Martial arts films have been a cult phenomenon since the late 60s. These spectacularly violent, beautifully choreographed films - such as recent box-office blockbusters Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Kill bill volumes 1&2, and House of Flying Daggers - have reached a level of popularity and fashionable interest that guarantees chart-topping success not just in the East but across the globe.
Twenty definitive films and TV series are examined - from the genre's beginnings in 1920s China through the global popularity of Enter the Dragon to modern Asian classic Hero - along with their influence on Hollywood blockbusters like The Matrix. Discussing a full range of actors and directors, from the traditional Bruce Lee and King Hu to contemporary masters Chow Yun Fat and John Woo and focusing on the common themes of the movies, fighting styles, set-piece martial battles and rigorous training sequences, Martial Arts places the films within the development of the genre and discusses what it is that sets them apart.
A must-have read for any kick flick fanatic.