Member DiP Posted November 17, 2011 Member Share Posted November 17, 2011 Reading all kinds of threads concerning MA films in this forum, it's obvious to me that preferences tend to go a bit of everywhere. Some like fight scenes to have power/realism, others like complexity, others different things in choreography like pure creativity, variety, improvisation/made up stuff, exaggeration/fiction etc. And then some others like a little bit of everything. So my question is, what are you specifically expecting or looking for in MA and MA-related films? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Apanblod Posted November 17, 2011 Member Share Posted November 17, 2011 My preference is ridiculously stylized, rhythmic (but fast-moving) grounded shapes movies with long takes, preferably adding some acrobatics. Weapon or emtpy hands doesn't really matter that much. Examples: The Loot, Kung Fu Genius, Daggers 8, Masked Avengers I can't stand most modern MA-movies, nor am I particularly bent towards wire-fu or the new-new wave Chinese kung fu movies of this era. I do enjoy the zany Shaw Brothers Wu-xia flicks though, but very few of them would make it to my top 50 or even top 100 Kung Fu movies of all time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member blue_skies Posted November 17, 2011 Member Share Posted November 17, 2011 I have to say I like a good healthy mix of the above! I like a good power and brutality to my ideal martial arts movie, but also like lots of complexity and creativity, variety and improvisation. I also like it that whatever I see on screen is possible. There is nothing more satisfying than seeing amazing yet crazy acrobatic, flips, twists and turns that "lesser" stars need to use wire work. I like to see speed of kicks and punches without ridiculous over cranking or under cranking, you know what I mean! Over recent months I've seen some truly stunning choreography from the venom's weaving in what I would presume to be "opera" moves into their kung fu, their acrobatic abilities adding a terrific dimension it to their fight sequences that these pretty boys currently used in Hong Kong cinema just couldn't dream to achieve without an inordinate number of cuts and or stunt doubles. I also think editing is as important and there is something to be said about long wide shots letting the action takes place within the scene. I don't wanna see fights with lots of cut cut cut cut cut every couple of moves. If I wanted that I could watch Jean Claude Van Damme. I wouldn't say I like a particular style of martial arts but I do like a good mix of various forms. I especially like the more flamboyant flips and kicks but as I said I really like to have a good brutal mix and if I have my say wire work would only be used occasionally to accentuate the stars natural abilities I also prefer openhanded or blunt weapons, if you're going to use blades people need to get cut and badly which is something I've enjoyed about watching old Shaw Bros movies! I also hate close-up shots, I want to see the action, the connection between the two fighters, the reactions as they happen. I expect the heroes to be skilled martial artists and the main villains too. I want to see crazy final duels where it is not clear if the hero can beat the amazing skills of the villain, where the hero gets beaten down, taking his knocks or hers, keeping you on the edge of your seat no fast cuts, no shaking cameras, steady cam is an excellent tool in a filmmaker's arsenal! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DarthKato Posted November 17, 2011 Member Share Posted November 17, 2011 I really don't have a preference. The only thing I don't like is when they use too many wires. This is one of the reasons I am not crazy about Wu-Xia films. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Petie Posted November 17, 2011 Member Share Posted November 17, 2011 I myself prefer empty handed combat with occassional, but modest!, exaggeration of movements via wire-work. That said my favorite MA film, Lau Kar Leung's Heroes of the East, doesn't particularly fit that preference. So I guess I try to retain a degree of flexibility in what I would like to see in terms of fight/action choreography in a MA film. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member blue_skies Posted November 17, 2011 Member Share Posted November 17, 2011 I myself prefer empty handed combat with occassional, but modest!, exaggeration of movements via wire-work. That said my favorite MA film, Lau Kar Leung's Heroes of the East, doesn't particularly fit that preference. So I guess I try to retain a degree of flexibility in what I would like to see in terms of fight/action choreography in a MA film. oh of course there's always exceptions to the rule with some of my all-time favourites being filled with masses of wire work, which generally I do not like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member ShaOW!linDude Posted November 17, 2011 Member Share Posted November 17, 2011 Well, I pretty much echo blues_skies' sentiments. We've had some discussions about this before. Other than that, in regards to good choreography? I know it when I see it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DiP Posted November 18, 2011 Author Member Share Posted November 18, 2011 Other than that, in regards to good choreography? I know it when I see it. What is good choreography? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member ShaOW!linDude Posted November 18, 2011 Member Share Posted November 18, 2011 See blue_skies #3 post. That about sums it up for me. It pretty well defines my personal sense of what good choreography consists of. Ong Bak; Ong Bak 2; SPL; Tiger Cage 2; Eastern Condors; Righting Wrongs; Police Story 1 & 2; Heroes Of The East; 36th Chamber of Shaolin; and just about any "old school" film by Chan and Hung are examples of what I like and consider good choreography. Oh, and the stuff the Stunt People do. Eric Jacobus is a really good choreographer. I love seeing the stuff he comes up with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DarthKato Posted November 18, 2011 Member Share Posted November 18, 2011 See blue_skies #3 post. That about sums it up for me. It pretty well defines my personal sense of what good choreography consists of. Ong Bak; Ong Bak 2; SPL; Tiger Cage 2; Eastern Condors; Righting Wrongs; Police Story 1 & 2; Heroes Of The East; 36th Chamber of Shaolin; and just about any "old school" film by Chan and Hung are examples of what I like and consider good choreography. Oh, and the stuff the Stunt People do. Eric Jacobus is a really good choreographer. I love seeing the stuff he comes up with. Definitely agree with you on Police Story 1. It has some of the best fights and stunts Jackie Chan has ever done. The scenes in the mall still amaze me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Fist Of Boss Posted November 18, 2011 Member Share Posted November 18, 2011 I like old school and new school equally...it depends about mood really. if not feel like mood to watch extended fight scenes with posing I pick movie like burning ambition with fast action and tad traditional poses. But in general it`s mostly old school kungfu in my player. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member ShaOW!linDude Posted November 18, 2011 Member Share Posted November 18, 2011 Thought I'd go ahead and mention Larnell Stovall as I recently watched BUNRAKU which he was the fight coordinator for. He's also choreographed fights for UNDISPUTED 3; NEVER BACK DOWN 2: THE BEATDOWN; BLOOD & BONE; and the MORTAL KOMBAT: LEGACY web series. He's really good at stringing together great combinations and slipping subtle, devastating moves into them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member slinky Posted November 19, 2011 Member Share Posted November 19, 2011 I prefer the shapes and hate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Markgway Posted November 19, 2011 Share Posted November 19, 2011 Like a bit of everything... but my tops would be Sammo Hung's choreography from his 1977-1987 golden (harvest) period. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Drunken Monk Posted November 21, 2011 Member Share Posted November 21, 2011 I'm with Apanblod. Give me rhythmic, fast-paced, intricate shapes, then chuck in some weapons work and I'll be glued to the seat. Though I do love some of the '80's stuff of Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao and Jackie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member TibetanWhiteCrane Posted November 21, 2011 Member Share Posted November 21, 2011 Like a bit of everything... but my tops would be Sammo Hung's choreography from his 1977-1987 golden (harvest) period. I concur! Plus my second favourite, Tony Leung Siu Hung, and his 80's and early 90's work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member bamboo spear Posted November 24, 2011 Member Share Posted November 24, 2011 I like them all (brawling versus technical, kicking versus grappling, Chinese versus Japanese versus Western, traditional versus modern/sport, weapons versus empty handed, etc), I just hate when there's a "theme", like they're balancing on a table or a ladder, or one of them is trying to keep a vase from breaking, or something like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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