Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is undoubtedly one of the most visible and successful wuxia films of the 21st century. There are many martial arts movies that came before and after it, but itmanages to stand out in the crowd by having a unique story that equally focuses on male and female characters.
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But contrary to popular belief, there are many other modern wuxia movies that have original storylines, breathtaking cinematography, and stellar performances. Some of them are more well-known than others, but all of them deserve the attention of any and all martial arts movie enthusiasts.
The Grandmaster (2013)
Wong Kar-wai's The Grandmaster is one of his most recent works. Despite making the shortlist as the Hong Kong entry for the Best Foreign Film Academy Award, it wasn't nominated in the category and instead got two other nominations - for Best Cinematography and Best Costume Design.
Starring Tony Leung and Zhang Ziyi, it is based on the life of the Wing Chun grandmaster Ip Man, who was notorious for training many famous students, including Bruce Lee.
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Shadow (2018)
2018'sShadowwas directed by one of the most acclaimed Chinese directors Zhang Yimou and is particularly notable for itsbreathtaking cinematography,with many critics also praising itsepic nature and choreography.
Set in third-century China, it explores the life and intrigue in the Chinese court during the time known as the Three Kingdom era.
Curse Of The Golden Flower (2006)
Also Zhang Yimou's work,Curse of the Golden Flowerwas the most expensive Chinese movie ever made at the time of its release. Though it was chosen as the Hong Kong entry for the Best Foreign Film Oscar, it wasn't nominated in the category but still got a nomination for Best Costume Design.
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Based on the 1934 play Thunderstorm, but set in the Imperial court of ancient China, it details the intrigue unfolding in the court and how the rulersdealt with it.
Dragon (2011)
Dragonis probably most famous for its lead actor, Donnie Yen, than for its director. One of Hong Kong's greatest action stars, Yen is often credited for helping popularize Wing Chun in China, having starred in numerous martial arts movies, including Iron Monkey, Hero, and Ip Man. He also appeared in some American movies, including Blade II, Rogue One, and Mulan.
Set in 1917 Republican China, the story follows a papermaker who gets involved with a murder case and is now suspected by the detective investigating the matter.
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Ashes Of Time (1994)
One of Wong Kar-wai's earliest works,Ashes of Timereceived mixed reviews from critics but was nominated for and won multiple awards, becoming beloved by audiences, particularly, fans of the director.
The movie takes the characters from the acclaimed novel The Legend of the Condor Heroes and acts as its prequel, exploring the earlier days of the older characters. In addition to this, it takes the antagonist of the novel, humanizes him, and turns him into the protagonist of his own story.
House Of Flying Daggers (2004)
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Another one of Zhang Yimou's creations,House of Flying Daggersisboth a wuxia and a romance film focusing largely on the love story as compared to other movies of this genre. It was a massive commercial success and received a Best Cinematography Oscar nomination, but wasn't nominated for Best Foreign Film, despite being submitted as China's entry.
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Set during the reign of the Tang dynasty in China, it follows a police captain who helps a member of a rebel group break out of prison and rejoin her friends.
Iron Monkey (1993)
Starring Donnie Yen in its title role,Iron Monkeywas backed by Quentin Tarantino during its release in the United States, becoming one of the highest-grossing foreign-language movies in the United States at the time.
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The fictionalized story is that of an episode from the childhood of the Chinese folk hero Wong Fei-hung, and his father, as they encounter the so-called "Iron Monkey."
Fearless (2006)
Starring one of the most internationally-known Chinese-Singaporean actors,Jet Li,Fearlesswas a great critical and commercial success though it did get into some controversy because of its historical inaccuracy.
Loosely based on the life of the Chinese martial artist Huo Yuanjia, it depicts the artist's struggles against foreign fighters during the time when Western imperialism and Japanese influence were destroying the country in the last years of the Qing Dynasty.
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Hero (2002)
Yet another one of Zhang Yimou's works,Herohas an absolutely stellar cast consisting of Jet Li, Tony Leung, Maggie Cheung, Zhang Ziyi, and Donnie Yen. It was a massive critical and commercial success, going on to receive Best Foreign Film nominations both at the Golden Globes and the Oscars.
Set in 227 BC in China, it chronicles the story of an assassination attempt on the King of Qin carried out by Jing Ke. The King of Qin would go on to become China's first emperor.
Ip Man (2008)
Starring Donnie Yen in its title role,Ip Manwas a massive critical and commercial success, winning multiple awards and spawning three equally amazing sequels:Ip Man 2 (2010), Ip Man 3 (2015), Ip Man 4: The Finale (2019). Perhaps the most notable element of the franchise is its wide variety ofdynamic fight scenes.
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The biographical story follows the life of the aforementioned Ip Man, focusing on the events that happened in the city of Foshanat the time of the Sino-Japanese War.
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