Is The Martial Arts Superstar A Thing Of The Past?

[@-batman-1328]

Donnie Yen deserves more recognition he’s one of my favorite actors working today and I always make an effort to see his work and I’ve never been disappointed by him

[@NobleRaider2747]

The one bad thing about him is that he supports the Chinese government

[@spideyman23]

I was just about to say that. Everyone forgets about him.

[@Heybarf]

Phag

[@lexov7981]

I’ll be amazed if a spin off movie or show on his Cain character from John Wick 4 doesn’t happen. If there ever was an example of the perfect vehicle to carry him into mainstream stardom, it’s that character and that movie. He made John Wick 4

[@TheYellowMask5421]

Donnie Yen deserves to be a household name!

[@Chrismw81]

Hollywood realized that a list actors can be made it look like proficient martial artists with the right CGI and shaky cam. Thank God for the John Wick movies, and people like Keanu who actually care about authenticity

[@no_nameyouknow]

Don't even need all that, a good body double and clever use of camera angles obscuring their face and even Paul Rudd can look like a martial arts master.

[@lancekemal8989]

That's why I love the action in the Blade movies. Wesley Snipes can fight.

[@scroopynooperz9051]

These asian ninja guys dont need the US market anymore. The market is bigger over there now. Economic power is shifting. The result of this being that the Bruce Lee's and the Jackie Chan's today dont feel the need or the urgency to penetrate the US market. They're making a big enough killing over there that they dont need to come beg some smol_hat studio exec for screentime 😂

[@DetectiveLance]

@@lancekemal8989 yeah, but alas...the Blade trilogy are 20 years old now! Feel your age, my friend!

[@ninjanibba4259]

​@@DetectiveLance yeah, cuz making fun of how old movies are dated is better than coping that modern movies can't even touch the past This video alone proves why, so check yourself

[@N13J]

One day, there will come a world without Jackie Chan and there will be no second Jackie Chan. The days spend watching Chinese kung fu action comedy with cousins were such a fun childhood movie memory.

[@colliric]

Honestly though he kinda ruined things by coming out in support of the Communist Party. Killed his reputation in his home city Hong Kong.

[@N13J]

@@colliric Yep, he could’ve kept his mouth shut and stayed legend forever. But hey man that pretty common for superstars nowadays, at least we will remember his movies.

[@diablejambe3460]

@@colliric i get it and also wish he had not said what he said but i think in all honesty, what was he supposed to do? Speak out against them and then god knows what. For him its literally his livelihood thats on the line (and maybe his family's as well). I have way more of a problem when guys like cena says stuff to appease them or especially lebron james. I dont even really blame them cuz their positions r not that simple, especially for a guy like lebron who is the face of the league. But (a hard but), he cant be saying things like "an injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere" or sth along those lines but then turn the other cheek when it comes to certain subjects.

[@lola-to9om]

@@diablejambe3460 idk what he said but Jackie was a international star and now he's a politician so i don't care what a politician says. but i didn't like what john and lebron are doing they should read the contracts before they sign it so things like that doesn't happen where they have to suck ccp they are idols to a lot of people and i also don't like how hollywood became a blood sucking leach they will do anything to keep the cash flow running no shame at all fuck hollywood i hope all of their movies fails and all of the writers never work for them at least not the good ones

[@mr.2minutes161]

@@colliric he's always been a bit of a dickhead, i should've stayed oblivious about his real life and enjoy the dream

[@jms855]

Scott Adkins was always big news to me. The man's a legend and a good fighter. Love his work!

[@ninjanibba4259]

It's a shame he's not popular on the big screen

[@heavenlypath1065]

He's mid

[@mrq2044]

C list

[@andrewj1754]

He is a great fighter. Not a great actor. I like his stuff though and he deserves better than he gets IMO

[@augusto2006-amg]

​@@heavenlypath1065 He's talented but he ain't popular. Unfortunately

[@dacedebeer2697]

Tony Jaa is one guy I expected to break through more than he did. His first Ong Bak felt like a return to the old days of martial arts movies. He's done some Hollywood work but always as a side character.

[@8teenOfficial]

I think its because of his acting. Iko Uwais is someone that you can put in an action film with dramatic scenes and he can kill it

[@alejandroramirez4470]

If it's due to language barrier, then I get it. Jackie was still great before america with great original ideas. Tony had what is most known to many ong bak and the protector basically. I don't think he had enough time to grow. I remember when I was younger my family rented some jackie movies or they'd pop up on movie channels. Maybe more were available after rush hour but jackie had a pretty good resume.

[@MsDragonbal776]

Your right about the first ong bak. The problem is that the other two ong bak films were honestly trash and most likely stunted his growth as an actor

[@alejandroramirez4470]

@MsDragonbal776 probably only saw ong bak 2 once but I remember thinking it'd be hype. Was it that bad?

[@MsDragonbal776]

@@alejandroramirez4470 they were terrible. They went back in the past and made it waaayyy to mystical and used the two main characters from the first film, which didn't make any sense because what are they? Those two character's ancestors or something? Compare that with the grounded nature of the first film.

[@RipsharkTV]

The Raid films are the last martial art films I can remember being enamored by. Iko Uwais should be a bigger and more known fighting star than what he is. He is amazing

[@sudimara7731]

Unfortunately Iko's Hollywood movie are mostly pretty bad too, Stuber, Mile 22, and Snake Eyes. Don't know about The Expendables 4 with Iko and Tony Jaa that will release this year.

[@Ssjdnn]

There is Triple threat with Iko and Tony Jaa. There is also headshot, very raid 2 like martial arts with Iko.

[@filhanislamictv8712]

​@@Ssjdnnthe night comes for us is also really good

[@arthas640]

​@@sudimara7731 Stuber was alright but he was largely irrelevant in that film since he didn't do a whole lot. His English language films like Triple Threat have been pretty bad and English language films have way more influence then any other language so even an average American movie will garner more attention then a Korean or Italian film. The Raid was top notch but any points he wins for that will be outshined by crappy English language films.

[@ajinurfajri1952]

At this point id feel like Timo (The man who made TNCFU & Headshot) is the only guy who could make a great use Iko Uwais's talent in a film.

[@JordanCann]

Me and my lady (who didn’t even know who Scott Adkins is) were just talking about this same topic and this video hit all the points perfectly. Martial Arts films are just not as popular as they used to be, but one thing history has shown us is that it tends to repeat itself. So hopefully the genre will rise again

[@Lionbeard]

Scott Atikins is excellent. Would have easily been a star in the 80's or 90's

[@Jaanikins]

Personally I think Donnie Yen is one of the last remaining ICONIC martial arts super stars who is still getting big jobs. I just think martial arts movies aren’t marketed the same way they used to and therefore aren’t known to many people anymore. I will always love martial arts movies as long as they are made well and are vastly entertaining and I know there are some superstars out there waiting to be found.

[@chasewoolfork2350]

The only problem with him, is he's still one the edge of truly being a major crossover star. He doesn't have the legendary/iconic status that a Michelle Yeoh or Jackie Chan have in the west. He's never even had a lead role in hollywood yet

[@martialartsthoughts]

Donnie has his own studio.. So he calls his own shots... Just like he made them rewrite his part in John Wick 4 due to it being disrespectful to the Chinese

[@heavenlypath1065]

Yes he is the last guy left

[@ironheart5830]

Most Asian consider martial art movies as negative impact on them.

[@martialartsthoughts]

@Iron Heart I can see how that's a thing... For the west.. especially America.. When Americans want Asians in their movies (Hollywood) .. they always make the Asian person a hyper fictional asian.. This is why Donnie Yen forced them to rewrite his part in Star Wars and John Wick ..

[@mbanerjee5889]

That's because there are no superstars anymore, in any genre. When everyone is internet famous, the only real stars are those from the past that still have a loyal audience. There will never be the "next" Tom Cruise or Shahrukh Khan or Jackie Khan because that era of movie stardom is gone. And in terms of action movies, everything is so dependent on special effects that real stunts are not as appreciated.

[@jrc1156]

Yes. Even in music, it is expected that there will be no super stars like in the past.

[@wolflike24124]

exactly. For example, anyone can be a star in the internet, most notably through youtube and Instagram.

[@zuriyel5368]

I think that might be an intentional push by Hollywood executives, bcos that means that the actors have less bargaining power.

[@jrc1156]

@@zuriyel5368 or maybe because our source of entertainment is so much diverse right now.. compared before that our main source of music came from MTV and who made an appearance in TRL.

[@spacemann1425]

One, that is not true. Movie stars still exist. Two, ShahRukh Khan does not do his own stunts, he's not an action star. Three, real stunts are still very much appreciated and used in action films. 90% of the recognized best action films, even today, have real stunts.

[@mikeandrews9944]

I also think part of the problem is that since mma, most people don't regard the genre as "real" fighting. It of course, never should have been. That said, I think we are seeing the perception versus reality trope play out in this genre.

[@rohitchaoji]

Yeah I think that is a part of the reason as well. Martial arts, especially the traditional forms don't have don't have the same mystique attached to them anymore, and while the flashy and aerial fight choreography looks cool, audiences nowadays would need something that looks more grounded and realistic to be able to suspend their disbelief.

[@RyoMassaki]

@@rohitchaoji I think fantastical martial arts still works if it is done well enough. The problem is and always was the execution.

[@mr.2minutes161]

@@rohitchaoji nah, i still think those ridiculous jackie chan scene was awesome dude

[@mikeandrews9944]

@@RyoMassaki I hear ya. But the video is about the decline of the genre and what's causing it. Yes, fantastical martial arts can still be entertaining but for the majority of fans it had more to do with being amazed by something that hadn't really been seen before Bruce Lee popularized it in the late 60's early 70s. It's just not as "magical" anymore because we know how it looks in actual practice. Hence, the allusion to MMA earlier.

[@mikeandrews9944]

@@mr.2minutes161 Of course, they are still fun to look at, but the kids coming up nowadays like stuff that's closer to the "truth"

[@saviordream]

Martial arts films are my favorite genre; I've loved them since I was a kid. It's a shame that they aren't really that popular anymore, at least among mainstream American audiences. Luckily, there are still great ones being made, it's just that you have to look a bit harder to find them, and they're usually not found in your big multiplexes.

[@jjstarrprod]

Now, if you want to watch great martial arts moves, you gotta blend them in Superheroes movies first. Shang Chi and EEAAO (yes, its sort of an indie superhero movie) are fantastic examples of it.

[@abominable.7800]

I think their over shadowed by anime martial arts tv shows and movies. when people thing of asian cinema/entertainment they just think anime nowadays

[@jjstarrprod]

@@abominable.7800 More like nobody is a martial arts movie star now. All the superstars of the genre like Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, Jet Li, Donnie Yen and Michelle Yeoh were people who spent several years if not decades training in either Shaoling Kungfu, beijing opera, dancing, or street fighting before they got their cinematic debut. And kept training all throughout their careers. They'd keep shooting the movies until completion, despites breaking their legs or shattering their ribs (or they'd be out of a job). Nowadays, people sue your ass off if you make them break a nail on set... Needless to say, this current generation is not the best times to groom new martial arts actors, which is the main reason why martial arts movies genre has been slowly fading away, as all the previous stars are getting in their 60's if not 70's, without any clear successors. The only ones that come to mind right now are the Le bros at Martial club. They're the only ones who put in the hours and years of practice, and are actual filmmakers on their own.

[@salt-emoji]

Plus Jackie Chan changed the formula. Like in the early 00s and late 90s he redefined the genre with his awesome action but goofy feel.

[@jp3813]

Late 70s to early 2000s.

[@TheCalabrese1989]

​@@jp3813 yep Jackie chan had the longest golden age era than any others Martial arts star

[@shiranuiaensland1442]

Sounds like you have only seen Jackie Chan's Hollywood movies like Rush Hour. I suggest you also watch Project A (1983), Police Story (1985), Miracles (1989), Drunken Master 2 (1994), Who Am I (1998), etc...

[@sdjslkdjlsskldjslkdjsl8262]

70s. Jackie started the kung fu comedy thing with Snake in the Eagle's Shadow and Drunken Master in the 1970s

[@Buchnerd_Souly]

In the 2000s I was in cinema every two weeks with a friend and it was fun to watch all the different movies. Over time there was less and less thriving movies until we only go to cinema every few months nowadays.

[@anturanggatantra2154]

Man of Tai Chi. Directed by Keanu Reeves, who also starred as the main antagonist. And I love his performance here. Tiger Chen, as the protagonist, was great in that movie. The onlyy unfortunate thing is that they invite Iko Uwais but the fight scene was cut short. Waaaaay too underrated.

[@Crocogator]

I'm glad someone else likes Man of Tai Chi. That movie slaps and Keanu plays "Giant Man In a Suit" very well. Super intimidating.

[@TheCommentNinja81]

I like it too ! I don't have a lot of recent movies in my collection, but Man Of Tai Chi is one of them. I've seen it 3 times.

[@zuriyel5368]

Keanu Reeves wanted to do the movie to do Tiger Chen a solid one 'cos they became friends on The Matrix. Tiger Chen's a part of Yuen Woo-Ping's team, who was the action director and fight choreographer for Matrix 1-3, clearly missed on 4. Yuen Woo-Ping naturally also did the action directing and fight choreography here as well. Chad Stahelski was also a part of Man of Tai Chi. The stuff they learned in Hong Kong and Yuen Woo-Ping is what allowed to surpass Hollywood action filmmaking standard, even with modest movie budgets.

[@renzocater3089]

Ah yes, that Keanu Reeves scream Jumpscare, and i love that Fall in grace type of story only to realize his mistakes and back up again

[@bosshogg4577]

Tiger Chen has zero screen charisma.

[@MeneerSoepgroente]

It’s a bit of a miss that you didn’t talk about RRR and Everything Everywhere All At Once. The former is a foreign action movie that made huge waves, and the latter is a highly acclaimed and popular movie with loads of Kung Fu. That being said, you’re on point with the fact that American studios aren’t willing to produce these kinds of films. But audiences do have an appetite for these films, and for the actors in them.

[@arditeider2812]

Most people already know about EEAAO.

[@ez6888]

RRR is absolute shit

[@phinyo2066]

Surprised too that they didn't mention Warrior when their new season comes out soonish.

[@albinwallen634]

@@phinyo2066 Warrior is awesome

[@hiimjustin8826]

Everything Everywhere All at Once is a shitty movie. Cool ideas but bad execution

[@JingelJjay]

I think the main problem for these guys is the way Hollywood is working right now. Iko Uwais for example has worked in a couple of american movies but in a lot of american action movies action or fight scenes are heavily cutted and filmed by multiple angles and shaky cameras. This is due to the fact that the production companies want to save as much money as possible. In asian cinema this is simply not the case. All action sequences are choreographed and trained over multiple month usually only one or two different camera angles capture the whole fight and cuts are only used to improve the cinematic experience.

[@Player5xx]

The fights in Mile 22 were absolutely horrible. Such a shame they totally wasted Iko because they hired cameramen/editors/choreographers that either didn't know how to coordinate with each other or weren't given enough time and money to utilize Iko to his full potential. They also hired him and other raid actors for star wars 7 and did literally nothing with them. And those wasted performances probably just make it even harder for those actors to get other roles over here.

[@Ineedgames]

That and most Audiences want more big budget movies like Fast and Transformer movies.

[@gandalainsley6467]

@@Player5xx I would not say in mile 22 they were horrible but Iko was very underused. I understand why they would do that because he would make other actors look bad. Like in return of Xander Cage they underused Donnie Yen, Tony Jaa and Michael Bisping too. Like even in the last matrix movie Keanu Revees didn't really have a fight scene because he would make other actors look bad. Most Hollywood actors can't keep up with them.

[@gandalainsley6467]

Shaky cam has not been used for nearly 10 years now.

[@blacklivesorblackvotes2985]

@@gandalainsley6467 nah they’re really horrible, and shaky cam continues to be used to this day. What rock are you living under? Don’t let John Wick fool you. Shaky cam is still very much prevalent. Also, Raid movies starring Iko Uwais have shaky cam as well, and they’re still good. Don’t act like Shaky can can’t be done well. Mike 22 fights are pure trash.

[@robertobuatti7226]

It's good that you highlighted this subject as to the average movie goer today these types of movies aren't as prominent but to cinema lovers like myself who crave cinematic diversity through any decade these movies are pure gold and I've been a fan of martial art cinema from all over Asia especially Hong Kong since I was a teenager in the 90's.

[@SlapstickGenius23]

The mainstream martial arts film industry also has its own mockbusters. For example, some South Asian martial arts movies come from the land of Mt Everest, Nepal, with the most famous ones being actionised mockbusters of Bollywood movies.

[@robertobuatti7226]

@@SlapstickGenius23 Oh really I didn't know that, I will definitely check them out, thank you, much appreciated.

[@Gunnar-Peterson]

One thing to take note of is the influence of MMA, Donnie Yen along with Keanu Reeves and Chad Stahelski are able to blend in MMA along with their choreography. This is one of the reasons why they are still successful today

[@MrLylehammer]

A point that I haven't really seen pointed out is that China has, within the last 10 years, become the biggest geopolitical threat to the United States, and so this has influenced how many Americans view things that are coming out of China. Also, culturally, younger generations of Americans are, for the most part, no longer mystified by kung fu and other elements of Chinese culture. South Korea and Japan have filled the role among younger Americans that China once had among older Americans. Finally, kung fu movies just simply ran their course in the Western world (at least in terms of peak popularity).

[@obiwanshinobi87]

Kid's these days will never know how epic it was growing up with the 80s 90s martial arts movies... Everybody wanted to be a martial artist

[@AngelTorres-gm2bm]

Because MMA and pressure testing woke people up to reality.

[@obiwanshinobi87]

@@AngelTorres-gm2bm because things like kick boxing and muy thai were totally not a thing

[@AngelTorres-gm2bm]

@@obiwanshinobi87 And they got destroyed by grappling martial arts like BJJ/Judo/Wrestling etc...

[@obiwanshinobi87]

@@AngelTorres-gm2bm lol yes there were many forms of martial arts...

[@zuriyel5368]

@@AngelTorres-gm2bm Ah yes. Suddenly people wanted realism from things that were obviously fiction. Totally makes sense.

[@chasewoolfork2350]

Michelle Yeoh is the greatest female action star of all time and an international icon. I can still argue that her and Cynthia Rothrocks 1985 film "Yes Madam", is the most influential female led action movie ever. It started the "Girls With Guns" genre that burned strong in HK's film industry throughout the 80s and 90s and early 2000s ( and those films still influence many till this day ). But your right... Who's the next big Asian crossover star ? or action star outside of America ? Donnie was probably the last one, but even he doesn't carry "Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Michelle Yeoh" level success or clout in Hollywood. He still has yet to even star in the lead role of a hollywood movie ( action or not ). Nicholas Tse is another one out of HK, he has the talent and charisma, but you wouldn't know who he is, unless you watch HK films from 2000-2023. The current generation just doesn't have that next transcendent star

[@hoathim2573]

Love her in super cop 😍

[@fekalistagrzybowory7619]

I fall in love with Michelle since her movies "Police Assasins" and "Yes, Madam". She's the true ICON in the martial arts cinema.

[@cz5836]

Donnie Yen said in an interview (probably more than ten years ago now, so my memory is a little hazy) that he didn't want to go the Hollywood route. So for him, his smaller fame and reputation in Hollywood was a choice and not necessarily because he couldn't make it there. That decision paid off because he became thee guy in Chinese and Hong Kong action cinema while Jackie and Jet both faded in Hollywood and Chinese/Hong Kong film making.

[@chasewoolfork2350]

@@cz5836 But then again his career path was always interest and off imo. He was a bit of a late bloomer, the 90s he didn't really do anything except the first Iron Monkey and Wing Chun maybe ( but that was more of Michelle Yeoh's movie and she was older and already established ). Yen didn't really have his true career breakout until SPL: Sha Po Lang, which many myself included believe saved his career. But Before SPL, it was a struggle for him. SPL was finally where all that "Mega Star" possibility was truly born and on display. Idk where he is without that film... but that lead to this string of crazy acclaimed movies after that too lol.

[@jjstarrprod]

@@chasewoolfork2350 SPL not only boosted his career, it also jolted the entire HK action film industry one last time (after losing its title to Bangkok and S.Korea), bringing it back to its former glory, if only for a short time.

[@esquiredan2702]

Hopefully Ke Huy Quan embraces this niche and makes a long career out of it. Love that guy.

[@chasehedges6775]

He was such a good child actor back in stuff like Goonies and Temple of Doom.

[@FrnnkEducation]

He's 51

[@blacklivesorblackvotes2985]

@@FrnnkEducation and? Denzel Washington can do the Equalizer and Keanu can do John Wick. Ke is fine dude.

[@pihermoso11]

The difference between old school and new school is that in old school, they were already martial artists before they became actors (Jackie Chan, Jet Lee, Sho Kusugi, Van Damme), in new school they are actors who trained some martial arts for a movie (like 3 to 6 months training), actors like Matt Damon, Chris Hemsworth, etc.. Marvel Superhero actors

[@BobSaint]

This.

[@chasehedges6775]

At this point, the fun decades of the 80s, 90s and 2000s and early 2010s are all over and just, as Oliver Reed from Gladiator would put it, “Shadows and Dust.” It’s all gone. It’s makes me want to cry almost

[@npcimknot958]

because people now won't take chances.. too much safety n liability.

[@chasehedges6775]

@@npcimknot958👍👍👍. Exactly

[@dominiquepowell3158]

That's why Hollywood needs to take risks and push boundaries.

[@blacklivesorblackvotes2985]

@@dominiquepowell3158 they’re too busy pretending to be progressive.

[@sdjslkdjlsskldjslkdjsl8262]

Some day your country won't exist, your race won't exist, your language won't exist. No point in being sad over loss when much more incomprehensible losses are on the horizon. Be glad the stuff you like is captured on film and can be rewatched,

[@KoongYe]

Everything Everwhere All at Once was the closest thing to a martial art film we've gotten recently. And the movie certainly let people remind the appeal of the genre. I hope rumored Rush Hour 4 does well and keep the martial art train going.

[@jamellee504]

The channel "Martial Club" is trying to put Martial Arts action cinema back on the map. They had roles in Shang Chi (Death Dealer) And the fighting guards in Everything Everywhere All at Once. Also, Scott Adkins and Donnie Yen (Apart from Ip Man) are crimnally underrated.

[@videogamemusicrenditionsby7625]

You are right...And Phillip Rhee (Best of the Best!) is also underrated!

[@star24ize]

yess totally recommend checking them out. i can feel they're very passionate about the craft and trying to push the envelope

[@khoabui5890]

I want to say that Chow Yun-Fat is “not” a martial art actor. He only learn to do martial arts and stunts for “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” and some of early Hollywood stuff. He’s more well-known for John Woo action dramas and their movies are more oriented to firearm shoot ‘em ups.

[@libraryofregis1555]

I think with the success of the John Wick franchise, especially how a lot of the audience loved Donnie Yen's character in this, this trend will change. Director Chad Stataski has a few different projects becoming up that will be highly anticipated. Ghost Of Tsushima especially being best of both world's. A story based on martial arts and the Samurai while being a being video game franchise directed by the director of John Wick. Especially with the quality drop of superhero films lately especially from Marvel, which has dropped significantly in quality since the infinity saga.

[@ClinicalDecisionYikesYT]

Meh-vel NEVER had quality apart from the first Iron Man. STOP deluding yourself.

[@libraryofregis1555]

@@ClinicalDecisionYikesYT film is subjective buddy!

[@aljami5549]

Oh wow this project sounds like it will be massive if things are done right. Looking forward to it

[@realjohnlove]

It represents something old not something young. The issue is the fact theres no 20-30 year old up & comer who echoes Jackie, Jet, Donnie, Bruce, Michelle Yeoh or even Lucy Lui. John Wick 4 had two legendary actors over 50. What about the younger generation? Jackie was big in his 30s. By his 40s he was a worldwide star. And had reached legend status.

[@ZinoAmare]

@@ClinicalDecisionYikesYT Than you for saying that. they shitting marvel out like yearly game releases, how can you expect quality :D

[@mrsam0496]

Yes, Just like in the music industry the martial arts star has been replaced in their own genre. Jacki, Van Damme and Jet Li have been replaced by Cruise, Keanu and Liam Neeson lol. Even the next gen martial arts actors like Adkins, Tony Jaa, Uko, MJWhite are relegated to just stunts in major movies. The pop star has been replaced by talentless 'models' and actors. The hiphop industry is seeing rappers being replaced by suburb gangsta clones lol

[@chasehedges6775]

Cruise, Keanu and Neeson are awesome tho….until their inevitable replacements

[@albinwallen634]

@@chasehedges6775 neeson isnt that good

[@mrsam0496]

@@chasehedges6775 yes they are. Especially Cruise and Denzel in hand to hand combat but put them in a martial arts movie and watch it crumble. All female hand to hand combat has looked lazy or phony(because you can clearly see the stunt replacement) since the early 90s. See how terrible The Expendables 3 was after they tried to replace the OGs. Also Cruise, Denzel, Hanks generation willl never be replaced. They were supposed to be replaced by the early 2000s but every replacement has terribly failed.... The cream of that generation will still top any new boys at the box office today. Chris Evans, Hemsworth, Pratt, Holland??? Those huys cant selll anything outside the superheros their whole careers are reliant on.

[@chasehedges6775]

@@mrsam0496 Totally agree but the 2000s were pretty 🔥.

[@chasehedges6775]

@@mrsam0496 Chris Evans, Hemsworth and Pratt are pretty awesome but for most part, yeah, you absolutely nailed it.

[@firstname__lastname]

Nope, these actors are just tired of being type cast as only action/ martial art stars. All of those actors mentioned above have a terrific range! Especially when it comes to drama. Jackie Chan in The Foreigner is probably my favourite film of his. It's terrific and very not like Jackie films, but still with a familiar revenge plot. And Chow Yun-Fat is probably one of the best Hong Kong actors alive.

[@KravKernow]

I was in Hong Kong last week. I finally achieved my ambition of having a kung fu fight on a Hong Kong rooftop! I'm putting together a little video of my time over there (it was for a legal thing) so of course I had to get the Shaw Brothers opening fanfare to stick at the beginning.

[@whodatboi2567]

I'd say that another huge factor is the rise in the UFC and MMA as a whole which has become the premiere way to watch martial arts in action. Not only does it have the kind of authenticity that is hard to replicate in film but also it has the unfortunate side effect of exposing the kind of martial arts typically shown in action films as not being highly effective and thus showcasing them less appealing.

[@Samsaraindo]

I agree. I loved martial arts films but as I got more into mma, I kind of couldn't take these movies as seriously.

[@Dan_Kanerva]

@@Samsaraindo so you can easily do what Jackie Chan can do i assume ? Climbing a building on its side ? fight with a stair to keep people at bay ? jumping on top of moving buses and fight on them without wires ? We don't watch Kungfu movies to learn how to kill a man . We watch them to see the peak of action in cinema ffs 😂

[@Samsaraindo]

@@Dan_Kanerva we are talking about the fighting, not the stunts. Stunts can still be a draw. See mission impossible.

[@Dan_Kanerva]

@@Samsaraindo you comparing Tom Cruise to Jackie Chan already exposes you have no idea what you are talking about... and the figthing looks good . Do people hate the Dark Knight because Batman doesnt use proper martial arts? LMAO

[@Samsaraindo]

@@Dan_Kanerva ok mr angry boy

[@Fledermausmann]

I'm a massive fan and proponent of Scott Adkins, I think it's a crying shame that the man isn't a bigger star than he is... Donnie Yen is not as well known in the west but here in Asia, he's been a legend for decades. I really hope he continues working because it's great to see that old school action. Anyway, beat martial arts film to come out in the past few years is, surprisingly, John Wick 4. Love the movie and I think it's such a great addition to the genre.

[@wolflike24124]

i agree. Scott Adkins is become more known in the martial arts action genre but still doesnt get to star in an A-list action movie he deserves.

[@realjohnlove]

@@wolflike24124 he’s also not Asian

[@Grandmastergav86]

Yeah, it is. There's several factors for this - the study of real martial arts, actual Kung Fu ala The Lau Brothers has dwindled significantly. We see a lot of the flashy, Wu-Shu inspired performance techniques but precious little of the classic Fu witnessed in the directorial works of someone like Lau Kar Leung, that was one strand of HK action cinema. Also, we don't have a breeding ground for talent like the Peking Opera which was so prevalent during the Golden Age of HK action cinema (1966-1990), this provided a stark but equally engaging contrast to the Lau Brothers style and is sadly no more. Thirdly, digital effects are such that there are few people who can recognise genuine ability in the face of technical wizardry, the amount of times "normies" have told me that the Bruce Lee Ping Pong clip is legit is absolutely unreal and hilarious to me.

[@sohaibsanaan4139]

Just a side note Jackie Chans popularity across the globe is insane while Bruce Lee was the one to break barrier but the heights jackie chan achieved purely through his charisma and incredibly innovative martial arts style is beyond impressive and its a shame that he is a little to old to pass the baton in a film to many of the above mentioned stars. Still I truly believe with donnie yens role in John Wick 4 Everything Everywhere all at once Shang Chis and if there is a 4th (good) Rush Hour movie we might see a renaissance of the martial art genre.

[@ektran4205]

jackie hates hollywood stuntman unions

[@SlapstickGenius23]

@@ektran4205unfortunately true. There won’t be a superstar like Jackie Chan or Johnny Weissmuller anymore, I guess.

[@Mofapilot]

I REALLY enjoyed watching Everything, everywhere all at once, because it had fantastic choreographed fight scenes in it. Especially the fight scene with the doggy bag took me back to the hay days of Jackie Chan movies

[@40doggreid]

I believe that the Chinese martial arts star is not over in America, but it will be difficult to be as big as Jackie, Bruce or Jet. Donnie is right their, but he is getting older so it will have to be a younger Chinese Martial Artists to do what the other actors did during the 70's, 80's, and 90's. I'm 47 years old, so I was there for the OG's of Martial Arts movies. Tony Jaa and Iko Uwais came close in the early 2000's, but did get BIG success.

[@auroninja]

I think an obscure point could also be the hip hop revolution in the 90s. The Wu-Tang Clan brought a unique style to hip-hop by adding kung-fu elements to the music. It could be a possible reason for the popularity of kung-fu flicks in the 90s.

[@no_nameyouknow]

Fair point but I think it was the other way around, or at the least a symbiotic relationship. I know personally, I was already into Kung Fu flics when I started listening to Wu-Tang and that link was a part of what drew me to the group. That and the sick beats and talented rappers.

[@auroninja]

@@no_nameyouknow You'll get no argument from me there, but that's how it was for me. Cheers, fellow "B-boy."

[@HolybasilYT]

I loved these films growing up. But I'm sad to admit that with how much TV and movies we're bombarded with now, they do not cut it to grab my interest. There needs to be more than just cool fight scenes to buy my attention.

[@ektran4205]

vanishing son and black sash

[@BiohazardEXTREME]

On the one hand, I would love to see my favourite martial arts actors get more general recognition. People like Scott Adkins, Iko Uwais, Joe Taslim, and Michael Jai White, should be household names. On the other hand, considering how hard Hollywood grasped onto the super-hero and comic book movies, and how hard they completely ran that into the ground, I certainly don't want to see martial arts movies become shallow bubblegum family-friendly trend chasers, where every little decision is dictated by a room full of suits. Film as a medium is sooooo much more than just Hollywood. As long as we keep getting films like Accident Man, The Debt Collector, Triple Threat, and The Night Comes For Us, I will continue to buy the blu-rays, pay for the digital rentals, and just vote with my wallet in general. Hopefully that's good enough for the creators making them, and if Hollywood wants no part of it, then good riddance.

[@zuriyel5368]

Same. Heck, Hollywood would actually save a lot of money on having those types of movies becoming mainstream again instead of most of their CGI fest movies.

[@DaddyFutbol]

Blockbuster and other VHS/DVD rental stores played a huge role why it can't happen again

[@WorldMind]

HBO's show Warrior is throughly scratching the itchy onion. And should be watched by all lovers of Bruce Lee.

[@Cycl0id]

Don't get me wrong I love Jackie and see why he's always mentioned but Yuen Biao and Sammo Hung deserve some big love too!

[@remuvs]

To me, martial arts is going the way of the Westerns, the Spies, and the 80s macho. While we have last bastions like Donnie Yen, Iko Uwais and Scott Adkins, martial arts cinema has lost a lot of steam from the old days, everything exits its prime eventually.

[@lola-to9om]

Stephen Chow is also great I loved most of his movies I don't think people even know him such an underrated actor he should've get more movies than he did. He's the protagonist of shaolin soccer and kung fu hustle and both of them are in my top 10 martial arts movies. It wouldve been nice to see him grow and make it to the hollywood a lot of talent is in this world hollywood just misses them all and hire mids

[@windandcloudshadow158]

Dudes a legend merging comedy with martial arts.

[@tomadamson3564]

I think a big reason why there is a lack of kung fu films, is due to us 'being over' the mysticism that came with kung fu etc

[@yourfavoritebubbe7444]

I know EEAAO has been beaten to death at this point but I really do hope it will encourage more people to look into martial arts films.

[@jjstarrprod]

Great vid, but I'm a bit surprised you didn't mentioned the boys of fellow youtube channel Martial Club. Their channel has been spoofing/ paying hommage to the whole genre of Martial Arts cinema for years, and now that they finally got noticed, they're working with Jackie Chan, Marvel (for Shang Chi, they've been Simu's martial arts coaches, and one of the brothers plays the DeathDealer), and now they've been the choreographers (and already legendary butt plugs fighters) of EEAAO, having now worked twice with Michelle Yeoh, one of their childhood idols. From what I've seen of the BTS of Shang Chi, Yuen Wah himself, former stunt double of Bruce Lee, and Asian martial arts movie icon of his own, has told them that they are now the future of the genre. I'm looking forward to see where their rising stardom is gonna bring them.

[@Ethan_here230]

Vidyut jamwal is yet another legend in martial arts who's got the skills, looks, physique, height, screen presence, charm and decent acting skills. Guys a beast

[@spacemann1425]

He needs better action directors. The guy needs to do a film with someone like Dibakar Banerjee, Vikram Motwane, Sriram Raghavan, Neeraj Pandey or Anirudh Iyer. Instead I'm afraid he'll become another Tiger Shroff and suck up to Siddharth Anand. Who can't direct action for nuts.

[@user-lehsun-le-garib]

That's quite random

[@Craxin01]

Much like American's culinary palettes, we have a very muted cinematic palette. Gone are the days where one could go see a western, a drama, a comedy, an arthouse picture and find different and amazing feats of cinematics. Now it's all about how fast a studio can make money. Greed destroys everything.

[@yellalot101]

It is a shame these type of movies aren't more widespread and well known. Aside from the incredible martial arts choreography, a lot of them actually have a really good story and are also well made.

[@alanhouston5874]

I think the definition of star has changed a bit in terms of action. It’s mostly about how big is the franchise you are associated with and how big the part you play in it, rather than focussing on the star and what the next project is Donnie Yen probably has the most cross over at the moment

[@brorjordas1979]

Dunno.. Things come and go - and rise up again. Anything can happen.. I remember as a kid seeing Jackie Chan's movie Snake in the Eagle's Shadow on VHS - and oh man, that hit hard. Later as an adult I found the movie on DVD - and it still remains as an old JC favorite. Mr Chan just had something about him that many liked. Otherwise never a big fan of other well known Kung Fu movie actors, no matter how good they've been portrayed..

[@noaimnobrainlame]

i think a under appreciated point is people who fell in love with martial arts have fallen away from kung fu esc fighting. mma opened peoples eyes to the "devastating" power of something like karate. krav maga, bjj and wrestling have taken over.

[@dxiong8]

Donnie Yen was in freaking STAR WARS

[@abominable.7800]

these are the movies they'd throw out on no cable tv channels randomly and i would always eat them up and have a blast watching them. even though half the time as a kid i didn't know anything about the plot the fighting was what made ti amazing

[@DuelScreen]

Two thoughts: (1) Jackie Chan had humor and this comes out in his movies. I don't really see that in the other stars. (2) Jackie Chan's style of humor in some ways can become a parody of itself. So it may be that Jackie Chan opened the door for himself but also closed it for others.

[@blacklivesorblackvotes2985]

Not really Jackie’s responsibility to open doors for others. His humor and style is his and his only. There is only one Jackie Chan.

[@wimsylogic65]

I have always been a huge fan of Jackie Chan. my all time favorite actor.

[@captaindeadpool313]

I think one of the reasons they're not taking off as well as in the past is because, while the action is great, the characters, writing, cinematography, overall storytelling, etc isn't as good. Movies like The Raid, had a interesting premise, good suspense, well shot scenes and a decent protagonist. Also, not every martial artist superstar is that good of an actor. Scenes that don't have action at all still need to carry the movie with them and a lot of times the characters aren't interesting enough. Superhero genre also contains a lot of action, from effects heavy to martial arts. It has more variety I guess. As a fan of Jet lee, Jackie Chan, Tony Jaa, one of my complaints regarding some of their movies has always been that, outside action, most other scenes are boring af. I don't care about the characters majority of the time, the cinematography isn't that eye-catching either. And the worst, they force an action scene where there is no need for it, then they make the action go on for either too long or too short. This implies to blockbusters too btw.

[@CoinOpTV]

Excellent segment and much respect for these great HK action stars! BTW I don't see a link to the podcast you referenced in the description box.

[@jeffhunt5964]

The major difference is the mainstream presence of pro mma fighting. 30 years ago, martial artists were awe inspiring. Today, you can watch mixed martial arts fights any time you want. The lack of the awe inspiring kicks and flair is noticeable because we all know it's just a gimmick. If that stuff really was real, we would see it in mma. Audiences today are more mature than the 80's and early 90's. They prefer entertainment that is either grounded in realism or pushed to the extreme edges of fantasy, for better or worse.

[@samuelantonioveloz6647]

"They prefer entertainment that is either grounded in realism or pushed to the extreme edges of fantasy, for better or worse." Agreed! We now know that traditional martial arts don't really work, and that one "regular guy" taking out a room full of thugs with 1 kick each is bs. Ironically, having a super powered individual doing the same is now more believable.

[@itemtest1]

I miss that era so much. I remember we used to imitate characters from those fighting movies and fight with friends or brothers, like one would be Sub Zero while the other would Scorpion from 90s Mortal Kombat movies. Movies from 70s, 80s, 90s and then early 2000s like Tony Jaa's The Protector(2005). It's very sad seeing this era going away. Brings so much nostalgia from childhood😭😭😭

[@ginebro1930]

Well, after the UFC we learned most of it was Bullshido, with the exception of course of jujitsu wich you can't use in a street fight so... yeah it's a thing of the past.

[@Lionbeard]

Excellent breakdown. Makes me sad that talented guys like Michael Jai White and Scott Atkins movies dont go to theaters anymore. Should be huge stars. Times certainly have changed but at least that stuff is very accessible though not popular in the mainstream anymore.

[@owlobsidian6965]

I think you overlooked one major factor; traditional martial arts have been all but discredited in the eyes of the general public. With the advent of mma, people no longer see karate or kung fu as believable.

[@SuccessforLifester]

Max Zhang is pretty good too. Hopefully he has better projects going his way

[@Lionbeard]

Love his work. I hope he gets more mainstream exposure

[@Anthonycheesman33]

Tony jaa was the last martial arts star Hollywood tried to make happen and it didn’t work .

[@WanderingMiqo]

The only big movie he was in was Monster Hunter, wasn't it?

[@phinyo2066]

@@WanderingMiqo One of the fast and furious films but they barely gave him anything to do.

[@WanderingMiqo]

@@phinyo2066 I'd hardly call that Hollywood trying to make Tony Jaa happen. They cast him in small roles and then wonder why he doesn't gain popularity.

[@guyverjay1289]

There is NOBODY like Jackie Chan, he is a one of a kind

[@yuurou7927]

Let me quote Jackie Chan: No one knows how to shoot and how to edit in Hollywood. That is objectively true when it comes to martial art movies. Hong Kong distributed movies were so much better shot and edited than Hollywood movies. Hollywood will never admit that.

[@MrDualeone]

I think the main reason is because now audience's suspension of disbelief has to be extremely high when viewing martial art movies. We now know martial art in real life does not work. Lengthy fight scenes are good to look at, but unreal.

[@davidalexanderarnavat]

One thing you overlooked is the action star craze of the 1990s. Jean-Claude Van Damme, Steven Seagal, and etc appeared in tons of films which pushed the action genre to ad nauseum levels. Granted, Hollywood has been making lazy decisions for a while, though the shortage of martial arts action films (which in many ways is similar to the action star craze), is because they've been cranked out before. I do agree that there have been some good performers and films that fell under the radar here. Audience tastes' have changed is my guess.

[@patrickwilliamson29]

Not sure about that, I think a big part of us not seeing so much martial artists from Asia is political. China in the late 90s early 2000s was very open to the west and Hong Kong was far more free than it is now. Most of what we get now is CCP propapanga which is usually poor quality

[@Coreyographed]

What film(s) are at 5:02 - 5:05 they don’t look familiar at all

[@danextra858]

Thanks to Tom Cruise and Keanu Reeves for saving the modern action cinema.

[@spideyman23]

Tom Cruise just wants to find new and exciting ways to injure/kill himself, lol. He’s insane.

[@ninjanibba4259]

​@@spideyman23 yet he barely does.....makes you think

[@danextra858]

@@spideyman23 he does it because no one else has the balls to do what he does. And that works wonders for action cinema, if Keanu doesn't put half as much effort in his fights, we will be able see it on the screen. Same goes for Tom's stunts.

[@spideyman23]

@@danextra858 It was a joke, relax. Lol. Side note though, there are still plenty of martial artists in film. Statham, Adkins, Uwais, Jaa. Tom Cruise isn’t the only one who does intense and risky stunt work. He just goes to the extreme and then had to one up himself every time. It’s spectacle over substance.

[@spideyman23]

@@ninjanibba4259 It was a joke. Calm down. Jesus Christ.

[@prathitdeshpande3456]

Scott Adkins is so underated that it breaks my heart he is not recognized by 80 percent of the population!!!

[@HowlGough]

Sadly feel part of this is the reality kicking in when I comes to Kung Fu and flashy martial arts. We know from MMA that it's just not realistic. I think when Bruce Lee, Jet and Jackie were first on screen we believed they were unbeatable real life super heroes. Now we see medium level UFC guys going round China and absolutely destroying so called masters and it kills the dream/ illusion of it.

[@colofthedead6101]

I doubt the general public has any idea these UFC guys are touring China. As a student of traditional martial arts in my youth, I can't watch MMA. It might be effective, but it's brutal. And I was in several encounters in my youth where traditional martial arts (TKD) saved me. It is extremely rare in the real world for two students of different styles to end up in a street encounter, where MMA is more suited. I'd rather watch movies with a more artistic style portrayed. It's still more realistic than what we get from Hollywood these days - CGI and people on strings.

[@davideserra3093]

We young fans of the genre have to fight to keep this kind of film going, it seems like the actors of the past have raised the bar so high that nobody has the balls to try these days. Van Damme tried for years without money and recommendations before being successful, today's young people lack the consistency and passion to give it a try, they give up after a couple of rejections.

[@nokungfuforyou323]

I think movies like John Wick will still be around but films with "Chinese Kung Fu" will do worse and worse in the west, and actually a lot of parts of Asia. The reality is that it is hard enough to fight one trained opponent, let alone a locker room full. If people want real fighting they can watch MMA and Kickboxing on the UFC and One championships. Or Bare Knuckle fighting. The Asian martial arts myth is pretty much dead now. Most of it was nonsense after all- like 90%. Kung Fu masters, Ninja, Samurai, all products of wish fulfillment after WWII. Lots of dried boards and bricks broken, but when it came down to it none of these guys could beat a truly well trained boxer or wrestler/Judoka. Especially not Judoka and Wrestlers. Tae Kwon Do has become a kid's hobby now, with 12 year old 2nd degree black belts.

[@FirstComments]

"Everything everywhere all at once" & "Shang Chi" are good modern ones

[@chasewoolfork2350]

EEAAO isn't really a full blown martial arts movie, though there are some fights in the movie with martial arts influence. Its more of a sci-fi maximalist comedy, mixed with elements of generational family drama and emotional storytelling. But even EEAAO as you mentioned who does it star ? One of the big crossover icons he mentioned already in Michelle Yeoh which proves his point. Who are "THE NEW STARS" of the current generation ?

[@SavF]

1st. And the answer is yes 😢

[@chasehedges6775]

👍👍👍

[@HilwaAlifah]

Okay

[@kencube86]

Practicing to be a Martial Artist is hard. It take a lot of time and sacrifice. There are many interviews of Jackie Chan describing how hard it is. Back in the 60s to 80s when most martial artists were produced, Hong Kong people mainly worked in factory. Becoming a martial artist is a way to earn more money than working in factory. Nowadays when people usually looking for work in the office, no parents would send their child to practice to become a martial artist. They would send their child to practice Kung Fu as a hobby, not as a job. Action movies is dying in Hong Kong.

[@randomcharacter6501]

Yes, because everyone uses the same style of kung fu in modern action movies... It's lame. When everyone is a martial arts star, no one is.

[@Anthonycheesman33]

I’ll take the style we have now over the 2000s Jason Bourne shaky cam shit lol,

[@randomcharacter6501]

@@Anthonycheesman33 It's more competent now but lame. There's another video that pointed this out better than my comment. They stated if you watched the older X-Men movies most of the characters fought with a different style, Wolverine didn't fight like Iceman. Now every Avenger is using some form of Kung Fu to the point where when they actually do have a character for that purpose in Shang Chi, it's not special anymore. He just fights like the majority of the other Avengers except beam users. Not every character needs to be an expert in hand to hand combat.

[@blacklivesorblackvotes2985]

@@randomcharacter6501 that’s a dumb argument to make tbh. The marvel characters have been master combatants since the comics which are way older. It has nothing to do with everyone being a fighter. Shang Chi wasn’t popular in the comics anyway. Iron Fist had a bigger name than him ffs. You’re showing your lack of knowledge on marvel comics. DC comics also has a shit ton of martial artists and it’s not affecting them lol.

[@DonVal86]

You can’t fool the viewer. Jackie Chan’s movies trump anything being done today because they remain authentic.

[@ClownAl3n]

Facts. America/Hollywood still pretty racist. Asians wont get fair representation until another 10-20 years. Currently its the African-American community turn (2000-2010) we had a few specks of African-Americans in movies. 2010-2016 - we started to get more and mroe 2017-2023 - peak african-americans in move for some unknown reason :0 prob political agenda/pandering. P.S - African-Americans are very vocal while asians arent as vocal so that could be a thing too as a culture + hollywood

[@oliviastratton2169]

Asian Americans are like 4-5% of the population. Black Americans are around 13% of the population. Is it really surprising that there are more black actors cast in American films?

[@hiweiwang]

Great video essay. Appreciate your work and a theme worth covering!

[@claytonromero13]

There’s also some seriously toxic and dangerous behaviors and cultural norms that come with actors like Donny Chen. The guy is notorious for hurting stunt performers.

[@jjstarrprod]

You mean Donnie Yen ? That's not toxic, that's how HK's martial arts cinema genre has been built ever since the 70's. Watch any interview of Jackie Chan or Sammo Hung and they'd tell you how it's done. Back in the days in HK, if you're a stunt and fell from a 10 stories building, broke your leg or your ribs, and you reported it, you were out of a job and of healthcare. Nowadays in Hollywood, you slap someone on the fingers and you get sued. Different place, different time, different culture.

[@alittlebitgone]

Who is Donny Chen?

[@joemckim1183]

Chow Yun-Fat has a few martial arts movies but for the most is just a straight action star who does more shoot'em up type of movies.

[@ronmorey1246]

I expected you to mention the issue being a cultural shift away from violence as a legitimate way to solve problems. When I was young the only way to stop a bully was to beat him up in a fight. So I learned to fight and I ended bullying in over a dozen schools. Another thing I thought you'd go more into was that the old movies came out at the perfect time for them to become famous and spread the actors names. Movies in that era were not complicated, and stories had to have excitement to make up for that. Plus effects were not good for scifi/fantisy yet but action stunts were great. Fighting scene stunts really haven't changed much in the last 30 years. Basically a good fighting movie was the best you could get from TV/movies, at a time they felt new fresh and amazing, with the best effects in the industry that didn't look bad, they helped fulfil peoples want to be a hero, and gave them something to strive for while at the same time showing them that they are not bad for being less than the hero because he had training they couldn't have. Now though; you don't fight bullies you whine and tell on them, you don't fight people and only non-violence is acceptable, and you dream of being famous instead of skilled. These aren't bad or worse, they are just different than it was in the time these types of movies were big. Now mix that with a script about a guy who trains all his life to be a peaceful hermit forced to fight being a pretty dull script, fighting not being as cool and exciting, and the effects for fighting being as good or better in older films and there just isn't a lot of reason to watch a film that is just a shallow attempt to punch on screen. Most films don't even advertise the fighting scenes in movies anymore. John Wick has a lot of fighting, but the gun scenes get the promotions. Bond movies have a lot of fighting but they are all about the explosions, and star wars movies have fighting but if it doesn't have a light saber who cares. The love of fighting movies and the love of martial arts will come back, all things come and go in cycles/phases, but it's going to be awhile.

[@inquisitive6786]

Cool story bro

[@joelblack2591]

The Hollywood movie system was never the driving force for martial arts movie stardom of the 80s and 90s. During that time, it was virtually only Hong Kong producing kung fu movies. But by the 2000s, the interests and movie taste of the Hong Kong audience had changed. The younger generation were more interested in rom-coms and crime thriller movies, while the golden age of kung fu movies were seen as becoming stale and for the older generation. This is why the movie “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” was not the big hit in Asia as it was in America. There was nothing revolutionary in the movie that they hadn’t seen already many times. On top of that, advancements in computer graphics and VFX made the old school martial arts talent unnecessary as Hong Kong and Mainland China studios realized they could use rising young pop stars to look like skilled fighters. Furthermore, with the growing awareness for on-set safety concerns for actors in Chinese cinema, actors no longer wanted or needed to risk their health and safety for a performance as their predecessors might have had to endure in order to prove themselves. As a result, southeast Asia (such as Thailand and Indonesian film industries) started to fill the void for quality high risk martial arts movies. Unfortunately, many stunt performers as well as the actors have been seriously injured from performing such stunts. Furthermore, it’s hard for actors like Tony Jaa and Iko Uwais to cross over into Hollywood (despite multiple attempts) because Hollywood is unable to match the high risk stunts necessary to showcase their unique talents. Again, with the rapid advancements in filmmaking technology and changes in the audience’s sensibility (possibly due to increased exposure to MMA), I think a lot of young martial arts talent just don’t see trying to be the next Jackie Chan or Tony Jaa as worth it.

[@ChuckD008]

While it seems bad in this vid to compliment Marvel/Big Studio, I did like Shang-Chi & it very much felt like the director wanted to make these kinds of film & has a genuine love for them.

[@ssmd7449]

Jackie Chan and jet li are the best. Loved rush hour series and Romeo must die. It sucks that today there aren’t any new good actors to push this genre. World has gone to shit

[@thaahurricane]

Shang Chi RRR John Wick (Donnie yen) Everything Everywhere All At Once

[@ConceptART-Dagas]

Thank god someone noticed the rarety of kung fu genre, and presented us with a gem like "Everything Everywhere all at once". Wich shined largery because of a good story and originality. And kick ass action in the mix ^^

[@ghosttemplar6989]

This is why Donnie Yen, Michael Ja White, Ikwa, and Scott Adkins will never break into that same stardom and its sad very sad majority of the fans first started watching the old Kung Fu movies and mine was Bruce Lee The Big Boss.

[@ghostinthemachine209]

Something else worth mentioning is that interests and culture changes. In the 1930's monster movies were at an all-time high. In the 50's it was all about alien invasion films (thanks to Roswell), and in the 60's westerns were super popular. But culture and interests changes so they disappear for a while, but give it a few more years and they'll be back. In the 80s and 90s martial arts was buzzing in the US. Every corner had a karate or tae-kwon-do studio. Every kid in the 80s wanted to be the next 'karate kid' or be like the ninja turtles. And in the 90's there were shows like 3 ninjas that kept it cool. But people's interests change and they move on to the next thing. Super hero movies have been drowning everything else out, but I think many people are starting to burn out on it now and want something different.

[@skyfistoflight]

Respect for making this video and calling out both the past and current talent (which I enjoy); however, you failed to mention the elephant in the room. UFC pretty much killed the kung fu movie fandom.

[@roundtabledetails3307]

I'm amazed how you can make 8 minute long videos without saying anything

[@cbastien92]

I was fascinated by those movies being a child in the 90’s but when I realized that it was a choreography like in WWE I lose all the interests….thus began to watch UFC to see the “true” thing

[@edosan1068]

one point the video missed is that, nowadays, american movies are trying to breaking into the chinese market, not so much the other way around. That and the withering movie market of HK I think are also major contributor to this issue as well.

[@sevenseasago6901]

If I wanted to jump into this genre, where should I start?

[@v1deo.hunter.d317]

I would not include Chow Yun-fat since he's more of an general action star, not a martial arts guy The current big martial arts stars are Donnie Yen and Wu Jing (Wolf Warrior) and also guys like Scott Adkins and Michael Jai White in the sort of direct to video kind of market