https://www.scmp.com/rss/524007/feed The latest news and top stories on the late Corey Yuen Kwai, film director, action choreographer and producer. He was known for pioneering the ‘Girls with Guns’ genre with Yes, Madam!, directing Ninja in the Dragon’s Den and choreographing action for Hollywood blockbusters like X-Men. Yuen passed away in 2022. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Matt Glasby Matt Glasby This is the latest instalment in a feature series reflecting on instances of East meets West in world cinema, including China-US co-productions. In the early 2000s, long before China began opening up to the commercial possibilities of Western cinema, the idea of filming a potential blockbuster in the country seemed nothing short of revolutionary. Previous efforts were either prestige pictures, such as 1987’s The Last Emperor or tiny indies like A Great Wall (1986). But anyone who could mount an... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3346728/how-doa-dead-or-alive-tried-create-new-kind-blockbuster-amid-chaotic-china-shoot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3346728/how-doa-dead-or-alive-tried-create-new-kind-blockbuster-amid-chaotic-china-shoot?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 09:15:07 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Hong Kong producer-writer-director Wong Jing churned out so many films in the 1990s that some were bound to succeed. The underrated gem The New Legend of Shaolin, starring Jet Li Lianjie, stands out as a highlight, marrying lighthearted comedy and above-average action to good effect. The storyline, while simple, is logical and tightly structured, with highs and lows hitting the right beats. Moreover, Wong’s signature penchant for lowbrow comedy is deployed with restraint. When the cheesy jokes... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3338386/why-jet-li-and-wong-jings-1994-martial-arts-movie-new-legend-shaolin-underrated?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3338386/why-jet-li-and-wong-jings-1994-martial-arts-movie-new-legend-shaolin-underrated?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Jan 2026 08:15:09 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Chen Zhen, a fictional character first played by Bruce Lee in the 1972 film Fist of Fury, became a cultural phenomenon in Hong Kong because of the way he stood up to the Japanese in Shanghai in the early 1900s. A scene in which Chen makes students at a Japanese karate school eat the paper on which they had written “China is the sick man of Asia” was especially popular, as was the scene in which Chen smashes a sign outside a Shanghai public park reading “No dogs or Chinese”. Here, we look at two... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3337793/how-stephen-chow-and-donnie-yen-reinvented-bruce-lees-classic-chen-zhen-their-own-ways?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3337793/how-stephen-chow-and-donnie-yen-reinvented-bruce-lees-classic-chen-zhen-their-own-ways?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Dec 2025 09:15:07 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Hong Kong cinema had many martial arts heroines beyond Michelle Yeoh, and some were bigger stars locally. Here, we look at some lesser-seen films featuring three of the city’s top female fighters. 1. Righting Wrongs (1986) – Cynthia Rothrock American martial arts expert Cynthia Rothrock, who had debuted with Yeoh in the cop hit Yes, Madam!, was on a roll when she starred in Righting Wrongs – also known as Above the Law. Directed by Corey Yuen Kwai, who had discovered Rothrock while scouting for... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3335995/3-female-action-stars-who-ruled-hong-kong-martial-arts-cinema-alongside-michelle-yeoh?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3335995/3-female-action-stars-who-ruled-hong-kong-martial-arts-cinema-alongside-michelle-yeoh?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Dec 2025 09:15:08 +0000