Essential films
1970s · the breakthrough
- 1978Snake in the Eagle's ShadowThe first time comedy and kung fu really clicked.
- 1978Drunken MasterWong Fei-hung as a lazy, hungover student. A template for decades.
1980s · the stunt team years
- 1980The Young MasterHis first film as director for Golden Harvest.
- 1983Project AThe clock-tower fall, filmed until it was right.
- 1984Wheels on MealsThe fight with Benny Urquidez — still the benchmark.
- 1985Police StoryThe shanty-town car chase and the light-pole slide.
- 1986Armour of GodThe jump that nearly ended everything.
- 1989MiraclesHis own favourite: a gangster comedy with a period set built from scratch.
1990s · Hong Kong peak, Hollywood arrival
- 1992Police Story 3: SupercopHanging from a helicopter ladder over Kuala Lumpur.
- 1994Drunken Master IIThe final fight is a masterclass in rhythm.
- 1995Rumble in the BronxVancouver standing in for New York, a broken ankle standing in for nothing.
- 1998Rush HourThe one that made him a household name in the US.
2000s and later
- 2000Shanghai NoonA western, of sorts.
- 2004New Police StoryA darker return to the series.
- 2010The Karate KidMr. Han and the jacket routine.
- 2017The ForeignerA quiet, grieving father — and still doing his own fights.
Why the stunts look different
Wide shots, long takes. Hong Kong action of the 1980s let the camera watch the whole move instead of cutting around it. If he fell, you saw him land.
Props as partners. Ladders, chairs, refrigerators, bicycles. The fights are built from whatever is in the room, which is why they feel like comedy.
The outtakes. End-credit bloopers became a signature — partly as a joke, partly as proof that nobody else was in the costume.
About this site
A hobby project kept up by one fan with too many DVDs. No streams, no downloads, no ads — just notes. Corrections and favourite scenes are always welcome.