Spring Break
The best of the brawlers
Take a haymaker to the face with these fighting features
Paresh Jha
Issue date: 4/28/09 Section: Focus
Over the years, fighting has become an integral part of films. Going all the way back to old westerns and Asian martial arts films, it has a long rich history on the silver screen. More recently, films have been developed to simply focus on fighting. Films like "Fight Club" and the recent "Fighting" are dedicated simply to that genre. Then there are films like "The Matrix" that make fighting a very significant part of the story. It is impossible to reference all the great fighting movies out there but let's talk about some fairly notable examples.
Tom Yum Goom aka "The Protector"
Never heard of Tony Jaa? Note the name down because he is definitely something else. Don't worry about the plot of "The Protector," because all you will be doing is watching Jaa with your jaw dropped. Some of his acrobatic moves are too astounding to be described in words. His primary style is known as Muay Thai, but he is also proficient in many other forms. "The Protector" has him doing all his own stunts in unique and over-the-top ways. You may just believe that this guy is a superhero.
"Fight Club"
"The first rule of Fight Club is: you do not talk about Fight Club." This phenomenal film adaptation of a novel has equally stunning performances by Brad Pitt and Edward Norton. The brutal simplicity of the movie is an illusion: What appears to be a film focused on brawn ends up becoming a witty and engrossing tale of self-discovery. Anyone not surprised by the conclusion is either kidding themselves or just supremely intelligent.
The "Bourne" Trilogy
The current trend of sharp, exact and brutal fighting in films like "Casino Royale," "Quantum of Solace" and "Taken" all owe that to "The Bourne Identity." The moment we see Jason Bourne take a few guys with a simple ballpoint pen, we realize that this is not James Bond. Matt Damon proves to be an able-bodied action star in these films, and never lets up for a second. The use of efficient and tactical fighting proved to be very unique, authentic, entertaining and disarmingly fresh.
Tom Yum Goom aka "The Protector"
Never heard of Tony Jaa? Note the name down because he is definitely something else. Don't worry about the plot of "The Protector," because all you will be doing is watching Jaa with your jaw dropped. Some of his acrobatic moves are too astounding to be described in words. His primary style is known as Muay Thai, but he is also proficient in many other forms. "The Protector" has him doing all his own stunts in unique and over-the-top ways. You may just believe that this guy is a superhero.
"Fight Club"
"The first rule of Fight Club is: you do not talk about Fight Club." This phenomenal film adaptation of a novel has equally stunning performances by Brad Pitt and Edward Norton. The brutal simplicity of the movie is an illusion: What appears to be a film focused on brawn ends up becoming a witty and engrossing tale of self-discovery. Anyone not surprised by the conclusion is either kidding themselves or just supremely intelligent.
The "Bourne" Trilogy
The current trend of sharp, exact and brutal fighting in films like "Casino Royale," "Quantum of Solace" and "Taken" all owe that to "The Bourne Identity." The moment we see Jason Bourne take a few guys with a simple ballpoint pen, we realize that this is not James Bond. Matt Damon proves to be an able-bodied action star in these films, and never lets up for a second. The use of efficient and tactical fighting proved to be very unique, authentic, entertaining and disarmingly fresh.
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