Amazing Michelle Yeoh Movies to Watch Before ‘The Witcher: Blood Origin’ Drops
Don’t recognize the face of the new Netflix series? Start catching up with Michelle Yeoh’s amazing career with these five movies.
Michelle Yeoh is having a well-earned moment in the spotlight thanks to roles in Shang-Chi, Crazy Rich Asians, and Everything Everywhere All At Once. Her career has spanned over 30 years, ranging from Hong Kong action flicks to dramas. Next month she’s leading us to the Conjunction of the Spheres in the Witcher universe. While we wait, here are five movies to watch that really show off how great she is.
Yes, Madam!
Michelle Yeoh has a long resume of amazing martial arts projects that started with this movie. It also happens to be a personal favorite due to its wild fight sequences – which may come off corny with their sound effects and big facial expressions, but it was Hong Kong in the 1980s. A relentless police inspector and a Scotland Yard detective (Cynthia Rothrock) work together to track down a murderer and missing evidence that could bring down a criminal organization.
The Tai Chi Master
Jet Li leads this story of two Shaolin Temple pupils making different decisions in life, forcing them to an ultimate showdown. Michelle Yeoh is supporting cast here, but she shines in her fight scenes. Perfect double feature with Wing Chun, which she also stars in.
Tomorrow Never Dies
Yeoh refuses to be a damsel in distress in her first big international movie – Brosnan’s second Bond movie. She plays Wai Lin, a Chinese spy that is smart, and capable; and is a partner to James, not a tag-along. If the writers let her save herself, she could. Together they take on Media mogul Elliot Carver and his plan to start a war between China and the Western world. It’s not the best Bond movie, but Yeoh is fantastic in it.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Ang Lee’s movie brought China’s wuxia epics to the rest of the world. Western audiences fell in love with this lush, romantic story of unrequited love with dance-like fights in the tops of bamboo forests; it became a worldwide smash that picked up multiple international awards. Yeoh proved with this performance that she’s capable of something much deeper than just beautiful fight scenes.
In 19th century Qing Dynasty China, a warrior (Chow Yun-Fat) gives his sword, Green Destiny, to his lover (Michelle Yeoh) to deliver to safe keeping, but it is stolen, and the chase is on to find it. The search leads to the House of Yu where the story takes on a whole different level.
via Sony Pictures Classics
Everything Everywhere All At Once
There’s not exactly a way to describe this movie beyond a feast for the senses. It’ll make you cry, it’ll make you laugh. It’s a big-hearted action-adventure set in a multiverse of possibilities where a weary Chinese American woman can’t get her taxes done. I’m hoping Yeoh has taken home several awards for this, and I hope she takes home more. She’s astounding as the lead in a movie that could easily crush her under the weirdness.
