MovieChat Forums > Enter the Dragon (1973) Discussion > The problem with ALL martial arts movies

The problem with ALL martial arts movies

posted 11 years ago by SuperDevilDoctor
12 replies | jump to latest

Apparently, no one has ever heard of the "Bum Rush"!

I've probably seen at least a couple of hundred martial arts films in the past 40 years, and every single one of them has the same problem:

The hero is kicking ass, and the bad guys continually attack him only one or two at a time... Watch the other baddies strike poses in the background, not doing a damn thing, until it's their turn to run up and get their clock cleaned.

After awhile it gets rather comical to watch the "do-nothing" bad guys in the background.

Even ENTER THE DRAGON suffers from this.

It's just stupid.

There can be twenty, thirty, even forty (!) henchmen surrounding the hero, and not one of them ever yells, "Let's ALL rush him at the same time! Now!"

"Send her to the snakes!"

[–] wears-alan 11 years ago

Watch Way of the Dragon and the uncut footage of Game of Death. This doesn't happen!

Gentlemen, England will be playing 4-4-f---ing-2

[–] schlockhorror 11 years ago

Furthermore, what they attack Bwuce with is always just a kizamizuki or a simple left jab. Rarely does anyone unload on him with the kind of combination he responds with.

It's 30 years since I did any karate but we were always taught that in a fight you don't faff about with high kicks, you use those to break the other guy's legs so you can run away.

[–] manofsteel4455 11 years ago

Well, It's Bruce Lee so why would they rush in to fight him?

You want to play the game, you'd better know the rules, love.
-Harry Callahan

[–] JohnnyWeissmuller 10 years ago

Such are the rules of movies like this -- if not, then the central character could just be shot. No guns? Ok, just poison him during or after dinner. Or keep him trapped under ground instead of letting him out to fight. But Enter the Dragon is successful in playing by these rules and rarely misses the mark, in my opinion.

NOW TARZAN MAKE WAR!

[–] FilmKoala 10 years ago

Yeah, you're right. Martials arts films are one of my favorite genres so I just accept it as something that happens. It's just part of the genre.

--------------------
"Ram this in your clambake, bitchcakes!"

[–] Tresix 10 years ago

In "Kiss of the Dragon", Jet Li fights an entire dojo and they don't wait around. They all rush him at once (and get punished for it too).

"There will be blood. Oh, yes! There will be blood."-Jigsaw; "Saw II"

[–] 10 years ago

[deleted]

[–] ItsEddieHaskellBeyotch 10 years ago

There can be twenty, thirty, even forty (!) henchmen surrounding the hero, and not one of them ever yells, "Let's ALL rush him at the same time! Now!"

And then he'd still kick all their ass because...Bruce Lee. I think there was a point to all this wasnt there?

When theres no more room in Hollywood, remakes shall walk the Earth.

[–] urgeking 9 years ago

There can be twenty, thirty, even forty (!) henchmen surrounding the hero, and not one of them ever yells, "Let's ALL rush him at the same time! Now!"

There's one other place where this does happen: The classic sketch "Ti Kwan Leep/Boot To The Head" (1987) by the Canadian comedy group The Frantics. Once you hear that piece, you'll never again be able to keep a straight face if anyone ever says the name "Ed Gruberman"....

[–] ret_cpo 9 years ago

Yeah, I use to think about that back in the 70s, when watching martial arts films, just as I wondered why Clint Eastwood could walk into a saloon and shoot 5 or 6 guys, without getting a scratch. Were all these guys that slow at the draw or just lousy aims? You just suspend disbelief, and enjoy the action.

[–] charlesdusk 9 years ago

You must hate all action movies then.