For many people karate movies are all about the action. When you mention them, it is the fight scenes, with people flying across the screen, and super fast kicks and punches that come to mind. But there is another element that has blended so well in these films in the past and that is comedy.
This of course is nothing new, as comedy and action have always worked rather well together, and this blend can be dated right back to the silent movie era. Many of those old comedies were sometimes like action films, with physical comedy coming to the fore. The influence of these early works can still be seen today, especially in the karate movies with Jackie Chan in them.
Jackie Chan was born in Hong Kong in 1954 and started training at the China Opera School when he was just 6. He began to break into movies in the 1970's playing small parts, and even had moments with Bruce Lee in Fist of Fury and Enter The Dragon. After Lee died, many people tried to fill his shoes, but rather than copy him, Jackie Chan began to develop his own style. By 1978 he had appeared in a number of movies but it was that year's Drunken Master that started his rise to stardom.
An avid fan of Harold Lloyd, Buster Keaton and other silent movie comedians, Jackie began to blend this physical comedy with martial arts, and when he directed his first movie in 1980, The Young Master, it was hailed as a breakthrough picture, effortlessly combining comedy and action.
Over the next few years he would appear in many hit Asian films, as well as having two less than successful attempts at breaking into the American market with The Big Brawl and a small part in Cannonball Run. But his comedic karate movies remained extremely popular in Asia, and in many other parts of the world.
Throughout his career Jackie was fortunate to have his friend Sammo Hung alongside him. They had gone to the China Opera School together, and moved into movies at the same time. Sammo also brought a comedic touch to the films and directed or choreographed many of Jackie's movies. He also starred in most of them and also had a brief run in American television, when he played the lead role in the TV show, Martial Law.
Finally in 1995, Rumble in the Bronx brought Jackie that much wanted attention in America. It led to a slew of big Hollywood movies like Rush Hour, Shanghai Noon, Around The World in 80 Days, Kung Fu Panda and The Tuxedo. Jackie continues to be a huge star across the world.
There is no doubt that Stephen Chow was inspired by Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung. An actor for many years, he appeared in many TV shows and karate movies in Hong Kong before finally breaking through in the nineties in a few self-directed movies. It was his film Shaolin Soccer that brought him to the attention of Hollywood and his next film, Kung Fu Hustle, was the biggest grossing movie ever in Hong Kong. It also had the biggest cinematic release of a foreign film ever in the USA. While Chow directed most of the film, there were a few scenes directed by his hero Sammo Hung.
This of course is nothing new, as comedy and action have always worked rather well together, and this blend can be dated right back to the silent movie era. Many of those old comedies were sometimes like action films, with physical comedy coming to the fore. The influence of these early works can still be seen today, especially in the karate movies with Jackie Chan in them.
Jackie Chan was born in Hong Kong in 1954 and started training at the China Opera School when he was just 6. He began to break into movies in the 1970's playing small parts, and even had moments with Bruce Lee in Fist of Fury and Enter The Dragon. After Lee died, many people tried to fill his shoes, but rather than copy him, Jackie Chan began to develop his own style. By 1978 he had appeared in a number of movies but it was that year's Drunken Master that started his rise to stardom.
An avid fan of Harold Lloyd, Buster Keaton and other silent movie comedians, Jackie began to blend this physical comedy with martial arts, and when he directed his first movie in 1980, The Young Master, it was hailed as a breakthrough picture, effortlessly combining comedy and action.
Over the next few years he would appear in many hit Asian films, as well as having two less than successful attempts at breaking into the American market with The Big Brawl and a small part in Cannonball Run. But his comedic karate movies remained extremely popular in Asia, and in many other parts of the world.
Throughout his career Jackie was fortunate to have his friend Sammo Hung alongside him. They had gone to the China Opera School together, and moved into movies at the same time. Sammo also brought a comedic touch to the films and directed or choreographed many of Jackie's movies. He also starred in most of them and also had a brief run in American television, when he played the lead role in the TV show, Martial Law.
Finally in 1995, Rumble in the Bronx brought Jackie that much wanted attention in America. It led to a slew of big Hollywood movies like Rush Hour, Shanghai Noon, Around The World in 80 Days, Kung Fu Panda and The Tuxedo. Jackie continues to be a huge star across the world.
There is no doubt that Stephen Chow was inspired by Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung. An actor for many years, he appeared in many TV shows and karate movies in Hong Kong before finally breaking through in the nineties in a few self-directed movies. It was his film Shaolin Soccer that brought him to the attention of Hollywood and his next film, Kung Fu Hustle, was the biggest grossing movie ever in Hong Kong. It also had the biggest cinematic release of a foreign film ever in the USA. While Chow directed most of the film, there were a few scenes directed by his hero Sammo Hung.
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