Jet Li

History

 

  
Jet Li is a Martial Arts action star known for many hit movies both in China and in the United States. Born in the Republic of China,  he was first  noticed when he entered and became the star of his Wushu Team. Wushu is a martial arts contact and presentation sport, which is very huge in China. He would lead his team to five Gold Medals, and one Silver Medal from the China Wushu Championships. After one of  his teams victories , Jet Li had the chance to meet President Nixon. Nixon asked Li if he wanted to become his personal bodyguard. Jet Li turned him down. His response was that he didn't want to protect just one life. If he decided to protect anyone, it would be the millions of fellow China Men and Women. Already famous and popular in China, Jet Li's response to the President of the United States at the time, made him an iconic hero. 
 
Like most popular Chinese martial artist (thanks to Bruce Lee), Jet Li was given the opportunity to become an action movie star. Fortunately, Jet Li would succeed, with the break out hit, Once Upon A Time In China. The movie starring Jet Li became a huge hit in China, and was a cult hit in the United States. The movie was followed by two sequels starring Jet Li, with another three sequels starring another lead actor, when Jet Li moved on to bigger and better things. He later starred in Fist of Legend, a remake of Bruce Lee's smash hit film Fist of Fury. 
 

  
At this point, Jet Li became well known enough to crossover to American Cinema. He first appeared in the American film Lethal Weapon 4. Lethal Weapon is a popular film series about two cops taking down bad guys and dealing with their own personal issues. The films generally had action, drama, and comedy.  In this latest and possibly last film, Jet Li played a cold blooded enforcer for the Triads. Li left a good enough impression that Americans wanted to see him again. They got their wish with the Black Mask. While the Black Mask was a Chinese film, the movie was brought over to American theaters and became a hit. In the film Jet Li plays a Super Hero whom wears a Black Mask when fighting crime.

Jet Li's next American film was Romeo Must Die. The movie used the classic Shakespearean concept of Romeo and Juliet and made it a modern day crime story. Jet Li starred along side the late R&B singer Aaliyah as two members of rival crime families caught up in the middle of a growing war between them. The film was a smash hit in the Untied States and made Jet Li a household name. Jet Li continued to have a series of hit films like The One, War, Hero, Fearless, Unleashed,  etc. Today Jet Li is still making action films, however, most of them seem to take place during some period in China.
 
 

During Jet Li's popularity, a video game was made dedicated to him. The game was called Rise to Honor. The entire game was designed to be a epic action film come to life in a video game. Despite the game having great visuals and blockbuster sound, the gameplay didn't holdup. According to many gaming critics the innovative action system, which wired all of Jet Li's actions to the Right Analog Stick, wasn't properly integrated into the game causing the experience not to be anything special.  Jet Li hasn't starred in any other video games since.