Slight chance of HK "Expendables"-type movie w/ Donnie,Jackie,Jet,Jimmy,Chow YF, etc.

[wackiechan]

This sounds like a dream come true if it would happen, but it'd possibly be even better if it would only have martial arts and no shootouts?:

http://www.cityonfire.com/is-donnie-yen-game-for-a-chinese-version-of-expendables/

[DiP]

It's up to Jet, and he's suffering from health problems at the moment preventing him from making demanding action films. We'll shall see...

[SamSeed]

I'd be OK with shootouts if the whole film was co directed by Sammo and John Woo! This needs to happen!

[One Armed Boxer]

It'd be a dream come true, but I don't see this ever coming to fruition. Apart from the referenced article already being over 6 months old, both Jackie & Donnie (who'd definitely be the main stars) have fully booked schedules for at least the next 12 months. Also bear in mind that no matter how old these guys are, whether they can still pull off the moves or not doesn't really matter when you face the reality that the plot would no doubt involve untold amounts of Mainland flag waving nonsense.

[QueMuchita]

I'd pay to see it in a heartbeat but as OAB said, I don't see this ever coming to fruition.

[SamSeed]

I agree, I doubt it will ever happen, which in many ways is good. We've all dreamed about Jackie, Sammo and Yuen Biao reuniting for a new film, but the film we've built up in our heads will always be better than the real product, expectation would be far too high, as I'm sure it would with a team up type film. Plus, I see Millionaire's/Shanghai Express as the Expendables of 80s Hong Kong action cinema.

[DragonClaws]

I agree, I doubt it will ever happen, which in many ways is good. We've all dreamed about Jackie, Sammo and Yuen Biao reuniting for a new film, but the film we've built up in our heads will always be better than the real product, expectation would be far too high, as I'm sure it would with a team up type film. Plus, I see Millionaire's/Shanghai Express as the Expendables of 80s Hong Kong action cinema.

Very good point, if they did make such a project it couldn't live up to the audience expectations. Mike Leeder made another good point in his recent Pound Of Flesh review. He mentioned how many people forget that Van Damme is no longer a young performer. Yet many fans still expect the same standard of performance from his early days. This can be applied to all of the old school action stars. If these guys teamed up and made such a film it would never meet the very high expectations of the fans

[SamSeed]

What could be interesting is if Sammo, Jackie et al got behind the camera to direct and choreograph an action film featuring modern action stars, i.e. Scott Adkins, Tony Jaa, Donnie Yen, hell even Dwayne Johnson, the best of both worlds, I could see that as being more realistically achievable.

[DragonClaws]

Id love to see something like that too SamSeed. It's great to see the likes of Sammo and Jackie on screen still but Id love them to focus on just the fight choreography. I think Chan should have done this with the recent Police Story films. Spending his time and energy behind the camera instead of onscreen.

[blue_skies]

Unless it has 80's/90's action/martial arts choreography, why bother? Sorry HK action/MA these days could never do this justice IMHO.

[DiP]

Recycling 80s/90s action choreography is the reason why most HK action films these days are doing bad. Nicky Li, Jackie Chan, Yuen Woo-Ping, Corey Yuen, Sammo Hung, Ching Siu-Tung, Ku Huen-Chiu, Yuen Tak... All out of steam and uninspiring now.

[blue_skies]

Recycling classic action would have us moaning about no innovation. But let's be honest, there is not the talent being used rather popstars and when we have talent. It doesn't have the creativity and excitement of the past. It's all about wire work, editing snd any other trick to make pretty face look good.

You can talk about choreographers running out of steam and inspiration. But when the audience doesn't appreciate anything, even the Masters just do it by the numbers. A whole generation onto doesn't appreciate the greatness that their cinema created. I suspect that those creative types just do what they are paid for and wish they could create. After all, it's all about supporting their own families

[DiP]

Over-usage of pop stars for action films is an early 2000s thing which has since decreased relatively after SPL and Ip Man came out. Demand for real martial arts players has since been fulfilled. Wirework has been balanced better recently and will always be present, no matter what, just not in total dominance like it was 10 years ago. And I don't see anything wrong with editing of most HK action films this new decade has produced. Gallants, 14 Blades, Ip Man 2, Legend of the Fist, Overheard 2, Shaolin, The Lost Bladesman, Motorway, Drug War, Chinese Zodiak, Special ID, Ip Man: The Final Fight, Unbeatable, Firestorm, Kung Fu Jungle. But that's beside my point.

The audience don't appreciate anything? We're not talking audiences in Hong Kong only. The Chinese audience in general are in greater numbers and show more support compared to the past when film-makers and investors were merely catering to the small HK population. The action filmmakers/choreographers got plenty enough to survive so I'm not buying that. Some action filmmakers/choreography just do it by the numbers yeah but not because of well-being but because they have lost the passion to create and move on to next phases (hence the names given). Of course, there's the exceptions doing the opposite thing (respect). Donnie, Johnnie To, Tung Wai, Yuen Bun, Jack Wong, Dion Lam, Yee Tin-Hung, Bruce Law, Chin Kar-Lok. Two sides of the industry, one gets stuck while the other move forward.