Since The Matrix introduced Western audiences to wire-fu, it seems we can't get enough of the flying, leaping, gravity-defying antics of the Hong Kong action heroes.
1. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
The genre-busting milestone that combines the action with a poetic heart and stunningly beautiful cinematography. This Ang Lee film is a must-own.
2. Hard Boiled
Criterion Collection
Fans of superstar Chow Yun-Fat and legendary HK director John Woo like to compare the team to Mifune/Kurosawa, and "Hard Boiled" is their best work.
3. Legend of Drunken Master
Dimension
Jackie Chan returns to the role of Wong Fei Hung in this madcap adventure. The fights are jaw-dropping, and Chan's slapstick comedy works better than in most of his films.
4. Once Upon a Time in China I
Sony Pictures
Jet Li, baby. Another film about folk hero Wong Fei Hung, fending off pesky foreigners and treacherous Chinese. Director Tsui Hark delivers the non-stop kickin' goods.
5. Zu: Warriors of the Magic Mountain
Image Entertainment
If you liked the flying monks in "Crouching Tiger," "Zu" will make you giggle with happiness -- this special-effects freak-out is demented, goofy, and sacks of demonic fun.
6. Bullet in the Head
Fortune Star
For a tougher, bloodier angle, go with Woo's acclaimed 1990 drama about friendship, love, and betrayal set in Vietnam.
7. Supercop
BABY GENIUS
How can you go wrong with Jackie Chan, Michelle Yeoh, and Maggie Cheung in an international action adventure? You can't.
8. New Legend of Shaolin
Tai Seng
Excellent kung-fu and a bizarre sense of humor make this Jet Li vehicle a whacky HK favorite.
9. The Killer
Fox Lorber
John Woo's early masterpiece. The gloriously choreographed violence and overdrawn characters make this a keeper. The shoot-up in the church is a timeless classic.
