“Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” Theatrical Poster
Martial arts film are near and dear to many people’s hearts. The focus on tightly scripted and choreographed fight scenes brings pure thrills and excitement to the screen, something most other genres can’t match. While action films are common they never quite reach the same plateau of a good martial art film. A typical action film will have explosions, guns fights and a few punches but martial arts action is a lot more intimate and a lot more personal.
Kung fu fights in film can be between dozens of fighters or a one-on-one. Regardless of what it is, you get a tightly made scene. The main actor will work closely with everyone involved so that every punch, kick, throw and attack is perfect. There’s a lot of skill and finesse with such scenes than you wouldn’t find in a typical action movie, with the work going further to create a stronger fight.
It’s easy to fake shooting guns and throwing punches in a movie, but you can’t fake genuine martial arts skill. This is of course why martial arts are seen less and less in western cinema, as there are fewer people trained in it, meaning they can’t bring it to the screen and those who watch can’t appreciate it it as much. While martial arts films have had prominent periods in the West, they currently aren’t a thing, which could be attributed to the popularity UFC and similar combat sports. Mixed martial arts is focused more on swift, simple, brutal techniques while martial arts goes for style and prolonged fights, so films will follow this trend. An audience wanting to see more CGI action also decreases the odds of one-on-one fights being filmed.
Martial arts is the emphasis on the fight while streamlined action films focuses on other things. Martial arts films will feature the personal fight at the forefront with both hero and villain using their lifelong honed skills to battle the opponent. A Hollywood action film will go for variety, with it’s character battling against their enemies, in various ways, I.E. fistfights, guns, explosions, jumping from heights, car chases, etc. While a kung fu flick can and will contain these elements, it goes for a more cerebral focus, but can lose the flavour and simplicity an audience desires.
It’s safe to say that martial arts films are huge success in Asia. Most of their biggest stars, even dramatic actors will have such combat knowledge that they will use in many types of film. While Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Donnie Yen and Jet Li are household names to a western filmgoer, they don’t have the same appreciation and have never achieved the same recognition as they do in their homelands. Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon was a huge success across the world and received numerous awards in the West, even a Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. Compare that to a film like Kung Fu Hustle, which was popular worldwide, never gained any real major acclaim, despite it doing so in it’s native Hong Kong and China.
An absence of kung fu action can be seen in other mediums. Martial arts films can be passed by in games such as mobile slots (yes, online gambling). Western video games very rarely feature kung fu or karate styles. Sleeping Dogs was an example, but focused as much on gunplay and driving as it did hand-to-hand combat. Fighting games are common, but often more concentrate on over the top techniques rather than any grounded martial arts, with Tekken and Virtua Fighter being some more realistic examples.
Martial arts films will always be beloved, but when or if they’ll be a hit again in the West could be anyone’s guess.
