Hong Kong Action

Action & Adventure Essentials: Hong Kong Action Movies

When it comes to action, nothing is too outrageous for Hong Kong cinema. Bruce Lee kicked off a kung fu movie craze in the 1970s, but it wasn't until the monster success of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon --starring action movie icons Michelle Yeoh and Chow Yun-fat-- when Hong Kong action movies finally broke into the mainstream. From the "gun ballets" of John Woo to the mind blowing martial arts skills of Jet Li and Jackie Chan, these movies redefine the action flick and crank it up to Mach speed. Check out our Essential Hong Kong Action Movies on DVD, including:

• Hard Boiled
• Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
• The 36th Chamber of Shaolin

›Essential Hong Kong Action Movies DVDs

Essentials by Actress: Michelle Yeoh

Many action film fans will be surprised to learn that Michelle Yeoh is not a formal student of the martial arts, but rather is classically trained as a ballet dancer. Despite her lack of kung fu credentials, she has the singular honor of being the only person to ever upstage Jackie Chan when she played an unstoppable Interpol inspector in Supercop. Like Chan, Yeoh does her own stunts, and her action scenes are often just as spectacular. Yeoh also happens to be a superb actress, bringing a sense of gravity and modest charm to all her roles, whether she is playing a tough cop or a gentle botanist.

›Essentials by Actress: Michelle Yeoh