Wing Chun in the movies!

[Allan T]

Anybody know of CMA movies where Wing Chun is used or is the main fighting style???
Your help will be appreciated!!

Allan D. Thomson
Student of Leung Ting Wing Tsun
South Africa

[Abstract]

Prodigal Son, by Sammo Hung....it won an award for using authentic WC fighting/training sequences in it...somebody mentioned it here a month or so ago, and i FINALLY bought it, WHEW! i've watched it 100 times already...it was funny too. :D

[JasBourne]

Prodigal is numbah one son! Best WC flick ever.

[Juan Alvarez]

Prodigal Son is definitely a must see. There's also Warrior Two, also by Sammo...r

[Shadowboxer]

There is also Descendant of Wing Chun but I don't think it's as good as the other 2 mentioned here. And, of course, there is Wing Chun with Michelle Yeoh.

[chongnoi]

Prodigal Son
Warriors II
Stranger from Shaolin
Wing Chun (micheele yeoh)

[Martial Joe]

It is kinda funny how michele doesnt even know wing chun and she stars in a movie on it...

http://www.stopstart.fsnet.co.uk/smilie/lolup.gif IXIJoe KaveyIXIhttp://www.stopstart.fsnet.co.uk/smilie/lolup.gif

[lotus kick]

It's call "acting".

[Allan T]

Can I order these movies on the Net? If so, from which site??

[kungfu cowboy]

Try Amazon.com, or do a search on the movie title.

"I ain't got time for no jibber-jabber!"-----Mr. T

[popsider]

I recently got Prodigal Son from amazon, they claim to be able to get Warriors 2 but I have been waiting a while

[chi-kwai]

was entertaining, but that certainly wasn't wing chun she was doing. I think she may have done a tan sao like once or twice :)

--
chi kwai

[wingchunwsl]

never heard of warriors II. is there just a little wing chun or more of it?

... and er.. sorry i dunno anything about it but what about warriors I?

[Shadowboxer]

It's full of WC. And, if I'm not mistaken the teacher is supposed to be Leung Jan. Anybody else know for sure? Also, if you are a fan of Preying Mantis, there is a great fight scene between PM and WC. Don't know if there is a Warriors I.

[Juan Alvarez]

Shadowboxer,

you are right, it is Leung Jan. So is Prodigal Son, I believe. As for the Praying Mantis, well.. er... It's kind of silly, to my opinion. It's more like the Gravity Defying Mantis! It's entertaining anyhow. As for the title, I'm not quite sure why they named it like that because there is no Warrion One, to my knowledge!I

[dzu]

Prodigal Son is Leung Yee Tai teaching Leung Jan
Warriors Two is Leung Jan teaching Chan Wah Shun

Dzu

[Shadowboxer]

Crazy Ivan,

Yeah I know the levitating part was a stretch, but hey, it is a movie. I just meant that you get to see the PM style. My sifu also teaches PM and I get to touch hands with them on occasion. So, I like to watch their techniques to know how to deal with them.

[jameswebsteruk]

There's a great mantis scene at the end of Jet Li's Shaolin Temple 3, where his teacher squares up to the bad guy in a bamboo greenhouse thing.

Smoooooth. :p)

"Computer games don't affect kids; I mean if Pac-Man affected us as kids, we'd all be running
around in darkened rooms, munching magic pills and listening to repetitive electronic music." ;)

[Wongsifu]

warriors 2 is the second part to prodigal son.
I think in the same way that drunken master is the second part to snake in eagles shadow.
Its not a sequel as such.
but the wing chun in warriors 2 is so good, such beautiful application its what really made me realise how crappy 90% of wing chun out there really is.. including the 2 main lineages out there :D

I wongsifu shall strike fear into the hearts of trolls and mma guys who **** me off on these forums oh and in real life.

[Juan Alvarez]

You know, I thougt Prodigal Son was produced after Warrior Two. But you're probably right Wongsifu, it makes more sense that way.

Frank, is it the scene were the sifu and the bad guy square off and then Jet comes in and shows his mantis that he learned watching secretly his master? If it is, yeah it really rocks!

[HuangKaiVun]

Jackie Chan's "Rumble In the Bronx" is basically a Wing Chun movie from beginning to end.

Check out his Mok Yan Jong demo in the beginning of the movie.

[dzu]

Warriors Two was made in 1978 I think and Prodigal Son was made in the early 80's.

Obviously some creative license was used with both films regarding the history and the WC itself. I found them entertaining though.

Dzu

[Shadowboxer]

Does Shaolin Temple 3 have another name? I've seen it before from the collection at my kwoon, but I can't find it now, although ST 1 is there. I want to watch it again for the mantis scenes.
-HKV, Yeah Rumble is good, especially that dummy scene. That reminds me, I was going to capture that scene on my computer and slow it down so I could see what is going on.

[dzu]

Shaolin Temple 1 = Shaolin Temple
Shaolin Temple 2 = Kids from Shaolin
Shaolin Temple 3 = Martial Arts of Shaolin

Dzu

[Juan Alvarez]

Thanx for pointing that out Dzu.

[dlew308]

Either DVD is available from www.pokerindustries.com (http://www.pokerindustries.com)
I bought The Prodigal Son DVD from them.

[Slayer]

I am sure people has asked about this before, but what are some movies, with Wing Chun in it, I know of a few, but can you give me the run down?

[dlew308]

Warriors Two
The Prodigal Son
Wing Chun
The Descendant of Wing Chun

[Universal Stance]

Warriors Two is the continued story of Prodigal Son.

"**** it's cold out here to be practicing."

[dlew308]

Seems to be a trend to put out the sequel before the prequel. Warriors Two, 1978, Prodigal Son, 1982.

[HuangKaiVun]

Jackie Chan: Rumble in the Bronx.

[azwingchun]

One of my students has just purchased some kung fu movies and I was giving her a list of the movies that featured Wing Chun. Besides the obvious ones such as Prodigal Son, Wing Chun and Descendants of Wing Chun, are there any others that have good Wing Chun in them?

I also read a few years back that either one of the Once Upon a Time in China movies was going to or had featured a Wing Chun player in it. Are you familiar with this? I had read an article about the making of this movie, and how they had to fancy-up the Wing Chun fights because of it's tightness and lack of appeal to the camera when filming it. Any other known movies on Wing Chun would be appreciated. Thanks. ;)

[Nevermind]

Check out Invincible Shaolin (aka Unbeatable Dragon) starring the 5 venoms. Wei Pai (the Snake) learns Wing Chun to counter Sun Chien's (the Scorpion) Northern Shaolin kicks (actually Sun Chien is a TKD stylist but its a Chinese movie :D ) Also, check out Death Chamber. In this film, Ti Lung, a real life Wing Chun stylist, learns the style from Shaolin nun Wu Mei. Hope this helps!

[azwingchun]

Thanks for your response on the movies. Are these movies you mentioned completely about Wing Chun? Or is there just Wing Chun in the movies? ;)

[Ng Mui]

''Warriors Two'' and the very rare ''Stanger from Shaolin'' both are about Wing Chun.

[azwingchun]

Thank you much. ;)

[RedSkaNite]

I don't know if you guys all have this already, I am new here.

http://pages.zdnet.com/wingtsun/wingtsunlinks.com/id18.html

[RedSkaNite]

69 views and not one reply.

[FIRE HAWK]

Dont worry about it it happens to me all the time and I have been on these forums for years .

[rubthebuddha]

redska -- good find. this link has been posted here before. it's how it made it's way onto my favu list on IE.

[WTJune]

thanx man, but i already knew this one......

[Train]

Cool link!!! any more???

[Gandolf269]

Thanks for the cool link

[Jada]

Hi,
I was wondering if there are any movies that have wing chun in it? Would like to rent some this weekend. Thanks

[YongChun]

Try Prodical Son as one of the best. It's for sale in stores too now for about $9.95

[sihing]

Yes, Prodical Son is good(more of a comedy) and Warriors Two is really good(more serious). Warriors has the best fight scene I have ever seen in a Martial Arts movie. It's based on Dr Leung Jan so it is a Wing Chun Movie, and the actor that plays him plays it perfect. Funny thing is though that the actor doesn't know any kung-fu, he just learns the choreography and goes from there but you wouldn't know it when you see the scene in the middle of the movie were he fights like 20 guys using Wing Chun movements, cool.

You can download most of these movies now off a peer to peer network. Also Invincible Shaolin has some Wing Chun in it too but not done as well as the other two mentioned.

James

[captain]

Jada,there was a film written about wing chun legend Fung Siu Ching.sadly,however,it was never made and the writer was fated to simply drift away.good news though,there's going to be another wing chun slt book out soon.cant get enough of them.maybe rene ritchie and others can provide a jacket quote.

Russ

[El Tejon]

Hey, how about "Stranger from Shaolin"?:D

She even makes the HK "whoosh, whoosh" noises when doing the SLT!:D The swords aren't WCK, maybe Hung Gar or Choi Li Fut???

Still a solid HK movie when you suspend belief.:p

[Shaolin Dude]

there's gonna be a new movie made in HK about yip man. I think it starts shooting at the end of the year

[Jeff Bussey]

Originally posted by Shaolin Dude
there's gonna be a new movie made in HK about yip man. I think it starts shooting at the end of the year

Any info on the net about this?

J

[couch]

Also, there's two other movies out there:

Wing Chun with Michelle Yeoh...the only thing about this movie that is good is the fact that Donnie Yen and Michelle Yeoh are in it. There is no wing chun other than the goat clamp stance. Laf.

And has anyone seen Descendent of Wing Chun? I don't know if it has any Wing Chun in it.

Peace,
Couch

[sihing]

I have Decendent of Wing Chun, its not that good though at least not in my opinion, as I've only watched it once so a "No Recommendation" from me.

James

[Waxwood rod]

Decendent has very little Wing Chun, a little dummy and a little pole, and its not very authentic. The movie itself is kinda dumb, kinda funny, seems like it was just thrown together without much thought for plot or substance. I wouldn't recommend paying for this movie, although some might really like it. The movie bloodsport has a bong sao or two in it, chuckle.

[Vajramusti]

There is the whole series of short movies starring Larry, Curly and Moe. They were far ahead of their time.

[old jong]

Moe,with his Randy Williamesque hairdo was already showing a certain Wing Chun image!...:D ;) ...Or is it the opposite?...;)

[Waxwood rod]

The marx Bros. were highly developed internal masters as can be seen in their movies.

[old jong]

Bob Hopes and Bing Crosby had a great "patty-cake" to double punches technique in their "Road to" movies serial.

Laurel and Hardy were living examples of the Yin/Yang principle

Fred Astaire had the best footwork ever!

Buster Keaton was the zen figure of silent movies. ;)

[russellsherry]

at least randy does not need two belts like some people we know
give my regards to the golden ribbion boxer or maybe pink ribbion
peace russellsherry

[Tylus]

Old Jong,

It seems that you have a grudge against Randy Williams with the recent "...Williamesque" comment. Also, you seem to dwell in the past. I am not sure what personnal issues you have had in the past, but with all the years of martial arts training you have not seem to learn a few important things (i.e. treat others as you would treat yourself, humility toward others, and be at peace with yourself). I believe these are some very important qualities that any martial artist should learn and teach to her/his fellows.

I think it's safe to say that most of everyone here share a common interest in Martial Arts. Name bashing and insults should not be any part of our conversations. If you, I, or anyone have something to share, then it should positive and beneficial.

Regards,

Quan

[old jong]

Tylus Old Jong,

It seems that you have a grudge against Randy Williams with the recent "...Williamesque" comment. Also, you seem to dwell in the past. I am not sure what personnal issues you have had in the past, but with all the years of martial arts training you have not seem to learn a few important things (i.e. treat others as you would treat yourself, humility toward others, and be at peace with yourself). I believe these are some very important qualities that any martial artist should learn and teach to her/his fellows.

I think it's safe to say that most of everyone here share a common interest in Martial Arts. Name bashing and insults should not be any part of our conversations. If you, I, or anyone have something to share, then it should positive and beneficial.

Regards,

Quan


russellsherry at least randy does not need two belts like some people we know
give my regards to the golden ribbion boxer or maybe pink ribbion
peace russellsherry


Hey guys!...You don't need to get so paranoid over a simple little joke. I don't have a "grudge" over Randy,Moe or anybody.It was a joke,O.K.?...Are you going to feel allright now? Not necessary to hit me with your rattan rings you know!..;)


BTW... (http://www.threestooges.com/bios/images/photo_head_mhoward.jpg) ;) :D

[old jong]

give my regards to the golden ribbion boxer or maybe pink ribbion
peace russellsherry

Oh! Oh!...Now I know who is posting the crap about Fong on the "ving tsun" forum!....Bad boy!...:rolleyes:

[Tylus]

Old Jong,

Jokes, I get Jokes!

Thank you for your prompt reply. Jokes are funny when its does not directly insult a specific person. Furthermore, I can't decipher your tone in writting. So thanks for refraining yourself in the future.

cheers,

Quan

[old jong]

Originally posted by Tylus
Old Jong,

Jokes, I get Jokes!

Thank you for your prompt reply. Jokes are funny when its does not directly insult a specific person. Furthermore, I can't decipher your tone in writting. So thanks for refraining yourself in the future.

cheers,

Quan

Listen!...Do you really think I could not do a lot better if I wanted to insult somebody?...
Furthermore, I usually refrain myself when "I" decide to do it myself!...:) So thanks for not worrying about the future too much.

[russellsherry]

hey old jong if you are going toget smart what about you saying wiliam cheung olny had 4 years with yip by the way their
is a reson you guys are worried about randy he is better and more successfull i will make sure william knows what you said about him i have known him for 20 years bet you did not know that russellherry by the way i may be coming to the states late next year we can sort it out then face toface

[old jong]

Originally posted by russellsherry
hey old jong if you are going toget smart what about you saying wiliam cheung olny had 4 years with yip by the way their
is a reson you guys are worried about randy he is better and more successfull i will make sure william knows what you said about him i have known him for 20 years bet you did not know that russellherry by the way i may be coming to the states late next year we can sort it out then face toface

Are you not overreacting just a little bit?...:rolleyes:

[russellsherry]

dont think i am a soft target and if want to get smart joy ask anerlick there were olny two people in melbourne who challenged other schools me and rick spain i back up what i say
russellsherry keep this crap of the net you guys always start first

[old jong]

Originally posted by russellsherry
dont think i am a soft target and if want to get smart joy ask anerlick there were olny two people in melbourne who challenged other schools me and rick spain i back up what i say
russellsherry keep this crap of the net you guys always start first

Try to take a deep breath through the nose,relax,make a happy face :) See?...You fell better already!... :)

[Tylus]

Old Jong,

52 years old and you haven't learned anything.

:Quan

[ntc]

OK... then..... back to the topic of the thread.... Wing Chun movies !!! I found this thread at another forum discussing a bit about the alleged upcoming Yip Man movie:

http://www.martialartsplanet.com/forums/search/topic/20948-1.html

[Jeff Bussey]

ntc,
Thanks for the info.
As long as they don't have Tom Cruise playing Yip Man it could be alright ;)

J

[ntc]

Nah.... but watch out... they might have Jim Carrey instead !!!

[Chief Fox]

I have Decendent of Wing Chun and I enjoy watching it.

The main plot is a Wing Chun master helps the police capture a ruthless criminal. The ruthless criminal swears revenge. The ruthless criminal breaks out of jail with the help of his friend who also happens to be a ruthless criminal. The two ruthless criminals then set out to kill the Wing Chun master.

The sub plot is kinda dumb. An undisciplined kung fu artist who was trained by a senial old monk comes to town. He has some skills and believes that he is a great fighter. He actually is pretty good but not as good of course as the guys from the wing chun school. The Wing chun master puts him in his place and the undisciplined student goes to get his senial old master. The senial old master and the Wing chun master fight but realize that they have a teacher or friend in common. Then they do a student exchange. So the undisciplined kung fu artist becomes a student of the wing chun master. Blah, blah blah, the undiciplined student eventually gets killed by the above ruthless criminals.

It's not a great movie but it's not bad either. There is some wing chun but no much. There are some pretty cool spear fight scenes.

I'd give it a "C". Worth renting if you're into old school kung fu movies or worth buying if you can get it cheap.

[Tylus]

I apologize to everyone for the distractions.

The three movies I would recommend:

1) Warrior Two (1978)
2) Prodigal Son (1982)
3) Wing Chun (1994)

You can get all these on ebay or online stores for less than $10/each.

[Theorb]

Originally posted by Tylus
Old Jong,

Jokes, I get Jokes!

Thank you for your prompt reply. Jokes are funny when its does not directly insult a specific person. Furthermore, I can't decipher your tone in writting. So thanks for refraining yourself in the future.

cheers,

Quan


yes is ture joke is funny when not directly insult

good thing moe and his brothers not alive or old jong really have problem for insulting moes hair

[old jong]

Originally posted by Tylus
Old Jong,

52 years old and you haven't learned anything.

:Quan

Tell me about what I should learn!...:rolleyes:


I apologize to everyone for the distractions.


Don't worry! we are acustomed to such paranoid reactions by Randy's group!...My only mistake was to forget about it for a brief moment.This is not an apology BTW!...Jerk! :)

[old jong]

Originally posted by Theorb
yes is ture joke is funny when not directly insult

good thing moe and his brothers not alive or old jong really have problem for insulting moes hair

You are right !...I completely neglected poor old Moe's feelings! He could have felt insulted as well! Larry and Curly would have surely taken his defense for such a profound insult!...Shame on me! Mea culpa! ;)

[old jong]

Originally posted by Jeff Bussey
ntc,
Thanks for the info.
As long as they don't have Tom Cruise playing Yip Man it could be alright ;)

J

I would suggest somebody for the role but he would have to change his Moe style haido for a more conservative Curly look. ;)

[ntc]

Hmmmm........ (trying to figure who.....)..... hmmmmmm???

;-)

[Tylus]

Old Jong,

You mean you were forgetting these?

http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=17798&highlight=randy (http://)

http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=17809&highlight=randy (http://)

http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=17593&perpage=15&highlight=randy&pagenumber=2. (http://)

I am not here to teach or preach anything. Why can't we all just get along?

:Quan
______
Have a good weekend everyone! If you see a cool MA movie, then please share. cheers!
______

[old jong]

You enjoy cruising down memory lane,don't you?...Too bad because I had nothing of this stuff in mind when I made my hair joke on Randy!...Now you bring it back!
Do you want us to discuss it a little bit or do you prefer we pass on this "hairy" subject?...;)
Frankly,I think that Randy is probably not a bad guy in essence.He has some weird students maybe but I have nothing against him really.We are not living in a fantasy chinese martial art movieland and the "You insulted my master...Prepare to die" thing is ridiculous to the extreme.

[Jeff Bussey]

Originally posted by old jong
I would suggest somebody for the role but he would have to change his Moe style haido for a more conservative Curly look. ;)

Personally I think I could pull off Curly
:D

http://www.albumtown.com/showpic.php?aid=8220&pid=99943&uuid=7916

[old jong]

Here you are Curly! (http://www.threestooges.com/bios/images/photo_head_choward.jpg) ;) :D

IMO,he looks more MMA than Wing Chun!...;)

[Matrix]

How's this one? :D

[kj]

Originally posted by Matrix
How's this one? :D

Works for me! :D

Regards,
- kj

[Jeff Bussey]

Matrix
That's hilarious!
I almost fell out of my chair. That's some funny $hit man!
hahahahaha
:D :D :D :D :D

[Matrix]

Jeff,

I just couldn't resist when I saw that you posted that image of yourself. I'm happy to see you have a great sense of humor. :D

[old jong]

How should we call this one?...The Matrix rephotoshopped?...;) :D
Good work Bill!...
BTW, having a sense of humor is a good indicative on somebody's values on life! ;) Eh?...

[Matrix]

Thanks OJ,

I just call it, having a little fun.
Having a good sense of humor is a fine quality to have.
Let me know if you find one. :p

[SAAMAG]

Don't worry about those guys being overly sensetive. There really was nothing wrong with that joke. It was easily seen as a joke. But hey with that kind of sensetivity, I'll bet their chi sau is the best!!!!

[old jong]

Yes! A good sense of humor!..."Scuse" my french!...(que voulez-vous?) ;)

Good one Vankuen!...:D

[Matrix]

Tabernaque! Vous-etes Quebecois? ;) :D

[old jong]

Oui mon esti!...;)
:D

[Tylus]

Old Jong & friends,

I rather not discuss past, present, or future about you, me WC families/lineage, problems or issues. I believe we all share a common interest in MA. If we have anything further to discuss in this forum, then it should be something beneficial to our quest for learning the martial way.

Best wishes to everyone and their MA journey.

:Quan

[old jong]

No problem with that ,Tylus!...

[Phil Redmond]

How about movies with WC people in them or movies that show some WC. Well here are two.
1. "Once Upon a Time In China and America" With Jet Li. WC Sifu Joe Sayah plays the villian.

2. "The Cicuit 2" had some WC in it. Also has Sifu Sayah.

3. "Gambling Ghost" Samo Hung. The very last fight scene has Samo Hung fighting the bad guys with WC.
Does anyone know of others?
Phil

[SAAMAG]

Heck ya!!! I remember an article now about that...I totally forgot that the villian was wing chun. I have to go watch that movie now. I stopped watching the once upon a time series in part 3 when jet left.

[Phil Redmond]

Someone found this online while searching for WC movies. I knew that Sifu Wm. Cheung had started filming a kung fu movie years ago in HK. He left the project because of differences concerning the character he was supposed the play. Well. it turns out that the movie was Decendants of WC.
Phil

[AdrianK]

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/dor/objects/14258109/sherlock_holmes_2009/videos/sherlock_holmes_trl1_051909.html

Looks like Robert Downey Jr. is showing off his vertical punch :)

[martyg]

Could be, though boxers in that that time period (http://www.pages.drexel.edu/~wmv23/oldboxer.jpg) used to throw punches like that as well, and that looked like a boxing match scene.

[WarriorWC]

Nope old fashioned boxers used to box with the back of the fist....

[AdrianK]

Well I was half joking. I just thought it was funny that Robert downey jr, who practices wing chun, is doing a vertical punch :)

[Phil Redmond]

Could be, though boxers in that that time period (http://www.pages.drexel.edu/~wmv23/oldboxer.jpg) used to throw punches like that as well, and that looked like a boxing match scene.
It could be WC since Downey is a student of Eric Oram and Eric went to London with him to help for the filming of the movie. ;)

[AdrianK]

Thats awesome.

Eric is a scary dude. Never lets his guard down, extremely professional guy.

[GeneChing]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kK2YDAvVttw

THREADS
Blind Masters (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?69153-Blind-Masters)
Tekken (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?9127-Tekken)
Wing Chun in the movies! (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?54048-Wing-Chun-in-the-movies!) (slightly OT because this is a videogame)

[GeneChing]

I do want to see this. I luv musicals.


‘The Kung Fu Master’ is a musical action drama set in the Himalayas, says Abrid Shine (https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/abrid-shine-on-his-upcoming-release-kung-fu-master-and-his-craft/article30622703.ece)
Vijay GeorgeTHIRUVANANTHAPURAM, JANUARY 23, 2020 13:00 IST
UPDATED: JANUARY 22, 2020 13:22 IST

https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/dh4mro/article30622701.ece/ALTERNATES/FREE_960/24tvfKungFu
Neeta Pillai in a scene from ‘The Kung Fu Master’ | Photo Credit: Special arrangement

The Malayalam director talks about the inspiration for the film, his previous works and more

After 16 years as a photographer, Abrid Shine made his foray into movies as a filmmaker with 1983 (2014). He won the Kerala State Film award for the best debut director for the movie, which narrated the story of a cricket fan’s love for the game even when he himself could not make it big as a cricketer. Action Hero Biju (2016) and Poomaram (2018) followed. He is now ready with The Kung Fu Master, a martial arts drama that releases today. If Abrid’s earlier movies were inspired by real life, The Kung Fu Master has been inspired by the movies he has watched over the years. Edited excerpts from an interview:

How did The Kung Fu Master happen?

We were planning to add Taekwondo fight scenes in Action Hero Biju but it did not materialise. When I heard about Wing Chun, a Chinese Kung Fu martial art style that values speed, I was fascinated. Wing Chun was conceptualised by a woman called Ng Mui and it was practised by legends such as Bruce Lee. Neeta Pillai (who played the female lead in Poomaram) was enthused about training in Wing Chun. She started off by practising Wushu, a rhythmic martial art form.

https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/1229cf/article30622698.ece/alternates/FREE_615/24tvfAbrid
Abrid Shine | Photo Credit: Special arrangement

What is The Kung Fu Master about?

It is a musical action drama set in the Himalayas. Neeta and Jiji Scaria play siblings Ritu and Rishi respectively. Jiji is a qualified Wing Chun practitioner. They are pitted against a criminal gang, also trained in martial arts.

Conventional action movies in Malayalam are essentially about the tussle between the hero and the villain. How different is The Kung Fu Master?

(Laughs) It is on the same lines, except in this film, the female and the male lead take on the villain together. The Kung Fu Master is a mix of action sequences, sound effects and music, which should make it an interesting theatrical experience. Besides Wing Chun, there are other martial art forms such as karate, kalaripayattu and taekwondo.

Malayalis are generally particular about a credible storyline...

Even while working on my earlier films, I was warned that the movies did not follow conventional narrative patterns. Nevertheless, it was well received by viewers. As a filmmaker, my attempt has always been to offer something new for the audience.

The Kung Fu Master has an interesting storyline. However, I have intentionally given a gist of the story in the title.

When the trend is in favour of realistic tales, what made you come up with an action drama?

Although I have never deliberately set out to make realistic movies, my previous movies were in that genre. The Kung Fu Master had to be treated differently. It had to be a pure martial arts film.

What was the shooting of the film like?

The process was difficult yet interesting. The fight sequences had to look convincing, especially when the heroine was up against trained men. The action choreography went on for almost 10 months. Shooting the stunts in the snow-filled terrain was not easy. Our idea was to present a film with a different visual experience, good music and a story that connected emotionally.

Are viewers willing to accept movies without big stars if the content is interesting?

I feel such films have always been there in Malayalam, right from Manjil Virinja Pookkal in the 1980s to Angamaly Diaries in recent times.

As a filmmaker, you seem to mix offbeat themes with commercial elements. Is that your concept of filmmaking?

I don’t have a definite explanation for this. The climax of 1983 and Poomaram were almost poetic, unlike formulaic endings. I would say several influences, including my stint as a photographer, have shaped my thoughts.

Both 1983 and Poomaram didn’t celebrate heroism...

I actually love heroism. One of my all-time favourite movies is Sphadikam, which is all about the ‘hero’. Though 1983 was inspired by my fascination for cricket, the agony the lead character goes through because of his not reaching anywhere in life despite his skills as a cricketer, was created to make the storyline more hard-hitting.

As a filmmaker, you are known to be a stickler for perfection.

I aim to give my best in each of my films. I am aware that those who come to watch my movies have seen more movies than I have. That thought always make me try to better myself.

THREADS
The Kung Fu Master (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?71590-The-Kung-Fu-Master)
Wing Chun in Movies (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?54048-Wing-Chun-in-the-movies!)

[GeneChing]

You'd think I'd like Warrior Nun. Kinda meh tho. Just watched the first ep. It's kinda Da Vinci Code (without the code) meets Jessica Jones (without a cool snarky Jessica). Maybe it works better for Catholics.

Good to know that Warrior Nuns use Wooden dummies (https://www.martialartsmart.com/wooden-dummy.html).

I may watch more.

There's crusader swords that glow like lightsabers, but no sword fights yet.

Threads
Warrior-Nun (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?71797-Warrior-Nun)
Wing-Chun-in-the-movies! (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?54048-Wing-Chun-in-the-movies!)

[GeneChing]

I think The Kung Fu Master was my first Malayalam film. This is Mollywood, not Bollywood. There was a lot of buzz about this production prior to the pandemic, then I lost track of it.

It was surprisingly good. Not great but not bad.

A martial arts gang terrorizes a city near the Himalayas. A Wing Chun master helps the cops identify some of the gang using his martial network. The gang kills his family. He and his sister walk the road of vengeance. Yeah, cliche, but it has enough of an angle on it to make it work even the 2 hour running time was excessive, especially at the beginning.

The fights were okay. The lead Jiji Scaria definitely has some Wing Chun. There was a lot of buzz about how hard Neeta Pillai trained a year prior to filming, but that’s not much in martial years. Her forms suck but she can sell a punch and kick. The villains all seems to have some skills too. Almost the entire cast is credited as ‘introducing’ so for a first time effort, not bad.

The backdrops are incredibly scenic because it’s the Himalayas. The Indian markets and buildings have vibrant local color. And the villains’ lairs are these architecturally interesting abandoned structures.

Unlike most films, the heroes are beautiful. Neeta is cute but she has significant acne scarring, which you’d think they would’ve covered with makeup.

Mollywood has this weird device where warnings in Malayalam appear in little boxes whenever something illegal is represented - this ranges from drug use (the main villain, who is very good at being bad, sniffs coke off his index finger - which is a dumb wasteful way to snort), to smoking, to riding motorcycles without helmets to seat belts notices whenever they rode in a car. That was distracting but I approve of the idea. It takes you out of the movie and reminds you that it’s bad.

What I liked most was the general mercilessness of it. SPOILER ALERT when the villains kill the family, they bash in the skull of thr dad, kick a pregnant mom so hard she dies with blood bursting from her groin, and kill a little kid, although that’s off screen. When the heroes take revenge, they’re all in. Each villain is dispatched with angry glares and no hesitation. The heroes have no issues with brutally murdering everyone in the gang, some with some bone cracking coup de graces. END SPOILER

No dance numbers - maybe that’s a Mollywood thing. This plays out like most Kung Fu films with three long fight scenes that escalate well enough. There’s too much time spent setting up what a lovely family it is and then emotional recovery, but once the fights start rolling, it’s tasty ultravi.

THREADS
The Kung Fu Master (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?71590-The-Kung-Fu-Master)
Wing Chun in Movies (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?54048-Wing-Chun-in-the-movies!)

[air]

This was one of my favorite Wing Chun Movies

[GeneChing]

Read The Cinematic Legacy of Ip Man on Wing Chun (https://ymaa.com/articles/2023/06/cinematic-legacy-ip-man-wing-chun) ~ my latest feature for YMAA.

https://ymaa.com/sites/default/files/images/article/articles-20230604-the-cinematic-legacy-of%20ip-man.jpeg