WANG JANG-LI
- The Young Hero
- Bloodchild
- The Secret Rivals
- Secret Rivals-2
- Tiger Over Wall
- Fearless Duo
- Bruce Lee's Secret
- Kid from Kwangtung
- Ghosts Galore
- Invincible Armor
- Snuff-Bottle Connection
- Dragon's Claws
- Angry Young Man
- Instant Kung Fu Man
- Hell's Wind Staff
- Lackey & The Lady Tiger
- Return Of The Deadly Blade
- Drunken Master
- Innocent Interloper
- The Eagle's Killer
- Buddha Assassinators
- Ring Of Death
- Tower Of Death
- Demon Strike
- Dragon Claws
- Secret Ninja, Roaring Tiger
- Dance Of The Drunken Mantis
- Master Of Tiger Crane
- Millionaires Express
- 2 Fists Against The Law
- Ninja In The Dragon's Den
- Snake In The Eagle's Claws
- Hitman In The Hand of Buddha
- Martial Monks Of The Shaolin Temple
Biography
Probably, the greatest villain to ever hit the kung-fu scene, he has legions of fans the world over, because of his amazing kicks and masterful portrayals. Normally, a star hasn't been thoroughly christened, until he's shared a screen fight-scene with this man. Discovered by the talented director Ng See-Yuen, he became an instant star with his first film for him - The Secret Rivals (which also made stars of his co-stars John Liu and Wang Tao as well). His skill would take him to new heights (as a villain) and he would become a fan-favorite - where they couldn't wait to see the villain, beatup the hero. He brought out the best, in just about everyone he's fought on the screen.
After the initial success of this film, he was one of the most sought after stars in Asian (kung-fu) films. In some cases, he made the best look better; his skill was evident, as he made actors "step-up-to-the-plate" (skill-wise) in order to look good next to him onscreen. Almost, every director he's worked with, has had a hit on their hands. He did for Seasonal Films, what Bruce Lee did for Golden Harvest (made them a much, more stable film company in their infancy), enabling them to grow into one of the biggest Independent studios of the '70s.
One of (maybe). a few villains that, once you see his face appear on the screen, you know it's going to be a "better-than-average" film. This Korean powerhouse was said to have killed a man in real life (in self-defense). It seems the man was a "Knife-expert" who claimed that the knife is superior to any form of unarmed combat. Wang disagreed with that statement and an argument soon followed, where the guy, challenged Wang to prove his point, to which he declined.
As Wang went to turn his back, the guy lunged at him. He turned and fired a round-kick hitting the guy square in the temple, killing him instantly. If you've ever seen his Kicking tape High Impact Kicking, then you would know just how deadly this man's legs really were. Movies can easily be “faked” -- but, it’s impossible to fake the accuracy, that he demonstrates on this instructional video. What you’re witnessing is a true martial-artist at work, showing us a skill, that took years of dedicated practice, to master.
Films like Invincible Armor, Buddha Assassinators, Dragon's Claws, and Dance Of The Drunken Mantis, have helped to establish him as the premier villain of the kung-fu genre. His work at Seasonal Films, helped to make (then) choreographer Yuen Woo-Ping, rival the likes of Shaw choreographers Liu Chia-Liang and Tang Chia. His portrayals against (a then unknown) Jackie Chan, helped to propel him into superstardom, he could (virtually) pick whatever films he wanted to work on, as he was now a full-fledged star, himself.
Though, he's made a number of films in his homeland (Korea), Hong Kong audiences had come to know his name, as he was in a numerous films shot in their location and working with some of their top (kung-fu) stars. He, eventually, went behind the camera and tried his hand at directing a feature film. The result was the excellent Hitman In The Hand of Buddha, where he starred as the Hero of the film. After the kung-fu craze died down, he retired to Korea where he opened a Golf Tee shop and a hotel. He would later take occasional film roles (Innocent Interloper, Midnight Angels) and to the delight of his fans, we saw that, he still had those incredible kicks.