A Brief History Of Kung Fu Cinema (2016)
*** (out of 4)
David Gregory directs this fun look at the classic Kung Fu movies and the history behind them. Experts Ric Meyers and Frank Djeng are interviewed about the sub-genre and both men do a wonderful job at explaining how these films came to be, their highest popularity and the depths they're willing to sink into to make a buck. There's some really fascinating bits of information here as well as some terrific clips from the films as well as some wonderful posters on display. Obviously, a large portion of the running time is devoted to Bruce Lee and his films but we get some fun stuff dealing with the countless rip-offs that would follow his death. Jackie Chan is covered as well as some of the really notorious films in the genre like ENTER THE FAT DRAGON. Fans of Lee, Chan or just Kung Fu in general will certainly be entertained by this documentary, which serves as a good introduction for those just starting to get into the genre.