Siu-Wong Fan, additionally credited as Louis Fan in a few of his work, is a martial artist and Hong Kong actor who made a reputation for himself because the titular character in Riki-Oh. Fan’s father labored for the Shaw Brothers Studio and, after studying wushu at a younger age, it was clear his skills had been destined for movie. While Fan does have a distinguished function in fairly a number of Ip Man movies, most of his work is as a supporting character.

Throughout his profession, Fan has labored alongside a number of the largest kung fu film stars of all time. Actors like Michelle Yeoh and Donnie Yen are just some folks Fan has had the chance to work with and show his martial arts expertise are to not be underestimated. The better of Fan’s work will be present in a variety of kung fu movies, from the dramatic origin story of a Buddhist monk to the ugly and violent battles of a super-human being.

10 Flying Swords Of Dragon Gate (2011)

Directed by Tsui Hark

With Jet Li as its lead, Flying Swords of Dragon Gate is a martial arts fantasy movie that is positive to entertain, even when the movie’s plot is puzzling at occasions. Fan has one other minor function in Flying Swords of Dragon Gate as Ma Jinliang, and he is simply one of many many eccentric characters within the wuxia movie. Flying Swords of Dragon Gate is a remake of the ’60s Dragon Gate Inn and New Dragon Gate Inn from the early ’90s, each of which starred iconic actors from Hong Kong cinema.

There are fairly a number of imperfections in Flying Swords of Dragon Gate, reminiscent of the standard of CGI, undeveloped characters, and a narrative that is usually troublesome to maintain up with. Still, Flying Swords of Dragon Gate is a number of enjoyable. The motion sequences and entertaining characters maintain audiences engaged. It’s a movie the place the most effective expertise is had when audiences can let free and benefit from the wild journey.

9 Shaolin Vs. Evil Dead (2004)

Directed by Douglas Kung

Acting reverse martial artist Gordon Liu, Fan takes on a number one function in Shaolin vs. Evil Dead. Despite having no ties to the Evil Dead movies, Shaolin vs. Evil Dead does embrace a number of supernatural creatures and finds inspiration within the ’80s Hong Kong comedy horror movie Mr. Vampire. The plot of Shaolin vs. Evil Dead follows two monks (Liu and Fan) who should work collectively to battle off supernatural creatures which have taken over.

The conflicting beliefs between the 2 monks, one opting to avoid wasting the creatures’ souls and the opposite vowing to destroy them with no regret, provides depth to the characters. Fan and Liu work extraordinarily effectively collectively on display and their motion scenes give life to the movie’s shapeless narrative. The movie has additionally been criticized for its abrupt ending, which was meant to arrange the sequel movie. Luckily, the sequel, Shaolin Vs. Dead: Ultimate Power, was funded and launched a 12 months later.

8 Master Of Zen (1994)

Directed by Brandy Yuen

Equal components drama and motion is the biographical movie Master of Zen. Starring Fan and Derek Yee, Master of Zen tells the story of Bodhidharma, a Buddhist monk credited with bringing Chan Buddhism to China and serving to create what’s now often called Shaolin kung fu. Yee portrays Bodhidharma and Fan performs Shenguang, renamed Huike by Bodhidharma.

The character, a soldier who has given up violence and turns into Bodhidharma’s apprentice, is certainly one of Fan’s extra dramatic roles. The course of Brandy Yuen and the performances by Fan and Yee make Master of Zen a one-of-a-kind martial arts movie. As thought-provoking and shifting because the movie’s exploration of faith is, the motion scenes are simply as entertaining. Neither tone overpowers the opposite, leading to an all-around pleasurable watch.

7 Stone Age Warriors (1991)

Directed by Stanley Tong

Before Stanley Tong turned a frequent collaborator of Jackie Chan’s, he made his directorial debut with Stone Age Warriors. The movie facilities on the efforts to discover a lacking businessman. The man’s daughter (Elaine Lui) and his girlfriend (Nina Li Chi) staff up with a information (Fan) and enterprise into the New Guinea Jungle in hopes of discovering him. The first half of Stone Age Warriors is a bit gradual and dangers shedding the viewers’s consideration.

But affected person viewers are finally awarded an action-packed second half that highlights Fan’s martial arts expertise. It’s not usually that Fan will get to indicate off his bodily expertise to the fullest extent, however Stone Age Warriors‘ wild journey permits for it. While touring via the jungle, the movie’s three main characters run into varied enemies, together with drug sellers and wild animals.

6 Kung Fu Jungle (2014)

Directed by Teddy Chan

Starring alongside martial arts actor Donnie Yen, Fan had a minor function in Kung Fu Jungle. Fan would not contribute as a lot in Kung Fu Jungle as in different kung fu movies, but it surely’s nonetheless a notable entry in his filmography. Kung Fu Jungle follows an incarcerated self-defense teacher (Yen) who will get quickly launched to assist officers seek for a neighborhood killer. In Kung Fu Jungle, Fan performs Hung Yip, a martial arts pupil who’s the killer’s subsequent meant goal.

Kung Fu Jungle would not essentially carry something new to the style of movie, however it does comply with a conventional narrative in kung fu motion pictures, which is a deal with for followers of the style. Additionally, the battle choreography in Kung Fu Jungle is spectacular and permits for certainly one of Donnie Yen’s greatest martial arts battle scenes. Kung Fu Jungle obtained quite a few award nominations and received the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Action Choreography — the fourth time Yen has been given the award.

5 Supercop 2 (1993)

Directed by Stanley Tong

(*10*)

Acting as a spin-off to Police Story 3: Supercop, Supercop 2 sees the return of Michelle Yeoh as her inspector character Jessica Yang. In Supercop 2, Jessica is dispatched to Hong Kong to assist with an investigation right into a collection of robberies. In Hong Kong, Jessica works with Inspector Lee (Emil Chau). Fan joins the solid in a supporting function as Lee’s accomplice and the boyfriend of his youthful sister.

Though Fan is not within the movie for lengthy, he does contribute a powerful efficiency. Based on Supercop 2‘s poster, many assumed Jackie Chan can be reprising the function of his Police Story character, although he solely appeared within the movie as a cameo. Still, Supercop 2, which is not as involved with comedy as Police Story, is a movie price watching. As seen time and time once more all through Yeoh’s profession, the motion within the movie is top-notch and nonetheless permits for a compelling story.

4 Ip Man 2 (2010)

Directed by Wilson Yip

Fan returned to Ip Man 2 as his character from the primary Ip Man movie, this time in a supporting function. Ip Man 2 picks up after the primary movie and sees Ip (Donnie Yen) shifting together with his household to Hong Kong, the place he opens up a martial arts faculty. The sequel has a number of the greatest fights within the Ip Man movie collection, persevering with the standard motion and battle that made the primary movie such successful.

The reappearance of Jin establishes a contrasting dynamic with Ip in comparison with the primary movie. Differing from their authentic contentious relationship, Jin and Ip kind considerably of a friendship. During one scene, Jin helps Ip and his pupil Wong Leung escape a hoard of rival martial arts college students. Like the primary movie, the fights in Ip Man 2 had been choreographed by Sammo Hung and are an analogous show of creativity and depth.

3 Righting Wrongs (1986)

Directed by Corey Yuen

Up there with the most effective kung fu motion pictures of the ’80s is Righting Wrongs. In the movie, Yuen Biao performs a prosecutor and Cynthia Rothrock performs a cop and the 2 characters work to uncover the reality behind a string of murders on the town. Again, Fan has a minor function, however he stays a part of the movie’s intense motion throughout his time on display. The motion in Righting Wrongs is enjoyable and plentiful, as established by the primary couple of minutes of the movie, by which a gunfight and a automobile chase happen.

The inventive shows of motion sequences are topped off by basic kung fu choreography carried out by the movie’s solid of martial artists. Still, the story in Righting Wrongs is simply as compelling as its quickly-paced motion. Though it is not the main focus of the movie, woven into Righting Wrongs‘ story are themes questioning the equity of the regulation. Upon preliminary screenings of Righting Wrongs, audiences responded poorly to its grim ending, leading to a number of alternate endings being filmed, which had been added to the 2022 Blu-ray launch of the movie.

2 Ip Man (2008)

Directed by Wilson Yip

Fan is simply one of many many martial artists starring in Ip Man movies. The movie is predicated on the occasions of the real-life Ip Man, who is called the grasp of Wing Chun and was extremely influential within the martial arts world. In the movie, Ip is performed by Donnie Yen, and he finds himself in matches in opposition to different martial artists who’re decided to return out on prime. One of those opponents is Jin Shanzhao, performed by Fan.

Jin is a extremely completed martial arts grasp who has defeated many opponents within the metropolis of Foshan besides Ip. Jin is an skilled martial artist who’s assured sufficient to tackle Ip, and his confident perspective and talent are evident in Fan’s choreographed preventing. Both when it comes to his performing and his martial arts expertise, Fan is very worthy of sharing the display with Yen. The success and acclaim of Ip Man led to sequel movies that introduced a lot extra fights for Ip.

1 Riki-Oh: The Story Of Ricky (1991)

Directed by Lam Nai-choi

Based on a Japanese manga of the identical identify, Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky was Fan’s breakout function in Hong Kong cinema. In the movie, Fan performs the titular character, an incarcerated super-human who combines his phenomenal capacity together with his martial arts coaching to take down a number of folks in jail. Despite its poor English dubbing, Riki-Oh has gone on to earn a cult following for its brutal shows of violence. There is not any complicated narrative in Riki-Oh and whereas in different movies the extreme acts of violence could develop into tiresome, that is not the case with Riki-Oh.

Instead, every further opponent of Ricky’s is extra thrilling than the one earlier than. The exact battle choreography and Fan’s completed martial arts expertise floor Riki-Oh‘s motion in a means. The titular character is seemingly unconquerable, with lots of the battle scenes being over-the-top and unrealistic. Still, they’re immensely entertaining and do not ever really feel corny or low-cost. Riki-Oh is by far Fan’s greatest work in a kung fu movie and confirms his prowess as a martial artist, which has continued to be seen all through his profession.