Saturday Matinee: Wing Chun

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“Wing Chun” (1994) is a martial arts comedy directed by Yuen Woo-Ping (True Legend, Iron Monkey) starring Michelle Yeoh and Donnie Yen. Loosely based on a true story, the film tells the story of Wing Chun (Yeoh), a talented kung fu master who lives in a mountain village with her father, sister and aunt. After rescuing a widow from bandits, she must defend herself and her village while dealing with drama related to a childhood friend Leung (Yen), who returns after many years of studying kung fu.

Watch the full film here.

Saturday Matinee: True Legend

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“True Legend” (2010) was directed by legendary director/fight choreographer Yuen Woo-Ping (best known for Drunken Master, Iron Monkey, Wing Chun, and his work on films such as The Matrix, Kung Fu Hustle, and Fist of Legend among other classics of the genre). The film’s plot is not unlike countless old school martial arts films, following the journey of former general Su Can (Vincent Zhao of The Blade) whose life is shattered by a jealous adopted brother (Andy On). With support from his wife (Xun Zhou), his doctor (Michelle Yeoh), the God of Wushu (Jay Chou) and an old sage (Gordon Liu), Su Can strives to overcome great odds to reunite his family. If you ever hoped to see a Shaw Brothers film with a larger budget and made using modern film techniques, True Legend won’t disappoint. The cast of martial arts veterans are great across the board as are David Carradine (in one of his last roles) and assorted lesser-known western actors as minions.

Watch the full English subtitled film here.