MovieChat Forums > Hak kuen (2006) Discussion > The best street fighting MMA movie ever ...

The best street fighting MMA movie ever made

posted 14 years ago by EnglishSummer
7 replies | jump to latest

Really enjoyed this movie. The fight vs. the 3 street fighters at the dock is phenomenal. There's a 11 second one take an Wu Jing's intensity really shows.

The best of his films in my opinion. Invisible Target and Legendary Assasin were larger and scope, but Wu Jing is underused esp with wires on those films which are way to overused.

Definitely owns "Fighting, The Fighter" and those MMA fight movies and set the bar. Just ahead of it's time by a few years.

Hard to find movie now, too bad not alot of people can easily get this now.

If you like Mixed Martial Arts and street fighting movies, you have to get this. Really shows martial arts truly in a MMA, street fighting setting.

[–] mmarcopolo 14 years ago

I enjoyed this too but there was still too much unnecessary use of wires during the fight scenes here for me. I would have preferred they kept the wirework for the street fighting scenes rather than the competitions. And this is hardly the best street fighting MMA movie ever. Try "Flashpoint" with Donnie Yen where he uses lots of MMA techniques in some excellent fight scenarios.

[–] EnglishSummer 14 years ago

yeah but Yen got owned by Jee Ja Yin Raging Phoenix

When I say MMA movies I mean those street fighter movies

The Fighter, Fighting, Never Back Down, the actual people in the middle of a crowd fighting type movie.

And that wire argument, Wu Jing rarely uses them in the film. And doesn't excuse his 15 second one take scene at the docks.

[–] mmarcopolo 14 years ago

Are you high? Did you actually say Yen got "owned" by Jee Ja Yin?? hahaha. FAIL!! on all levels, dude. Yin could never own Donnie Yen in any lifetime. Alot of what she did in Raging Phoenix ( a weak movie) was circus wirework with alot of typical slo-mo effect that's popular in Thai action movies. She's very good if you like alot of acrobatic Thai action stuff but as a fighter she shouldn't even be compared to Yen. Go watch "Ip Man" and "Flashpoint".

You actually wanna compare the quality of any of those "MMA" movies you mentioned?? Please! I admit I never saw "The FIghter" so I can't judge that movie. But "Fighting" and "Never Back Down" were both weak movies that I wouldn't even include in the genre. "Fighting" hardly had any decent fighting in it and "Never Back Down" is just poorly-rehashed script of Karate Kid with mediocre fight action. "Blood and Bone" with Michael Jai White beats all of them any day.

This movie uses wirework in several scenes other than the dock scene. In the audio commentary, the director is asked if certain scenes used wires, he said "it's a secret" then laughed. The point is there shouldn't be any wirework in tournament fighting movies though it adds some entertainment value. But it diminished the movie for me. Especially since Wu performed that beautiful opening dance scene with no wires.

[–] fireyhope 14 years ago

Fighting was one of the worst movies i've ever seen, it's slow and cliched and very boring to watch.

it's fine it's just a little wirework, so what. It's a movie just be thankfull it's completely minimal.

[–] Mandy_Whitsands 14 years ago

I enjoyed this too but there was still too much unnecessary use of wires during the fight scenes here for me.

wires? How do you know?

[–] taijiquan12 13 years ago

I enjoyed this too but there was still too much unnecessary use of wires during the fight scenes here for me.
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wires? How do you know?

Well, if you've seen enough martial arts movies or ever done martial arts, you begin to realize what the human body is and isn't capable of. And yes, there are some moments in this film where some movements are pulled off with wires. They just are.
I can recall Xing Yu slamming Wu Jing into a pole during their fight and it was a wire, he picked up Wu by the legs but managed to have his torso horizontal during his swing; no way he's that strong. Also, Wu does this amazing aerial twist to dodge a tackle from the guy with the nails and it has to be a wire, he stays suspended in the air too long for it not to be.

Really, most of the action is wireless and satisfying. Wu Jing's Wushu upbringing has given him gifts.

"Bulls**t MR.Han Man!!"--Jim Kelly in Enter the Dragon

[–] PopperTheKungFu-Dragon 8 years ago

I don't think the wire use was all that much, but I do wish they hadn't used it at all. Wu is a good enough fighter that it wasn't really needed. I hate wire-fu movies, but there was enough "real fighting" here too to keep me happy.

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