It was great to see the Muppets back in theatres, but Kermit plucking away on a banjo is no match for the incredibly lifelike performances of these Taiwanese martial arts hand puppets that can even breathe fire.
This footage is from an upcoming documentary called PuppetVision: The Movie which highlights the different styles of puppeteering around the world, including Taiwanese glove puppetry also known as Potehi or Budaixi.
Even though their puppets aren’t large or complex, the performers still manage to instill them with a startling range of movement and emotion. Breathing fire is of course an impressive trick, but watching them wield weapons with the same fluidity as a real martial arts master really shows off their skills. [PuppetVision via Buzzfeed]