cinematography, sound, music etc). SPL was as far he could reach in terms of all that.

[gorhama]

I would like to see someone like Donnie Yen handle the fight choregraphy for a Wu Jing movie.....sometime in the future.

Also wouldn't hurt to get a director that knows how to handle action and the actual story in between the fights.

[BaronK]

This pretty much goes for everyone out now. Action is stuck in a funny place and doesn't know what to do. What to make and how to do it is equally a problem.

You would have thought kf was dead and that no one knew how to do it anymore after all that's come out over the years(The insistance on wires, busy cam and editing and an f u to showing player's skills and choreographer's skills). Tony Leung really blew my mind with his stuff on Legend Is Born Ip Man. I also loved Panna's stuff in Raging Phoenix. Those 2 along with Yuen Tak's work on Gallants, shows that chor. that showcases players and chor's skills still exists. Most of what is done today and for many years now is "swing and hit" style. There's no dopeness in that.

They don't know if they should do a take with more than 4 mores for fear of losing the audience to "this is too choreographed". Acrobatics has been completely replaced by wire stuff. They are insistant on having contact hits even if it exposes the players lack of body strength and believability.

I was watching some kf movie clips on youtube today. I realized then and a long time ago that there is no rewind factor in what they make today. It takes me a very long time to get through a Venoms fight, because I'm always going back looking at a take over and over. Stuff was amazing. What have you watched in the past years, to decade that had you rewinding? Raging Phoenix and LiB: Ip Man for me. The only thing of Wu Jing that I have that I rewind like crazy is a sword fight he had in his Bigwig tv show that was not suprisingly choreographed by Lu Feng. It was done Peking Opera style and didn't show any of his wushu background. That caught my eye. He showed more screen kf skill and ability in that 1:30 fight than I've seen from him in anything else. I put Twins Mission second to that.

[The Silver Fox]

I think Wu JIng is very good in the supporting actor/villain roles,perhaps his acting needs to catch up with his tremendous physical talent before he can be a leading man-type.

Look at somebody like Donnie Yen, it's not like he was an overnight sensation or anything. He did the work,learned his craft in 80's,90's and in the last decade he has become a well known international star.

Wu Jing is still relatively young. I'd like him to play a really nasty villain, I think it would be cool to see him do that.

[mrnicejai]

My opinion is that he's simply lacking the type of charisma and acting skills required to be a leading man in today's Chinese martial arts films. He seems a bit wooden to me. I see Andy On stepping up as the next martial arts leading man instead.

[lillippa328]

I enjoyed Drunken Monkey and Tai Chi 2, SPL and Invisible Target, even Fatal Contact and Fatal Move was OK....the rest suck tho

and im waiting on his next 2 rols....the Western Kung Fu film, and Shaolin (cant freakin wait)

[Improvisation]

Wu Jing makes a BADASS villain. He should stick with these roles. SPL, Invisible Target, etc. That menacing grin combined with his super fast wushu moves really makes you wonder how the protagonist is going to take him down. I do hate it when actors are typecast but in this case it is something that he could make a niche out of. Think of Collin Chou, who is also a fantastic bad guy.

While we're on the subject of Wu Jing, is it true that he had a feud/spout with Donnie Yen? He made some controversial comments about Yip Man, I think, and Donnie said something like "he's young, he doesn't really understand this stuff yet."

[Grimmjow]

Andy On has the looks and is a better actor but he hasn't got the moves, he is a competent screen fighter but dosn't have the background to make him a martial arts movie star.

Fan Siu Wong seems to be popping up a lot more now, perhaps he can soon land a lead man vehicle that might see him take up the mantle.

The trouble is I think that no one wants to financially back a movie which dosn't have a pop singer or an established name in the lead role, I mean look at Galliants, struggled to get backing but everyone loves it. Hopefully this will show producers the market is still there for good kung fu movies.

[Charuto]

He made some controversial comments about Yip Man, I think, and Donnie said something like "he's young, he doesn't really understand this stuff yet."

Link? I don't find it unbelievable, I just want to read this interview if it's available.

[blue_skies]

I really like his role here, he comes across as an unbeatable badass and a cool villain but again too much wire work and limited screen time.

He came across that way but then he was beaten by three incompetent "good guys".

This pretty much goes for everyone out now. Action is stuck in a funny place and doesn't know what to do. What to make and how to do it is equally a problem.

You would have thought kf was dead and that no one knew how to do it anymore after all that's come out over the years(The insistance on wires, busy cam and editing and an f u to showing player's skills and choreographer's skills). Tony Leung really blew my mind with his stuff on Legend Is Born Ip Man. I also loved Panna's stuff in Raging Phoenix. Those 2 along with Yuen Tak's work on Gallants, shows that chor. that showcases players and chor's skills still exists. Most of what is done today and for many years now is "swing and hit" style. There's no dopeness in that.

They don't know if they should do a take with more than 4 mores for fear of losing the audience to "this is too choreographed". Acrobatics has been completely replaced by wire stuff. They are insistant on having contact hits even if it exposes the players lack of body strength and believability.

I was watching some kf movie clips on youtube today. I realized then and a long time ago that there is no rewind factor in what they make today. It takes me a very long time to get through a Venoms fight, because I'm always going back looking at a take over and over. Stuff was amazing. What have you watched in the past years, to decade that had you rewinding? Raging Phoenix and LiB: Ip Man for me. The only thing of Wu Jing that I have that I rewind like crazy is a sword fight he had in his Bigwig tv show that was not suprisingly choreographed by Lu Feng. It was done Peking Opera style and didn't show any of his wushu background. That caught my eye. He showed more screen kf skill and ability in that 1:30 fight than I've seen from him in anything else. I put Twins Mission second to that.

Panna had nothing to do with the choreography for Raging Phoenix and it really showed the difference between his work on Chocolate and the mediocrity at best that was raging Phoenix.

I've seen a few comments in recent months about the state of martial-arts cinema. I can't see why people are being so negative. If Hong Kong was the only producer then yes I would concur but there's lots of fresh talent putting out far more exciting movies from all over the world.

Johnny Nguyen is fantastic in a Vietnamese epic "the Rebel". Johnny Yong Bosch is superb in the US production "Broken Path" (another Alpha stunts production and they are about to work with Mark Dacascos) and very good in "extreme heist/wicked Game". Daniel O'Neill is terrific in a "Bangkok adrenaline". Iko Uwais is very good in Merantau... And that's just a few off the top of my head.

I personally think the future is bright as other countries are showing Hong Kong how it should be done. Proper talent in front of the camera really kicking ass