Leofwine_draca As a documentary, FILMS OF FURY is a very limited and shallow viewing experience. Viewers are subjected to awful animation and unfunny situations as the hyperactive narrator and various comic characters introduce and provide a history of kung fu cinema from its origins to the then-present (2010-ish). There's no insight here, no interview with stars or producers, no analysis beyond the most basic (this actor was in this film, this actor was in that film).However, as a clip compilation, it's pretty fun. Clips are shown from a whole host of different kung fu movies, from Chuck Norris shoot-em-ups to Bruce Lee classics, Jackie Chan comedies, and even a section on the grandmaster himself, Chang Cheh. I enjoyed seeing some of these films again and the documentary works well as a simple celebration or reflection on an undeniably entertaining genre of movies. I'm glad I watched it, but I have reason to do so again.

traci515 I enjoyed this movie as an overview of the martial arts film genre; however, I must admit that I'm just a casual fan who watches these movies when I encounter them on TV but doesn't really seek them out. I recognized most of the names of the major artists covered in this film and did come away with more respect for the performers and their craft. That being said, if I'd been a devoted follower of the genre, I would've been disappointed. Even I could tell that it only skimmed the surface of martial arts films, focusing primarily on those featuring names recognizable to the American film-goers. I liken it to being a big fan of a music group who's happy that the group is finally being recognized in commercials, soundtracks, etc., but disappointed that only the group's most popular songs are used time and time again, while the lesser known, but often superior, songs are ignored. On a final note, I found the narration and little animation shorts inserted between the film clips really poor and simplistic. I would've appreciated the film more if it had been narrated by an actual participant in the martial arts genre and if the simplistic animation segments were deleted entirely.

Woodyanders This brisk and breezy overview of the beloved chopsocky genre covers a lot of ground in an incredibly short'n'snappy 80 minute running time: Starting with the genre's origins in the Peking Opera, with everything from "Enter the Dragon" to "Kung Fu Panda" crammed in between, this honey just about covers all the essential bases. Naturally, such legendary martial arts trailblazers as Bruce Lee (natch), Jackie Chan (of course), and the unavoidable Chuck Norris get a lion's share of attention, but fortunately we also get segments on Sammo Hung, Gordon Liu, Donnie Yen, Stephen Chow, John Woo (who almost single-handedly created his own sub-genre called "gun fu"), and Jet Li. The ladies are well represented as well by such notable luminaries as Angela Mao, Michelle Yeoh, and Cynthia Rothrock. Naturally, there are oodles of choice clips from movies that range from well-acknowledged classics to lesser known oddball obscurities, plus more outrageous karate fights and astonishing physical feats than you can shake a pair of nunchuks at. Narrated with infectious go-for-it zeal by Yuri Lowenthal, with neat use of stylized animation in the connective segments, an exceptionally thorough and illuminating script by Ric Meyers, and a cool theme song named -- what else? -- "Kung Fu" by Ace, this doc rates as mandatory viewing for both wet behind the ears newbies and seasoned veteran aficionados alike.

EMFilmGeek Found out about Films of Fury through some Kung-Fu fan friends of mine, and thought I'd look into it... It was truly awesome. As a film enthusiast, I learned a lot about Kung-Fu in film, its history and influence on pop-culture. This chronicles Kung-Fu films as far back as "The Magnificent Butcher" and comes to more recent films like Kung Fu Panda. Ric Meyers (the writer) claimed that Kung Fu Panda is the greatest Kung-Fu film that America has produced, due to its complete representation of "The Full Glory" of Kung Fu... Spirituality and the betterment of one's skill. I learned A LOT. I write screenplays and will produce movies one day, so this is a film I'll keep at hand whenever the DVD comes out. You can catch it on-demand, it truly is a hidden gem.