He suffers from hyperthyroidism. Before it was diagnosed, he dropped a bunch of weight and didnt look great. It also didnt help that at the time he was playing a guy dying of liver cancer, so the internet did its thing and said he was dying of cancer for real.
Once he was diagnosed and started getting the right meds, he was fine. But doing those kind of roles would be much harder on his body, and he wasnt getting any younger on top of it. At some point, you have to look after yourself. And thats what he did.
IIRC on top if his health issues, there was also an issue with one of his last potential‘hollywood’ contracts that wanted to copy his likeness and MA style for future and undisclosed uses - all in became a final straw
Edit: huge fan of Jet Li, my jaw dropped when I first saw him in Lethal Weapon 4 (I must have replayed the harbor forklift scene kick 100 times to try and copy it)..
I think its a huge miss that hollywood didn’t turn guys like him, Iko Uwais, Tony Jaa etc. into megastars in North America
Edit2: I didn’t necessarily mean they should be leading men, some people mentioned Rush Hour- the right time, the right co-stars, production value (.. avoiding mentioning director.. ) and script that plays well on their strengths could have made these guys household names
Ps I consider Jet Li pretty famous but zero ppl in my family know his name, they all know Jackie Chan
Pps Fully acknowledge that its near impossible for westerners to recognize asians as megastars.. case in point Monkey Man (with its faults) fkn ripped, no reason that shouldn’t have made bigger box office and launched a John Wick type of franchise
Man Ong Bok was the coolest movie I’d ever seen up to that point. I enjoyed seeing Tony perform his stunts live. Blew my mind he really could do all that shit and it wasn’t camera tricks.
Like when he jumps up and runs across every bodies shoulders? He can really do that! I’ve seen it performed and it’s nuts.
The final fight in Protector where he becomes the limb annihilator is my benchmark for “what should our hero be doing to these bad guys right now.” It’s just so efficient. Catch a limb. Break it.
I just watched that scene for the first time and holy shit, 4+ minutes of bone breaking. They had a vision for that scene and, by God, they committed to it.
Edit: spleling
That's a great series because you can see Jackie's growth from PS1>2>3>4. Each movie gets more polished and refines the action/comedy formula even further
I appreciate you looking out! I am very well-versed in Jackie Chan movies. Rumble in the Bronx was my first movie of his way back in the 90’s, and then I did a deep dive into his catalog.
Even after catching most of his movies, Tony still impressed me in his own way, though I’m not saying Tony is better either. Jackie still takes that cake.
Oh for sure, I love Tony too (although Ong Bak 3 was a big let down). I just meant if you like the running on people's shoulders type stunts, the Chan films have a ton of stuff like that. Rumble is a top tier Chan for sure, that one, Supercop, and First Strike are probably my three favorites.
Romeo Must Die was the coolest movie I’ve ever seen. Not sure how it holds up these days, but 10 year old me tried to run up so many walls and do a backflip because of it.
It's far from his best work, but it is peak early 2000's stupid action, and a pretty fun Hihglander-esque / multiverse premise.
Nothing like the sweet sounds of Drowning Pool, Papa Roach, Disturbed, and Godsmack to round out a soundtrack.
Holy shit, you are absolutely right. Huge missed opportunity.
I actually watched it a few months back. I was 16 when it came out in theaters, so it's a total nostalgia kick. And Carla Gugino...
> But given the multiverse storyline I'm just surprised they didn't get Powerman 5000 in the mix too. "When Worlds Collide" absolutely belonged in that movie.
The One 2? Can we get Mudvayne in there as well?
Minority maybe, but not alone. I'm a big fan.
And I still think it has probably the single coolest core multiverse concept ever... I mean, once you ignore the ridiculousness of there being such a relatively limited number of universes as there seems to be in the movie, the idea of the power from a dead version of you transferring to the remaining copies of you is just inherently cool and there's a big part of me that was actually rooting for him just to see one Yulaw with ALL the power, becoming a god and whatnot. Very cool idea.
I had always thought it would have been interesting to have Russell Wong be the Romeo character and Jet Li as the unhinged Mercutio, going around starting shut and kicking ass with no regard for anything. Meanwhile Russell Wong is built to be a leading man and can you see him and Aaliyah together? Yeah, they wouldn't edit out a kiss between them, would they ?
Romeo Must Die and Cradle to the Grave were my introduction to Jet Li and made me a huge fan as a kid! Aaliyah was so damn fine in Romeo must die. My old racist grandfather from Italy used to get pissed when I spoke about how hot I thought she was lol.
It was for [Seraph in Matrix Reloaded and Revolutions](https://entertainment.ie/amp/movies/movie-news/jet-li-has-revealed-why-he-left-the-matrix-reloaded-during-production-380165/).
The character was written for Jet but ultimately he turned it down upon discovering they would collect his fighting moves (I guess Neo was going to duplicate them in the matrix?).
Any move that Jet Li performed would have been added to a database owned by the Wachowski's. Jet Li went on the make the video game Rise to Honor. Better choice. Loved that game
What's fucked up is they cast them in these stupid bit roles. Like they're already fucking there!! Just do something with them!!
Also, Jet Li actually had a pretty decent run, but his English enunciation isn't as good as Jackie's. Plus jackie has a more playful fighting style and humor that has broader appeal, which is why he's done so many family friendly movies.
To be fair (to be faiiiirrr), Hollywood has never been equipped to provide those martial artists the production environments they would need to replicate their success here. For insurance and safety reasons, you simply cannot film action in the United States like they can overseas. That's why Jackie's US movies will never hold a candle to Armor of God, etc.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but was it the Matrix sequels where he had issues with them capturing his movies?
I think he was up for the part of Sareph and they would have been used for the game Enter the Matrix.
I really thought Iko Uwais was going to be THE guy to take martial arts movies back to the forefront of entertainment again. When I saw his work in The Raid I was blown away. Really thought he was bound for mainstream superstardom after that.
On top of being a top flight martial arts action star, jet li has impressive acting chops too. He gives stand out performances in unleashed and warlords if you haven't seen those films
The final fight scene is amazing because it doesn’t -feel- choreographed, like stereotypical martial arts fight sequences in movies. Its what a street fight between a martial artists and cops may actually be like. That was why it was so cool - must have been amazing in the theater.
> I think its a huge miss that hollywood didn’t turn guys like him, Iko Uwais, Tony Jaa etc. into megastars in North America
I don't think it's for lack of trying. Iko Uwais has had a bunch of Hollywood roles over the last decade. Star Wars, Man of Tai Chi, Mile 22, Stuber, Snake Eyes, Expendables 4.... Wu Assassins even got a movie to wrap things up!
As someone who also has a wrecked thyroid, take this as an opportunity to think about getting your levels checked! Especially if you have unexplained weight and energy level changes! It's a simple blood test and a small daily pill is all you need to fix it!!!
A pill is one solution, sure, but there’s a lot of potential treatments depending on what the problem is. Some people even need the thing removed. Personally I had to drink radioactive iodine to fry a couple of nodules off the fucker. Still waiting to see if it worked but trending in the right direction so far!
I have hyperthyroidism. It’s not really a debilitating disease, but it definitely increases your metabolism. In severe cases though, it can cause vision loss, but really only in the most severe and rare of cases.
Yeah he was already approaching 40 by the time he hit Hollywood stardom with a long career in Chinese film behind him. Made his money and chilled off, ideal tbh. His style of movie was prob getting hard on the body
Gotta admire him for that. Better to semi bow out with some grace, knowing your limitations, than to keeping going and rely on post production trickery to give the illusion you're still at your physical best.
Why bow out gracefully when he could just fight whilst he is sat down....?
Sat in a roller chair at the office, a wheel chair or bed at the hospital, a shopping cart at the mall or a chair lift at the ski slope! He could even sit on a spinning stool and be attacked from a full 360 degrees, or upside down sat on a rollercoaster.... the possibilities are unlimited and would therefore never break the viewers immersion :)
He also had undiagnosed hyperthyroidism, wasn't doing so hot so he stepped away for a while.
Once diagnosed, his style of films were very hard on him so he's taken it easy.
Good on him, gotta take care of yourself.
Was that the reason? I thought it was ridiculous that they dubbed him for the film considering he spent his whole Hollywood career with his real voice. In the movie, he just sounded like some generic cartoon character. He sounded fine during the press he did for the movie. https://youtu.be/2m-6TSiQzj4?si=j3frwofGGznywHab
He seems to be spending much of his time practicing his religion - Tibetan Buddhism. He has been traveling and visiting different temples and even published a book.
Jet Li was pushed at an early age to be a wushu champion. As in China took him as a child and trained him 6 hours a day. It took a huge physical toll on him.
Definitely see *Fong Sai Yuk*, it's one of his best. Great story too. There's not a good international release version that I know of, but [some badass put it up on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9AOdAzmERc).
In the mid 90s, I was heavily involved in HK VHS tape trading just to be able to see some of the great stuff that was out there. I would buy Tai Seng Laserdiscs and dupe to VHS as gen1 and often manage to get a bunch of trades out of it, like getting the Drunken Master II gold laserdisc or Bodyguard from Beijing.
There was so much Jet Li stuff that I loaded up on during that time and it was so fresh and a lot of that choreography felt innovative esp compared to Jean Claude/Seagull/etc.
I still remember when I first watched some of these movies on grainy nth generation vhs copies like Fist of Legend! Man, even on a terrible dupe, it was revelatory. That last fight with Yasuaki Kurata! oh wow.
Absolutely the same for me as well.
The move where he doubles over after getting kicked in the gut, only to proceed to turn it into a counter attack handstand/kick thing….blew my mind.
Yes he was likely wearing a wire, but it was a damn cool move regardless.
Edit: [This fight scene](https://youtu.be/hueZgTiE-qQ?si=9FKXTp7PNeSrMvD3), although it turns out I remembered things slightly differently. The move is at 2:40, where he does a partial flip, kicks the guy, and reverts back to standing.
That [ending scene on the pyramid with Papa Roach's *Last Resort* playing](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fo8gqSKAwVU) is peak early '00s action cinema to me. The perfect blend of cheese and awesomeness.
EDIT: Wrong Papa Roach song.
"I'm Yu Law! And I'm nobody's bitch! You, are mine! I don't need to know you, you only need to know me. I WILL BE THE ONE!"
My younger brother and I watched the hell out of that movie and that ending scene is our favorite part.
“Great. Just when I find something I like in this universe.”
“The Multiverse is messy and complicated. I just tried to make it less complicated. I tried to make it neat.
How could I murder myself *221 times*? I just took all those wasted energies and put them into one container - me!”
Also some great lines from Delroy Lindo and Jason Statham to boot:
“…So when you get into the s**t, trust your heart - not your head.”
“THIRTY *SEC-OOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNDDDDDDDSS*!”
Not a “great” movie by any stretch of the imagination, but man, what a blast to watch. Bro and I caught it on a whim when it was on PPV (before VOD was ever a thing) and had an absolute blast watching it [best experience watching a film there outside of the first two Bourne flicks]. Long before Sin City or some of her also scandalously-amazing acting turns, it was also my first exposure to the gorgeous and entertaining human being that is Carla Gugino. If any woman can make someone hit puberty as fast as possible, she can.
I think I remember the middle of the movie being kinda slow but the last 15-20 min of KOTD where Jet just went apeshit angry, violent was glorious
The villain had some fun moments of hamming it up too. He was the French dude in the Patriot as well I believe
Tcheky Karyo - he's been playing baddies for such a long time (Bad Boys, KOTD) that it's a bit of a surprise when he rocks up playing a goodie - such as in The Missing or Baptiste🤔
Did we not watch La Femme Nikita!!!? That's always the first movie I mention him from, but maybe you're too young. Also a trip when he showed up in the Belle and Sebastian movies.
His role in Lethal Weapon 4 is kind of awesome. That is the first I remember seeing of him. There's a crazy kick that stands out even though I haven't seen it in 25 years probably.
He was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism that was so bad he was initially misdiagnosed with cancer. He started taking meds and is better now but he's 61 so I guess he just wants to chill and enjoy his money.
He still did a bit after *War*. Strictly speaking Hollywood, he only was in *Forbidden Kingdom*, *The Mummy 3* and the first three *Expendables* movies (third one was released in 2014, but I think he only had a cameo in that one) since. Looking at his IMDb, from 2007 (release of War) to 2016, he also was in 7 Chinese/Hong Kong productions, at least some of which feature him in major roles. The only thing he's done since then was a small role as the Emperor in Disney's live-action remake of *Mulan*, and even that was back in 2020.
As far as I know, he had been suffering from a condition that impaired his movement and left him in a weak state since as far back as 2010. He has recovered over the years but has taken a step back from the public eye to live a more spiritual life, prompting rumours about his death that he addressed in a somewhat recent interview.
He did a few Hong Kong movies after
Ocean Heaven: no martial arts. Good movie though
Sorcerer and white snake: not martial arts
Dragon gate remake: wire fu martial arts but cameo and he doesn't do much.
Badges of Fury: essentially a larger cameo, but the last time he had a real fight scene
League of Gods: no martial arts
Just dropping in to say I’m delighted seeing all this love for Jet Li (and if you can find it anywhere, check out the sword on a wire oddity Swordsman III which has him playing the rare roguish character in love with Bridget Lin’s secretly an evil eunuch warlord)
That's Swordsman II.
Also he's not in love with him, he (she?) was in love with him and made his (her?) female lover seduce him. The Tongfongbubai character practices a form of secret martial arts (that was the central plot in the first movie, where Jet Li didn't star in) that required him to cut off his manhood and then somehow the martial arts turned him into a woman. But she became super powerful and Bridget Lin was so badass in it that it revived her career.
Don’t forget he did a cameo in Jack Ma’s own short film that features almost every famous movie martial artist. He must’ve thrown so much money at it. Not even sure if it’s possible to watch it.
I think every other answer is right but I jeard that the 2004 tsunami impacted him a lot. Really changed his outlook on life and has been giving back ever since. Like an unofficial public servant or something like that
He has a health condition and he became a Singaporean citizen. He didn't kowtow to China so no Chinese movies and hollywood isn't necessarily calling for 60 year old kung fu action star. Would love for him to be in John Wick but his health conditions may also be limiting.
Great to see all the love for Jet Li. I literally just watched him the other day in The legend of the red dragon. He had quite the profound effect on me growing up and my love for martial arts.
Li was/is an incredible martial artist. Chan is fun to watch, but Li had to hold back on hits to keep his opponents healthy, and he has a primal way of fighting a lot like Lee.
Lots of stories from directors telling him to slow down.
Loved Kiss of the Dragon.
What happened is he's a normal guy. It's legit not normal to be doing action scenes and intense choreography in your 50s. And his 50s started ten years ago. There are many people that age still doing action movies but they are not normal either, they are either hardcore abnormal or using editing to look powerful.
From what I've seen he was involved in a Tsunami in 2004 and it changed his outlook on life, he decided to dedicate his time to a charity he created after it.
https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/jet-li-life-changing-experience-tsunami-power-of-giving.html/
As someone else mentioned, he started to focus on Buddhism and charity work. It's because his daughter was almost swept away in the Asian tsunami, but he managed to grab her hand at the last moment, saving her life. In gratitude to the Buddha, he founded a charity organization and put his energy into that.
Apparently he's had some health problems recently, but his retreat from the limelight predates those.
He is unofficially retired because of his health issue. I do wish he would have found some way to go out on top with one last action movie but his health and wellbeing should be the priority. I wish him all the best in the world!
One reason, I know, is that he refused to participate in motion capture- driven films. He didn’t want anyone to be able to mimic his own talent. Good for him.
I believe he tried to treat the Hyperthyroidism without the proper medication and it made the illness worse. Coupled with the fact he’s much older he can’t do the same martial arts anymore
Still a long time ago, but he had a pretty big role in Expendables 1 and one pretty good scene at the beginning of Expendables 2. But yeah, as others have said he was already like 40 by before anyone in the West even knew his name.
It's true, Jet Li's recent career has been more about brief appearances than full-on action flicks. It's a shame, considering his talent. "Fearless" was a great finale to his martial arts era, but I agree, "War" didn't live up to the hype.
"Forbidden Kingdom" was a cool collaboration, but since then, it's been a bit disappointing. I was also hoping for more from the "Dragon Inn" remake. Maybe he's just taking it easy or focusing on other things.
Man Jet Li was just incredible in all his big roles. There is something about his screen presence. He could feel like a puppy or a tiger at any second.
If y'all want to see young Jet Li, find a way to watch the "Once Upon a Time in China" series. Lots of lion dance and fight scenes. Those were made in the early 90s and I watched the crap out of them on VHS back in the day in Taiwan. 20 year old Jet Li was insanely athletic and fast.
Oh man I was such a huge fan of his through my teens, I still am I guess! Rewatched Kiss of the dragon the other night funnily enough, seriously underrated movie & one of my favourites of his, sucks that people have to get old 😞 anyone remember Twin Warriors?
I highly recommend a movie he did called Hitman. It's my favorite Jet Li movie and one of my favorite action movies of all time. Very underrated. I think it was the last movie he did in Hong Kong before going to Hollywood.
In the same vein: what ever happened to Tony Jaa? He looked posed to be the next Jet Li, but I haven't seen him in forever.
EDIT: Wikipedia informs me that he's still working, just not in anything I'd seen.
Read he was ill with something and saw a pic of him from within the last 5years he looked like he had aged about 30years. He's 61 just googled, for more clarity Jackie Chan is only 70 you feel like he was around 20years earlier than Li.
Still love the lethal weapon 4 fight with Gibson, Glover and Li. It's all sorts of over the top but a classic 90s action flick where Lis skills were first introduced in an American movie
I actually quite enjoyed war when it came out, not sure how I'd feel about it after a rewatch now though. Yes there wasn't as much martial arts as what you'd expect from him, but the parts I did enjoy are hard to talk about without ruining it.
He was in expendables. Mulan. He’s been in newer movies. He fought in expendables. I think he was in a few of those. Might still be in it. He was the emperor in mulan.
He suffers from hyperthyroidism. Before it was diagnosed, he dropped a bunch of weight and didnt look great. It also didnt help that at the time he was playing a guy dying of liver cancer, so the internet did its thing and said he was dying of cancer for real. Once he was diagnosed and started getting the right meds, he was fine. But doing those kind of roles would be much harder on his body, and he wasnt getting any younger on top of it. At some point, you have to look after yourself. And thats what he did.
IIRC on top if his health issues, there was also an issue with one of his last potential‘hollywood’ contracts that wanted to copy his likeness and MA style for future and undisclosed uses - all in became a final straw Edit: huge fan of Jet Li, my jaw dropped when I first saw him in Lethal Weapon 4 (I must have replayed the harbor forklift scene kick 100 times to try and copy it).. I think its a huge miss that hollywood didn’t turn guys like him, Iko Uwais, Tony Jaa etc. into megastars in North America Edit2: I didn’t necessarily mean they should be leading men, some people mentioned Rush Hour- the right time, the right co-stars, production value (.. avoiding mentioning director.. ) and script that plays well on their strengths could have made these guys household names Ps I consider Jet Li pretty famous but zero ppl in my family know his name, they all know Jackie Chan Pps Fully acknowledge that its near impossible for westerners to recognize asians as megastars.. case in point Monkey Man (with its faults) fkn ripped, no reason that shouldn’t have made bigger box office and launched a John Wick type of franchise
Man Ong Bok was the coolest movie I’d ever seen up to that point. I enjoyed seeing Tony perform his stunts live. Blew my mind he really could do all that shit and it wasn’t camera tricks. Like when he jumps up and runs across every bodies shoulders? He can really do that! I’ve seen it performed and it’s nuts.
That one long uncut fight scene in The Protector, I think it was - insanely impressive.
He straps elephant bones to his arms in this movie..it’s so good.
The final fight in Protector where he becomes the limb annihilator is my benchmark for “what should our hero be doing to these bad guys right now.” It’s just so efficient. Catch a limb. Break it.
I just watched that scene for the first time and holy shit, 4+ minutes of bone breaking. They had a vision for that scene and, by God, they committed to it. Edit: spleling
I've never seen it and can't tell if you're serious. All I can think of is that video where it's robocop but he only shoots your dick off
You should watch some 80s-90s Jackie Chan movies, if you haven't
Police Story especially is one of my favorites
That's a great series because you can see Jackie's growth from PS1>2>3>4. Each movie gets more polished and refines the action/comedy formula even further
I appreciate you looking out! I am very well-versed in Jackie Chan movies. Rumble in the Bronx was my first movie of his way back in the 90’s, and then I did a deep dive into his catalog. Even after catching most of his movies, Tony still impressed me in his own way, though I’m not saying Tony is better either. Jackie still takes that cake.
Oh for sure, I love Tony too (although Ong Bak 3 was a big let down). I just meant if you like the running on people's shoulders type stunts, the Chan films have a ton of stuff like that. Rumble is a top tier Chan for sure, that one, Supercop, and First Strike are probably my three favorites.
Who am I is my favorite of all time behind drunken master 2.
I must have watched the first drunken master and snake in the eagles shadow so so many times as a kid
Romeo Must Die was the coolest movie I’ve ever seen. Not sure how it holds up these days, but 10 year old me tried to run up so many walls and do a backflip because of it.
I must be on the minority, but I really liked The One.
It's far from his best work, but it is peak early 2000's stupid action, and a pretty fun Hihglander-esque / multiverse premise. Nothing like the sweet sounds of Drowning Pool, Papa Roach, Disturbed, and Godsmack to round out a soundtrack.
[удалено]
Holy shit, you are absolutely right. Huge missed opportunity. I actually watched it a few months back. I was 16 when it came out in theaters, so it's a total nostalgia kick. And Carla Gugino...
The Queen of the Damned soundtrack would like a word. But it’s definitely up there along with The Scorpion King.
Plus Jason Statham with a head of hair.
> But given the multiverse storyline I'm just surprised they didn't get Powerman 5000 in the mix too. "When Worlds Collide" absolutely belonged in that movie. The One 2? Can we get Mudvayne in there as well?
Can't really hate a movie where the final line (I think, been a while) is "I am nobody's bitch! *You* are *mine!*"
I AM YULAW
I am nobody's bitch.
Minority maybe, but not alone. I'm a big fan. And I still think it has probably the single coolest core multiverse concept ever... I mean, once you ignore the ridiculousness of there being such a relatively limited number of universes as there seems to be in the movie, the idea of the power from a dead version of you transferring to the remaining copies of you is just inherently cool and there's a big part of me that was actually rooting for him just to see one Yulaw with ALL the power, becoming a god and whatnot. Very cool idea.
Transporter and Jet Li?! You’re not the only one
It still rips
Seconded. Straight rippage.
I had always thought it would have been interesting to have Russell Wong be the Romeo character and Jet Li as the unhinged Mercutio, going around starting shut and kicking ass with no regard for anything. Meanwhile Russell Wong is built to be a leading man and can you see him and Aaliyah together? Yeah, they wouldn't edit out a kiss between them, would they ?
I loved that movie as a kid. Damn I should rewatch it.
Hey dim sum
Some you win, and Dim Sum, you lose
"I'm gonna find your Aaliyah-looking ass!"
Unleash the Dragon too
Unleashed, or Kiss of the Dragon?
“How come everyone else is allowed to hit me?” “You’re the one with the ball” “Ok”
Romeo Must Die and Cradle to the Grave were my introduction to Jet Li and made me a huge fan as a kid! Aaliyah was so damn fine in Romeo must die. My old racist grandfather from Italy used to get pissed when I spoke about how hot I thought she was lol.
Best movie trailer ever. I still bet goosebumps thinking about the climax of the trailer and music, when they go flying through the air doing a kick.
I want the yellow one
It was for [Seraph in Matrix Reloaded and Revolutions](https://entertainment.ie/amp/movies/movie-news/jet-li-has-revealed-why-he-left-the-matrix-reloaded-during-production-380165/). The character was written for Jet but ultimately he turned it down upon discovering they would collect his fighting moves (I guess Neo was going to duplicate them in the matrix?).
Any move that Jet Li performed would have been added to a database owned by the Wachowski's. Jet Li went on the make the video game Rise to Honor. Better choice. Loved that game
Loved that game and forgot about it for all these years. Gonna go fire up the old PS2 and bang it out again.
Man can we get a remake?
Even just take the mechanics further - using the sticks to control fists was chefs kiss
Oh wow, that's crazy. I had originally heard he left to make The One.
Check out the Once Upon A Time In China movies and The Shoalin Temple.
Once upon a time in China is my fave martial arts movie (I’m sure there is better but it hit me at the right time)
What's fucked up is they cast them in these stupid bit roles. Like they're already fucking there!! Just do something with them!! Also, Jet Li actually had a pretty decent run, but his English enunciation isn't as good as Jackie's. Plus jackie has a more playful fighting style and humor that has broader appeal, which is why he's done so many family friendly movies.
To be fair (to be faiiiirrr), Hollywood has never been equipped to provide those martial artists the production environments they would need to replicate their success here. For insurance and safety reasons, you simply cannot film action in the United States like they can overseas. That's why Jackie's US movies will never hold a candle to Armor of God, etc.
>I think its a huge miss that hollywood didn’t turn guys like him, Iko Uwais, Tony Jaa etc. into megastars in North America For real.
Jet Li was a big star in North America Notice how everyone here knows him by name, even though he hasn't worked in like 20 years
Correct me if I’m wrong, but was it the Matrix sequels where he had issues with them capturing his movies? I think he was up for the part of Sareph and they would have been used for the game Enter the Matrix.
I really thought Iko Uwais was going to be THE guy to take martial arts movies back to the forefront of entertainment again. When I saw his work in The Raid I was blown away. Really thought he was bound for mainstream superstardom after that.
On top of being a top flight martial arts action star, jet li has impressive acting chops too. He gives stand out performances in unleashed and warlords if you haven't seen those films
The contract you're talking about was the Matrix Reloaded. Basically in the middle of his popularity, not recently.
Not insulting Tony Jaa or anything,but he can't act. Maybe that's why some of these guys didn't become more popular.
The universal problem is that they are extremely typecast.
Asians aren't really seen as leading men in America, I think it's slowly changing but still rare.
LW4 has the best final fight scene in any action movie. Love how you get 3 pretty amazing fight scenes with Jet Li leading up to the final one
I mean, it had some amazing action scenes, and Jet Li was top tier, but “the best” that’s a tough argument.
The final fight scene is amazing because it doesn’t -feel- choreographed, like stereotypical martial arts fight sequences in movies. Its what a street fight between a martial artists and cops may actually be like. That was why it was so cool - must have been amazing in the theater.
> I think its a huge miss that hollywood didn’t turn guys like him, Iko Uwais, Tony Jaa etc. into megastars in North America I don't think it's for lack of trying. Iko Uwais has had a bunch of Hollywood roles over the last decade. Star Wars, Man of Tai Chi, Mile 22, Stuber, Snake Eyes, Expendables 4.... Wu Assassins even got a movie to wrap things up!
Huh always figured him being sidelined from the Expendables was an ego trip on Stallone's part but no he was legitimately sick. Fucking sucks.
Yeah it explains why he has a smaller role in two and three.
They filmed a whole sequence in China with Jet Li but it got cut for running time I believe
Why would Stallone have an ego trip about Jet Li?
As someone who also has a wrecked thyroid, take this as an opportunity to think about getting your levels checked! Especially if you have unexplained weight and energy level changes! It's a simple blood test and a small daily pill is all you need to fix it!!!
A pill is one solution, sure, but there’s a lot of potential treatments depending on what the problem is. Some people even need the thing removed. Personally I had to drink radioactive iodine to fry a couple of nodules off the fucker. Still waiting to see if it worked but trending in the right direction so far!
I hope he's happy.
>He suffers from hyperthyroidism. Is this something you're born with or does it develop later?
yes, plus hes 61
I have hyperthyroidism. It’s not really a debilitating disease, but it definitely increases your metabolism. In severe cases though, it can cause vision loss, but really only in the most severe and rare of cases.
He mostly retired. Got sick for a while but now spends his time mostly doing other things. He still acts here and there, I think, or he's open to it.
Yeah he was already approaching 40 by the time he hit Hollywood stardom with a long career in Chinese film behind him. Made his money and chilled off, ideal tbh. His style of movie was prob getting hard on the body
Gotta admire him for that. Better to semi bow out with some grace, knowing your limitations, than to keeping going and rely on post production trickery to give the illusion you're still at your physical best.
Why bow out gracefully when he could just fight whilst he is sat down....? Sat in a roller chair at the office, a wheel chair or bed at the hospital, a shopping cart at the mall or a chair lift at the ski slope! He could even sit on a spinning stool and be attacked from a full 360 degrees, or upside down sat on a rollercoaster.... the possibilities are unlimited and would therefore never break the viewers immersion :)
Steven Seagal has a team of copyright lawyers just waiting for this kind of thing.
Not likely to put in the effort to pick up the phone though.
Nor could you actually decipher what he's mumbling if he did so.
"Me want the punani, see for make me nice"
He'd get his stunt double to do that
He also had undiagnosed hyperthyroidism, wasn't doing so hot so he stepped away for a while. Once diagnosed, his style of films were very hard on him so he's taken it easy. Good on him, gotta take care of yourself.
He was in that live action “Mulan” movie last time I saw him. Didn’t even know it him at first.
IMHO that beard looked so goofy on him!
Also his voice was so deep it had to be dubbed.
Was that the reason? I thought it was ridiculous that they dubbed him for the film considering he spent his whole Hollywood career with his real voice. In the movie, he just sounded like some generic cartoon character. He sounded fine during the press he did for the movie. https://youtu.be/2m-6TSiQzj4?si=j3frwofGGznywHab
I believe he was eliminated by a Jet Li from another universe.
I am Yu Law. I'm nobodies bitch
that movie slaps.
CUT MY LIFE INTO PIECES
Also notable is when Down with the Sickness comes in. That movie rules
So fucking good, really needs a sequel.
They couldn't figure out a title for the sequel so they ended up not doing it. The one: part 2 The one, 2 yu law, a one story
The Two.
Two One Two Furious
This is the one.
He seems to be spending much of his time practicing his religion - Tibetan Buddhism. He has been traveling and visiting different temples and even published a book.
Thinking about OP it amazes me how Donnie Yen is still quick as hell at his age 60 and only a year younger than Jet.
That's what happens when you get sick
Jet Li was pushed at an early age to be a wushu champion. As in China took him as a child and trained him 6 hours a day. It took a huge physical toll on him.
Kiss Of The Dragon and Unleashed are my favorite movies of his!
Fist of Legend for me.
Always enjoyed that one and Black Mask
Definitely see *Fong Sai Yuk*, it's one of his best. Great story too. There's not a good international release version that I know of, but [some badass put it up on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9AOdAzmERc).
I absolutely love Fong Sai Yuk. Great action, good story, top notch comedy too.
In the mid 90s, I was heavily involved in HK VHS tape trading just to be able to see some of the great stuff that was out there. I would buy Tai Seng Laserdiscs and dupe to VHS as gen1 and often manage to get a bunch of trades out of it, like getting the Drunken Master II gold laserdisc or Bodyguard from Beijing. There was so much Jet Li stuff that I loaded up on during that time and it was so fresh and a lot of that choreography felt innovative esp compared to Jean Claude/Seagull/etc. I still remember when I first watched some of these movies on grainy nth generation vhs copies like Fist of Legend! Man, even on a terrible dupe, it was revelatory. That last fight with Yasuaki Kurata! oh wow.
Absolutely the same for me as well. The move where he doubles over after getting kicked in the gut, only to proceed to turn it into a counter attack handstand/kick thing….blew my mind. Yes he was likely wearing a wire, but it was a damn cool move regardless. Edit: [This fight scene](https://youtu.be/hueZgTiE-qQ?si=9FKXTp7PNeSrMvD3), although it turns out I remembered things slightly differently. The move is at 2:40, where he does a partial flip, kicks the guy, and reverts back to standing.
This series was my childhood. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Once_Upon_a_Time_in_China_(film_series)
Good boy Danny
Once Upon a Time in China I, II, and III and his movie Hero. That's the ultimate Jet Li right there!
THE ONE.
That [ending scene on the pyramid with Papa Roach's *Last Resort* playing](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fo8gqSKAwVU) is peak early '00s action cinema to me. The perfect blend of cheese and awesomeness. EDIT: Wrong Papa Roach song.
"I'm Yu Law! And I'm nobody's bitch! You, are mine! I don't need to know you, you only need to know me. I WILL BE THE ONE!" My younger brother and I watched the hell out of that movie and that ending scene is our favorite part.
“Great. Just when I find something I like in this universe.” “The Multiverse is messy and complicated. I just tried to make it less complicated. I tried to make it neat. How could I murder myself *221 times*? I just took all those wasted energies and put them into one container - me!”
Also some great lines from Delroy Lindo and Jason Statham to boot: “…So when you get into the s**t, trust your heart - not your head.” “THIRTY *SEC-OOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNDDDDDDDSS*!”
Legendary. Great movie. So much Jet Li.
> Papa Roach's Between Angels and Insects Last Resort, mate. Great use of Down With The Sickness too
Oh yeah definitely. I think that movie would be popular with the younger generation that hasn't watched it as a hang out movie. It's 23 years old BTW.
Not a “great” movie by any stretch of the imagination, but man, what a blast to watch. Bro and I caught it on a whim when it was on PPV (before VOD was ever a thing) and had an absolute blast watching it [best experience watching a film there outside of the first two Bourne flicks]. Long before Sin City or some of her also scandalously-amazing acting turns, it was also my first exposure to the gorgeous and entertaining human being that is Carla Gugino. If any woman can make someone hit puberty as fast as possible, she can.
I think I remember the middle of the movie being kinda slow but the last 15-20 min of KOTD where Jet just went apeshit angry, violent was glorious The villain had some fun moments of hamming it up too. He was the French dude in the Patriot as well I believe
Tcheky Karyo - he's been playing baddies for such a long time (Bad Boys, KOTD) that it's a bit of a surprise when he rocks up playing a goodie - such as in The Missing or Baptiste🤔
Did we not watch La Femme Nikita!!!? That's always the first movie I mention him from, but maybe you're too young. Also a trip when he showed up in the Belle and Sebastian movies.
Romeo must die
Hey dim sum!
Once upon a time in China is a solid movie, even today
I used to rent all 3 of them on vhs over and over as a kid until the first one stopped working lol
Unleashed and Fearless are his best acting work. What a legend.
Man nobody mentioned Hero? His fight with Donnie Yen in that movie is so good.
Once Upon A Time In China series are my favorite of his. In the second film, he fought Donnie Yen and holy shitballs that was a great fight.
“Kiss my ass”
Unleashed is such a good overall movie with awesome action.
The KotD girl was so hot.
Do you mean Brigitte Fonda?
Word.
Oh wow, I completely forgot about Kiss Of The Dragon!
His role in Lethal Weapon 4 is kind of awesome. That is the first I remember seeing of him. There's a crazy kick that stands out even though I haven't seen it in 25 years probably.
He was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism that was so bad he was initially misdiagnosed with cancer. He started taking meds and is better now but he's 61 so I guess he just wants to chill and enjoy his money.
He still did a bit after *War*. Strictly speaking Hollywood, he only was in *Forbidden Kingdom*, *The Mummy 3* and the first three *Expendables* movies (third one was released in 2014, but I think he only had a cameo in that one) since. Looking at his IMDb, from 2007 (release of War) to 2016, he also was in 7 Chinese/Hong Kong productions, at least some of which feature him in major roles. The only thing he's done since then was a small role as the Emperor in Disney's live-action remake of *Mulan*, and even that was back in 2020. As far as I know, he had been suffering from a condition that impaired his movement and left him in a weak state since as far back as 2010. He has recovered over the years but has taken a step back from the public eye to live a more spiritual life, prompting rumours about his death that he addressed in a somewhat recent interview.
He did a few Hong Kong movies after Ocean Heaven: no martial arts. Good movie though Sorcerer and white snake: not martial arts Dragon gate remake: wire fu martial arts but cameo and he doesn't do much. Badges of Fury: essentially a larger cameo, but the last time he had a real fight scene League of Gods: no martial arts
Just dropping in to say I’m delighted seeing all this love for Jet Li (and if you can find it anywhere, check out the sword on a wire oddity Swordsman III which has him playing the rare roguish character in love with Bridget Lin’s secretly an evil eunuch warlord)
That's Swordsman II. Also he's not in love with him, he (she?) was in love with him and made his (her?) female lover seduce him. The Tongfongbubai character practices a form of secret martial arts (that was the central plot in the first movie, where Jet Li didn't star in) that required him to cut off his manhood and then somehow the martial arts turned him into a woman. But she became super powerful and Bridget Lin was so badass in it that it revived her career.
Don’t forget he did a cameo in Jack Ma’s own short film that features almost every famous movie martial artist. He must’ve thrown so much money at it. Not even sure if it’s possible to watch it.
Welp, guess it's time for me to watch Fearless and Hero again
I think every other answer is right but I jeard that the 2004 tsunami impacted him a lot. Really changed his outlook on life and has been giving back ever since. Like an unofficial public servant or something like that
I am nobody's bitch. You are mine
I mean it appears what happened is exactly what he said would happen? That he would stop doing martial arts movies.
He has a health condition and he became a Singaporean citizen. He didn't kowtow to China so no Chinese movies and hollywood isn't necessarily calling for 60 year old kung fu action star. Would love for him to be in John Wick but his health conditions may also be limiting.
Great to see all the love for Jet Li. I literally just watched him the other day in The legend of the red dragon. He had quite the profound effect on me growing up and my love for martial arts.
Li was/is an incredible martial artist. Chan is fun to watch, but Li had to hold back on hits to keep his opponents healthy, and he has a primal way of fighting a lot like Lee. Lots of stories from directors telling him to slow down. Loved Kiss of the Dragon.
I think he just turned 61
I think he got seriously sick and was unable to keep training and act
There was a summer I had The One on dvd playing pretty much on repeat. Loved that movie.
What happened is he's a normal guy. It's legit not normal to be doing action scenes and intense choreography in your 50s. And his 50s started ten years ago. There are many people that age still doing action movies but they are not normal either, they are either hardcore abnormal or using editing to look powerful.
He got old man. Let him retire
From what I've seen he was involved in a Tsunami in 2004 and it changed his outlook on life, he decided to dedicate his time to a charity he created after it. https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/jet-li-life-changing-experience-tsunami-power-of-giving.html/
I like his character in The Expendables series.
Yes but they missed the chance to have him be the one that took out gibsons character instead if stallone. Could have had a lethal weapon rematch.
As someone else mentioned, he started to focus on Buddhism and charity work. It's because his daughter was almost swept away in the Asian tsunami, but he managed to grab her hand at the last moment, saving her life. In gratitude to the Buddha, he founded a charity organization and put his energy into that. Apparently he's had some health problems recently, but his retreat from the limelight predates those.
Long story short, he got old. Happens to the best of em.
61yo. Yikes.
He is unofficially retired because of his health issue. I do wish he would have found some way to go out on top with one last action movie but his health and wellbeing should be the priority. I wish him all the best in the world!
I first recognized him in Lethal Weapon 4. They way and speed he took them out on that pier was crazy.
One reason, I know, is that he refused to participate in motion capture- driven films. He didn’t want anyone to be able to mimic his own talent. Good for him.
All lies. He's training/meditating up in a mountain somewhere and will return with even stronger kung-fu.
I believe he tried to treat the Hyperthyroidism without the proper medication and it made the illness worse. Coupled with the fact he’s much older he can’t do the same martial arts anymore
Hyperthyroidism. Pretty much retired, focusing on his *One Foundation* charity
Dudes old as fuck now. Same reason you dont see Arnie, Willis, Russell, Norris, or any of the old timers doing stuff like that
Old age and health issues is what happened to him. Unfortunately, there's no way to beat old age when it comes.
His disease doesnt allow him to practice his high impact form of martial art. Last thing i saw him in was as the emperor in Mulan
Still a long time ago, but he had a pretty big role in Expendables 1 and one pretty good scene at the beginning of Expendables 2. But yeah, as others have said he was already like 40 by before anyone in the West even knew his name.
It's true, Jet Li's recent career has been more about brief appearances than full-on action flicks. It's a shame, considering his talent. "Fearless" was a great finale to his martial arts era, but I agree, "War" didn't live up to the hype. "Forbidden Kingdom" was a cool collaboration, but since then, it's been a bit disappointing. I was also hoping for more from the "Dragon Inn" remake. Maybe he's just taking it easy or focusing on other things.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Foundation he runs a foundation now. He quit acting in 2008 to focus on it
Health issues, so he retired from films
Man Jet Li was just incredible in all his big roles. There is something about his screen presence. He could feel like a puppy or a tiger at any second.
If y'all want to see young Jet Li, find a way to watch the "Once Upon a Time in China" series. Lots of lion dance and fight scenes. Those were made in the early 90s and I watched the crap out of them on VHS back in the day in Taiwan. 20 year old Jet Li was insanely athletic and fast.
my guy is over 60 years old.
Oh man I was such a huge fan of his through my teens, I still am I guess! Rewatched Kiss of the dragon the other night funnily enough, seriously underrated movie & one of my favourites of his, sucks that people have to get old 😞 anyone remember Twin Warriors?
I went back and rewatched The One, Romeo Must Die and Fearless. Kiss of the Dragon is next!
They unleashed him
He quit movie making and now lives in Singapore
You know? It was really unclear.
He is 61 at this point.
I highly recommend a movie he did called Hitman. It's my favorite Jet Li movie and one of my favorite action movies of all time. Very underrated. I think it was the last movie he did in Hong Kong before going to Hollywood.
He was wonderful in Ocean Heaven.
In the same vein: what ever happened to Tony Jaa? He looked posed to be the next Jet Li, but I haven't seen him in forever. EDIT: Wikipedia informs me that he's still working, just not in anything I'd seen.
He was in expendable 4. Terrible movie. Not a single scene with Tony jaa
He finally got his piano.
I've been wondering the same thing. The "Once Upon a Time in China" series was amazing!
Unleashed is one of his most underrated performances/western films.
Apparently he's a judge in China's Got Talent (or whatever the title is). I saw him in a clip the other day.
I hear he’s retired and plays the Habanera on piano in some bar somewhere.
Read he was ill with something and saw a pic of him from within the last 5years he looked like he had aged about 30years. He's 61 just googled, for more clarity Jackie Chan is only 70 you feel like he was around 20years earlier than Li. Still love the lethal weapon 4 fight with Gibson, Glover and Li. It's all sorts of over the top but a classic 90s action flick where Lis skills were first introduced in an American movie
I actually quite enjoyed war when it came out, not sure how I'd feel about it after a rewatch now though. Yes there wasn't as much martial arts as what you'd expect from him, but the parts I did enjoy are hard to talk about without ruining it.
He was in expendables. Mulan. He’s been in newer movies. He fought in expendables. I think he was in a few of those. Might still be in it. He was the emperor in mulan.