Kung Fu Cinema Vs Hollywood

Modern martial arts movies based out of Hollywood could learn a lot from classic Kung Fu cinema.

In direct contrast to the old style of long takes in action films, today's features have been greatly edited into small pieces.

These current fight scenes are harder to follow and lack the brilliant choreography acted out by legends such as Gordon Liu.

Back in the early days, we didn't watch Kung Fu movies for the plots. Viewers tuned in to witness the acrobatic flips and tumbles that were clearly visible, although they did often include some "cheesy" sound effects.

Nevertheless, the scenes were as entertaining as watching an elaborate dance routine.

One man's work stands out ahead of all the rest in this classic footage.

Every true fan of this genre is familiar with the name Liu Chia Liang, perhaps the most famous director to come out of the Shaw Brothers' studios.

Two of his most known projects are "The 36th Chamber of Shaolin" and "Drunken Master II," but there were many others.

The Shaw Brothers are responsible for producing more than 1000 movies before ending operations in 1987.

This was a powerful combination of talent that perhaps lacked the huge budgets of today's blockbusters, but they certainly released some memorable footage.

Chinese film industries

These days, thanks to increased funding for films, innovative developments, and tax breaks, The Chinese film market is ready to compete with Hollywood.

Though there is still a large gap in revenue from ticket sales when compared to the United States and Canada, recent reports show profit  increases within the region.

The Chinese finance ministry is using these efforts to improve the overall strength and make domestic films more competitive within the industry.

They will additionally offer support when these projects move to the overseas market.

Hong Kong film industries still play a big part in the world's cinema stage as well with a unique identity to their product.

There has always been a bit of a "cult following" associated with these projects, but today the industry has gone more mainstream.

Still, we must pay tribute to Orange Sky Golden Harvest, who were most responsible for bringing Hong Kong films into the Western marketplace.

These included movies featuring legends Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan.

Given China's history  they will find a way to become more competitive in the motion picture industry, but it won't happen overnight.