TEN REASONS WHY HONG KONG MOVIES ARE BETTER THAN STAR WARS
Like we really need them. But if you disagree, here they are. This short list was originally submitted by Mark Morrison to the Jet Lee mailing list. Mark has a top site, which can be reached by clicking HERE.
Chiu Man Chuk (Zhao Wen Zhou) in Tsui Hark's THE BLADE...
1. Jackie Chan rides bicycles up walls and under doors in "Project A", live on film. "Return of the Jedi" runs a few badly blue-screened speeder bike models into fake trees
2. Unlike Darth Vader, Lord Conquer (Sonny Chiba) in "The Storm Riders" can throttle people from a distance, has more than one sword in his scabbard, and does not suffer from a breathing defect.
3. The music from "Once Upon a Time in China" is stirring, dramatic, unforgettable, and was not ripped off from Holst's "The Planets".
4. "Zu Warriors of Magic Mountain" is full of fascinating characters, incredible fights, amazing set-pieces and unmatched energy - but does not ever pause to sell soft toys, Lego, action figures, computer games, breakfast cereal or collectible Big Head Coke Cups from McDonalds.
5. Tze Mui in "My Father is a Hero" is cuter than an ewok, but can also whip a dozen of his classmates into submission armed only with a burning love for his parents and a rolled-up towel.
6. Jet Li in "Fong Sai Yuk" is engaging, romantic, funny, caring, athletic and dramatic. The less said about Mark Hammil, the better.
7. "Return of the Jedi" puts Carrie Fisher into leather and makes her a slave. "Heroic Trio" puts Michelle Yeoh, Anita Mui and Maggie Cheung into leather and makes them kick ass.
8. Tsui Hark has told dozens of memorable stories in the last twenty years. George Lucas is still pedalling out the same one. And Hark has a cooler beard.
9. Brigitte Lin as the "Bride With White Hair". Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia. Brigitte Lin. Carrie Fisher. Brigitte Lin. Carrie Fisher. Let's leave it there, shall we?
10. At the end of "Empire Strikes Back", Luke loses his hand, but has a droid-built replacement by the start of the next movie with which to grip his fabbo lightsabre (TM). In "The Blade", Chiu Man-Cheuk loses his whole ARM twenty minutes in, but retrains himself to fight one-handed armed only with his father's broken sword and a martial arts book with missing pages.
