Topic
- Jet Li made his name in Hong Kong through period kung fu films set in old China, but as this movie trend waned, he reinvented himself as a modern action star
- We look at three 1990s Hong Kong films he acted in, including a Wong Jing comedy that made fun of Jackie Chan and a sci fi film where he channelled Bruce Lee
Jet Li received praise for his role as Danny the dog in Luc Besson’s gritty 2005 action movie. While he shone among co-stars such as Morgan Freeman, it didn’t help the martial arts actor crack Hollywood.
Crime, crime and more crime: these were the stories from Post archives that most interested readers in 2023, from the grisly Hello Kitty murder case to the underworld assassination of Jet Li’s manager.
The 1990s was the last golden age of Hong Kong cinema, with a slew of groundbreaking films that produced new stars such as martial arts actor Jet Li and art-house darling Wong Kar-wai.
The Julia Roberts of Hong Kong was the Post’s early verdict on Michelle Reis, who had no acting training but excelled opposite Jet Li, Leon Lai and Stephen Chow in a string of 1990s hits.
From the film that changed everything to fighting with fists instead of swords, girl power and the birth of a legend, milestones in the development of Hong Kong martial arts cinema.
With Jackie Chan, Jet Li and Li Bingbing in the cast, and a crew including legendary fight choreographer Yuen Woo-ping, The Forbidden Kingdom should have been a better film.
Despite co-starring Jet Li and Michelle Yeoh, and having some stunning locations, this US-China film fell totally flat, with one-dimensional characters, awful dialogue and terrible CGI.
The Expendables 2 had been planned as a China-US co-production and was meant to star Donnie Yen Ji-dan alongside Sylvester Stallone. Hasty changes had to be made to the script when that fell through.
Asia is famous for its martial arts films, and here is our pick of the 25 best from the past two decades, for their slick fight choreography and drama.
The In the Mood for Love actress didn’t go looking for roles in martial arts films, but when she did take them she excelled, notably in Hero with Jet Li and Tony Leung Chiu-wai and in Wong Kar-wai’s Ashes of Time.
From Tony Leung Chiu-wai and Zhang Ziyi in Wong Kar-wai’s The Grandmaster to Jackie Chan in Police Story and Gordon Liu in Dirty Ho, a look back at some of the great Hong Kong martial arts movies.
In Lethal Weapon 4 and Romeo Must Die, Jet Li got his Hollywood career off to a steady start. But neither film fully showcased the Chinese martial arts star’s unique talents.
Featuring interviews with stars including Donnie Yen and Sammo Hung, new film Kung Fu Stuntmen is a tribute to the brave, unsung heroes of Hong Kong action movies.
Mulan star Liu Yifei moved to the US with her mother at the age of 10, becoming a naturalised American citizen, while Jet Li and Gong Li both adopted Singaporean passports
The film series made Jet Li a star, and while Once Upon a Time in China II was a match for the first movie, the third instalment was a relative flop.
When you’re an ethnically Chinese star who works in mainland China, what passport you hold can become a controversial topic among local fans and netizens, as Gong Li and Nicholas Tse discovered …
Tsui Hark production based on a Louis Cha wuxia novel turned the eunuch, a typical villain of modern martial arts stories, into a transsexual sorceress – played by Brigitte Lin, whose career it transformed.
The Warlords, starring Jet Li, was meant to be a remake of Chang Cheh’s movie The Blood Brothers, but the director changed the storyline and wanted the fight scenes to look nothing like a wuxia film.
The subject of 100 films, as well as pulp novels and radio plays, Wong Fei-hung was born in the mid-19th century in Guangdong, southern China. Taught kung fu by his father, he is reputed never to have lost a fight in his life.
Superstar martial arts actor joined other top Hong Kong movie talent such as Jackie Chan, John Woo and Chow Yun-fat in Hollywood, but never got to show his full potential there as a martial artist or as an actor.
Bruce Lee was a fan, as are Jackie Chan and Jet Li. So, too, are supermodel Gisele Bundchen, and an army of Chinese grannies and grandads. Now tai chi has been added to Unesco’s list of intangible cultural heritage.
From Casino Raiders starring Andy Lau and Alan Tam to spoof All for the Winner where Stephen Chow had breakout role – explore Hong Kong’s niche yet well-loved gambling movie genre
Jet Li is a famous martial arts actor, but where did his fighting style come from and how did it make it into Hong Kong martial arts movies? We trace its origins and list the films to watch to see the best of Li’s wushu styles.
Before Jet Li, actor Kwan Tak-hing played legendary martial artist Wong Fei-hung in 80 films that not only portrayed martial arts authentically but Cantonese culture – from lion dances to dragon boats to folk songs.
In the Mood for Love and Chungking Express are regarded as modern day classics, and have influenced the making of other great movies like Lost in Translation and Moonlight
Working with greats like Jet Li John Woo and Jackie Chan, the 75-year-old’s career has been filled with eye-popping action – both in Hollywood and Hong Kong
Martial arts actor Jet Li has had an illustrious film career that includes collaborations with acclaimed directors Tsui Hark and Zhang Yimou. We rank the top 10 movies he has made so far.
