Martial Arts

MARTIAL ARTS

The popularity of martial arts films grew in the early 70s due to a growing interest in the west in Eastern philosophy, and the star presence of Bruce Lee (Fists of Fury, Way of the Dragon, Enter the Dragon). In recent years the genre has been discovered again through films such as Hero (2002). These films include a series of brilliantly choreographed fights in which the hero is outnumbered by enemies, armed with knives and clubs, and defeats them with bare hands. The plots are usually simple affairs of good versus evil.

What to Watch: The Karate Kid (1984), Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000), Kill Bill Volume One (2003); Forbidden Kingdom (2008)