TOP FIGHTER (1995) ***

Top Fighter is one part Kung Fu documentary and one part chopsocky compilation clip show.  It begins with the history of martial arts in China as a monk from India brings over his unique form of Buddhist teachings, which lays the groundwork for the Shaolin Temple.  All of this is played out using clips from various Kung Fu flicks.  Hey, if you’re going to give a history lesson, you might as well show a bunch of guys getting their ass beat.

From there, the film turns its attention to Kung Fu movies.  Various martial arts screen legends are interviewed and/or profiled.  Gordon Liu talks about the challenge of accurately relating his Kung Fu knowledge to the screen.  Jet Li deals with enormous success and a rabid fan base.  Jimmy Wang Yu’s quick-fisted persona spills into his personal life. 

One of the longest segments is devoted to the impact of Bruce Lee.  Several of his students including Leo Fong and Joe Lewis are interviewed.  His untimely death is also discussed, which naturally slides into a segment on Bruce Li.  Li is very forthcoming and honest in his interview saying that producers gave him the name Bruce Li against his wishes.  (“I can act him, but I can’t be him!”)  Other imitators (like Larry Lee) are profiled, but honestly, I wish this segment was longer. 

Jackie Chan gets the most interview time.  He talks about his dedication to doing his own stunts and his past in Chinese opera school.  This is a perfect set-up to give his classmates and longtime friends Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao their own segments.

There are a lot of lesser known names who are brought up in passing.  Some of these guys I never heard of, but it was good seeing time spent on the likes of Casanova Wong and Hwang Jang Lee.  While I’m sure a few of the more obscure stars could’ve been edited out, there are still enough nuggets of knowledge dropped (like the revelation that John Liu beat Chuck Norris in a tournament) to make it worthwhile.

During the segment on Bolo Yeung, they show the trailer for Chinese Hercules in its entirety.  It’s really cool and makes you wish there were more trailers throughout.  Jean-Claude Van Damme’s former trainer is interviewed, and he shows lots of pics of JCVD as a kid.  We also see clips from No Retreat No Surrender and Monaco Forever, but it’s the behind the scenes footage from Universal Soldier that’s the most interesting.  The final segment focuses on Blaxploitation stars such as Ron Van Clief and Jim Kelly, but honestly, this section could’ve been a lot longer and more in-depth.

I guess I could complain about some aspects of Top Fighter.  It’s overlong, uneven, and they don’t always use the best clips for their featured star.  Still, there’s enough variety and insider info here to make it worth a look for Kung Fu fans.