Gun-fu is a fighting style that combines martial arts with the use of firearms in choreographed sequences of acrobatic movements and precise strikes. Its origin is linked to director John Woo, who introduced it to action cinema in Hong Kong in the late 1980s. With the popularity of John Wick films, Gun-fu gained prominence in popular culture. Check out 10 more movies that feature this style.
What movies will you watch:
The killer
“The Killer” is a John Woo film that anticipated the Gun-fu style, using firearms as extensions of the body in firefights that resemble fists. Characters shoot aimlessly, like martial arts fighters, regardless of how many bullets it takes to kill the opponent. The blows cause acrobatic reactions in the victims, similar to Kung Fu blows.
maximum boiling
“Fervura Maxima”, directed by John Woo three years after “The Killer”, is considered the first true Gun-fu film. With highly stylized action scenes, frenetic shooting and elaborate stunts, the film features unrealistically used firearms and characters flying long distances after being shot. Violence and blood are treated poetically. This work brought John Woo to Hollywood and influenced the development of the Gun-fu style in western films.
desperate
In “Desperado”, the protagonist is a skilled gunslinger who uses his weapons along with fighting techniques to defeat his opponents. The film features several intense action scenes involving gunfights and hand-to-hand combat, which are creatively choreographed. The action is clearly inspired by Hong Kong crime films, which director Robert Rodriguez has incorporated into his Western output.
matrix
The first “Matrix” set a new standard for Hollywood action films in the new millennium. Its groundbreaking special effects, fight choreography, and wacky visual style made it a huge hit. Inspired heavily by Hong Kong action cinema techniques, the fighting style of characters such as Trinity and Neo, which combines gunfire with jumping and spinning, and the use of bullet time effect, popularized the Gun style -was among the Western mass audience.
Equilibrium
The fighting style used by the characters in “Equilibrium” is a hand-to-hand combat technique that combines martial arts with the use of firearms. Movements are choreographed so that characters can avoid bullets from opponents while simultaneously using their own weapons to strike them. The Gun-Fu here (Gun-Kata in the movie) is closer to what we see in John Wick: only one shot is needed to kill. A more stable, cold and precise style, different from the chaotic and furious style of Hong Kong.
Angels of the night – Underworld
In “Angels of the Night”, Selene is a vampire with supernatural powers who uses her abilities in combination with firearms to fight werewolves. The action scenes are choreographed to mix martial arts movements with precise shooting, in the Gun-fu style that mixes the Matrix and John Woo movies.
B13 – 13th District
Of French production, the plot takes place in a future Paris, where a gigantic wall has been erected around the 13th district, a dangerous area, leaving its inhabitants isolated and abandoned by the government. The French twist of “B13” in Gun-fu was to combine the use of firearms with Parkour movements. The action features choreographed combat with acrobatic moves and fast, accurate shooting.
the wanted
“Wanted” is a film that also uses the Gun-fu fighting style, but with one notable difference: the characters have supernatural abilities to alter the trajectory of projectiles in the air, making it possible to reach targets beyond the range of conventional sights. In other words, the bullets make impressive curves during their travel.
Ajeossi
With a quirky South Korean twist to Gun-fu. “Ajeossi” tells the story of a former secret agent who becomes a loan dealer. When his only friend, a girl, is kidnapped, he is forced to use her fighting skills to save her. The main character is skilled in the use of firearms and martial arts techniques, combined in elaborate choreography.
atomic
David Leitch, who also co-directed John Wick, directed this feature film which uses the John Wick-like Gun-fu fighting style. The action scenes are choreographed in such a way as to mix plastic and precise movements with a lot of violence. The protagonist Lorraine is relentless like John Wick, with a cold, stable and efficient fighting style, without waste.
The post Discover 10 Gun-Fu Movies: Fighting Style from the John Wick Franchise first appeared on Olhar Digital.
Source: Olhar Digital
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
