The old kung fu superstars have no successors.
This article comes from WeChat WeChat official account:Bungee squad leader (ID: Mr Sugar 008), Author: Village Flower, title map from: CFP.CN
A few days ago, Jackie Chan went on a hot search.
The reason is that he had an accident while filming the new film "Depth Charge". He was involved in the river when the boat rolled over and almost drowned.
After Jackie Chan came up, he still shared with the staff humorously that he had just experienced a "ghost hitting the wall" underwater.
However, the first thing Tang Jili said to him, who was about to cry on the shore, was, "You disappeared for a long time, about 45 seconds".
Under this video, there is an impressive comment:
When we see that Jackie Chan, who is 66 years old, still insists on all kinds of dangerous actions on the set, apart from being moved and admired, most people may have a common question in their hearts:
Will there be another action movie superstar in the entertainment circle?
1. Less and less action movies.
Open the video website, click on the "action movie" label, and count back from 2020. Not only are there few big-bang works in action movies, but even the output has been greatly reduced.
Taiwan Province hardly produces action movies, and most of the mainland’s action movies are co-operated by Hong Kong capital. And Hong Kong, which is the best at making action movies, has rarely produced excellent works since 2010.
It’s even harder this year. Only one action film, Mr. Monster, starring Shawn Yue, Chun Xia and Kara Wai, was produced in Hong Kong. It didn’t even go to the cinema and was sold directly to the video website Yunfang.
Today’s film circle, campus youth, minority literature and art, urban emotion, suspense, comedy and any other types are constantly taking on new people, but the action movie star seems to never have the next one.
Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Sammo Hung, Donnie Yen, Jason Wu and Chiu Man-Cheuk … are all film and television "old people" over 40 years old.
The list of kung fu superstars you listed in 2020 is almost the same as that listed by people in 2000.
When we mentioned action movie stars, it seemed like the last century.
How popular was the action movie?
Even funny comedy films such as shaolin popey ii messy temple have many ingenious action arrangements, which directly made the two child stars, Ashton Chen and Hao Shaowen, explode, and also made Ashton Chen’s later Young Huang Feihong.
Kung fu movies, gangster movies and gangster movies are regarded as the classic masterpieces of Hong Kong movies, and they are dubbed asClap with your feet closed, no matter how you shoot, it can’t be bad.
These three types are fertile ground for the birth of kung fu superstars. Many of these masterpieces have become the collective memories of several generations.
For example, Jackie Chan’s drunken fist series, never to lose series, Jet Li’s Huang Feihong series, and the eternal gods in gangster movies-the gangster series and infernal affairs series.
Kung fu movies, in particular, can be called a unique era complex in Hong Kong movies.
The first cultural export of Chinese Fan’s films was because of Bruce Lee’s kung fu films, wonderful action scenes and dazzling fast pace, which surprised a group of fans on the other side of the Pacific Ocean and triggered a crazy imitation in Hollywood.
Even the birth of street dance is directly related to Bruce Lee fever.
Kung Fu movies are a window for the world to know about China people. For the first time, China movies let the world know a different China in the form of cultural output.
In the eyes of foreigners, the subconscious of "everyone in China knows Kung Fu" is brushed out again and again through these Kung Fu movies and Kung Fu filmmakers.
That’s why Jackie Chan was paid tens of millions of dollars in Hollywood in the 1990s.
Not only can you fight, but you also have to fight with your life.
2. The best upper "shortcut" for children from poor families
In the past, being a Dragon and Tiger Martial Master was a way out for children of poor families.
As long as you dare to fight and dare to fight, even if you look as plain as Jackie Chan, you can make a big splash with your strength.
"We don’t fight, the audience doesn’t believe" has always been Jackie Chan’s principle since he took the film.
After the release of "Zodiac" in 2012, Jackie Chan’s fans produced a picture book of Zhang Chenglong’s whole body injuries, which recorded Jackie Chan’s injuries more than 20 times since his filming, and his nose cracked four times alone.
At the peak of Jackie Chan’s creation, he was injured so frequently that his doctor teased him with the word "Superman Suicide Mania".
Action movies are superior "shortcuts", but "shortcuts" often mean dangerous roads.
Judging from the frequency of Jackie Chan’s injuries in the hospital since he took the film, his upper history can also be said to be a history of "self-harm".
In the golden age of Hong Kong film development, it is difficult to find a star who has never made a kung fu/action movie.
Brigitte Lin was thrown over the shoulder in Jackie Chan’s movie.
Maggie Cheung had more than 20 stitches and was almost disfigured.
Leslie Cheung flapped and hung Weiya to break her scalp.
Leslie Cheung’s early TV series "The sequel of Ouchi Qunying"
Yang Ziqiong jumped off an 18-meter-high bridge and broke his cervical vertebra.
Almost every Hong Kong film director has dabbled in kung fu movies or action movies to varying degrees, and even Wong Kar-wai, who is the leader of literary films, has a "Grandmaster".
Besides Jackie Chan and Jet Li, actors with their own Kung Fu buff, and other directors like Stephen Chow, they also have a special liking for Kung Fu movies.
Stephen Chow often teases himself in front of the media that his kung fu is really good, but no one believes that self-mockery is because he is so tied up with comedy that no one asks him to make a kung fu film and has to do it himself.
However, when the martial arts director of the movie "Journey to the West" was shortlisted for the Golden Horse Award, in the nomination of the best martial arts director in the shortlist, Ku Huen Chiu’s name was next to Stephen Chow.
In addition to the director’s special liking and the actors’ hard interpretation, Hong Kong in the 1980s and 1990s was also a holy place for incubating martial arts instruction.
In that year, these dragon and tiger martial artists were at the peak of their bodies and careers, which directly promoted the whole process of action movies from birth to prosperity.
When it comes to martial arts instruction, one name that can’t be avoided is Yu Zhanyuan, who has propped up a piece of sky in China’s film martial arts drama by himself.
There are countless disciples in Yu Zhanyuan, generally referred to as the "seven little blessings". There are seven most famous disciples under his name, and these seven people are Yuan Long.(Sammo Hung), yuan building(Jackie Chan)Yuan Biao, Yuan Kui, Yuan Wah, Yuan De and Yuan Wu, including Yuan Heping, who became famous later, were also under Yu Zhanyuan.
Counting carefully, these people are the pillars of Hong Kong films, and one person can support a martial arts drama.
Not to mention the "family class" and "Hongjiaban" established under their name and with them as the core.
Since the Hong Kong Film Awards established the Best Action Design Award in 1983, 12 of them have been won by "Seven Little Fooks".
Not only that, in the first eight years after the Golden Horse Award was established as the best martial arts instructor in 1992, six trophies were all won by the "Seven Little Blessings".
It is no exaggeration to say that before 2000, if you want to make a good movie, you must have these people to press the field. It is precisely because of a lot of solid resources of Dragon and Tiger Martial Arts that I have wonderful childhood memories.
In 1995, director Xu Anhua made a film "The Story of Ah Kin" to show the career of a martial artist.
At the end of the film, a line of subtitles was printed:
"To pay tribute to Yang Ziqiong and the martial artists who have contributed to Hong Kong films".
3. "Star Beating" and the Exit of Dragon and Tiger Martial Arts Division
Nowadays, when you open the entertainment reports in Weibo and APP, there are headlines like "Traffic", "Love Bean" and "online celebrity" everywhere.
Look at the word "shooting stars", which has not appeared in public view for a long time.
But when it comes to cold knowledge, Zhang Ziyi is the last woman in the Mainland who has high hopes.
At that time, the male stars’ slapping scenes were all fists to the flesh, full of the thrill of confrontation between strength and moves;
Female stars are born with legs and legs, and all kinds of tumbling and splitting are not a problem. No one can say that they are dedicated.
An important reason why Zhang Ziyi can become an "international chapter" is because of her unique oriental identity as a actress.
When Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was internationally renowned, Zhang Ziyi was regarded as the next "Yang Ziqiong" by Hollywood and had high hopes for her future.
In fact, it is not difficult to find a feature by counting the Chinese faces that shine in Hollywood. "Beating women" is actually the fastest "upper shortcut" for Chinese actresses in Hollywood.
For example, Yang Ziqiong in Empire of Tomorrow, Liu Yuling in Angel of Thunderbolt and Zhang Ziyi in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon are all famous for fighting, and their flexible and vigorous skills and dashing images have renewed their new impressions of women in China for the world cinema.
After entering 2000, many top action movie stars began to cut production.
In addition to Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung, the top kung fu movie stars, most of the dragon and tiger martial artists still give priority to behind-the-scenes guidance.
For example, Kou Zhanwen, the martial arts instructor of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, is another well-known role, but he is the second cow in Pig and Eight Rings in Spring.
Thanks to the foundation and training of such a group of excellent dragon and tiger martial artists, we can create a classic screen female image like Zhang Ziyi, "Jade Jiaolong".
The fulfillment of the times and personal efforts are indispensable.
However, it is too difficult to get ahead in martial arts, and injuries all over the body are commonplace. There is no one in ten thousand who can get ahead.
Dragon and Tiger Martial Masters not only eat youth meals, but also beg for life money.
After 2000, some older Dragon and Tiger Martial Masters gradually withdrew from this industry. After the heyday of "xx Class", Hong Kong’s action movies began to decline.
4. Action filmmakers who don’t meet each other.
In 2005, Jackie Chan and Jet Li, two kung fu superstars, co-produced forbidden kingdom, which was called a "historic meeting" by the media.
After that, Jackie Chan was still active in the front line, but the production was reduced a lot. Jet Li, on the other hand, withdrew from the field of action movies more thoroughly, and made a transformation to do public welfare and make literary films.
Before he completely retired, he made an action comedy film "Detective Two" specially, trying to push out his adopted son’s article to be the next "star-hunting".
But unfortunately, in terms of the completion of personal movements in the article, although I have worked hard, I can’t compare with the martial arts drama ten years ago in terms of the fluency of movements alone, and I can still see obvious astringency and pause between movements.
In the film, Jet Li’s fighting is mostly a coherent and compact confrontation, which includes both the game between forces and the dismantling of flowing moves.
However, the play of the article is mostly reflected in the pursuit, pulling and the display of a single action, which belongs to the ostentatious appearance, but it can’t stand the scrutiny, obviously reflecting the difference of personal ability.
Before "Wolf Warriors" 2, when Jason Wu was young, he was also a foil in Hongkong movies all the year round.
In 2006, he made an action movie "The Thief of Gemini" with the TWINS group, which was in full swing at that time. Judging from the lineup, it was a classic.
At that time, Gillian was also hoped by the Hong Kong circle to fill the blank market of Hong Kong films that "beat women", so in "The Thief of Gemini", Gillian played almost twice as much as Asa.
However, with Gillian’s bumpy follow-up career and the decline of Hong Kong movies, this transformation of "beating women" finally failed to be realized.
That year, Jason Wu, who filmed "The Thief of Gemini", was 32 years old. Even though he had a solid foundation, smooth movements and strong appreciation, mainland actors could not get very good roles and books under the film discourse power dominated by Hong Kong.
This is also the biggest reason why Jason Wu and Chiu Man-Cheuk later chose to go it alone.
But at this time, the golden age of action movies has completely ended.
Although after 2008, the series of "Ip Man" starring Donnie Yen once again brought a resurgence of kung fu films, various versions of IP Man poured in, and even Wong Kar-wai filmed "The Master".
However, these works can only be regarded as personal blips, and basically rely on the feelings of these veteran action stars to generate electricity with love, which can’t set off the trend.
For example, Jason Wu directed and performed a series of attempts.
And Chiu Man-Cheuk’s "big wudang" in 2012, and invited Yang Mi, a popular traffic actor at that time, as the heroine.
However, for the whole action movie industry, the aging and production reduction of the dragon and tiger martial artists and action superstars who are slowly withdrawing from the circle, just like the decline of the river, is irreversible.
Nowadays, don’t say that these famous kung fu stars are all 40+, and those dragon and tiger martial artists often step into the old age earlier than these action stars.
Nowadays, among the famous martial arts instructors, Liu Jialiang has passed away. Tang Jili 60, Cheng Xiaodong 67, Yuan Kui 69, Sammo Hung 68 and the oldest Yuan Heping are all 75 years old, and their average age is even older than that of kung fu stars.
Even the martial arts drama in the martial arts drama is a slower and slower martial arts action.
I can’t see the dripping power collision and the following actions in the action play, and I can’t understand the tension in the past because the villain is too good at fighting and I am afraid that the protagonist can’t beat him.
There is no peak confrontation between boxing and meat, and there is no power PK to see what to do. Even if you watch the drama at twice the speed, it is a slow motion frame by frame+the actors can’t see the close-up of obvious expression changes. The martial arts drama is even more gentle than the literary drama, which is simply adding to their own difficulties.
After all, these days, it’s all assembly line filming. Stars don’t want to risk being injured and shut down to waste time on learning movements and postures, and the production team doesn’t want to lengthen the production cycle and increase costs.
On the one hand, among the younger generation of actors, there are few real children born in poverty, and they lack the kind of ferocity that dares to fight and rush.
Doing martial arts is a cool thing to look at, but it’s hard to learn. It’s common that giving is not proportional to the return, and it’s normal for few people to care. Jason Wu began to learn martial arts at the age of 6, and it was not until he was 41 that Wolf Warriors 2 exploded.
On the other hand, because of the progress of the times, the situation of martial arts schools in Henan and Hebei has been changed, and occupations such as dragon and tiger martial artists and troupe are no longer popular.
Before making his first action film, The Teacher Sister Royal, Yang Ziqiong went to Hongjia’s class to play sandbags for half a year. Now, this spirit of ingenious production can only be seen in the films made in Wong Kar-wai, but in the past, it was a basic accomplishment for actors and production teams.
Some time ago, Ashton Chen released a small video of skip drilling rig on Tik Tok, which was smooth and smooth.
Most of the comments are filled with emotion.It is difficult to see such comfortable, smooth and pleasing movements in the younger generation of actors now.
On the one hand, it is the visual enjoyment of action that the audience craves, and on the other hand, it is the exit of veteran action stars and Ashton Chen who have no drama to shoot. We still don’t know the final direction of action movies.
But the only thing we know for sure is:
We won’t have another action movie star for at least the next 20 years.
This article comes from WeChat WeChat official account:Bungee squad leader (ID: Mr Sugar 008), author: village flower