I Agree to Disagree

Topping the list of a slideshow presentation, there were 10 still shots, each representative of the movie in the top 10.  Starting in the number one position was “Seven Samurai” a 50’s tale of seven samurai warriors who are hired by a village who’s crops are plundered nightly, every harvest season by bandits.  Now this isn’t a bad movie and it’s done in the true chop-socky genre but it still can’t hold a candle to the real world’s greatest Martial Arts movie.

That spot would belong to the second selection, “Enter the Dragon”, Bruce Lee’s finest moments as a fighter, in a believable plot and released just after his death.  As the evil rogue Shaolin monk hisses down at Lee after Lee fights his way through a 100 nameless, evil henchmen, only to be led into a pit and trapped.  “Your skills are truly extraordinary.”  Duhh, that was an understatement to us martial artists in the audience who had never before witnessed such a high degree of skill and such ferocious intent.  We were on the floor and actually sat through two more matinee screenings before we finally left that evening.

From the opening fight against his fellow Shaolin monk to the final fight scene against Han and his whole crew.  We were literally on our feet at times witnessing “near perfection” in Lee’s fighting skills.  No one or movie can ever overshadow the Little Dragon.

There are a couple movies with Jet Li who albeit a real badass, doesn’t have anywhere close to Lee’s skills.  His movie credits listed in the “Best of All Time” were ”Fist of Legend” a remake of Bruce Lee’s “Chinese Connection” and “Hero” a glimmery, shimmery martial arts movie filled with flying fighters and all of that good, cinema, artsy fartsy stuff.  Loads of imagery and a plot to forget, Lee kills the bad guys of the empire in a forgettable plot (sorry I already said that!).

Two good entries were “Karate Kid” which anyone can identify with.  New kid in town bullied by the locals, happens to meet the building’s janitor Pat Morita who turns out to be a real Okinawan Karate master.  He takes Daniel (Ralph Macchio) under his wing and teaches him karate by non-traditional yet effective lessons.  The interaction between these two actors is infectious and we learn that there is more to karate than whipping butts.  It’s about respect, discipline, honor and hard work.  Fighting is always the last resort and not the first.

Also listed and deservedly so is Steven Seagal in “Marked for Death”.  His character has retired from the service of our government – CIA, DEA, FBI (you name it?) and won’t be dissuaded from getting out of “the game”.  Only he finds out quickly upon his return home, that the Jamaican drug dealers have taken over his city and are loading everyone up on good weed and crack cocaine.  He and his family are marked for death by a voodoo priest (Screw Face) and Seagal teams up with an old Viet Nam buddy and a  Jamaican cop to form their own team and fly to Jamaica to take down his organization.  After manhandling and literally beating some of the bad guys to death, Seagal’s team invades the drug lord’s home and the slaughter begins.  It ends with Seagal smoking the Voodoo Drug Lord, who just happens to be a set of twins!   No matter, Steven has plenty more left for both of them.  He actually brings the head of one of the twins to his home town and throws it into the dealers’ midst.  Only then does the twin emerge and recoup the awe of his posse.   Steven makes short work of him as well by quickly dispatching him with his own sword.    Another classic martial arts movie. 

Out of the top 10 - I’ll go with about 5 of their picks, but no martial arts movie is better than “Enter the Dragon” and the “Seven Samurai” know it too!