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Jet Li
Born: 26 April 1963
Where: Beijing, China
A Wards: Best Actor at Hong Kong Film A Wards 2008 for The Warlords.html"> Warlords
Height: 5' 6"
Filmography: The Complete List
Making his Hollywood breakthrough as the sinister Triad boss Wah Sing Ku in Lethal Weapon 4, Jet Li seemed set fair to follow in the footsteps of Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan. Indeed, given his outrageous flair, his inspired melding of many martial arts and, above all, his genuine acting ability, he looked likely to outdo them both. Briefly losing himself in hi-octane, FX-packed actioners, he would at last begin to reach his potential with Yimou Zhang's classic Hero, a huge Asian hit which, after two years in distributor hell, eventually made Number One in America. Finally a household name, Li could now begin to spread his wings.
Born in Beijing on April 26th, 1963, Li Lian Jie (his Mandarin name - in Cantonese it's Li Nin Kit) has two brothers and two sisters. His father died when he was only two, and he was consequently heavily influenced by his teachers, becoming a devoted and disciplined student. By the time he was 8, his PE teacher at the Changqiao Primary School noted his extraordinary agility and grace, and recommended he be sent to Beijing's Amateur Sports School for formal training in Wushu, the Chinese national sport and a kind of martial arts performance style, rather than a mode of fighting. Here he fell under the tutelage of Wu Bin, studying academics by day and, by night, practising bends, presses, somersaults, all the tools of the prospective Wushu master.
Wu Bin quickly spotted the boy's determination and ambition, and gave him extra training. Yet still there was no power in Jet's kicks or blows. Studying his pupil's diet, the teacher discovered a fatal deficiency. Years before, Jet's grandmother had fallen ill through eating meat and had been advised by her doctor to give it up. The whole family had followed suit, partly for health reasons, partly because they were so poor. In order to boost Jet's protein intake, Wu Bin would deliver food to the family for years. His star pupil strength quickly increased.
After three years of schooling, Jet had made massive bounds. At 11, he won gold at the Chinese national championships, a feat he would perform on five consecutive occasions. He was taken on to Beijing's professional Wushu team and, over the next five years, performed in 40 countries across the globe, one of his early shows being before President Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger on the White House lawn. The martial arts cognoscenti appreciated his intelligent combination of many styles - monkey boxing, chanquan, taichiquan, gun boxing, tongbeiquan. He was superb with both sword and spear.
Jet himself is quick to point out that this mastery did not come easily - he HATES to be called a prodigy, believing the term ignores his years of toil. Wu Bin, he recalls, was kind to his team-mates, allowing them rest when they needed it, but extremely harsh with Jet himself, pushing him to ever-greater extremes. Wu Bin has admitted as much. Recognising Jet's ability and ambition, he followed the stone-hearted adage "a resounding drum must be struck with a heavy hammer", forcing Jet to undergo three times as many exercises as his peers. Many times Jet wavered, nearly gave up like so many of his schoolmates, only for Wu Bin to drive him for Ward again.
Beyond the training, there was constant research and philosophical study. Jet would seek out and question all the old masters gathered in Beijing, also gleaning information from opera actors and dancers. Like Bruce Lee before him, he would take from any style and was very conscious that, once a new move or routine was performed, it was inevitably copied. The need for constant change and improvement was paramount.
While still in his teens, Jet became national Wushu coach. He also turned his eye to Wards the cinema, and caused an immediate sensation. Shaolin Temple had been a hit back in 1976. Now, in 1982, it was remade, with Jet in the role of the youngster who, his father killed, learns kung fu and both revenges himself and saves the Emperor. The film was partly shot at the real-life Shaolin monastery in the Song mountains of Henan province and, with Jet already a national Hero due to his Wushu exploits, it was a nationwide smash, causing a new martial arts craze in China. Two immensely popular sequels followed, the first involving Jet being pushed to marry the supposedly lesbian daughter of a rival family.
Despite this initial filmic success, the mid-Eighties proved a difficult time for Jet Li. His directorial debut, Born To Defend was a failure and his other pictures were fairly unsophisticated efforts. Furthermore, his marriage to Huang Qui-Yan, a fellow member of the Beijing Wushu team who bore him two daughters, fell apart. Rumours flew that a third party had been involved, and Jet was said to be involved with buxom actress Nina Li Chi, his co-star in the San Francisco-set romp Dragon Fight. Nina had been Miss Asia Pacific in 1986, and later starred as a sexy spook in A Chinese Ghost Story 3, as a nubile menaced by a 7-foot Komodo dragon in Stone Age Warriors, as an evil witch in A Kid From Tibet and as a very confused girlfriend in Jackie Chan's Twin Dragons (a parody of Jean-Claude Van Damme's Double Impact). She would retire from movies in 1992 then, having reportedly lost $10 million in property deals, would reappear in 1999, as Jet Li's new wife. The couple had clearly enjoyed a long relationship but, perhaps due to Jet not wishing to taint his Heroic reputation, had seldom been seen together. They now have a daughter, named Jane.
Rocky Law's Dragons Of The Orient kept Jet in the spotlight, being an informative documentary that showed him as an 11-year-old on the White House lawn, as well as revealing some of his innovative training techniques, including one exercise where he hangs numerous footballs from a tree then wheels and spins to strike each as it swings to Wards him. But Jet needed another hit movie and, having moved into the burgeoning Hong Kong industry, he found one in Tsui Hark's Once Upon A Time In China. This was a retelling of the story of Wong Fei-Hong, perhaps China's most famous martial arts exponent, a kind of fighter-scholar who, by exhibiting deep calm and consideration for the oppressed, had come to embody the very spirit of kung fu. As one national Hero portraying another, Jet Li wrote himself into the annals of film history. His action sequences were astounding, his spirit palpable and, as an ascetic monk falling for his young Westernised "auntie" (played by Rosamund Kwan), his comic timing was excellent. OUATIC was another mighty hit, Jet starring in the first two sequels that followed.
Now Jet Li was hot property. Swordsman 2 was another smash and everyone was after his signature. So vicious was the competition - and the Hong Kong industry is notoriously rough - that when Jet's personal manager was shot down in Kowloon, it was said to be because he'd refused to sign Jet over to the Triads. Instead, Jet formed his own production company, and scored again, this time with The Legend.
For a couple of years, Jet kept on the same path, generally playing Chinese folk Heroes (indeed, Lethal Weapon 4 would be the first time he'd ever played a villain). In The Legend and its follow-up, he was involved in revolution against the wicked Manchu dynasty. In Tai Chi Master, starring alongside Bond girl Michelle Yeoh, he was a disgraced Shaolin monk seeking redemption. He also, in homage, remade Bruce Lee's Fist Of Fury, as Fist Of Legend, once more covering the 1937 struggle of a Shanghai martial arts school against the invading Japanese. He also released a pseudo-biopic, called Shaolin Kung Fu, that revealed yet more of his training techniques, including how to stand on one finger and how to work your neck so a spear can't penetrate it. A handy trick should NATO ever run out of Cruise missiles.
Jet Li was now extremely prolific in the Hong Kong industry, but his sights were set on world domination. With Bodyguard From Beijing, he remade Kevin Costner's The Bodyguard, protecting and falling for a beautiful murder witness and thus widening his appeal. In The Enforcer, he went further, with drama taking over from martial arts exploits as Jet starred as an undercover cop battling big-time gangsters. There were still some incredible set-pieces though, particularly when he ties a rope round his Wushu champion son's neck and swings him at his enemies, turning him into a flailing yo-yo of death.
Now came three more hits, each showing Jet to be a far deeper actor than Jackie Chan. Like his other action peer, Chow Yun-Fat, he's more thoughtful, often tortured by life and profoundly disturbed by his own violence. First came Scripture With No Words where he flipped between the life of a troubled writer and the Indiana Jones-style adventures of the Hero he writes about. Black Mask saw him survive a dodgy project aimed at creating supersoldiers, seek peace as a librarian, then have to fight it out with his evil ex-buddies. Then came another installment of Tsui Hark's series, Once Upon A Time In China And America, where Jet played a master called in to help Chinese workers having a hard time on the US railroads of yore.
Then came Lethal Weapon 4 where Jet rose above some pretty cheap stereotyping to steal scene after scene, playing a black-hearted smuggler and counterfeiter who takes great pleasure in battering Mel Gibson to a pulp. The same year, 1998, brought Hitman, another comedy-thriller where he was a former soldier drawn into hunting a businessman's killer for a $100 million bounty. Poking fun at Hong Kong action movies, this would see him held up by a doofus partner, enjoying a romance with Gigi Leung and, as he cannot bring himself to whack the innocent, making a very poor Hitman, indeed.
So impressed had producer Joel Silver been with Jet's showing in Lethal Weapon 4 that he now had him star in one of his upcoming projects, Romeo Must Die. This saw ex-cop Li break out of a Hong Kong jail and travel to the States to avenge his brother's death. Caught up in a War between black gangsters and the Chinese mafia, he falls for the entirely unsuitable Aaliyah (the R&B star soon to die tragically in a plane crash - Jet appeared in her video for Try Again). This carefree take on Shakespeare was directed by Andrzej Bartkowiak, cinematographer on Lethal Weapon 4, featured future Li co-stars DMX and Delroy Lindo, and would more than double its money. Industry-wise, Jet was on his way.
It could have been even better. Jet was asked to star in Ang Lee's mega-hit, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, but turned it down as he'd promised not to work while Nina was pregnant. Instead, he moved on to Kiss Of The Dragon, adapted by Luc Besson from Li's own outline. Here Jet played a Chinese cop arrived in Paris to nail some drug traffickers. When his French colleague is killed, he realises that Inspector Tcheky Karyo is not only bent but The Mastermind behind the murderous drugs-gang. Teaming up with Bridget Fonda, a woman forced into addiction and prostitution by Karyo after he kidnapped her child, he must both rescue the child and bash the bad boy.
Kiss Of The Dragon was successful on two counts. It made money but, perhaps more importantly, with its strong emotional core, gritty performances and tough action, it won him back those fans who'd moaned to his web-site that the stunts in Romeo Must Die were too obviously faked. Back on track, he now took on The One, directed by James Wong, then hot after the hit shocker Final Destination. This was sci-fi of some complexity, being based on the premise that there are 124 parallel universes and we all exist in each of them. Furthermore, when one of our many selves dies, his power is shared amongst the other 123. (Immediately, of course, you're wondering why there aren't thousands of ultra-powerful 96-year-olds bounding around - but you must let that slide). Enter Bad Jet, who has the ability to flit between universes. His plan is to kill all his other selves and become the omnipotent Highlander-type One of the title. Thus he lands on Earth and goes after a deputy sheriff in LA County, all the while being pursued by agents of the Multiverse Bureau of Investigation (one of them being Delroy Lindo).
Beyond some splendid effects - one of which saw him take a motorbike in each hand and crush an opponent between them - this was a testing project for Jet. Having to play three characters, he had to make each one a distinctive personality and gave each different kung fu styles. Not easy, but he pulled it off and doubtless did a better job that the original headliner would have done. Initially keen to make this his credits-topping debut, The Rock had instead decided to take The Mummy Returns. It turned out to be a smart move, advantageous both for him and Li.
Next, Jet reunited with Joel Silver, Andrzej Bartkowiak and DMX for Cradle 2 the Grave. Here, DMX and his gang would break into an LA diamond vault while being tailed by Taiwanese cop Jet, the two stars joining forces when the REALLY bad guys nick the stolen black diamonds, their dastardly plan being to use the stones to manufacture WMDs on the cheap. Naturally, being a Silver production, it was action all the way, but it was at least imaginative action, with absurdly fast and destructive chases, one involving an all-terrain vehicle jumping from rooftop to rooftop. Unsurprisingly, the movie entered the US box office charts at Number One.
The next year, 2004, Li would find himself at the top of the charts again, but this time unexpectedly. Several years before, he'd starred in Hero, an epic directed by Zhang Yimou, who'd previously delivered such classics as Red Sorghum, Shanghai Triad and Raise The Red Lantern. The film, the most expensive in Chinese cinema history, had been a huge hit in Asia, but had not secured US distribution. Even after Miramax picked it up in late 2002 it had not been released in the States, though it had secured a dedicated cult following due to imported DVDs.
Finally, it burst onto American screens in August, 2004 and, defying all expectations, hit Number One where it stayed for two weeks. Critics were unanimous in their praise for its awe-inspiring beauty, if not for its plot-line. Jet played a Warrior who arrives before the king, claiming that he's killed three assassins sent to murder the monarch and asking to be re Warded and retained. His story is told in flashback, like Kurosawa's Rashomon, and it is up to the king to decide whether the man is honest, lying for money or is himself an assassin. It is a simple tale, complicated by its structure, but this is not the point as, as the critics noted, Hero is an otherworldly visual experience, beautiful even by the standards of Kurosawa's own Dreams. In interviews, Li would talk about Zhang's extraordinary attention to detail. He'd explain that the actors had waited seven days while 500 horses were dyed black: how one lakeside scene had taken weeks to film because the water was only still enough to reflect the actors clearly for two hours a day: how Zhang needed EXACTLY the right quality of daylight to make Maggie Cheung and Zhang Ziyi appear as enticing and strange as he wished them to be.
It had not been an easy shoot, Jet said. Surrounded by fine actors like Cheung and Tony Leung, he'd felt insecure and out of place. Forget it, Zhang had told him, your character is unsure of his position, too - you'll be fine. Then there was the accident with Donnie Yen, when Li cut his eyebrow badly. Yen did not complain, indeed he thought the scar would provide a nice counterbalance to The One Jet had given him on his other eyebrow during the filming of Once Upon A Time In China 2.
Jet had taken a huge pay-cut to secure Hero but, having been paid $5 million for Kiss Of The Dragon and $7.5 million for The One, he was now a rich man, rich enough to actively seek to widen his range. Next would come Danny The Dog, once again part-written by Luc Besson. Here, Li would play a slave-fighter, a man with the mind and personality of a child who's been taught nothing but violence by his "owner" Bob Hoskins - Hoskins' aim being to make money from his mayhemic talents in illegal fight clubs. When Hoskins suffers an accident, Li meets Morgan Freeman, a blind piano teacher who tries to introduce him to creativity, to beauty, to humanity throught the power of music. And not a flying all-terrain vehicle in sight.
Holding his own alongside the esteemed likes of Freeman and Tony Leung, Jet Li has taken great strides to Wards earning the respect of his peers. The pre-eminent martial arts star of his generation, now befriended by the likes of Joel Silver and Mel Gibson, he will continue to have mega-hits and, having studied English for four hours a day for years, he will doubtless appeal to the Western market more and more - without having to stick, like Jackie Chan, to comedy blockbusters. But don't be surprised if he begins to step out into Beat Takeshi territory - he seems determined to become a bona fide thespian. As his PE teacher noticed 30 years ago, the man has amazing ability. And grace.
H.Tahir
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What members say |
Filmography
Jet Li - news / articles
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Statham & Li happy to redeem themselves in Expendables -
25 August 2010
-Jason Statham was grateful for the chance to reteam with Jet Li in The Expendables - so the action duo could redeem themselves for their past movie flops.-
-The British movie hunk previously starred alongside Li in the movies The One and War, which were widely
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Van Damme refused to lose to Li in Expendables fight -
17 August 2010
Damme refused to appear in Sylvester Stallone's all-star action film The Expendables, because he would have to lose a fight to Jet Li.-
-Stallone corralled a hitlist of Hollywood hard men to appear in the film, but Universal Soldier star Van Damme turned him do
Jet Li - what members say
review by A customer from
"The magic is back... for one last time!" 14 April 2011
review by from BRYNFORD
22 January 2004
review by A customer from Manchester
Better second time round 11 November 2004
Jet Li - filmography
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The Expendables 2 - Blu-ray
(2012)
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Randy Couture, Jason Statham
Director: Simon West
Certificate: 
Bruce Willis, Sylvester Stallone and Jason Statham reprise their roles for this action thriller sequel. Mr Church (Willis) reunites the formidable Expendables team, plus new member Billy the Kid (Liam Hemsworth), for what should be a straightforward job. But when one of their number is murdered by ..read more »
 
65%
from 5,452 members
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Flying Swords of Dragon Gate - 3D Blu-ray
(2012)
Starring: Zhou Xun, Jet Li, Kun Chen
Director: Tsui Hark
Certificate:
Three years after the infamous Dragon Inn was left in ruins, a new gang takes over, using it as their base to uncover a hidden treasure. But secrets lie within its walls, as a pregnant palace courtesan and a swordswoman take refuge from a determined royal who is determined to hunt them down. As an ..read more »
58%
from 203 members
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The Expendables 2
on DVD
(2012)
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Randy Couture, Jason Statham
Director: Simon West
Certificate:
Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone), Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), Yin Yang (Jet Li), Gunnar Jensen (Dolph Lundgren),Toll Road (Randy Couture) and Hale Caesar (Terry Crews) - with newest members Billy the Kid (Liam Hemsworth) and Maggie (Yu Nan) aboard - are reunited when Mr. Church (Bruce Willis) ..read more »
66%
from 9,983 members
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Flying Swords of Dragon Gate - Blu-ray
(2012)
Starring: Zhou Xun, Mavis Fan, Yuchun Li
Director: Tsui Hark
Certificate:
Martial arts epic directed by Hark Tsui. Three years after the the Dragon Inn was burned to the ground, leaving the innkeeper missing, a new bunch of marauders have moved in. But they have ulterior motives. It seems that buried beneath the Inn is a lost city that can only be uncovered in a storm ..read more »
53%
from 430 members
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Flying Swords of Dragon Gate
on DVD
(2012)
Starring: Zhou Xun, Mavis Fan, Yuchun Li
Director: Tsui Hark
Certificate:
Martial arts epic directed by Hark Tsui. Three years after the the Dragon Inn was burned to the ground, leaving the innkeeper missing, a new bunch of marauders have moved in. But they have ulterior motives. It seems that buried beneath the Inn is a lost city that can only be uncovered in a storm ..read more »
59%
from 348 members
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The Expendables
on DVD
(2010)
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Mickey Rourke, Jason Statham
Director: Sylvester Stallone
Certificate:
Watch now: Unavailable
Sylvester Stallone stars as Barney Ross, leader of The Expendables, a tight knit team of skilled combat vets turned mercenaries. Hired by a powerful covert operator, the team jets off to a small South American country to overthrow a ruthless dictator. Once there, they find themselves caught in a ..read more »
61%
from 38,494 members
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The Expendables - Blu-ray
(2010)
Starring: Giselle Itie, Bruce Willis, Jet Li
Director: Sylvester Stallone
Certificate: 
Watch now: Unavailable
Action thriller directed by Sylvester Stallone, boasting an ensemble cast of action stalwarts including Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, Steve Austin, Terry Crews and Mickey Rourke. The film, which follows a group of professional killers as they join forces to bring ..read more »
60%
from 18,699 members
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Ocean Heaven
(2010)
Starring: Ran Chen, Lunmei Kwai, Jet Li
Director: Xiao Lu Xue
Certificate: 
Marine theme park technician Xingchang (Jet Li) has been taking care of his autistic son Dafu (Wen Zhang) since the death of his wife (Gao Yuanyuan) 14 years ago. When he's diagnosed with liver cancer, Xingchang is determined to spend what's left of his life training his 21-year-old son to take ..read more »
48%
from 11 members
Currently unavailable
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The Founding of a Republic
on DVD
(2009)
Starring: Andy Lau, Jet Li, Jackie Chan
Director: Jianxin Huang, Sanping Han
Certificate:
Watch now: Unavailable
Big budget Chinese historical epic examining the climax of the Chinese Civil War in the 1950s. The film opens with the leaders of the two main factions in the civil war, Mao Zedong (Tang Guoqiang) of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and Chiang Kai-shek (Zhang Guoli) of the nationalist party ..read more »
45%
from 288 members
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Founding of a Republic - Blu-ray
(2009)
Starring: Andy Lau, Jet Li, Jackie Chan
Director: Jianxin Huang, Sanping Han
Certificate:
Watch now: Unavailable
Big budget Chinese historical epic examining the climax of the Chinese Civil War in the 1950s. The film opens with the leaders of the two main factions in the civil war, Mao Zedong (Tang Guoqiang) of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and Chiang Kai-shek (Zhang Guoli) of the nationalist party ..read more »
38%
from 197 members
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Warlords
on DVD
(2008)
Starring: Jet Li, Andy Lau, Takeshi Kaneshiro
Director: Peter Chan, Wai Man Yip, Peter Ho-Sun Chan
Certificate:
Watch now: Unavailable
Lavish historical action film telling the story of a trio of warriors in the era of the Qing Dynasty - General Ma Xinyi (Jet Li), Cao Er-Hu (Andy Lau) and Zhang Wen-Xiang (Takeshi Kaneshiro) - who make a pact of brotherhood to one another vowing that anyone who harms one of the brothers will be ..read more »
62%
from 8,293 members
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The Forbidden Kingdom - Blu-ray
(2008)
Starring: Crystal Liu Yi Fei, Li Bing Bing, Jet Li
Director: Rob Minkoff
Certificate: 
Watch now: Unavailable
Fantasy martial-arts tale which brings together legends Jackie Chan and Jet Li for the first time. Rummaging through a New York junk shop, American teen Jason (Michael Angarano), a martial-arts obsessive, can't believe his eyes when he finds the legendary Monkey King's (Jet Li) fighting staff. But ..read more »
67%
from 4,647 members
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The Forbidden Kingdom
on DVD
(2008)
Starring: Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Michael Angarano
Director: Rob Minkoff
Certificate:
Watch now: Unavailable
In "The Forbidden Kingdom", American teenager Jason (Michael Angarano), who is obsessed with Hong Kong cinema and kungfu classics, finds an antique Chinese staff in a pawn shop: the legendary stick weapon of the Chinese sage and warrior, the Monkey King (Jet Li). With the lost relic in hand, Jason ..read more »
67%
from 21,832 members
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Warlords - Blu-ray
(2008)
Starring: Jet Li, Andy Lau, Takeshi Kaneshiro
Director: Peter Chan, Wai Man Yip, Peter Ho-Sun Chan
Certificate:
Watch now: Unavailable
Lavish historical action film telling the story of a trio of warriors in the era of the Qing Dynasty - General Ma Xinyi (Jet Li), Cao Er-Hu (Andy Lau) and Zhang Wen-Xiang (Takeshi Kaneshiro) - who make a pact of brotherhood to one another vowing that anyone who harms one of the brothers will be ..read more »
63%
from 2,811 members
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War
on DVD
(2007)
Starring: Jet Li, Jason Statham, John Lone
Director: Philip G. Atwell
Certificate:
Watch now: Unavailable
An FBI Agent seeks vengeance on a mysterious assassin known as "Rogue" who murdered his partner.
62%
from 24,325 members
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Fearless
on DVD
(2006)
Starring: Jet Li, Nathan Jones
Director: Ronny Yu
Certificate:
Superstar Jet Li headlines this action-packed film, his final martial arts epic. The film reteams him with producer Bill Kong ("Hero") and action director and choreographer Yuen Wo Ping ("Unleashed"). Li plays real-life martial arts legend Huo Yuanjia, who became the most famous fighter in all of ..read more »
70%
from 14,880 members
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Fearless - Blu-ray
(2006)
Starring: Jet Li, Nathan Jones
Director: Ronny Yu
Certificate:
Martial arts action starring Jet Li as Chinese martial artist Huo Yuan Jia, who founded and developed the prestigious Jin Wu Sports Federation in the late nineteenth century. Rising to the top of the martial arts world from a deprived background, Huo Yuan Jia fought for the honour of his country ..read more »
72%
from 2,485 members
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Jet Li - The Legend
(2005)
Starring: Adam Cheng, Jet Li, Sibelle Hu
Director: Cory Yuen
Certificate:
Hong Kong action hero Jet Li returns as a martial arts expert trying to save his father's life. A violent and nasty emperor is targeting members of an underground revolutionary gang trying to overthrow him. Li's father is part of that movement and has been singled out for retribution. So Li decides ..read more »
68%
from 2,502 members
Currently unavailable
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Unleashed - Blu-ray
(2005)
Starring: Vincent Regan, Morgan Freeman, Jet Li
Director: Louis Leterrier
Certificate:
Off-beat martial arts thriller. Danny (Jet Li) is a slave who has been raised like a dog by the sinister Bart (Bob Hoskins), who keeps him chained up and only unleashes him to use his martial arts skills in illegal underground pit fights. When Bart is injured in an accident, Danny is able to escape ..read more »
69%
from 130 members
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Unleashed
(2004)
Starring: Vincent Regan, Morgan Freeman, Jet Li
Director: Louis Leterrier
Certificate:
Off-beat martial arts thriller. Danny (Jet Li) is a slave who has been raised like a dog by the sinister Bart (Bob Hoskins), who keeps him chained up and only unleashes him to use his martial arts skills in illegal underground pit fights. When Bart is injured in an accident, Danny is able to escape ..read more »
62%
from 26,759 members
Not currently released
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Cradle 2 the Grave
on DVD
(2003)
Starring: Jet Li, Anthony Anderson, Kelly Hu
Director: Andrzej Bartkowiak
Certificate:
Watch now: Unavailable
Jet Li and DMX star in this all action thriller as two rivals who become unlikely partners in a street war involving kidnapping and a sadistic gang boss. Hard-nosed con, Tony (DMX) assembles a crew and steals some very valuable black diamonds. However, this major heist leads to his daughter being ..read more »
63%
from 7,525 members
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Hero
on DVD
(2002)
Starring: Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Jet Li, Maggie Cheung
Director: Yimou Zhang
Certificate:
Watch now: Included in all packages with LOVEFiLM Instant
Sweeping and sumptuously-shot martial arts action film in the vein of Ang Lee's 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon'. In Ancient China, the Emperor of the northern province of Qin (Daoming Chen) is under constant threat of assassination attempts. Three assassins in particular are the cause of much fear ..read more »
64%
from 57,233 members
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The Art Of Action
on DVD
(2002)
Starring: Chow Yun-Fat, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Lee
Director: Keith Clarke
Certificate:
Samuel L. Jackson presents some of the best action scenes ever filmed in this celebration of the martial arts movie. Includes clips and interviews featuring Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Ang Lee and John Woo.
52%
from 203 members
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Hero - Blu-ray
(2002)
Starring: Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Jet Li, Maggie Cheung
Director: Yimou Zhang
Certificate:
Watch now: Included in all packages with LOVEFiLM Instant
Sweeping and sumptuously-shot martial arts action film in the vein of Ang Lee's 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon'. In Ancient China, the Emperor of the northern province of Qin (Daoming Chen) is under constant threat of assassination attempts. Three assassins in particular are the cause of much fear ..read more »
74%
from 1,057 member
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Kiss Of The Dragon
on DVD
(2001)
Starring: Bridget Fonda, Jet Li, Tchéky Karyo
Director: Chris Nahon
Certificate:
Jet Li plays Liu Jian, a mysterious operative who travels from Shanghai to Paris on a mission so sensitive, the details are unclear even to him. A few clues lead Liu to Jean-Pierre Richard, a brutal Frenchman with a small army to back him up. When the mission goes horribly wrong, Liu falls into a ..read more »
69%
from 4,959 members
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The One
on DVD
(2001)
Starring: Tucker Smallwood, Carla Gugino, Jet Li
Director: James Wong
Certificate:
Watch now: Unavailable
In the near future, deadly assassin Yulaw (Jet Li) uses a newly-developed technology called 'quantum tunneling' to move from one parallel universe to the next, killing off all his parallel selves and becoming more powerful with each self he kills. Back in our own dimension, ordinary police officer ..read more »
62%
from 11,162 members
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The One - Blu-ray
(2001)
Starring: Tucker Smallwood, Carla Gugino, Jet Li
Director: James Wong
Certificate:
Watch now: Unavailable
In the near future, deadly assassin Yulaw (Jet Li) uses a newly-developed technology called 'quantum tunneling' to move from one parallel universe to the next, killing off all his parallel selves and becoming more powerful with each self he kills. Back in our own dimension, ordinary police officer ..read more »
60%
from 1,154 member
Currently unavailable
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Romeo Must Die
on DVD
(2000)
Starring: Anthony Anderson, Francoise Yip, Jet Li
Director: Andrzej Bartkowiak
Certificate:
Watch now: Unavailable
High octane thriller featuring the new star of the Hong Kong action films, Jet Li. Two rival families, one Asian the other Afro-American, are locked in a turf war over Oakland's waterfront. When Po, the son of the Asian warlord, is found dead, the fighting intensifies. Po's brother Han (Jet Li) ..read more »
67%
from 7,442 members
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Lethal Weapon 4
on DVD
(1998)
Starring: Danny Glover, Jet Li, Mel Gibson
Director: Richard Donner
Certificate:
Watch now: Unavailable
Mismatched cops Riggs (Mel Gibson) and Murtaugh (Danny Glover) team up for a fourth time to foil an immigrant smuggling racket, run by a ruthless Asian Triad leader (Jet Li). Joe Pesci also returns as Leo Getz, the cops' cowardly informant whilst Rene Russo leavens the boys with toys atmosphere as ..read more »
68%
from 17,769 members
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Hitman
on DVD
(1998)
Starring: Kei Sato, Jet Li, Simon Yam
Director: Wei Tung
Certificate:
Tai Feng (Jet Li) is that rare thing; a hitman with a conscience. Allowing his personal sense of justice to guide him, Feng never carries out a killing he feels to be morally wrong. When his agent Sam (Eric Tsang) collaborates with him on the theft of billions from local mobsters, it is up to Feng ..read more »
61%
from 1,469 member
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Black Mask
on DVD
(1996)
Starring: Francoise Yip, Jet Li, Karen Mok
Director: Daniel Lee
Certificate:
Tsui (Jet Li) has been brainwashed into feeling no physical pain, and is forced into joining China's crack assassin team, the 701 Squad. However, he cannot live with his conscience, and so escapes to the streets of Hong Kong. With the police increasingly powerless against the sinister squad, Tsui ..read more »
57%
from 1,908 member
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Doctor Wai
(1996)
Starring: Jet Li, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Takeshi Kaneshiro
Director: Siu-Tung Ching
Certificate:
In the early twentieth century, Doctor Wai (Asian superstar Jet Lee) and his assistant Pao (Takeshi Kaneshiro) embark on a search for the 'Scriptures with No Words'. Along the way they have to battle the beautiful but deadly Yu Fung (Rosamund Kwan) and the gangster Ngai, who has been transformed ..read more »
49%
from 402 members
Currently unavailable
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The Enforcer
on DVD
(1995)
Starring: Jet Li, Anita Mui, Ken Lo
Director: Cory Yuen
Certificate:
Martial arts action hero Jet Li is an undercover Chinese cop sent to Hong Kong to find a known criminal. Together with his son, they lay down the law in their search to find the criminal and bring him to justice.
61%
from 1,258 member
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Legend Of The Red Dragon
on DVD
(1994)
Starring: Jet Li, Deanie Ip, Sung-Yung Chen
Director: Wong Jing, Yuen Kwai
Certificate:
Scared by the reality of seeing his wife murdered and whole village razed by evil Manchu soldiers Kwun (Jet Li) sets out with his son to get revenge. For years they strive to track down the killers whilst avoiding falling into the clutches of the Manchu army. A chance crossing paths with a group of ..read more »
61%
from 1,266 member
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Fist Of Legend - Blu-ray
(1994)
Starring: Yu Kan Ping, Jet Li, Yuen Cheung Yan
Director: Gordon Chan
Certificate:
Jet Li stars in this remake of the 1972 Bruce Lee classic 'Fist of Fury'. Set in Shanghai at the beginning of the twentieth century, it tells of the attempts made by a young martial arts student, Chen Zhen (Li), to avenge the death of his master. Hailed by many as a contemporary Kung Fu masterpiece,..read more »
66%
from 971 members
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The New Legend of Shaolin
(1994)
Starring: Jet Li, Sung Young Chen, Chuen-Hua Chi
Director: Jing Wong, Corey Yuen
Certificate:
This Hong Kong martial arts film that is chock full of colorful, nonstop action starring superstar Jet Li. Hong Xiguan learned kung fu at a Shaolin temple. He joins rebels to try to usurp the oppressive rulers. Unfortunately, a fellow student squeals upon him and Hong's family is slain, except for ..read more »
61%
from 7 members
Currently unavailable
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Fist Of Legend
on DVD
(1994)
Starring: Yu Kan Ping, Jet Li, Yuen Cheung Yan
Director: Gordon Chan
Certificate:
Jet Li stars in this remake of the 1972 Bruce Lee classic 'Fist of Fury'. Set in Shanghai at the beginning of the twentieth century, it tells of the attempts made by a young martial arts student, Chen Zhen (Li), to avenge the death of his master. Hailed by many as a contemporary Kung Fu masterpiece,..read more »
70%
from 2,903 members
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Tai-Chi Master - Blu-ray
(1993)
Starring: Siu-hou Chin, Shun Lau, Jet Li
Director: Yuen Woo-Ping
Certificate:
Martial arts action from director Yuen Woo Ping. Tienbao (Chin Siu-hou) and Junbao (Jet Li) are lifelong friends whose friendship is tested to its limits when Tienbao becomes a follower of the military regime, and Junbao joins a group of military rebels. When Tienbao betrays the rebels and Junbao, ..read more »
73%
from 95 members
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The Legend Of Fong Sai Yuk
(1993)
Starring: Jet Li, Adam Cheng, Michelle Reis
Director: Corey Yuen
Certificate:
Action super-star Jet Li dazzles with his legendary speed and power in this sweeping epic from the martial arts director of X-Men and Transporter 1 and 2. Set in Chinas Ching Dynasty, The Legend of Fong Sai Yuk tells the story of a ruthless emperor who enslaves his people, and persecutes a ..read more »
79%
from 52 members
Currently unavailable
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Last Hero In China
on DVD
(1993)
Starring: Sharla Cheung, Jet Lee, Liu Chia Hui
Director: Yuen Wo, Wong Jing, Yuen Woo-Ping
Certificate:
Wong Fei Hung (Jet Li) is a legendary Kung Fu master, waging a one man war against criminals and corruption in the Boxer Society of turn-of-the-century China. He unknowingly opens a martial arts school right next to a notorious brothel, only to come across a kidnapping plot. Much fighting ensues.
64%
from 615 members
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Evil Cult
on DVD
(1993)
Starring: Jet Li, Sammo Hung
Director: Jing Wong
Certificate:
Zhang (Jet Li) is the grandson of the Great Tai Chi Master, and has become an automatic target for the Six Great Schools following his parents' fall from grace. After surviving a poisoning attempt, Zhang goes on the road with his grandfather to seek a restorative cure for his health, but through a ..read more »
58%
from 801 members
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Jet Li - The Legend 2
(1993)
Starring: Adam Cheng, Jet Li, Michele Reis
Director: Cory Yuen
Certificate:
Action/adventure starring martial arts sensation Jet Li. Having fought to save his father from the wrath of the Chinese government, Fong Sai Yuk (Jet Li) joins his father's underground revolutionary organization, the Red Flower Society. But in the camp of rebels, a traitor lurks. Now, Fong Sai Yuk ..read more »
66%
from 1,562 member
Currently unavailable
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Once Upon A Time In China
on DVD
(1993)
Starring: Jet Li, Rosamund Kwan, Yuen Biao
Director: Tsui Hark
Certificate:
Though generally unknown to Western audiences, Tsui Hark is considered a giant among Asian filmmakers and this exceptional epic, combining hard-hitting martial-arts action with romance, comedy, history, genuine poignance, and sharp insight into the effects of the century-long encroachment of ..read more »
66%
from 3,284 members
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Tai Chi Master
on DVD
(1993)
Starring: Jet Li, Michelle Yeoh, Chin Siu Ho
Director: Yuen Woo-Ping
Certificate:
Martial arts action from director Yuen Woo Ping. Tienbao (Chin Siu-hou) and Junbao (Jet Li) are lifelong friends whose friendship is tested to its limits when Tienbao becomes a follower of the military regime, and Junbao joins a group of military rebels. When Tienbao betrays the rebels and Junbao, ..read more »
67%
from 538 members
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The Swordsman II
on DVD
(1992)
Starring: Michelle Reis, Jet Li, Brigitte Lin
Director: Stanley Tong, Siu-Tung Ching
Certificate:
Jet Li stars in this martial arts sequel as Ling Wu Chung, a famed sword fighter who is making his way into the mountains with his friends, determined to abandon his violent life. But when he arrives, he finds his people have been invaded, and Ling must lead a deadly counterattack to free Master Wu ..read more »
59%
from 748 members
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The Master
on DVD
(1989)
Starring: Jet Li, Wah Yuen
Director: Tsui Hark, Hark Tsui
Certificate:
Martial arts action which sees a young kung fu expert (Jet Li) visiting America where he decides to catch up with his old master, Uncle Tak (Wah Yuen). The master has recently been having troubles with local hoodlums who have been terrorising the neighbourhood. Our hero decides to train up some ..read more »
56%
from 863 members
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Born To Defend
on DVD
(1986)
Starring: Jet Li
Certificate:
Jet Lee stars as a man full of good intentions after the Second World War in China. However, he becomes involved in a running feud with a tough American, and his life becomes inextricably linked to those of a local rickshaw puller and a young girl who might be his daughter.
57%
from 498 members
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Shaolin Art of War
(1986)
Starring: Jet Li
Certificate:
Jet Lee, star of such martial arts action movies as 'Once Upon a Time in China' and 'Fist of Legend', found mainstream success with his appearance in 'Lethal Weapon 4'. Here he demonstrates the fighting style which has made him famous, revealing the secrets of his training techniques as he ..read more »
36%
from 16 members
Currently unavailable
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The Shaolin Temple
(1981)
Starring: Chang Jien Wun, Jet Li, Din Nan
Director: Cheung Hsin Yen
Certificate:
A vengeful youth joins the Shaolin Temple in order to acquire the necessary skills to fight a vicious warlord who murdered his father. After many years of training he confronts the warlord, but is soundly beaten and has to return to the temple for even more training.
63%
from 12 members
Currently unavailable
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Kiss Of The Dragon - Blu-ray
Starring: Bridget Fonda, Jet Li, Tchéky Karyo
Director: Chris Nahon
Certificate:
Liu Jian (Jet Li) is a Chinese government agent who has been sent to France to assist in the arrest of a Chinese heroin smuggler. But when he arrives he is framed for murder by corrupt French police detective Jean-Pierre Richard (Tchéky Karyo) and forced to go on the run in a bid to prove his ..read more »
68%
from 1,507 member
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Jet Li - The Defender
Starring: Kent Cheng, Christy Chung, Jet Li
Director: Corey Yuen
Certificate:
Hong Kong action hero Jet Li returns in another action film about love, loyalty and betrayal. Li is a highly trained bodyguard hired by a successful businessman to protect his girlfriend after she witnesses a murder. But Li and the girlfriend soon fall for each other, and when he kills the brother ..read more »
63%
from 1,337 member
Currently unavailable
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Lee-Thal Weapon
on DVD
Starring: Jet Li
Certificate:
Hollywood martial arts star Jet Li is profiled in a series of interviews. In footage from 'The Jay Leno Show' and various Hong Kong television shows, Jet discusses his childhood, fame, fortune and film-making. Also included are clips from 'Lethal Weapon 4'.
54%
from 23 members
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Jet Li facts
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... the earlier films, but it doesn't create as tight a plot as the first 3 films. Jet Li is a great villain in it, and provides a more than even match for Riggs when it...
