Line #36 Creator/JetLi


1	[[quoteright:288:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jet-li2_5570.jpg]]
2	->"''Love is more powerful than kicking ass."''
3
4	In 1980, at a Wushu Martial Arts Tournament, a young, rosy-faced, talented 17-year old youngster won the championship role, and quickly became a major media star. Following his success, everybody wants to hire him, seeing the potential in this young man, but eventually it's a Chinese film studio, ''Chung Yuen Motion Picture Company'', who convinced this talented young boy to take a stab in acting instead.
5
6	That young boy was Jet Li (born Li Lianjie (李连杰) on April 26th, 1963 in UsefulNotes/{{Beijing}}, UsefulNotes/{{China}}). The film was the first installment of ''The Shaolin Temple'', which quickly became one of China's biggest blockbusters of all time with over 300 million tickets sold, spawning two sequels, and introduce to the world the new martial arts legend.
7
8	Wushu master and heir to Creator/BruceLee's crown as king of [[MartialArtsMovie kung fu movies]], Li spent some years as one of the world's most well-known exponents of WireFu, before making a move to more brutal fighting styles after heading east to try his luck in Hollywood.
9	----
10	!!His films include:
11
12	* ''Film/TheShaolinTemple'' trilogy - Jet Li's film debut, when he was 18. All three movies were filmed and released back-to-back between 2-year intervals.
13	** ''Film/KidsFromShaolin'', also known as ''Shaolin Temple 2'' in it's initial release, a LighterAndSofter follow-up.
14	** ''Film/MartialArtsOfShaolin'', or ''Shaolin Temple 3'', this time made in collaboration with Hong Kong's Creator/ShawBrothers studios.
15	* ''Film/BornToDefense'' - Li's sole directorial effort, starring himself
16	* The ''Film/OnceUponATimeInChina'' series as Wong Fei-hung, his StarMakingRole.
17	* ''Film/TheExpendables'' as Ying Yang, the sole FragileSpeedster amongst a party of MightyGlacier warriors.
18	* ''Film/{{Fearless 2006}}'' as Huo Yuan Jia.
19	* ''Film/TheForbiddenKingdom'' as the Silent Monk / [[spoiler:[[{{Literature/JourneyToTheWest}} Sun Wukong]]]].
20	* ''Film/HighRisk'' as Kit Li.
21	* ''Film/Hitman1998'' / ''Contract Killer'' / ''King of Killers'' as Fu
22	* ''Film/TheNewLegendOfShaolin'' as Hung Hei-kwun
23	* ''Film/OceanHeaven'': as Wang Xuechang. Jet Li's first and thus far ''only'' [[PlayingAgainstType non-action or Martial Arts Movie:]] A heartwarming-drama about a single father aquarium technician diagnosed with cancer, who must find a way to take care of his mentally-retarded adult son, by spending quality time with him amongst the dolphins and turtles of his workplace (hence the title). Bring tissues, you WILL need them.
24	* ''Film/BlackMask'' which was inspired by {{Manhua}} of the same name by Li Chi-Tak and Kato from ''Radio/TheGreenHornet''.
25	* ''Film/DrWaiInTheScriptureWithNoWords'' - In an ActingForTwo role, Jet plays Chow Si-kit, a writer who writes about the adventures of the fictional Indiana Jones-knockoff AdventurerArchaeologist Dr. Wai, and Dr. Wai himself in the writer's numerous ImagineSpot while he writes out the story.
26	* ''Film/Hero2002'' as Nameless.
27	* ''Film/LethalWeapon4'', his first Hollywood role, and his first major villain role, as Wah Sing Ku.
28	* ''Film/TheOne'' as Gabe Law, Yulaw, and Lawless (it's [[AlternateSelf that]] kind of movie).
29	* ''Film/TheMummyTombOfTheDragonEmperor'', as the Dragon Emperor.
30	* ''Film/War2007'' as Rogue.
31	* ''Film/KissOfTheDragon'' as Liu Jian. Produced by Creator/LucBesson.
32	* ''Film/DannyTheDog'' as Danny. Another Besson production.
33	* ''Film/KungFuCultMaster'' as Cheung Mo-Kei.
34	* ''Film/Cradle2TheGrave'' as Su.
35	* ''Film/RomeoMustDie'' as Han Sing.
36	* ''Film/TheSorcererAndTheWhiteSnake'' as Monk Fa-hai.
37	* The ''Fong Sai Yuk'' series (known in the US as ''The Legend'') as Fong Sai Yuk.
38	* ''Film/FistOfLegend'' as Chen Zhen.
39	* ''The Enforcer/Film/MyFatherIsAHero'' as Kung Wei.
40	* The Defender/''Film/TheBodyguardFromBeijing'' as Allan Hui Ching-Yeung/John Chang.
41	* ''Film/TaiChiMaster'' - also known as ''Twin Warriors'' in the US.
42	* ''Film/TheWarlords'' as Pang Qing-yun.
43	* ''Film/FlyingSwordsOfDragonGate'' as Zhao Huai'an
44	* ''Film/{{Mulan\|2020}}'' as the Emperor of China
45	----
46	!!Tropes applicable to his roles:
47
48	%%* ArrogantKungFuGuy: Some of his roles.
49	* ArtisticLicenseMartialArts: His fighting style on-screen is typically Bruce Lee-inspired, and like Lee himself did, Li actually dismisses it as AwesomeButImpractical. In fact, Jet has acknowledged that despite his wins in wushu tournaments (which are closer to dancing than fighting), he has zero real fighting experience, and that any of the MMA fighters he faces in ''Film/Cradle2TheGrave'' could beat him in seconds.
50	* BattleAmongstTheFlames: More than one Jet Li film features this as the climax, including ''The One'', '' Romeo Must Die'', ''Cradle 2 The Grave'', ''Dr. Wai and the Scripture with No Words'', ''The Expendables'' (first movie only) and a few others.
51	* ChasteHero: Most of his protagonists are either too honorable and/or too focused on the main plot to bother with romance.
52	* InkSuitActor: For the Playstation 2 game ''VideoGame/RiseToHonor'', Li gave his likeness, his motion-capture performance, and voice performance for his character Kit Yun.
53	* LightningBruiser:
54	** He's ''really'' fast, even when doing Tai Chi (as it is supposed to be; the slow version is for ''exercise''), and he'll put just enough pressure behind it to make you feel it without injuring you. Creator/BrendanFraser put it best in his ''Film/TheMummyTombOfTheDragonEmperor'' interview:
55	--->"We got into position, then Action! I didn't even see it, his leg just went BOOM! doubles up while holding his left ribcage Not hard enough to knock me out, but enough to make me go whoof!"
56	** During filming of ''Film/LethalWeapon4'', Creator/RichardDonner had to tell him to slow down, as the cameras weren't able to register his moves. And they still ended up having to use some slow motion.
57	* ShownTheirWork: Despite the artistic license mentioned above, as a trained martial artist Li's moves have a real sense of weight and deadly force (pick any Jet Li movie and note how he doesn't over-extend himself, re-centers after every move, and doesn't present a weak spot to an enemy except as a DefensiveFeintTrap); Jet Li movies that feature WireFu and the flashier (i.e. impossible in real life) stuff are explicitly set in fantasy or sci-fi settings.

Context Creator / JetLi