Genre: Martial Arts

Films where hand-to-hand combat carries the story instead of decorating it. Choreography here works the way dialogue does elsewhere: it establishes character, escalates conflict, and settles arguments. The reviews cover the samurai tradition, Hong Kong action, and the American films that borrowed from both, with attention to how a fight is shot and cut. A held wide shot and a fast-cut sequence make different promises to the viewer, and the difference is usually the whole film.