I had a blast watching John Wick 4 last week. Long ass movie but lots of fun nevertheless. Martial arts legend Donnie Yen who played the blind asssasin Caine delivered a standout performance (bro was basically Asian Daredevil.)
JW4 director Chad Stahelski mentioned in an interview that he paid homage to Hong Kong movies like SPL/Killzone and it got me thinking. Hong Kong's contribution in reshaping modern Hollywood action cinema cannot be understated. Without legendary Gun Fu director John Woo and martial arts choreographers such as Yuen Woo Ping and Corey Yuen working behind the camera in Hollywood, we literally wouldn't have the Matrix, Kill Bill, Shang Chi and the John Wick franchise. Keanu Reeves wouldn't be the action star that he is today and Michelle Yeoh, a HK action veteran wouldn't have won the Oscars for best actress for Everything Everywhere All at Once. It's honestly shameful that HK cinema don't get the credit they deserve.
Anyways here's my list of notable Hong Kong action flicks from the 80s-2000s:
A Better Tomorrow (1986)
The Killer (1989)
Once Upon A time in China (1991)
Police Story 3 (1992)
Hardboiled (1992)
Iron Monkey (1994)
Fist Of Legend 1994
Black Mask (1996)
SPL/Killzone (2005)
Flashpoint (2007)
Ip Man (2008)
