Jet Li fights Michelle Yeoh in Mummy 3: Tomb of Dragon Emperor

-- The Mummy 3: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor --

The fight scene between Jet Li and Michelle Yeoh is no less exhilarating than it is graceful. Both show excellent skills. They perform everything personally and the scene is captured from different angles. Their exciting performance often wins applauses from everyone on the set. The fight between Jet Li and Michelle Yeoh is meant to be kept as realistic as possible without much CGIs.

On the previous day, both Michelle Yeoh and Jet Li arrived at different times. Michelle Yeoh showed up at 10am and only did one take, after which she retired. Jet Li appeared in the afternoon and did three takes. Other shots were completed by doubles. Sometimes, one may not understand why doubles are used. Doubles are necessary part of a filming process, sometimes, they are needed so that the actors would not wear themselves out or they could be needed for shooting elsewhere at the same time.

Working as stunt doubles is a very demanding, stressful and risky job. They have to get up very early at around 3am and set off at 4am. On reaching the set, they have to set up the cranes and the wires, rehearse the moves. Sometimes they don't even get to have a meal until afternoon. Given the high demands of an action director, they'd have to do jumps and falls from some high places, and when doing weapon fights, wounds are unavoidable. When the director likes what they did, they may be required to fight longer. And it's easier for one stuntman to fight another since they would not be as stressed as facing a distinguished star. Depending on circumstances, sometimes, they would change their moves to suit the opponents, requiring them to be flexible, to take care of their opponents. Their contributions to the industry should not be overlooked.

Part of the plot: The Dragon Emperor's (Jet Li) martial arts skills are unrivalled, and having conquered all lands, he should be happy and contented, yet there's something that sticks out like a sore thumb - his love for the sorceress Zi Yuan (Michelle Yeoh) is unrequited for she is in love with General Guo Ming (Russel Wong). Guo Ming is valiant general who has contributed greatly on the battlefields and is respected by his troops, and enjoys the company of Zi Yuan. Green with envy, the Dragon Emperor always mistreats him. Guo Ming and Zi Yuan decide to leave the kingdom. The Dragon Emperor begins a hunt and find them at a town. He has the whole town massacred before apprehending Guo Ming, bringing him back to be dismembered by eight horses...  Liu Xiao's Blog, Lin-An News