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IMDbPro

The Best of the Martial Arts Films

  • 1990
  • Not Rated
  • 1h 31m
IMDb RATING
6.9/10
483
YOUR RATING
Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Cynthia Rothrock, Sammo Kam-Bo Hung, and Angela Mao in The Best of the Martial Arts Films (1990)
Martial ArtsActionDocumentary

A review about martial arts films as well as some of its biggest movie stars.A review about martial arts films as well as some of its biggest movie stars.A review about martial arts films as well as some of its biggest movie stars.

  • Director
    • Sandra Weintraub
  • Writer
    • Sandra Weintraub
  • Stars
    • John Saxon
    • Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
    • Chris Casamassa
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.9/10
    483
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Sandra Weintraub
    • Writer
      • Sandra Weintraub
    • Stars
      • John Saxon
      • Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
      • Chris Casamassa
    • 7User reviews
    • 3Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos5

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    Top cast29

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    John Saxon
    John Saxon
    • Self - Host
    Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
    Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    Chris Casamassa
    Chris Casamassa
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    Jackie Chan
    Jackie Chan
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    Robert Clouse
    • Self
    Keith Cooke
    Keith Cooke
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    Peter Cunningham
    Peter Cunningham
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    Joyce Godenzi
    Joyce Godenzi
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    Sibelle Hu
    Sibelle Hu
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    Sammo Kam-Bo Hung
    Sammo Kam-Bo Hung
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    Shô Kosugi
    Shô Kosugi
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    Tak-Hing Kwan
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    Bruce Lee
    Bruce Lee
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    Angela Mao
    Angela Mao
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    Michiko Nishiwaki
    Michiko Nishiwaki
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    Richard Norton
    Richard Norton
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    Ron Pohnel
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    Cynthia Rothrock
    Cynthia Rothrock
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    • Director
      • Sandra Weintraub
    • Writer
      • Sandra Weintraub
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews7

    6.9483
    1
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    10

    Featured reviews

    JMMathews01

    The ultimate martial arts documentary of the 80s.

    Anyone needing more material information on the martial arts of the 1980s can find it all here. This documentary is led and narrated by John Saxon in which he explains some brief history and the general idea of where martial arts comes from and why. From there he moves into the film noir which, of course, begins with Bruce Lee. From there he introduces many other styles of fighting, notable film stars, different fighting techniques and some film star interviews( cynthia rothrock, jackie chan, samo hung, etc.) Mostly Jackie Chan is present so don't fast forward in hopes that he will go away. This should be titled "Jackie Chan and other great martial arts flicks." Don't get me wrong this is really good but Chan is in it too much. A collection of many other already forgettable martial art stars are shown in their own hellish prime, yet their performance are always an inspiration of future of martial arts films.
    9jgusw

    This is so cool!

    The Best of the Martial Arts Films is so cool. It has some of the best fight scenes ever put on film. There's actors like Jackie Chan, Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, and many asian martial artists you've never heard of, but need to check out. This video open my world up to films that I never knew were ever out there. They should make a part 2!!
    7rutt13-1

    A good sampler

    A pretty cool documentary, featuring a lot of Jackie Chan stuff, not to mention a bunch of other good stuff. Very entertaining for a taste of HK action cinema...It even features some "American" stars fighting in some Hong Kong flicks, which only goes to show how much better the HK choreographers are...
    7Sarge-34

    A "Best Of" of some of the kung-fu antics of the 80's

    A rather odd video in that it doesn't actually have a plot. Well maybe not that unique. Instead it is set as a documentary style feature dealing with the numerous aspects of martial arts videos. It's narrated by an amusingly serious man in a bizarrely dark room, where it cuts to footage of stars such as Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan et al.

    Unfortunately as it is quite old it doesn't feature Jet Li or any other of the up and coming martial arts stars. But it a good way to be introduced to the genre and the more experienced among you will get to see some bit's of movies you probably haven't seen.
    10BrickNash

    Definitive and essential viewing for the martial arts genre

    This is the definitive documentary about classic pre-1990 martial arts films.

    It's a beautifully paced look at some of the best fight scenes of the 70s and 80s, and it's a great starting point for anyone looking to get into the genre. It's elegantly presented and narrated by John Saxon, whose voice adds some real gravitas and glue to the flow of the clips.

    It's a very Golden Harvest heavy selection, but there are also scenes from other Hong Kong movie companies such as Seasonal Films which add to the variety. A few Shaw brothers clips wouldn't have gone amiss, but I think that would have been too complicated due to rivalries and licencing.

    A martial arts classic in its own right, and a tremendous source for the very best in which films to seek out.

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    Storyline

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    Did you know

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    • Trivia
      In widescreen releases of the film, the footage from Warriors Two is shown in 1.85:1 widescreen, despite being originally filmed and released in 2.35:1. Not only that, but the English dub is not the same as the original theatrical version of Warriors Two. This is because this footage was not taken directly from Warriors Two, but rather from the footage (and dub) of the film used in the documentary Bruce Lee The Legend, which was originally in 1.85:1.
    • Goofs
      John Saxon's spoken narration confuses a clip of 'Jackie Chan (I)' fighting Benny Urquidez and Wah Yuen in Dragons Forever (1988) for Soif de Justice (1984) footage.
    • Quotes

      Self - Host: With the proper training, even a simple paper fan can become a deadly weapon.

    • Alternate versions
      The UK release of this film has no cuts listed by the BBFC but at the very end the narrator says, "We've saved the best for last, here is Bruce Lee fighting with the deadly nunchaku in Enter the Dragon." The clip begins with Lee beating up a few of the guards, then he knocks one over in to some water and it fades out and ends with the shot of the nunchaku cut.
    • Connections
      Features Big Boss (1971)

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • 1990 (Hong Kong)
    • Countries of origin
      • Hong Kong
      • United States
    • Languages
      • Cantonese
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Les Plus Beaux Combats D'Artrs Martiaux Du Monde
    • Production companies
      • GH Pictures
      • Golden Harvest Company
      • Golden Harvest Pictures (China)
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 31 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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    Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Cynthia Rothrock, Sammo Kam-Bo Hung, and Angela Mao in The Best of the Martial Arts Films (1990)
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