- Sammo Hung has worked with the likes of Bruce Lee, Donnie Yen and Jackie Chan in a prolific career spanning 200 films and TV shows
- In honour of his birthday today, we look at the five best fight scenes of a man ‘built like an elephant’ but who ‘moves like a monkey’
Considered "the biggest big brother" " or big boss " of the Hong Kong film industry, martial arts legend Sammo Hung Kam-bo turns 68 today.
Hung is a prolific martial artist, actor, director and fight choreographer, having worked on more than 200 films and television shows. Career highlights include roles in the Bruce Lee classic Enter the Dragon, American comedy television series Martial Law and Ip Man 2, in which he stars alongside Donnie Yen Ji-dan.
Hung is also one of the pioneers of Hong Kong kung fu comedies, and enthusiasts of the genre should watch My Little Star, co-starring Jackie Chan, to witness his comedic butt-kicking skills.
Hung describes himself perfectly in a line from the 1981 action-comedy The Prodigal Son, in which he says he is "built like an elephant" but "moves like a monkey". Despite his size, Hung never fails to impress audiences with his physical agility and flexibility. In honour of his birthday, here are five of his best on-screen fight scenes.
Eastern Condors
Hung starred in and directed Eastern Condors (1987), which was described by the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society as one of his finest achievements.
The final fight scene between Hung and fellow kung fu actor Yuen Wah became an instant classic, with a string of swift moves and gravity-defying spinning kicks by Hung.
The Magnificent Butcher
In The Magnificent Butcher (1979) Hung plays Lam Sai-wing, a disciple of real-life Cantonese folk hero Wong Fei-hung. He executes a series of clean-cut action sequences in the hung ga kuen style of kung fu, which focuses on a balance of strength and flexibility. His movements mimic the actions of animals including a monkey, snake, crane and dragon.
Odd Couple
Odd Couple (1979) is an old-school, kung fu weapons film directed by martial artist Lau Kar-wing, who also acted in the film and choreographed the fight scenes with Hung. The two actors play rival kung fu masters who engage in a furious sword-versus-spear duel. Another fine Hung movie in which the star demonstrates his skills with kung fu weapons is 2008's Fatal Move.
Warriors Two
Hung directed this action-packed wing chun martial arts movie from 1978. The perfectly synchronised and relentless final fight scene is a deadly dance featuring former rivals Fei Chun (played by Hung) and Chan Hua (played by Casanova Wong), who join forces to defeat their arch-enemy. Highlights from the film include Wong's long-distance flying kick and some dazzling praying mantis kung fu moves by actor Fung Hak-on.
Pedicab Driver
Hung and martial arts master Lau Kar-leung (brother of Lau Kar-wing) deliver a jaw-dropping duel in this adventure romance film. The duo, exhibiting flexible flips and twists, battle it out using fists and then poles, with hard-hitting strikes and rapid footwork. In the last fight, which lasts for about four minutes, Hung is lightning fast as he dodges Lau's precisely aimed attacks.
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