Anyone with an interest in cinema , whether you be a regular Saturday night moviegoer or devoted film fan ( ie. readers of Empire , FILM etc.) will no doubt be aware of the arrival of a " new breed " of action movie onto the big screen.
The release of Crouching Tiger , Hidden Dragon in 2000 was heralded as the champion of the " wu-shu " genre spawned by the Chinese film industry - spectacular fight scenes , stunning imagery and acrobatic stunts against the backdrop of Imperial China captured the imagination of moviegoers the world over. More recently however , 5th generation Chinese director Zhang Yimou has continued to champion the genre with the phenomenal success of Hero in both Eastern and Western cinemas.

Far removed from the crude kung-fu films that dominated the Hong Kong film industry in the 70's and early 80's , the wu-shu genre represents true artistic vision from the most brilliant minds in the Chinese film industry - however these are not purely arthouse fanfare. The spectacular and often intensely choreographed fight scenes are an impressive sight to behold , though admittedly exaggerated, visually outdo anything Hollywood has produced within the past 5 years. This is how action movies should be made.

The wu-shu genre and it's champions are obviously a new force that cannot be ignored , even by the most devout fans of the all-American Hollywood action movie.

Discuss the success of these movies and their impact upon the directing world.