Daniel Wu Movies

A young social outcast joins forces with the daughter of a tai-chi master to defeat the villainous intruder who seeks to construct a railway through a remote village, in the process proving that he has what it takes to become a true master himself. Yang Luchan was born with a fleshy protrusion on his forehead. As a result, he was branded the village idiot and ostracized by his cruel neighbors. Encouraged by his mother to train in martial arts, Yang makes the arduous journey to Chen village, a peaceful hamlet populated exclusively by tai-chi practitioners. But the locals are wary of sharing their secrets with outsiders, and when Yang arrives, they challenge him to a series of duels. The worst beating comes at the hands of the gorgeous Yuniang, who pummels Yang mercilessly until an eccentric old man comes to his aid. Little does Yang realize that the old man is in fact the great Master Chen, a tai-chi legend who also happens to be Yuniang's father. Recognizing the warrior buried deep within the defeated pariah, Master Chen keeps his true identity concealed while stealthily giving Yang the tools to realize his true potential. Later, when the nefarious Fang Zijing arrives in town on a steam-powered leviathan and announces his intentions to build an unwelcomed railway through Chen village, Yang teams up with Yuniang to demolish the machine, thwart Fang's plans, and unlock the tai-chi warrior within. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Filmmakers Huang Jianxin and Han Sanping offer a crash course on the Chinese Revolution in this companion piece to Han's 2009 film The Founding of a Republic. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

This crime saga stars Louis Koo as Ken Kwan, a professional competitive marksman who swings into action when he stumbles onto an armored van robbery, where five robbers are holding a policeman hostage. He shoots and slays four of the robbers (a fifth one escapes) and saves the policeman. Events take an interesting turn when anew officer assumes responsibility for the case - Officer Jerry Chong (Daniel Wu). Although he and Ken were initially in fierce competition during a competitive shooting match, they subsequently became friends. The situation involving the armored van stirs up a great deal of controversy surrounding Ken; the courts declare him not guilty and the media deems him a hero. Not long after, however, Ken gets attacked by the fifth robber, Pang Tao - which sets into motion a complicated series of events and pits Ken and Jerry against one another once again, in a fearless battle of wits. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

A simple Chinese immigrant wages a perilous war against one of the most powerful criminal organizations on the planet in this sprawling action drama directed by Derek Yee (One Night in Mongkok) and starring Jackie Chan, Daniel Wu, and Masaya Kato. In Japan, foreign migrants are shunned by mainstream society. Taunted by the yakuza, they live in constant fear of being discovered and repatriated. Into this world ventures Steelhead (Chan), a humble tractor repairman who has traveled to Tokyo in search of his missing girlfriend, Xiu Xiu (Xu Jinglei), who vanished into thin air shortly after arriving in the city. After locating his brother Joe (Daniel Wu), Steelhead discovers that Xiu Xiu has adapted a Japanese identity and married up-and-coming yakuza chief Eguchi (Masaya Kato), with whom he forms an uneasy alliance. Over time, Steelhead earns the respect of his fellow Chinese immigrants by establishing a place for them to gather. But the dark side still beckons to Steelhead, because after helping Eguchi dispense with a powerful rival, he is granted full control of Shinjuku's most popular nightspots. Resistant to the allure of the criminal lifestyle, Steelhead discovers a new love and opens a tractor-repair business just outside the city. When Eguchi begins using Steelhead's former compatriots as pawns to front the yakuza's drug trade, the vengeful immigrant returns to the city determined to exact justice, even if it means destroying the future of the woman he once loved. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Three best friends who are barely getting by as fishermen in the small village of Zhujiajiao depart to seek their fate in Shanghai in director Alexi Tan's reworking of the John Woo action classic Bullet in the Head. Feeling trapped by circumstance in the only place they have ever known, Kang, his brother Hu, and their best friend Fung decide to take their fate into their own hands by moving to Shanghai. Upon arriving in the bustling city, the naïve trio gradually finds their innocence corrupted as they fall into the deepest depths of the criminal underworld. The starting point for their harrowing descent is the infamous Paradise Club: the most popular - and dangerous - nightclub in all of Shanghai. In the Paradise Club, Lulu is the songbird that every man wants to capture, yet she remains locked securely in the cage of owner and underworld crime kingpin Boss Hong - or so he thinks. Because when the stage lights go down and the big guy isn't around, his right hand man Mark starts making the moves on Lulu. Of course Lulu is no innocent either, and as this pair conduct their dangerous affair both enemies and allies alike begin plotting a way to wrestle control of the city from the ruthless Boss Hong. As the tense situation between Boss Hong and his many conspirators begins to boil over, Kang, Hu, and Fung make a desperate grab for power that quickly pays off. But success in Shanghai doesn't come cheap. With their power nearly cemented in the land of plenty, Fung will be forced to choose between love and a life of crime while wrestling with his troublesome conscience, Hu will enter into a monumental struggle against his own inner weakness, and power-hungry Kang will allow nothing to prevent him from realizing his own ambitions. Now, as lives hang in the balance and blood begins to flow, the chance for redemption fades with each passing day. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

A 21st Century martial arts princess who steals from the rich in the name of love incurs the wrath of a powerful underworld boss in a romantic thriller starring Zhou Xun and Daniel Wu. Irresistible rogue D (Wu) has announced that he will run away with the first woman who can $5 million, and now the race is on to see which companionship-craving female with cough up the cash first. Ming Ming (Xun) is determined that she and D were meant to be together, and soon sets about robbing mob boss Cat (Jeff Chang) as a means of making that happen. Though she only stole Cat's curious looking box on a criminal whim while robbing him blind, Ming Ming never realized how much such a seemingly-simple looking trinket could mean so much to a man. Later, while fleeing Cat's henchmen, Ming Ming crosses paths with Nana (also Xun), whom she quickly sets up as the scapegoat for her crime. Little does Ming Ming realize, however, that Nana is one of D's girlfriends. Now, as D disappears from Shanghai and Ming Ming's secret admirer Tu mistakes Nana for the object of his affections, the race is on to locate the elusive D as he attempts to solve the mystery of his mother's strange and untimely death. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

After moving from San Francisco's Bay Area to Hong Kong and launching a successful acting career in the late 1990s, first-time feature filmmaker Daniel Wu crafts a scathing satire of the exploding, multi-million dollar Hong Kong pop-music scene in this Spinal Tap-inspired expose of meticulously manufactured boy band "Alive." Despite the fact that none of them can actually sing, a group of friends from the Hong Kong entertainment industry make the decision to form a boy band that will storm the charts and win fans all across Asia. After a potentially profitable record deal goes sour and the band stealthily leaks a song to the internet, they attempt to manipulate the media by publicly claiming that the song has been illegally pirated and was never intended for distribution. As a result, the catchy pop tune becomes an instant hit and Alive is instantaneously heralded as an overnight sensation. Now, despite experiencing all of the perks that come with having a number one hit, the questionably talented members of Alive soon find that the road to success is filled with treacherous potholes that can send one careening down a self-destructive path on a moments notice. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

A top celebrity cop finds his ability to solve a series of kidnappings and white collar crimes sidelined by the grief he harbors for his long-missing girlfriend in this dramatic Hong Kong action entry from director Benny Chan. Ever since Suen Sui-yan (Aaron Kwok)'s girlfriend went missing without a trace ten years ago, everything just seemed to fall apart for the high profile policeman who could once do no wrong. These days Suen is investigating a lucrative money laundering scheme, but upon being assigned the task of escorting a crooked accountant named Hung (Patrick Chow) to the Hong Kong airport, his luck takes an even darker turn when an assassin's bullet kills his unfortunate charge. Suen's suspicions that something is amiss are soon confirmed when a barrister acting on behalf of powerful businessman Yiu (Lo Ka-leung) denies that his client played any part in the killing and Yiu's assets are freed-up since the potential police witness has been permanently silenced, and before long the suspicious suit is struggling to pay off a sizable debt to the triads. Soon after triad boss Jim (Lau Siu-ming) admits to a fondness for Yiu's pop-star son Yiu Ha (Tommy Yuen), the adolescent singing sensation is suddenly kidnapped. Now, as Suen struggles to make a connection between all the events and reveal the identity of the mysterious assassin, the resemblance between Barrister To (Ekin Chang)'s beautiful wife Amy (Angelica Lee) and Suen's own long-missing girlfriend fast begins to cloud the determined cop's head and complicate the case. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Those familiar with the work of the Jackass crew should find much to admire in the video Chiseen. This documentary features a group of Asians who perform a variety of dangerous stunts and practical jokes that occasionally involved some famous faces including Michelle Yeoh. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

Magic Kitchen stars Sammi Cheng as Yau, a female chef who has built a very successful professional life, but at the expense of a rewarding personal life. While making an appearance on the popular television program Iron Chef, she comes into contact with an old lover who she discovers is planning on marrying one of her close friends. She becomes jealous and starts using her chef's skills to get even. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi