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With more than 150 credits to his name over the past 60 years, Jackie Chan has no plans to stop performing his own stunts anytime soon.

As the Academy Award honoree reprises his role as Mr. Han in Karate Kid: Legends, premiering May 30 in theaters, he explained that doing stunts are in his “heart and soul” after making his doubling debut in Fist of Fury (1972).

“Of course, I always do my own stunts. It’s who I am,” he told Haute Living. “That’s not changing until the day I retire, which is never! And to be honest, when you’ve done it for 64 years straight, there’s no physical preparation anymore. Everything is in your heart and soul; it is muscle memory.”

Although the film industry has evolved over the years with CGI and wirework allowing doubles to perform more complicated stunts, Chan remains a purist. But while he prefers doing stunts the old-fashioned way,...

In many walks of life, a combination of recency bias and genuine progress makes it easy to think that the latest thing is also the greatest thing. However, this thought process doesn't apply to the martial arts movie genre, where a man who died in 1973 continues to be the yardstick all other stars are measured with -- and generally fall short.

Bruce Lee's death at the age of 32 cut short his life but not his legend. It can be easy to forget that his "Bruce Lee era" was just the final, star-making phase of his career. Before breaking through with his English name on "Green Hornet," Lee appeared in 20 Hong Kong movies, often using his Chinese name Lee Jun Fan and stage names like Lee Siu Lung ("Lee Little Dragon"). This means that a true Lee aficionado has plenty of comparatively obscure material to wade through -- from the 1941 film "Golden Gate Girl,...

Bruce Lee was undoubtedly one of the 20th century's most important and influential pop culture figures. Born in San Francisco and raised in Hong Kong, Lee was a prominent child star who appeared in roughly 20 films between the ages of 6 and 20. Lee returned to the United States and enrolled at the University of Washington in the early 1960s. It was at this time he began teaching martial arts. In 1967, Lee founded Jeet Kune Do, a hybrid martial arts style. Around this time, Lee landed a starring role on the American television series The Green Hornet.

During the early 1970s, Lee exploded in popularity thanks to his starring roles in Hong Kong martial arts films such as The Big Boss, Fist of Fury, and The Way of the Dragon. In 1973, Lee starred in the Hollywood-co-produced Enter the Dragon, which became a cultural phenomenon. Unfortunately, Lee passed away at only 32 years old...

Donnie Yen is continuing his return to the director's chair after a 20-year break with The Prosecutor. Having started his career as a stuntman in Hong Kong, Yen first began finding success with the TV adaptation of Bruce Lee's Fist of Fury, as well as choreographing and starring in numerous Hollywood action movies, including Blade II. Though having worked as an action director multiple times throughout his career, Yen's list of full directorial efforts is relatively smaller, ranging from 1997's Legend of the Wolf to 2004's Protégé de la Rose Noire, after which he wouldn't direct again until 2023's Sakra.

The Prosecutor sees Yen reteaming with Ip Man franchise writer Edmong Wong and producer Raymond Wong, also centering himself as lead character, Fok Chi-ho, a police detective who, after a gang leader is acquitted of his crimes, elects to become a public prosecutor instead. After joining the Department of Justice,...

Though the video game adaptation genre is more alive than ever, Donnie Yen's long-gestating adaptation of an underrated action game has found itself scrapped. Having begun his career as a stuntman in the Hong Kong film industry, Yen steadily enjoyed a rise to stardom as an actor in the '90s with the TV adaptation of Bruce Lee's Fist of Fury, as well as making his directorial debut with 1997's Legend of the Wolf. The 2000s, however, would see him break out on an international scope as he began choreographing and appearing in many Hollywood action movies, namely Blade II and the Oscar-nominated Hero.

Yen would go on to find further acclaim with his leading role in the Ip Man franchise, leading the four mainline movies and gearing up to return for the in-development fifth movie. He would later find himself regaining success in Hollywood with his roles...

Jackie Chan has had a cross-cultural appeal for a number of decades. The Hong Kong-born star began his career in his birthplace. He had his first on-screen role when he was just eight years old, acting in the 1962 film Big and Little Wong Tin Bar. After that, the star later played roles in movies alongside big stars such as Bruce Lee, with whom he acted in 1972's Fist of Fury. Other 1970s Chan films included Chinese Hercules, Facets of Love, Fist to Fist, and The Golden Lotus.

It was not until 1980 that Chan made his Hollywood debut in a movie called Battle Creek Brawl (also known as The Big Brawl). This was the United States' audience's first introduction to Chan, who would go on to become a bigger star in the '80s and '90s, acting in key works like Police Story. Now, Chan's name is ubiquitous throughout Hollywood,...

This article is part of ScreenRant's Exclusive 2025 Movie Preview. Keep an eye out for the full feature next week!

A new image from The Prosecutor sees Ip Man and John Wick star Donnie Yen squaring up to fight in his newly-directed action thriller. Yen's action movie sees him take on the role of a police officer-turned-prosecutor who is faced with a case where a man pleads guilty to drug charges he's actually innocent of. Determined to uncover the truth, he finds himself pitted against a variety of villains, who he faces with his unmatched martial arts skills. The film is set for release in North America on January 12, 2025.

Now, ScreenRant presents a new look at The Prosecutor ahead of its 2025 release, showing Yen squaring up as he prepares for the battles ahead. The image shows him wearing boxing gloves in front of a punching bag, clearly training for...

Thanks to the MCU, the concept of the cinematic multiverse is now everywhere. But action superstars Jet Li and Jason Statham got there long before the likes of Doctor Strange with this panned science fiction outing. And it’s all set to stream for free. Released back in 2001, and in a post-Matrix world, The One introduces audiences to a multiverse-hopping serial killer who, when he kills each version of himself, gains their strength, speed, and knowledge. Yes, that is the greatest action sci-fi concept you’ve read.

Directed by James Wong of Final Destination, and, erm, Dragonball Evolution fame, and written by Wong and Glen Morgan, The One stars Jet Li in dual roles as both hero and villain alongside Jason Statham, Delroy Lindo, and Carla Gugino. Featuring fight choreography by the late, great Corey Yuen, The One is all set to stream for free on Tubi from December 1. You...

Bruce Lee was a famed martial arts expert who completed only a handful of films before his untimely death in 1973 at the age of 32. Let’s take a look back at all 6 of his films, ranked worst to best.

Born in the Chinatown neighborhood of San Francisco, CA, in 1940, Lee was raised with his family in Kowloon, Hong Kong. He began appearing in several films as a child, often in small bit roles, but abandoned acting to pursue a career in martial arts.

His hiatus from the screen didn’t last long. In 1966, Lee was cast as Kato in the short-lived television adventure “The Green Hornet,” later making appearances as the character on “Batman.” He played a small role in the mystery film “Marlowe” (1969) as a kung fu fighter who destroys private eye James Garner‘s office before suffering a tragic demise.

Lee became a leading man after returning to...

Mainland born Lo Wei was an actor whose film career flourished after migrating to Hong Kong. After directing “The Black Butterfly” for Shaw Brothers, he followed it up with “Death Valley” starring the same pair of male leads. He is best known as the director who launched the kung fu film careers of Bruce Lee in “The Big Boss” and “Fist of Fury” and also Jackie Chan in “New Fist of Fury”.

Master Chao Yun Yang (Lo Wei) of the Chao Manor in Death Valley is getting old and thinking of retiring. Since he has no children, he wants to give everything he owns to his nephew Chao Yu Lung (Yueh Hua), a righteous swordsman who wields a pair of deadly short swords. Before the opening credits roll, we see him easily dispatching a group of bandits and he even pays for their burial. Furthermore, he also picks up a cowardly lone traveler,...

Despite only having a short stint as a kung fu movie star, Bruce Lee had a tremendous impact on the genre, one that steered the direction of so many Hong Kong movie studios for years. For filmmakers, there was obviously a lot to learn from Bruce Lee's martial arts movies, but some did more than just take inspiration from the fighting in his films; a sizable number copied them directly through a strategy now commonly known as Bruceploitation.

Movies associated with the Bruceploitation era typically starred actors with stage names similar to Bruce Lee's, so much that the difference sometimes only came down to the spelling. This approach also extended to the stars' physical appearances, as several of these actors were cast based on their resemblances to Lee. Unsurprisingly, this unapologetic effort to capitalize on Bruce Lee's popularity certainly received its share of scrutiny. However, that's not to say that Bruceploitation movies weren't entertaining.

The legacy of Bruce Lee remains one of the most enduring tales of all time with his global reputation being built on the back of his dedication toward and expertise in martial arts. The film industry that accepted him and elevated him to a pedestal happened to posthumously deify the legend in the audience’s eye just enough to make him immortal.

Bruce Lee in Fist of Fury [Credit: Orange Sky Golden Harvest]

The tragedy that permeated the atmosphere upon the news of the actor’s death was insurmountable. It was not natural for the entire world to mourn a martial arts figurehead who mostly worked in Hong Kong action films, making a brief but transcendent transition to Hollywood. The global cult-like following of Bruce Lee remains a matter of fascination and much study.

The Curious Case of Martial Arts Legend, Bruce Lee Bruce Lee in Fist of Fury [Credit: Orange Sky Golden Harvest]

In a shocking turn of events,...

Jackie Chan is celebrated as one of the greatest kung fu film actors of all time. His classic kung fu movies have their own unique blend of physical comedy, complicated fight choreography, and elaborate stunts. They were not only full of action but were connected to the traditional martial arts to the skill, discipline, and incredible kung fu techniques. Though he went on to become an action star around the world, in his earlier kung fu movies, Chan captured the best of both worlds: the raw power of bare-knuckle fighting and the elegance of the old school martial arts.

What sets him apart from other martial arts actors is his gift for blending comedy with heart-pounding action. Whether portraying a mischievous, incorrigible student in Drunken Master or a sympathetic, bullied orphan in Snake in the Eagle's Shadow, Jackie fully embodies the characters he is portraying and his films all have...

In 1985, Jackie Chan grabbed an umbrella and ran towards a moving bus. Here’s how Police Story changed action cinema forever.

There had never been an action scene quite like the one that appeared in the first few minutes of 1985’s Police Story. Jackie Chan’s plucky cop, in dogged pursuit of crime boss Chu Tao (Chor Yuen) engages in a wildly destructive car chase through a hillside shanty town, demolishing rickety buildings and detonating gas bottles in his wake. When Tao and his goons then make their escape on a stolen bus, Chan’s Sergeant Kevin hooks onto the back with the help of an umbrella, his body flung to and fro as the vehicle lumbers through traffic.

The scene is brilliant not just because Chan’s risking his neck by doing his own stunts. It’s not just brilliant on a technical level (the planning that went into...

Asian cinema has gifted the world with a plethora of iconic fighting movies that blend intense action with rich storytelling and cultural depth. Together, these films represent the diverse and dynamic world of Asian fighting movies, captivating audiences with their artistry and action. A few favorites include:

Enter the Dragon (1973) – Bruce Lee

A classic with Bruce Lee’s,”Enter the Dragon” sets the stage for martial arts films with groundbreaking choreography and charismatic performances.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) – Directed by Ang Lee

This movie was extremely popular across the globe and introduced audiences to the poetic beauty and elegance of wuxia cinema.

Ip Man (2008)

This movie is a biographical martial arts film that tells the story of the legendary Wing Chun master Ip Man, who later became the mentor of Bruce Lee, and his resistance against Japanese occupation in China during the 1930s.

The Raid: Redemption (2011)

“The Raid: Redemption” showcases...

Kung fu movies thrill audiences with astonishing choreography and blend reality with entertainment in iconic martial arts moves. Techniques like the realistic Eagle Claw and acrobatic Butterfly Kick showcase martial arts prowess in popular films worldwide. From the legendary Bruce Lee's Fist of Fury to Jackie Chan's Snake in the Eagle's Shadow, kung fu movies continue to captivate audiences.

Kung fu is a very difficult martial art to master and has been at the core of many iconic films. A major appeal of kung fu movies is, unsurprisingly, the breathtaking choreography and intense discipline of many signature moves that make the martial art so uniquely special. Some kung fu moves used within these movies are as fictional as the characters who perform them, such as the ridiculous, but still iconic, Five Point Palm Exploding Heart Technique from Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill series.

However, other moves, as well as looking incredible,...

The British Film Institute (BFI) is set to make waves with its upcoming “Art of Action” season, anchored by a re-release of Kathryn Bigelow’s 1991 cult classic “Point Break.”

The U.K.-wide celebration of action choreography in cinema will run from October to December, offering audiences a high-octane journey through the evolution of the genre.

BFI Distribution will bring “Point Break,” starring Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze, back to U.K. cinemas on Nov. 8. The film’s return to the big screen after years of limited theatrical showings is expected to be a major draw for both nostalgic fans and new viewers alike.

The “Art of Action” season, presented by the BFI Film Audience Network using National Lottery funds, aims to showcase the artistry behind action sequences that have kept audiences enthralled for decades. The program will feature a diverse array of films, including silent era classics like Buster Keaton...

Some actors opt to do their own stunts to elevate their performances, like Tom Cruise and Charlize Theron. Hollywood actors like Jackie Chan and Keanu Reeves have built personas around doing their own stunts. From Harrison Ford to Michelle Yeoh, many actors do their own stunts in action-packed roles.

Acting is an incredibly challenging job that requires actors to give and do a lot, but some actors take things even further by doing their own stunts. It takes a huge amount to make a movie, with most of the work that goes into the project never actually being seen in the finished product. From costume designers to cameramen, and from the sound department to the special effects, there is a lot that happens behind the scenes. However, one important aspect that is intended to be on-screen, but carefully constructed to hide key details, is the stunt team.

Actors typically put...

Real-life tough guy actors don't just excel in action films - they come from various backgrounds and genres. Bruce Lee's martial arts prowess influenced Mma; his legacy lives on through Jeet Kune Do. James Caan, Chuck Norris, Steven McQueen - tough guys onscreen and off, with military or fighting backgrounds.

From the time that the big theatrical action movies began to gain popularity in the 1970s and 1980s, filmmakers set out to find actors who not only looked the part but were also real-life tough guy actors. From names like Chuck Norris and Bruce Lee, who came into Hollywood as legitimate tough guys, to actors who developed real-world fighting skills after getting their start, many tough guy personas on screen are so endearing to watch because they're authentic.

Real-life tough actors don't just appear in action movies, either. There are faces who have been involved in science fiction movies and TV shows,...

Pluto TV, Paramount’s free streaming service, has revealed its May highlights. The Pluto TV May 2024 schedule includes Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month programming, more anime content, new channels, and new film additions.

Pluto TV is the leading free streaming television service, delivering hundreds of live linear channels and thousands of titles on-demand to a global audience.

The Emmy Award-winning service curates a diverse lineup of channels in partnership with hundreds of international media companies. It offers a wide array of genres, languages, and categories featuring movies, television series, sports, news, lifestyle, kids, and much more.

Pluto TV can be easily accessed and streamed across mobile, web, and connected TV devices. Headquartered in Los Angeles, Pluto TV’s growing international footprint extends across three continents and over 35 markets.

Pluto TV May 2024 Programming

Asian American, Native Hawaiian, And Pacific Islander Heritage Month

To pay tribute, Pluto TV...

When it comes to the legacy of Dragon Ball, canon plays a more major role than its characters. This is because even though there are so many Dragon Ball films, none of them are considered canon in the series’ universe, except Dragon Ball Super: Broly. In the series’ long run, Broly has made quite a few appearances in the series, but he became an official part of the franchise when his standalone film was released.

Broly in his Legendary Super Saiyan form

But when we talk about Dragon Ball Gt, the only series that was aired after Dbz ended its run became a hated non-canon series of the franchise. However, the show featured one of the coolest Super Saiyan transformations. Yes, the much hated Dragon Ball Gt featured SSJ4 transformation unlocked by Kakarot and The Prince of All Saiyans; and this form could make a return in Dragon Ball Super!

For many around the world, there’s one name at the top of the action totem pole: Jackie Chan, and today marks his 70th birthday.

If you only know him as a goofy martial arts comedian from the Rush Hour and Shanghai Noon series, then consider this a wake up call. Because when Jackie did things His way on his home turf, he churned out some of the best action movies you’ll ever see.

Many would point to Drunken Master II as Jackie’s magnum opus. Fair enough, that is an all-timer, but for an example of his best modern day martial arts action, mixed in with some crime drama and his signature comedy, one of his absolute best outings is 1985’s Police Story.

In the 1970s, Jackie Chan soared to fame internationally once he was finally able to break out of the shadow of Bruce Lee. When Chan...

This article contains massive spoilers for "Monkey Man."

The medium of cinema is brilliantly, endlessly malleable. It's an art form able to communicate so many perspectives, stories, emotions and the like, yet there are some genres that feel especially inherent to the medium. Action is undeniably one of these; even the most basic, average action movie combines elements of sound, cinematography, actors giving performances that are equal parts physical and vocal, music, choreography and more. In other words, it takes every element available to the filmmaker to construct a convincing, engaging action sequence, something that can't be exactly replicated in, say, a song, picture, or painting.

Perhaps this is one reason why so many action films dabble in myth: the very construction of an action film requires the establishment of a hyper-reality, so it follows that larger-than-life themes, tropes, and traditions would fit inside such a world. This is a...

Bruce Lee's impact in bringing Kung Fu to the West and influencing subsequent movies cannot be overstated. Snake in the Eagle's Shadow set the stage for Jackie Chan's signature comedy Kung Fu style. King Boxer and Crippled Avengers were international successes that showcased the best of Kung Fu cinema.

The 1970s was an incredible time for Kung Fu movies, as it was the heyday of the world’s biggest martial arts stars and there were so many great films to check out. From incredible historical epics to slapstick comedy movies, Kung Fu cinema during the 1970s was vast and varied as some truly unique films were being made, and the genre was being discovered by an international audience. With fast-paced fight sequences, expertly choreographed battles, and intense martial arts showdowns, Kung Fu movies were truly at their peak during this decade.

The success of Kung Fu movies during...

"New Fist of Fury" launched Jackie Chan's career as a leading man, showcasing his martial arts skills and professional relationship with director Lo Wei. "Snake in the Eagle's Shadow" established Chan's unique comedic fighting style, allowing him to relax in his performance and showcase his talent. "Shinjuku Incident" marked a departure from Chan's usual roles, showcasing his dramatic range and versatility as an actor beyond physical comedy.

Jackie Chan is a brilliantly talented actor, but only a few of his movies can be considered defining moments in his career. The Hong Kong national began performing as a child, appearing in small roles since the age of 5, and has since spent an incredible sixty-two years developing and honing his acting skills. While many will know Jackie Chan for his martial arts skills, he's proved his versatility as an actor and has a wide range of abilities as a performer.

In his long career,...

Bruce Lee was a martial arts polymath, incorporating various styles into his fighting repertoire. The impact of Lee's martial arts scenes on cinema and fighting styles is undeniable and far-reaching. Lee's creation of Jeet Kune Do showcases his ability to adapt and innovate in the world of martial arts.

Bruce Lee practiced several martial arts styles over the years. Having acquired an interest in martial arts at a very young age, Lee spent most of his life developing his skills as a fighter. While most martial artists tend to devote their time to mastering a single way of fighting, Lee always evolved, picking up moves, stances, and ideas from other styles. Unlike the biggest actors in the martial arts genre, Lee never had a black belt and only spent a very short period as a student in a martial arts school.

Despite that, Bruce Lee is still renowned as a...

In the 1970s and 80s, two genres of movies really took off: the slasher and the martial arts film. After the popularity of John Carptenter's Halloween in 1978, the slasher craze dominated the next decade, whether it was Jason Voorhees and the Friday the 13th franchise or countless copycats. Movies centered around martial arts did big business as well, thanks to the early '70s Bruce Lee films Fist of Fury, The Way of the Dragon, and Enter the Dragon. When Lee sadly passed away in 1973 at just 32, he passed the torch to other martial arts experts, including one Chuck Norris.

Jackie Chan frequently collaborated with actors like Yuen Biao and Sammo Hung in many of his iconic movies. Chan also worked with stars like Michelle Yeoh and Anita Mui, building connections from his time as a stuntman. From Bruce Lee to Andy Lau, Chan's career is marked by numerous co-stars, creating a rich tapestry of martial arts cinema.

Jackie Chan was the most recognizable Hong Kong actor of all time and throughout his filmography, which included appearances in more than 150 movies, he has frequently collaborated with many of the same actors. A major reason for this was that the studio Golden Harvest, who played a major role in introducing Hong Kong action movies to the world, often relied on the same pool of actors that included Chan. This meant, Chan was often cast opposite the same performers, in particular his close collaborators Yuen Biao and Sammo Hung, who collectively became known as the Three Dragons.

Photo: gorodenkoff (iStock by Getty Images)

Sure, there are plenty of great free movies on YouTube—but while YouTube is awesome, it’s not the only game in town. So we decided to put together a list of other sites that also offer free movies, break down the pros and cons of each one,...

Bruce Lee's impact on action cinema is still felt today, yet Hollywood never fully embraced martial arts movies after his death. Martial arts movies remained a big business in Asia, but in the U.S., major mainstream releases rarely focused on martial arts as their main theme. The structure of Bruce Lee's movies borrowed from James Bond, which made it difficult to combine martial arts with the boom of sci-fi action movies in the 1980s.

While Bruce Lee’s fame made it seem like martial arts movies were ready to become a mainstream phenomenon, there is a range of reasons that this trend never really took off after his untimely death. Lee was a one-of-a-kind star. The actor’s movies brought martial arts to the mainstream and changed the history of the action genre in the process, influencing most of the biggest stars in martial arts cinema history during the decades after his death.

One of the great thrills of old school kung fu flicks is the juxtaposition between the dance-like choreography and bone-crunching violence. Bright splashes of blood are made more shocking by the balletic quality of the fights themselves. This is the contradiction at the core of almost all classic martial arts films; the spirituality inherent in Shaolin Kung Fu coexists with its potential to cause serious bodily harm. Many of the best releases of the 70s and 80s golden age understood how to blend Zen-like philosophy with animalistic anger, and revenge storylines allowed for especially potent drama. Here are five of the most down-and-dirty payback plots from the heyday of Hong Kong action.

5. The Duel

Chang Cheh's Ti Lung and David Chiang team-up from the year before, “Vengeance,” might be the obvious choice, but “The Duel” is an underrated slice of Triad grittiness. Lung and Chiang are two of the coolest...

Usually, when people think of the greatest decade for action movies, the 80s are what they think of. After all, this is the era that gave us Lethal Weapon, Die Hard, the Rambo movies, and so many more. But, the nineties was just as important a decade, giving birth to just as many legends of the genre, and it was the last significant era for R-rated action flicks. But what are the best action movies of the 90s? It’s tough to say, but here are 10, plus an honourable mention, that we think we deserve a place in the pantheon.

Honourable Mention: Demolition Man:

When this came out in the fall of 1993, it wasn’t considered all that special. It apparently lost money at the box office, but within a few years, this Sylvester Stallone/ Wesley Snipes mashup became a major cult classic, and now it’s one of the...

Bruce Lee's influence on martial arts films made them a global phenomenon and led to the rise of other big-screen martial artists. There are numerous other martial arts stars from the '70s and '80s whose work would be highly cherished by Bruce Lee fans. From David Chiang to Angela Mao, these martial arts stars have had extensive careers and continue to be recognized as legends in the industry.

Bruce Lee might be the most well-known martial arts star, but there are also many other kung fu stars that his fans would love. Instrumental in popularizing martial arts films around the globe, Bruce Lee's greatest movies like Fist of Fury and Enter the Dragon are staples in the kung fu genre that remain influential to actors, directors, and filmmakers in the action genre. Despite only making five kung fu movies before unexpectedly and heartbreakingly passing away in 1973, Bruce...

Old-school kung fu movies, like those featuring Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, had a major impact on the action genre, captivating audiences worldwide. Some underrated kung fu classics, such as The 36th Chamber of Shaolin and My Young Auntie, showcased impressive fight sequences and subverted gender roles. These old kung fu movies, while initially accessed through poorly dubbed English versions, still left a lasting impact on the genre and continue to be enjoyed today.

Old-school kung fu movies have dominated the action genre at a global level since the 1960s up to the 1980s, boasting stars like Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan. While Lee changed martial arts movies forever with cult classics like Fist of Fury and Enter the Dragon, Chan added a humorous punch to the kung fu formula. With most of these movies being produced at meager budgets by Hong Kong studios, these enthralling action flicks ended up...

The action titans assemble for Expend4bles. Starring Jason Statham, Sylvester Stallone, Dolph Lundgren, 50 Cent, and Megan Fox, the fourth entry in this locked-and-loaded franchise hits after a nine-year gap between sequels. Directed by Scott Waugh from a screenplay by Kurt Wimmer, Tad Daggerhart, and Max Adams, this latest installment holds the potential to be the most action-packed film in the series yet -- and that's saying something considering the previous offerings.

Ahead of the release of Expend4bles, Cbr caught up with the film's stunt coordinator Alan Ng, who has worked on renowned films like The Karate Kid, The Spy Next Door, and Hidden Strike. Ng revealed more about the movie's stylized fight scenes and how they compare to stunts from other Expendables movies. He also revealed which star surprised him the most with their natural ability for action and stunts.

Cbr: Thanks for your time, Alan. I'd like to...

Mortal Kombat movie franchise has stayed true to the popular video games and brought the flair of Hong Kong action movies to the big screen. The Karate Kid franchise has been a modern culture phenomenon, with its story of the master-student relationship resonating with audiences. The Ip Man franchise, led by Donnie Yen, has become the greatest martial arts movie franchise of all time, blending epic fight scenes with the life story of a martial arts master.

Both East and the West have produced long lists of martial arts movie franchises, some of which being significantly better than their contemporaries. Like any other genre, the storytelling of martial arts films can often be encapsulated very well in just one movie, as seen in Bruce Lee's Fist of Fury, the John Carpenter's '80s classic Big Trouble in Little China, or Iko Uwais' debut movie Merantau. However, the popularity...

Mason Lee, son of director Ang Lee, will be starring in the upcoming Bruce Lee biopic and has been praised for his physical resemblance to the iconic martial artist. The production team conducted a worldwide search for the perfect actor to portray Bruce Lee but ultimately found nobody as compelling as Mason. Mason has spent the last five years training and learning Bruce Lee's fighting style in order to accurately portray the legendary actor onscreen.

Film producer Lawrence Grey has teased Mason Lee's role in the upcoming Bruce Lee biopic and opened up about the lengthy process that went into choosing the actor as well as Mason's preparation for the role. Academy Award-winning filmmaker Ang Lee's upcoming Bruce Lee biopic will star the director's son Mason as the legendary martial artist who remains widely celebrated for his roles in classic action movies like Enter the Dragon and Fist of Fury.

Mason Lee will take on the role of a lifetime in Ang Lee's highly-anticipated Bruce Lee biopic. The son of the acclaimed director is slated to play the legendary martial artist who helped bridge a cultural gap between the East and West and is still widely recognizable in pop culture to this day for his roles in classic films like Fist of Fury and Enter the Dragon. According to the film's producer Lawrence Grey, Lee's journey to becoming the Chinese-American icon was a long one spanning years as his father developed the passion project. While at the Toronto International Film Festival for Pain Hustlers, Grey detailed to Collider's Steve Weintraub in an interview at TIFF how Mason Lee grew into the role.

Ang Lee's upcoming Bruce Lee biopic will largely focus on the period around the making of Lee's iconic film "Enter the Dragon." The film will explore the "incredible amount of drama and conflict" in Lee's life during that time, using it as the axis for the movie's narrative structure. "Enter the Dragon" solidified Bruce Lee's place as one of the greatest martial arts performers and grossed $400 million worldwide, making it a significant part of his legacy.

Ang Lee’s upcoming Bruce Lee biopic revolves around the making of one of the martial arts legend’s most iconic films. He died tragically young at the age of 32, but those years were all he needed to establish a cinematic legacy that has inspired multiple generations of performers and filmmakers. Now thanks to the Oscar-winning director of Life of Pi, iconic martial arts performer Lee will finally receive the biopic treatment, with...

Bruce Lee is the most enduring icon of the martial arts movie genre, and every fight scene in his filmography is full of amazing fighting techniques. Bruce Lee first took up martial arts as a youth in Hong Kong, studying the art of Wing Chun kung fu under the legendary Grandmaster Ip Man. Lee would later collect techniques and fighting theories from a wide range of different martial arts to create his own fighting philosophy, which he would dub Jeet Kune Do, or The Way of the Intercepting Fist.

Lee would then bring his martial arts mastery to the film industry, first breaking out as Kato on the TV series The Green Hornet, and headlining Hong Kong martial arts films like The Big Boss, Fist of Fury, and The Way of the Dragon. The posthumous release of Bruce Lee's enduring martial arts classic Enter the Dragon also cemented him as...

Bruce Lee may only have lived to the age of 32, but he made an impact on cinema which few people have come close to. He also left it with a massive problem. Thanks to films like The Big Boss and Fist Of Fury, he was already a big star in Hong Kong before he got the call from Warner Bros. which would make him an international megastar. He could fight, he could act, he was bursting with charisma – but six days before Enter The Dragon was released, he suffered a cerebral oedema and died.

It was a tragedy for Lee’s family and friends. It saddened his established fans and the wider martial arts community. Beyond that, something else happened. Millions and millions of new fans, all around the world, began demanding to see more of Lee. The studios with rights to his work quickly responded. Hastily dubbed Hong...

NYC Weekend Watch is our weekly round-up of repertory offerings.

Film Forum

Michael Roemer’s great The Plot Against Harry and the Tarantino-presented Winter Kills both screen on 35mm; Contempt continues

Roxy Cinema

Madonna fans can flock to Dick Tracy and Evita on 35mm, while a print of Perdita Durango also plays.

Film at Lincoln Center

Kira Muratova’s The Long Farewell and Brief Encounters are both screening in new restorations.

Museum of Modern Art

The earliest color films screen in a new series.

Anthology Film Archives

Documentaries by the great Kazuo Hara are subject of a new retrospective.

Museum of the Moving Image

Nope, Starman, Airport, and 2001 play on 70mm in a new series; Baby Boy and Idlewild have screenings.

IFC Center

The Bling Ring, Event Horizon, and Fist of Fury have late showings, while Oldboy and The Others play in new restorations; The Age of Innocence and...

TV shows like Warrior have shown that martial arts stories still carry weight and interest among television and movie fans. This is mainly due to how well martial arts can be used to tell a story while delivering impressive and exciting fight scenes. But shows like Warrior wouldn't have been possible without Bruce Lee, who developed a series that balanced drama and action. But while Warrior was a modern take on a classic Lee narrative, it wasn't the first time the martial artist and actor helped bring to life an action-drama.

One of Lee's most impressive was 1972's Fist of Fury, which was released in the US under the title The Chinese Connection to take advantage of the success of William Friedkin's The French Connection. The movie featured a young martial arts student named Chen Zhen, who learned that his master was killed by a rival Japanese dojo. This...

Clockwise from top left: John Wick: Chapter 2 (Lionsgate), Enter The Dragon (Warner Bros.), Rush Hour 2 (Warner Bros.), Bloodsport (Warner Bros.), Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings (Disney) Graphic: AVClub Hollywood was not ready for Bruce Lee. When Enter The Dragon hit theaters 50 years ago, in August...

Clockwise from top left: John Wick: Chapter 2 (Lionsgate), Enter The Dragon (Warner Bros.), Rush Hour 2 (Warner Bros.), Bloodsport (Warner Bros.), Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings (Disney)Graphic: AVClub

Hollywood was not ready for Bruce Lee. When Enter The Dragon hit theaters 50 years ago, in...

This month marks 50 years since Bruce Lee’s sudden death at the age of 32, and likewise the semicentennial anniversary of his highest-profile feature, Enter the Dragon. Released by Warner Bros. on Aug. 17, 1973, director Robert Clouse’s action film stars Lee as a Shaolin monk recruited by British intelligence to compete in a martial arts tournament and track down a crime boss named Han (Shih Kien). The stakes are raised when Lee learns that the man who killed his sister is working as a bodyguard for Han.

Before Enter the Dragon, Lee was known for playing Kato on the 1960s ABC series The Green Hornet and Batman, and for starring in several kung fu films in the early 1970s, including The Big Boss (1971) and Fist of Fury (1972). But it was Dragon — his second Hollywood movie after a small role in 1969’s James Garner-led Marlowe — that became his signature title and made him a global icon.

The greatest tragedy of Bruce Lee’s all too short life was that he didn’t live to see the premiere of Enter the Dragon. Lee died on July 20, 1973. Enter the Dragon was released six days later.

Four years prior, Lee made a vow to himself that he titled “My Definite Chief Aim.” Handwritten in cursive with his characteristic flair, he wrote “I, Bruce Lee, will be the first highest paid Oriental super star in the United States. I will give the most exciting performances and render the best of quality in the capacity of an actor.” Throughout his career in Hollywood, Lee struggled to make his way, fighting against prejudice and exclusion at every step, in hopes of reaching his goal. And yet he never lived to see the breakthrough success of his masterpiece.

Enter the Dragon was the 13th highest grossing film in North America in 1973, but it...

Bruce Lee changed the cultural landscape. But he never lived to see just how he influenced martial arts and martial arts movies, the image of Asian men on screen, numerous directors from Ang Lee, who is planning on making a movie about Bruce Lee starring his son Mason, and Quentin Tarantino, action stars such as Jackie Chan, Arnold Schwarzenegger, comedians such as Eddie Murphy and Margaret Cho and singers including LL Cool J and RZA.

Lee was just 32 when he died on July 23, 1973 of what was described as “death by misadventure.” There have been numerous theories of what actually caused his death. One forensic scientist announced he died of cerebral edema due to a reaction to ingredients in the medication Equagesic he had taken. A 2022 study in the Clinical Kidney Journal stated that the cerebral edema was caused by hyponatremia-a lack of sodium in his blood. (Lee actually underwent surgery...

Enter the Dragon, released 50 years ago, remains the definitive martial arts film and a true landmark movie of the early '70s. Bruce Lee's popularity was already growing before Enter the Dragon, thanks to his success in Hong Kong and his role in The Green Hornet. Enter the Dragon broke down cultural barriers, featuring an Asian hero as the lead in a major Hollywood production, paving the way for future Asian action stars.

The 1973 Bruce Lee movie Enter the Dragon is 50 years old, and it still stands as the definitive martial arts film. Enter the Dragon follows Bruce Lee in the role of the Shaolin monk Lee, who is recruited for an undercover operation into a martial arts tournament hosted by a reclusive Han millionaire (Shih Kien) suspected to be the head of a drug-running and prostitution empire. Lee agrees to take on the assignment, with his real motivation...

As Bruce Lee once famously said, “Be water”, meaning in part that people should be able to adapt to any situation. And while John Wick director has updated the action movie game, he can’t help but recognize the films may not have gotten there without the words, style and ethics of Bruce Lee.

Speaking with Empire on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Enter the Dragon – arguably Lee’s trademark movie – Chad Stahelski said, “A lot of what we do in John Wick, the non-verbal communication, is based off of what Bruce did….I love the action, but I’m also a sucker for his personality. Half the reason you love what he does is that you love him: the innocence and the arrogance. He projects the confidence of a young man trying to find himself. Bruce knew how to be vulnerable, and I really appreciate that about him.