JuJu Chan’s 10 favourite film fight scenes, from Bruce Lee vs Chuck Norris in The Way of the Dragon, to Keanu Reeves’ throwing knives scene in John Wick: Chapter 3
- Hong Kong celebrity JuJu Chan stars in Netflix’s Wu Assassins, Hollywood film Jiu Jitsu led by Nicolas Cage and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny
- But she’s an accomplished martial artist – and martial arts fan – too, loving fight scenes from films like Ip Man 2, Oldboy and Rumble in the Bronx
Considered a modern-day, female Bruce Lee, JuJu Chan has always prided herself on her real life fighting skills. A star of numerous action films including Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny, last year’s Nicolas Cage-led Jiu Jitsu, and Netflix’s Wu Assassins, Chan is more than just an accomplished actor.
Like wushu champion Jet Li, Chan has a number of professional martial arts accomplishments to her name. In 2013 she became a champion in the female black belt category in the China Open Championship, and a year later she was crowned the winner of the World Muay Thai Council’s 2014 Thai boxing championship in the 46kg category.
The all-action star discusses her favourite fight scenes of all-time and provides an insider’s perspective as to why exactly they remain so impressive.
Martial Club (1981), Gordon Liu vs Johnny Wang, narrow alley fight
This is such a memorable scene, yet the idea is so simple. First off, this was an era when martial arts actors did all their own fights, meaning their skill mattered – and Johnny Wang was one of the best.
This fight also shows the love that director Lau Kar-leung had for traditional Chinese martial arts and storytelling. The scene plays off the traditional rivalry between northern and southern kung fu, with northern Chinese martial artists renowned for their kicking skills and southerners famed for their fist and arm techniques. How better to demonstrate that distinction than to be forced to try and fight and kick in a tight space?
I just love the choreography between Gordon Liu and Johnny Wang. It’s a great example of stripping away everything that’s fancy and going with just straight forward skill to wow and entertain the audience.
John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019), gun assembly and throwing knives fight scene
Even after just the first John Wick movie, the franchise had provided audiences with many memorable action sequences, so by the third instalment it was difficult to imagine what new ideas the creators could come up with.