The martial arts genre hosts hundreds of worthwhile films across a long list of subgenres, from Hong Kong cop movies in the style of Police Story to kung fu comedies like Kung Fu Hustle. Quality has varied, of course, but each has its own fair share of gems that contribute to the storied history of martial arts movies in general.
Thanks in large part to legendary directors like Yuen Woo-ping, Chang Cheh, and Lau Kar-leung, the last few decades have been full of great martial arts movies worthy of being called masterpieces of cinema. Many of the best films in the genre’s history come from established names like these, whereas others came from surprising sources or lesser-known filmmakers.
Something similar can be said for the actors associated with martial arts movies. It most likely doesn’t come as a surprise that Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Jet Li all had a heavy hand in the best the genre has to offer.
15
The Matrix
One of the best American-made martial arts movies ever made is a blend of both the genre and science fiction. Released in 1999, the Keanu Reeves-led film took a great deal of inspiration from classic Hong Kong cinema and weaved those influences into its action sequences, and cleverly rooted that decision in the story: Reeves’ Neo had martial arts knowledge downloaded into his brain via The Matrix.
The Matrix wouldn’t have been the martial arts sensation that it was without the involvement of Yuen Woo-ping, who handled the movie’s action choreography. As evidenced by other movies on this list, Yuen Woo-ping is responsible for some of the best fight scenes of all time, so it’s no surprise that the action of The Matrix lived up to those standards.
14
The Karate Kid
Another all-time great American martial arts movie, The Karate Kid memorably interlaced a compelling coming-of-age story with karate. On top of that, The Karate Kid created one of the most enduringly popular martial arts movie characters of all time in Mr. Miyagi, who used fundamental principles of karate to teach important life lessons to the main character, Daniel LaRusso.
Supported by a standout soundtrack of great music (including Survivor’s “The Moment of Truth”), the 1984 classic offered no shortage of fun moments that have since earned their place in pop culture, chief among them being Daniel’s winning crane kick move.
13
Way Of The Dragon
Way of the Dragon was an important step in Bruce Lee’s career, in that it gave him his first stab at the director’s chair. The star didn’t disappoint, with the movie delivering a top-notch one-on-one showdown reliant on long takes and grounded martial arts action when it pitted its hero against Chuck Norris.
Bruce Lee put his personal signature on Way of the Dragon, writing and directing an entertaining martial arts story that even has some unexpected moments of humor that add character to its cast.
12
The Raid: Redemption
A select few modern martial arts movies belong in the same conversation as the classics, and one of them is The Raid: Redemption. Boasting a Rotten Tomatoes score of 87%, the 2011 Indonesian action film has received considerable praise for its gruesome approach to the fighting. The Raid is a fast-paced thriller that takes its character – played by Iko Uwais – through a series of grueling battles, characterized by heavy violence.
Admittedly, The Raid: Redemption has a thin plot, but a nuanced story doesn’t seem necessary here, with the high quality and gritty nature of its action sequences and how they transition from one to the next doing all the heavy lifting on their own.
11
Bloodsport
The quintessential Jean-Claude Van Damme movie, Bloodsport launched the Muscles from Brussels to stardom with a story centered on an underground martial arts tournament. The plot set the stage for a fascinating showcase of various fighting styles from the world that helped set Bloodsport apart from most martial arts movies, which generally don’t room for more than one or two martial arts disciplines.
But the best part of Bloodsport is arguably its final battle, which sees Van Damme’s Frank Dux take on Bolo Yeung’s Chong Li. With an extremely menacing and imposing antagonist in Chong Li and some truly amazing kicks from Van Damme, Bloodsport’s finale is a must-watch for any martial arts movie fan.
10
The Chinese Boxer
It’s hard to think of a martial arts movie more groundbreaking than The Chinese Boxer. After all, it’s the 1970 Jimmy Wang Yu film that gets the credit for shifting the genre toward actual kung fu, when it had previously been focused strictly on weapon-fighting.
Jimmy Wang Yu’s The Chinese Boxer was so good that he inadvertently made himself into a rival for Bruce Lee. This was due in large part to an epic sequence where the main hero becomes a one-man army in an attack on a casino. When it comes to the payoff in a revenge-focused martial arts movie, The Chinese Boxer is the gold standard.
9
Drunken Master II
Martial arts sequels rarely live up to the expectations set by their predecessor, but Drunken Master II succeeds in pulling that off – and more. 16 years after starring in Drunken Master, Jackie Chan reprised his role in the Lau Kar-leung-directed 1994 sequel, opposite fellow martial arts legend, Ti Lung.
It’s disappointing that Drunken Master II became the first and last collaboration between Jackie Chan and Lau Kar-leung, considering tha Chan’s skills and the director’s talents for making old-school kung fu movies and martial choreography felt like the perfect combination. Making it even better is that it contained a meaningful character arc for the hero that actually improved on the original movie.
8
Jet Li’s Fearless
Released in 2006, Fearless was a fictionalized martial arts biopic about the life story of Huo Yuanjia. Set in an inctricately built and immersive interpretation of early 20th-century China, Fearless features amazing martial arts choreography and what may very well be a career-best performance for Jet Li, who really sells his take on the principled kung fu master.
Fearless solifies Jet Li’s place as the wuxia subgenre’s best actor, and never sacrifices storytelling in its pursuit of spectacular action sequences.
7
Wheels On Meals
Wheels on Meals stars Jackie Chan, Yuen Biao, and Sammo Hung in a Hong Kong martial arts comedy set in Spain. The 1984 movie initially revolves around the fun (and often hilarious) dynamic that Chan and Biao’s characters enjoy both with each other and the Spanish heiress who winds up in their company.
Wheels on Meals’ reliance on comedy is what makes its finale such a pleasant surprise; the mostly light-hearted story builds into an action-packed sequence that lets the trio of actors use their talents in kung fu to deliver one of the most entertaining martial arts team-ups ever put to the screen, with the icing on the cake being Jackie Chan’s epic confrontation with Benny “The Jet” Urquidez.
6
Fist Of Legend
Fist of Legend is a rare film where the remake actually tops the original. 12 years after Bruce Lee’s Fist of Fury, 1994’s Fist of Legend revives the story of Chen Zhen via a wonderfully-crafted period piece that uses a battle between the Japanese and Chinese to tell an emotionally meaningful story about adversity and standing on principal.
Impressively, Jet Li rises to the task of replacing Jet Li as Chen Zhen through his own kung fu prowess. A slew of well-choreographed fight scenes that play out throughout the story helps Fist of Legend maintain excitement from start to finish.
