Ok, here's the thing.
I just watched 2 fights from the new Donnie Yen movie "Ip Man"...
...and man, Hong Kong style action still destroys almost everything that's put out there, trying to pass as "movie fights".
Heh, it's ridiculous to compare them, I know.
But I am getting pretty goddamned tired of the "quick edit" fights. I'm talking about *CUT CUT CUT KICK TO THE FACE* stuff.
All of this lead me to think about the different action styles used in movies today, and I thought it'd be interesting to analyze these styles a bit.
Now, I really love this stuff, and I think I have some knowledge about it, but it'd be great if action lovers could contribute with their takes and examples. I am actually showing very few examples. There's certainly a lot of material to be discussed.
And I don't want to limit this to movie fights....car chases, gunfights, go nuts.
On to the show...
Hong Kong style: I already covered a bit up there (and we could dig up LOTS of examples), so let me mix it up a bit by including "Gun" action.
An easy choice....the amazing long tracking shot in the Hospital scene from Hardboiled. Done in one take and choreographed to perfection. Pure brilliance.
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"Thai" action is really good, and pretty insane. But I do have some problems with it.
Let's take for example, Tony Jaa.
Most of the time, the stuntmen just stay there, waiting for the hit. We can see this in Ong Bak frequently.
But it's still awesome, and very brutal, and I am in no way saying it's not shocking and a lot of fun to watch...
Tom Yum Goong a.k.a. The Protector
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Vietnamese action? I've only seen The Rebel, but I gotta say...I love their style. Brutal hits, combined with fast and simple short bursts of hand movements, and some amazing leg movements (the scissors kick is killer). I found this choreography style very fresh.
The Rebel
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American style action....well, there's the super quick edit fights that try to hide the fact that most actors (most, not all) have no real physical skills (and yeah, I know there are exceptions). Now, not every fight is bad, and not every fight is done in this style. I gotta use the fight between Jason Bourne and Castel in The Bourne Identity as an example. I find it better than the fights in the later movies (still love 'em), because despite using quick cuts, you still "get" the fight and it flows very well.
The Bourne Identity
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I find French action to be a combination of HK style and the American quick edits, except they don't take it as far. Almost every French action movie I've seen has exquisitely shot action, I love it. Here's an example from Banlieue 13. Cyrill Rafaelli has amazing martial arts skills, and the quick cuts used here just enhance the action and make him look insanely fast.
Banlieue 13
Another French example is Christophe Gans' Brotherhood of the Wolf...
The choreography by Phillip Kwok combined with Gans' editing makes up for a very cinematic fight, IMO. I love the changes in speed!
(I am very sad Gans could not make his "The Adventurer" movie with Marc Dacascos). Gans has a lot of talent, and I hope we get to see more of his style soon (I believe he's directing Onimusha, based on the Capcom games). My 2 cents? He'd be a really good choice to direct The Green Hornet.
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Korean action....heh I love it. If anyone has seen "City of Violence", they'll understand what I'm saying. Jung Doo Hong...man, I believe this guy is the BEST modern choreographer after Donnie Yen. I love his fights! Not a lot of hand movements, but they are there. The kicking and spinning is classic TKD, and the hits look real. Check out this crazy fight:
To be continued...
I just watched 2 fights from the new Donnie Yen movie "Ip Man"...
...and man, Hong Kong style action still destroys almost everything that's put out there, trying to pass as "movie fights".
Heh, it's ridiculous to compare them, I know.
But I am getting pretty goddamned tired of the "quick edit" fights. I'm talking about *CUT CUT CUT KICK TO THE FACE* stuff.
All of this lead me to think about the different action styles used in movies today, and I thought it'd be interesting to analyze these styles a bit.
Now, I really love this stuff, and I think I have some knowledge about it, but it'd be great if action lovers could contribute with their takes and examples. I am actually showing very few examples. There's certainly a lot of material to be discussed.
And I don't want to limit this to movie fights....car chases, gunfights, go nuts.
On to the show...
Hong Kong style: I already covered a bit up there (and we could dig up LOTS of examples), so let me mix it up a bit by including "Gun" action.
An easy choice....the amazing long tracking shot in the Hospital scene from Hardboiled. Done in one take and choreographed to perfection. Pure brilliance.
----
"Thai" action is really good, and pretty insane. But I do have some problems with it.
Let's take for example, Tony Jaa.
Most of the time, the stuntmen just stay there, waiting for the hit. We can see this in Ong Bak frequently.
But it's still awesome, and very brutal, and I am in no way saying it's not shocking and a lot of fun to watch...
Tom Yum Goong a.k.a. The Protector
----
Vietnamese action? I've only seen The Rebel, but I gotta say...I love their style. Brutal hits, combined with fast and simple short bursts of hand movements, and some amazing leg movements (the scissors kick is killer). I found this choreography style very fresh.
The Rebel
----
American style action....well, there's the super quick edit fights that try to hide the fact that most actors (most, not all) have no real physical skills (and yeah, I know there are exceptions). Now, not every fight is bad, and not every fight is done in this style. I gotta use the fight between Jason Bourne and Castel in The Bourne Identity as an example. I find it better than the fights in the later movies (still love 'em), because despite using quick cuts, you still "get" the fight and it flows very well.
The Bourne Identity
----
I find French action to be a combination of HK style and the American quick edits, except they don't take it as far. Almost every French action movie I've seen has exquisitely shot action, I love it. Here's an example from Banlieue 13. Cyrill Rafaelli has amazing martial arts skills, and the quick cuts used here just enhance the action and make him look insanely fast.
Banlieue 13
Another French example is Christophe Gans' Brotherhood of the Wolf...
The choreography by Phillip Kwok combined with Gans' editing makes up for a very cinematic fight, IMO. I love the changes in speed!
(I am very sad Gans could not make his "The Adventurer" movie with Marc Dacascos). Gans has a lot of talent, and I hope we get to see more of his style soon (I believe he's directing Onimusha, based on the Capcom games). My 2 cents? He'd be a really good choice to direct The Green Hornet.
----
Korean action....heh I love it. If anyone has seen "City of Violence", they'll understand what I'm saying. Jung Doo Hong...man, I believe this guy is the BEST modern choreographer after Donnie Yen. I love his fights! Not a lot of hand movements, but they are there. The kicking and spinning is classic TKD, and the hits look real. Check out this crazy fight:
To be continued...
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