Corey Yuen

Corey Yuen
Chinese name	元奎 (Traditional)
Born	1951 Hong Kong
Awards Hong Kong Film Awards Best Action Choreography 1994 Fong Sai-yuk Golden Horse Awards Best Action Choreography 1993 Fong Sai-yuk 1995 Thunderbolt

Corey Yuen Kwai (Chinese: 元奎; pinyin: Yuán Kuí; Yale: Yuen4 Fui1; born 1951) is a Hong Kong actor, filmmaker and producer. He was a member of the Peking Opera Schools and one of the Seven Little Fortunes.

Life and career

Corey Yuen Kwai was born Ying Gang-Ming. Corey was one of Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao's best friends during their days in the China Drama Academy Peking Opera School. They spent those days training in a harshly disciplined style under the watch of Master Yu Jim-yuen. He would go to appear as an extra in Hong Kong films during the "chop socky" era of the 1970s.

Yuen is now one of the top action directors to hit both Hong Kong and the United States. In 1985, he was the first Hong Kong director to successfully bring Hong Kong style action to an American film with No Retreat, No Surrender, with the soon to be famous actor Jean-Claude Van Damme. He has worked with most of Hong Kong's top stars at one time or another, and began Michelle Yeoh and Cynthia Rothrock's career in 1985 with Yes! Madam and boosting Stephen Chow's with 1990s All for the Winner and 1991's Top Bet. He has also directed Jackie Chan with Sammo Hung in Dragons Forever, and directed Anita Mui, Andy Lau and Aaron Kwok in Saviour of the Soul.

Later and US Works

In 1993, he began an alliance and friendship with action star Jet Li. He directed several of Li's films, beginning with Fong Sai Yuk and its sequel, and continuing through The Bodyguard from Beijing, The New Legend of Shaolin, My Father Is a Hero and High Risk.

Once Li gained stardom in American cinemas beginning with 1998's Lethal Weapon 4, Yuen's action direction also received fame in the West. He worked in the 2000 blockbuster X-Men as an action director, and he would also handle the martial arts and action sequences in six of Li's other American works: Romeo Must Die, Kiss of the Dragon, The One, Cradle 2 the Grave, War, and The Expendables.

He also partially directed The Transporter and So Close, released in late 2002. He opted not to return to direct the sequel Transporter 2, released in 2005. However, his team of stuntmen and martial artists are featured in the film, and Yuen was the fight choreographer and second-unit director. Other notable films include Righting Wrongs with Yuen Biao and Cynthia Rothrock, She Shoots Straight with Joyce Godenzi, Sammo Hung and Yuen Wah and 1997's Hero (not to be confused with the Zhang Yimou-directed, Jet Li- starring 2002 film of the same name) starring Yuen Biao and Takeshi Kaneshiro.

His style of action is not as distinct as that of other Hong Kong action directors like Yuen Woo Ping and Ching Siu Tung, but is noted for its speed, creativity, and higher emphasis on offense. He is also distinguished in his ability to mix hand-to-hand combat and gunfighting, two styles of fighting that are not often used together successfully in Hong Kong action films.

Filmography

As director

• DOA: Dead or Alive (2006)
• The Twins Effect II (2004)
• The Transporter (2002)
• So Close (2002)
• Kuen sun (aka The Avenging Fist) (2001)
• Enter the Eagles (1998)
• Hero (1997)
• Black Rose II (1997)
• Mahjong Dragon (1996)
• My Father Is A Hero (1995)
• The Bodyguard from Beijing (1994)
• The New Legend of Shaolin (1994)
• Fong Sai-yuk II (1993)
• Fong Sai-yuk (1993)
• Women on the Run (1993)
• Fist of Fury 1991 II (1992)
• Saviour of the Soul II (1992)
• Saviour of the Soul (1991)
• Ghost Punting (1991)
• Top Bet (1991)
• All for the Winner (1990)
• She Shoots Straight (1990)
• Righting Wrongs II: Blonde Fury (1989)
• Casino Raiders (1989)
• Dragons Forever (1988)
• No Retreat, No Surrender 2 (1988)
• In The Blood (1987)
• No Retreat, No Surrender (1986)
• Righting Wrongs (1986)
• Yes, Madam (1985)
• Winner Takes All (1982)
• Ninja in the Dragon's Den (1982)
• Game of Death II (1981)
• The Battle Wizard (1977)

External links

• Corey Yuen at the Internet Movie Database
• Chinese Actors
• Kung Fu Cinema: Corey Yuen Filmography (complete)