Kung fu is a Chinese martial arts form also called wushu and quanfa. Kung Fu and China have a long history and legendary practitioners and their legendary techniques. Some of the greatest Kung Fu masters from historical times are- Yi Fei, Yip Man, Li Shuwen, etc. Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan are highly popular for their martial skills and acting in the current world. It is a Chinese art mainly used for self-defense and generally resembles the karate martial art form. At first look, you might find every Kung Fu style the same, but there lie many differences with a few similarities. Some styles are Wing Chun style, Animals forms, Shaolin Temple Style, Southern Praying Mantis, Hak Fu Mun, Bak Mei, Dragon, etc. Here are the legendary Kung Fu movies, mainly in action, crime, and humor genres.
1. Kung Fu Hustle- 2004
Kung Fu Hustle is one of the high-rating movies about the Kung Fu martial art, which does not have a serious tone or mode. It is an action-comedy movie with the most fighting scenes, yet realistic in its way. It also teaches a lot about art and discipline. A gang tries to terrorize the neighborhood, pretending to be the members of Axe Gang. The action begins when martial arts professionals in the complex raise their skills back.
2. Five Deadly Venoms- 1978
A Kung Fu master is on his deathbed. He asks his final student to look after the wicked activities and the misuse of the techniques he has taught to these five pupils. Each five possess different and extraordinary Kung Fu styles based on the animal types- centipede, lizard, scorpion, snake, and toad. The movie is a package of Kung Fu Martial art.
3. The 36th Chamber Of Shaolin- 1978
The movie depicts the Shaolin Kung Fy style of martial arts. It's a story of a young boy Liu, who experiences actions against his family by the Manchus dynasty. To take revenge against them, he is on his way to learning the Kung Fu art form. This first movie has two sequel movies- Return to the 36th Chamber (1980) and Disciples of the 36th Chamber (1985).
4. Kill Bill Vol 1&2 - 2003, 2004
Kill Bill is an American martial arts film that tops the rank in every list of Kung Fu movies. Starring Uma Thurman, the pregnant bride wakes up after four years of coma and is out to take revenge for her loss. Previously she was attacked brutally to death by her ex-lover, which costed her to lose her baby and be in a coma. She is an assassin who continues her revenge-taking journey after all the people on her hit list.
5. Master Of The Flying Guillotine- 1976
In reality, the flying guillotine is a legendary Chinese ranged weapon used by Qing Dynasty. A blind Kung Fu master is aware of the fact that his students got killed by a one-armed boxer and travels to a martial arts tournament with his secret weapon to behead every one-armed man. The film is quite threatening but engaging to watch.
6. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon- 2000
Crouching Tiger has received the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film. Movie by Ang Lee, the director who won two Academy Awards for Best Directing for his other hits. The movie is set during the Qing Dynasty in the 18th century and talks about a stolen sword and love. More of it is an action fairy tale.
7. Drunken Master- 1994
The Legend of Drunken Master, also known as Drunken Master 2, is a Hong Kong martial art (Kung-Fu) film. It stars our beloved Jackie Chan, rolling as Wong Fei-hung in the movie, who is trying to fight the smugglers stealing the artifacts out of China. As we read earlier about how the public admired Wong Fei-hung for his skills, we also celebrate Jackie Chan as a famous martial arts actor who won an Honorary Oscar Award.
8. Once Upon A Time In China- 1991
Wong Fei-hung, a Chinese martial artist and physician, was highly admired for his skills and practice. He is to-date, remembered by the films and series based on his real life, and somewhat fictionalized. This Hong Kong film has five more of his films, whereas the 1991 film with the Chinese Army. It's about a martial arts school that works together to repel foreign forces.
9. Enter The Dragon- 1973
Enter the Dragon has used Shaolin Kung Fu art, a martial art form, including many fights and tournaments. The film featured the Shaolin Kung Fu art performance by actor, martial artist, instructor, and filmmaker Bruce Lee. Lee's role is to assist an agent in the British intelligence agent investigating a criminal named Han at a tournament held on Han's private island.
10. Ip Man- 2008, 2010, 2015, 2019
Ip Man is a Hong Kong martial arts film series inspired by the life events of Ip Man. Ip/Yip Man was one of the prominent practitioners of the Wing Chun Kung Fu style created by Wung Mui during the Qing Dynasty. The Ip man film series concludes overall with five films with different themes. The initial Ip movies cover a little of China's post-war and Japanese invasion periods.
