History Main / WireFu

** ''Theatre/{{KA}}'' originally had a wire fu battle serving as its climax, but a performer fell to her death during a performance on June 29, 2013. Further performances were put on hold as a result, and Cirque has confirmed that when it reopens it [[{{Retool}} will no longer have the sequence in question]].
* Responsible for the flying sequences in various stagings of ''Theatre/PeterPan''.

* Wire Fu is noticeably absent in most JackieChan films; Chan insists on doing all his own stunts and eschews this technique. This has come to an end, however as Jackie Chan has gotten older.

-->-- ''ThisIsWonderland''

* ''BatmanLive'' is full of WireFu, all of which is used beautifully.

* Many fans consider this to be ''Franchise/PowerRangers'', ''Franchise/SuperSentai'' and ''Franchise/KamenRider'' director Koichi Sakamoto's DirectorTrademark. It's especially apparent in ''Series/KamenRiderFourze'' (he directed the whole series), which is handwaved by the fact that the Fourze suit has a jetpack. Likewise, ''Series/KamenRiderDouble'' has basically no Wire Fu until ''[[TheMovie The Gaia Memories of Fate]]'' which was directed by guess who...

* Spoofed in ''WaynesWorld 2'', during a fight between Wayne and Cassandra's father featuring leaps and flips with curiously flat trajectories.
** Never one to leave a dead horse unbeaten, Mike Myers used this in ''AustinPowers: Goldmember'' with Fat Bastard, who -- to make sure he was ready to fight Austin -- shouted "I hope my wire-fightin' team's ready!" He is defeated when one wire snaps under his weight, leaving him dangling sideways in the air.
* The teaser trailer for ''The Other Guys'' spoofs this by having the two main heroes striking a flying kick pose and firing guns before hitting each other in midair and swinging from their wires.
* Averted in the "corridor fight" scene in ''{{Inception}}''. When the one mook falls down a side corridor when gravity shifts to the side, the stuntman's fall was slowed by regular wirework, as were the parts when gravity completely stops. However, for the fight between Arthur and a mook when gravity is spinning out of control, the director went for an even more expensive and time consuming solution, building an entire set inside a huge metal cylinder that could actually be rotated. But it was completely worth the effort, as [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGg3eBaZrxo the result looks infinitely better]] than any Wire Fu. Because it '''IS''' real.

* There is a really out-of-place instance of this in ''Film/TombRaiderTheCradleOfLife'', when Lara confronts the black market smuggler Chen Lo in a cavern. They engage in a martial arts battle, and at one point Lara jumps on the heads of Terracotta warrior statues as Chen Lo smashes them beneath her feet.

* ''Franchise/PowerRangers'', in every episode. Surprisingly, ''Franchise/SuperSentai'' (and sister franchise ''Franchise/KamenRider'') use very little Wire Fu in comparison.

* {{Wuxia}} films use Wire Fu to perform exaggerated feats of ''qinggong''. For example, the films ''Film/CrouchingTigerHiddenDragon'', ''Film/{{Hero}}'', and ''HouseOfFlyingDaggers'' demonstrate perhaps the ultimate achievement in Wire Fu that Western audiences have seen.

Also called "Wirework" (though that term is more general; "WireFu" usually refers only to the use of wirework for fight scenes).

* ''{{Garo}}'' has a lot of wirework, surprisingly well done considering the heavy suits worn by the stuntmen and actors, and the fact that it's a TV show. Combined with chroma key and CG, some spectacular fights are produced. The Skyscraper fight in Makai Senki has to be seen to be believed.

[[folder:Comics]]
* Spoofed in [[http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/952/1200425345296ic2.jpg this comic]] by Chewri.
[[/folder]]

* In the Classic ''Series/DoctorWho'' episode "The Web Planet", the Menoptera fight the Zarbi in this way. Justified because they are insects and can fly. The effect is actually good, and not just by the standards of the time.

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* ''HeroicTrio'' seems to have been filmed with multiple wire-rigs working at once since practically every character knows wire-fu... and it is [[NarmCharm glorious]].
* There is a really out-of-place instance of this in ''[[Film/TombRaider Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life]]'', when Lara confronts the black market smuggler Chen Lo in a cavern. They engage in a martial arts battle, and at one point Lara jumps on the heads of Terracotta warrior statues as Chen Lo smashes them beneath her feet.
* ''MadMaxBeyondThunderdome'' played this straight by having the combatants in Thunderdome attached to elastic ropes. At one point Max gains a temporary advantage by cutting his opponent's ropes with his BladeOnAStick.

* {{Wuxia}} films use Wire Fu to perform exaggerated feats of ''qinggong''. For example, the film ''Film/CrouchingTigerHiddenDragon'', ''Film/{{Hero}}'', and ''HouseOfFlyingDaggers'' demonstrate perhaps the ultimate achievement in Wire Fu that Western audiences have seen.
* Wire Fu is noticeably absent in most JackieChan films; Chan insists on doing all his own stunts and eschews this technique. This has come an end, however as Jackie Chan has gotten older.

** Never one to leave a dead horse unbeaten, Mike Myers used this in ''AustinPowers: Goldmember'' with Fat Bastard, who -- to make sure he was ready to fight Austin -- shouted "I hope my wire-fightin' team's r-r-r-r-ready!" He is defeated when one wire snaps, leaving him stuck in the air.

* ''MadMaxBeyondThunderdome'' played this straight by having the combatants in Thunderdome attached to elastic ropes.

->'''Dale:''' The guy got into a little, you know, stance. And I'd just seen that movie, ''[[CrouchingTigerHiddenDragon Crouching Tiger]]'' or whatever, and I thought...\\

* {{Wuxia}} films use Wire Fu to perform exaggerated feats of ''qinggong''. For example, the film ''CrouchingTigerHiddenDragon'', ''Film/{{Hero}}'', and ''HouseOfFlyingDaggers'' demonstrate perhaps the ultimate achievement in Wire Fu that Western audiences have seen.

* ''PowerRangers'', in every episode. Surprisingly, ''SuperSentai'' (and sister franchise ''KamenRider'') use very little Wire Fu in comparison.

* Many fans consider this to be PowerRangers, SuperSentai and KamenRider director Koichi Sakamoto's DirectorTrademark. It's especially apparent in ''Series/KamenRiderFourze'' (he directed the whole series), which is handwaved by the fact that the Fourze suit has a jetpack. Likewise, ''KamenRiderDouble'' has basically no Wire Fu until ''[[TheMovie The Gaia Memories of Fate]]'' which was directed by guess who...

* Creator/CirqueDuSoleil's ''Amaluna'' has "strap fu" fighting in its two aerial straps acts, especially the second one with the Valkyries. ''Theatre/{{KA}}'' also has a battle of this type as its climax; thanks to the staging, the audience seems to be watching it from above the battlefield.

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[[folder:Comics]]
* Spoofed in [[http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/952/1200425345296ic2.jpg this comic]] by Chewri.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Music Videos]]
* The video for Erasure's ''Always'' features wire-fu... flower aranging. Also some flying around and hanging in the air.
* [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWAMsIxwt60 Regurgitator's "Kong Foo Sing"]]
[[/folder]]

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* Creator/CirqueDuSoleil's ''Amaluna'' has "strap fu" fighting in its two aerial straps acts, especially the second one with the Valkyries. ''{{KA}}'' also has a battle of this type.

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* CirqueDuSoleil's ''Amaluna'' has "strap fu" fighting in its two aerial straps acts, especially the second one with the Valkyries. ''{{KA}}'' also has a battle of this type.