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Why doesn't he return to hard-hitting MMA action???

posted 15 years ago by big_heat
9 replies | jump to latest

Donnie's S.P.L and Flashpoint have garnered accolades from martial arts enthusiasts for the movies' showcase of bone crunching MMA-style fights. The movies have also elicited many discussions in martial arts/movie forums. I am sure by now Donnie should be aware of the popularity of MMA depictions in movies due to similar successes with Undisputed II starring Scott Adkins and mainstream Hollywood movies like Never Back Down and Fighting.

The burning question is, why hasn't Donnie continued with the trailblazing MMA action he nearly perfected in Flashpoint, and in a contemporary setting no less? What is his obsession with cranking out historical flick after historical flick?

I constantly scour the net for his next contemporary actioner, but could not find any news on his upcoming plans for this genre, save for the rumoured Tony Jaa collaboration. Neither could I find the reason behind his prolific output of period epics.

Can someone shed some light on this. Thank you :-)

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[–] taijiquan12 15 years ago

Yep, what D i P said, I wouldn't suspect at all we've seen the last of that style from him. He's aware of how different and successful it was, and will be sure to put it into another movie, I'm sure of it.

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

[–] big_heat 15 years ago

I hope Donnie does MMA/HK 80s kickboxing fights again before he hits 50, which is not far off from now.

[–] dont_b_so_BBC 15 years ago

The burning question is, why hasn't Donnie continued with the trailblazing MMA action he nearly perfected in Flashpoint, and in a contemporary setting no less? What is his obsession with cranking out historical flick after historical flick? Because he does not claim or want to be an MMA spokesmen.

Just like he doesn't claim or want to be a Wing Chun spokesman. Or a Hung Gar spokemen. Or a Drunken Fist spokesmen. Or a Ip Man/Bruce Lee impersonator for that matter.

Oh, and because he wants to ACT in a movie with a good script and NOT keep repeating himself-- e.g. his "Ip Man" series and "The Legend of Chen Zhen" ARE near-contemporary actioners, but they deliberately take very different approaches to the action.

Like all martial artists-- and that includes the likes of Jet Li and Jackie Chan as well as Wu Jing and Louis Fan-- Donnie Yen cross-trains because he knows there are no limits to the true art (attack and defense) of martial arts. They all develop their style eventually and never limit themselves to one style or school.

And like all martial arts/action actors, Donnie Yen cross-trains to pick up skills and inspirations for the movies he makes. He trained in MMA just so he could put them into the movies he choreographed, just like he trained in Wing Chun for his "Ip Man" movies... and that's the end of that-- he has a old injury which prevents him from doing more MMA and he's getting past the age for it anyway (you know MMA has a shorter "shelf life" than say, Tai Chi-- which Sammo Hung spends more time on for the sake of his heart).

Sorry to break this to you-- but it sounds like you are a Donnie Yen fan who's pretty much late to the "game", like many new/younger fans of Jackie Chan and Jet Li.... But if you're just an MMA enthusiast, you can always wait for someone to finance an MMA movie and pay Donnie Yen loads of cash to choreograph/produce it-- though even then, Donnie Yen might want to see a good script/concept first.

"I don't go to movies to escape reality: I go to experience life in a raw, intense way"-- S. Copley

[–] big_heat 15 years ago

Sorry to break this to you-- but it sounds like you are a Donnie Yen fan who's pretty much late to the "game", like many new/younger fans of Jackie Chan and Jet Li.... But if you're just an MMA enthusiast, you can always wait for someone to finance an MMA movie and pay Donnie Yen loads of cash to choreograph/produce it-- though even then, Donnie Yen might want to see a good script/concept first.

Not really. I have been following Donnie since the late 80s when I was a kid. I just prefer his kickboxing/MMA contemporary actioners like In the Line of Duty IV, Tiger Cage I and II and of course SPL and Flashpoint. Personally, I feel Donnie is at his best/most hard hitting while doing kickboxing/MMA. By the way, I love Ip Man as well. I just have a dislike for his historical flicks like 14 Blades, Seven Swords or Hero because of the wire-work. But that is a matter of preference and I understand where you and DIP (whom I respect greatly for his trove of Donnie Yen news)are coming from. To summarise what the two of you stated, Donnie has evolved and does not want to be pigeon-holed or typecasted.

Of course, there is also the issue of age catching up with him and the occupational hazard of incurring injuries. Therefore, that is the reason I hoped he can have one last hurrah with a balls-out contemporary action film before he transitions to other forms of less intense styles like he did with Wing Chun and turning his attention to method acting and directing/choreographing/producing.