But, lo and behold, Rochester's library has an even better selection, complete with organization by category. Today I checked out Croupier, The Legend of Drunken Master, and the Criterion Collection of The Red Shoes. And today I watched...
I'm sure most people have seen a Jackie Chan movie or two. Probably one of the Rush Hour films or maybe Shanghai Noon. But if you really want to see Jackie Chan in all his kung fu glory, you need to rent one of his Hong Kong made movies, like Rumble in the Bronx, First Strike, or Who Am I. Sure the acting is unintentionally hilarious, the English dubbing is awful, and the plots don't make sense, but these movies have some crazy awesome action sequences. There are three particular ones that stood out:
This fight scene happens early in the film and is instigated because Jackie Chan's character, Wong Fei-Hung, has something stolen from him. The best part of the this video is the first two minutes, where Jackie Chan and Lau Kar Leung fight crouched under a train with a sword and spear, respectively. Notice how the camera actually sits still and focuses on the fight choreography, rather than having all kind of crazy jump cuts like you see in the typical Hollywood action movie.
Jackie Chan and Lau Kar Leung vs. the Ax Gang
Nothing like two guys fighting a hundred guys. This fight mixes in some comic relief and the ever-enjoyable use of everyday objects as weapons, this time a shredded bamboo pole and a table.
The Final Fight
Three things mesmerize me about this climactic fight: (1) Jackie Chan's lucid, flowing "drunken boxing" fighting style, (2) the fact that Jackie Chan crawls across actual burning coals, and (3) apparently the guy he's fighting has no joints below his waist.
If you're looking to not think and have a good time with a movie, check out The Legend of Drunken Master.
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