![]() The Wachowskis did this by bringing someone they considered a peerless action director in to direct their action: Yuen Woo-Ping. Most notably it permanently raised the bar for action in Hollywood movies, bringing the high octane energy of Hong Kong across the Atlantic. It popularised the “smart action movie”, mixing philosophy into the story. It revitalised the science fiction genre. ![]() It’s no exaggeration to say that The Matrix is one of the most influential films of the 90s. It was around this time that Yuen began moving away from pure directing and into the role that would make him famous in Hollywood: action choreography. Nine years later, after starring as the villain in Once Upon A Time In China 2, Yen reunited with Yuen to create one of the classics of 90s Hong Kong cinema: Iron Monkey. The film didn’t do that well, but Yuen gave his leading man plenty of opportunities to show off his impressive physical presence. In 1984 the lead in Yuen’s 11th film, Drunken Tai Chi, was the first acting role for a young stuntman named Donnie Yen. This created the slapstick style Chan became famous for, and established Yuen as both a great director and a great person to work with. Yuen recognised that Chan was something far different, and worked with him to draw that out in his next film, Drunken Master. His first film, Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow, featured a young actor who some saw as “the new Bruce Lee”, Jackie Chan. A legendary Hong Kong film director in the 80s and 90s, he’s responsible for launching the career of not one but two martial arts legends. Even if you’ve never heard of Yuen Woo-Ping, I can almost guarantee you’ve seen his work.
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