Member Iron_Leopard Posted February 12, 2017 Member Share Posted February 12, 2017 I admit I've been out of the game for almost a year and probably missed some good stuff. But why do I get this overall feel that martial arts movies are almost dead and buried? Will we ever get another CTHD to revive the indusrty again? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator One Armed Boxer Posted February 12, 2017 Moderator Share Posted February 12, 2017 2 hours ago, Iron_Leopard said: Will we ever get another CTHD to revive the indusrty again? I'd say both 'The Raid' (2011) & 'The Raid 2' (2014) did a pretty good job of that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member De Ming Li Posted February 12, 2017 Member Share Posted February 12, 2017 For me at least, they golden heyday of kung fu in the 70's remains my go to source for entertainment. The 80's and 90's were also no slouches although by then heavy gun play in HK cinema had come to dominate, those I also quite enjoy because you see glimpses of kung fu moves in a lot of them. The new millennium had a few gems but mostly the genre relied too heavily on wire fu and CGI and I find that much less authentic and overall just less likeable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member ShaOW!linDude Posted February 12, 2017 Member Share Posted February 12, 2017 10 hours ago, Iron_Leopard said: I admit I've been out of the game for almost a year and probably missed some good stuff. But why do I get this overall feel that martial arts movies are almost dead and buried? Will we ever get another CTHD to revive the indusrty again? I take it you're referring to the period piece kung fu films. CTHD would certainly fall into that category, though it's essentially a mixture of kung fu and wuxia films, more heavily the latter. Yeah, it would be nice, but that heyday is long gone, I fear. The closest thing I've felt came to the 70's/80's period piece fu films was Tony Jaa's Ong Bak 2 & 3. They just had that flavor for me. Probably why I enjoy them so much. And the action is insane. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member sym8 Posted February 12, 2017 Member Share Posted February 12, 2017 13 hours ago, Iron_Leopard said: I admit I've been out of the game for almost a year and probably missed some good stuff. But why do I get this overall feel that martial arts movies are almost dead and buried? Will we ever get another CTHD to revive the indusrty again? I have to agree,I think the days of a good Kung fu movie have gone.Ip man 3 was an exception for me but the days of a good old fashioned Kung fu ,martial arts movie where they rely on the skill of the star and the choreographer have vanished.There is is too much reliance on quick cuts and wire work to hide the fact that the stars don't have the skills that they had in the 70s 80s & early 90s.There are no stars with the same skill set of the stars of yesteryear,no Jackie no sammo no Lau clan.And I can't see it improving.Never mind luckily we have all these classics to watch over and over and reminisce ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DragonClaws Posted February 12, 2017 Member Share Posted February 12, 2017 Martial Arts cinema is alive, but it's not in the most healthiest of states. Compared to how it has been in the past that is. The schools and systems which created so many Hong Kong stars, have no gone, becuase many of them run a very brutal regime. That very same regime created some truly amazing talent, but it will also have caused a lot of pain and misey. Especially to the students who did not find fame and fortune in film or theatre. However its not just in Asia, but the West doens't seem to create big Martial Arts stars anymore. This is not becuase of a lack of talent, there's no shortage of that around. Martial Arts action has become very intergrated into Cinema/T.V as a whole. At one time you had to watch a Martial Arts movie to see amazing choreography and feats. Now almost every action show and film features these things. The standard and quality can always be debated, but thanks to special effects and editing, any star can be presented as a lethal weapon. Not sure if this answers @Iron_Leopard question?, its a subject I could ramble on about forever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Iron_Leopard Posted February 15, 2017 Author Member Share Posted February 15, 2017 A major problem I have with films in general is cgi. I can't do it anymore. Especially in martial arts films. This is why I have passed on so many films this decade. I was interested in the new Wong Fei Hung movie until I saw the trailer. Nope not doing it. Can anyone give me one good reason why that film would need to be drenched in cgi? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member lungfei Posted May 8, 2017 Member Share Posted May 8, 2017 On 2/12/2017 at 6:54 PM, DragonClaws said: Martial Arts cinema is alive, but it's not in the most healthiest of states. Compared to how it has been in the past that is. The schools and systems which created so many Hong Kong stars, have no gone, becuase many of them run a very brutal regime. That very same regime created some truly amazing talent, but it will also have caused a lot of pain and misey. Especially to the students who did not find fame and fortune in film or theatre. However its not just in Asia, but the West doens't seem to create big Martial Arts stars anymore. This is not becuase of a lack of talent, there's no shortage of that around. Martial Arts action has become very intergrated into Cinema/T.V as a whole. At one time you had to watch a Martial Arts movie to see amazing choreography and feats. Now almost every action show and film features these things. The standard and quality can always be debated, but thanks to special effects and editing, any star can be presented as a lethal weapon. Not sure if this answers @Iron_Leopard question?, its a subject I could ramble on about forever. one can hope that someday the public will demand a return to the forms of old and we get to see some pure stuff for a change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DragonClaws Posted May 9, 2017 Member Share Posted May 9, 2017 18 hours ago, lungfei said: one can hope that someday the public will demand a return to the forms of old and we get to see some pure stuff for a change. It may happen, though its hard to go back when the bar has been raised so high, by many films from the late 1970's onwards. Martial Arts styles are a lot more integrated into action cinema as a whole now. Well it's not just confined to the action genre anymore, it can crop up in any genre or style of film. I remember when John Cusack's fight with Benny Urquidez in Grosse Point Blank(1997) was a big deal. At the time Seagal and Van Damme had passed their peak in terms of box-office appeal for many reasons. 1997 was a really bad year for Martial Arts on the big screen in the west. Nicholas Cage did some kickboxing style action in Con-Air(1997), but that was only for one fight and he was most likely doubled. Then the Matrix came out the following year and boom, Kung Fu etc was trendy again. At least for a few years until Hollywood/mainstream audiences got bored of it again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member CT KID Posted May 9, 2017 Member Share Posted May 9, 2017 One things for sure, experienced martial artists/fans can always tell who has real skill on display in a movie and when someone is trying to put on like they do and fake it cause it's pretty obvious.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member lungfei Posted May 10, 2017 Member Share Posted May 10, 2017 16 hours ago, DragonClaws said: It may happen, though its hard to go back when the bar has been raised so high, by many films from the late 1970's onwards. Martial Arts styles are a lot more integrated into action cinema as a whole now. Well it's not just confined to the action genre anymore, it can crop up in any genre or style of film. I remember when John Cusack's fight with Benny Urquidez in Grosse Point Blank(1997) was a big deal. At the time Seagal and Van Damme had passed their peak in terms of box-office appeal for many reasons. 1997 was a really bad year for Martial Arts on the big screen in the west. Nicholas Cage did some kickboxing style action in Con-Air(1997), but that was only for one fight and he was most likely doubled. Then the Matrix came out the following year and boom, Kung Fu etc was trendy again. At least for a few years until Hollywood/mainstream audiences got bored of it again. very true dragonclaws i guess whats needed is an approch or delivery method that is unconventional for the mainstream folk to accept these movies once more. possibly an underground tournament movie set in jack the ripper times where fighters go bare knuckles with shapes pulling kangaroo's in victorian ampitheres? of course it would need some unconventional human fighters too some geniune one armed boxing might be a good start. the stage is set all that's needed from there on would be a variety of combatants and old england being the perfect staging post for masters from all corners to complete in this fight to the death. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DragonClaws Posted May 10, 2017 Member Share Posted May 10, 2017 9 hours ago, lungfei said: possibly an underground tournament movie set in jack the ripper times where fighters go bare knuckles with shapes pulling kangaroo's in victorian ampitheres? Is this the story for the Kangeroo Jack prequel?. Not sure about the Kangeroo element lol, but the rest could work for a movie or T.V series. 20 hours ago, CT KID said: One things for sure, experienced martial artists/fans can always tell who has real skill on display in a movie and when someone is trying to put on like they do and fake it cause it's pretty obvious.... I agree @CT KID, its as much a CGI double as a human double thats being used for some years now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member sifu iron perm Posted May 10, 2017 Member Share Posted May 10, 2017 the IP man franchise has kept the spark alive IMO.. cgi should not be involved in any action/kung fu flick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DragonClaws Posted May 10, 2017 Member Share Posted May 10, 2017 16 minutes ago, sifu iron perm said: cgi should not be involved in any action/kung fu flick. One of the few Martial Arts where I think they made good use of CGI was in Jet Li's The One. It worked well within the sci-fi/fantasy setting. It woldn't have worked the same had they applied it to Kiss Of The Dragon. I think CGI has its place in cinema, but it nevers comes close to seeing two talented Martial Artist/performers. For example, Jackie Chans showdown with Benny Urquidez in Dragons Forever, will always impress me more than a CGI enhanced fight in a Marvel/Hollywood movie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member OpiumKungFuCracker Posted May 11, 2017 Member Share Posted May 11, 2017 I think it's still alive. It's the forums that needs a little life in it I'm kidding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member NoKUNGFUforYU Posted May 11, 2017 Member Share Posted May 11, 2017 Call of Heroes may have CGI, but it also had the Kung Fu movies heart. More than a few stars- Ku Feng, David Chiang, Wang Yu, Lo Lieh, had very little training, but pulled it off. Hell, look at Beardy! Anyway, I have to say that if they can make more like that, and with a little less CGI, things will be ok. No PRC propaganda, or materialism, just noble, classic working class heroes who uphold the little guy, not "unite the state" or "sacrifice for the country" where the hero dies for some CCP elite to survive. I thought the movie Shaolin was terrible, but I liked this one. But that's just me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member sym8 Posted May 11, 2017 Member Share Posted May 11, 2017 On 10/05/2017 at 9:39 PM, DragonClaws said: One of the few Martial Arts where I think they made good use of CGI was in Jet Li's The One. It worked well within the sci-fi/fantasy setting. It woldn't have worked the same had they applied it to Kiss Of The Dragon. I think CGI has its place in cinema, but it nevers comes close to seeing two talented Martial Artist/performers. For example, Jackie Chans showdown with Benny Urquidez in Dragons Forever, will always impress me more than a CGI enhanced fight in a Marvel/Hollywood movie. I agree with dragon claws the one was a great example as was the matrix trilogy but for me there seems to be too much reliance on CGI.It seems to me they use it now for very simple things because they can't be bothered to actual set it up practice and shoot the scene,god knows what films like Enter the dragon,fist of fury,8 diagram,and drunken master would look like if they were made today probably every set would be blue screen and Bruce Jackie and Gordon liu would look like something from a computer game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DragonClaws Posted May 12, 2017 Member Share Posted May 12, 2017 13 hours ago, sym8 said: I agree with dragon claws the one was a great example as was the matrix trilogy but for me there seems to be too much reliance on CGI.It seems to me they use it now for very simple things because they can't be bothered to actual set it up practice and shoot the scene,god knows what films like Enter the dragon,fist of fury,8 diagram,and drunken master would look like if they were made today probably every set would be blue screen and Bruce Jackie and Gordon liu would look like something from a computer game. Maybe they save more time and money by creating the action with CGI?. I cant say if its cheaper to set up a stunt and hire all the people required, than it is to pay someone to create the same scene with a computer?. Going a little off topic here, recently purchased a few 80's T.V show boxsets for Knight Rider and The A-Team. While they look dated in many respects, they do feature some excellecent and genuine CGI free stuntwork. A lot of which is better done than what you see in T.V shows/big budget films of today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Drunken Monk Posted May 12, 2017 Member Share Posted May 12, 2017 The kung fu movie isn't dead. It's just evolved into somewhat of an annoyance. However, there's still hope. The "Ip Man" films, "Call of Heroes", "Kung Fu Jungle" and, to some extent, "Sha Po Lang 2" proved that the genre hasn't popped its clogs yet. Sadly, it's marred by lackluster CGI and, although I don't mind wire-work, some of it is a little awkward these days. But it clings to life! We can't count it out just yet. We have a new face in the shape of Max Zhang and he seems pretty busy at the moment. Tony Jaa's still working. If we broaden "kung fu movies" to "martial arts movies" then things are looking even brighter. Iko Uwais is a star we all need in our lives. He's done pretty much no wrong thus far. "Headshot" was a phenomenal film. I just hope the genre continues to poke its head out of this somewhat dark spot. I have faith that it can bounce back and we can recapture the glory days. It would be even better if people like Vlad Rimburg, Martial Club and Eric Jacobus could get film deals. you Tube is THRIVING with martial arts talent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Shaolivevil Posted May 13, 2017 Member Share Posted May 13, 2017 On 5/10/2017 at 4:15 PM, sifu iron perm said: cgi should not be involved in any action/kung fu flick. ^^^^^^TRUTH!!!!^^^^^^ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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