Best Martial Arts Films/Movies
An on-going list of the best martial arts films: trying to consider the film as a whole, of course weighing impact of the fight choreography over plot (which definitely makes a film better but is not the most important thing in a martial arts movie).
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- DirectorPrachya PinkaewStarsTony JaaPhetthai VongkumlaoPumwaree YodkamolWhen the head of a statue sacred to a village is stolen, a young martial artist goes to the big city and finds himself taking on the underworld to retrieve it.overall a consistently jaw dropping, bone crushing, and wow inducing film. tony jaa does all his stunts like old school jackie, with the acrobatic kicking of jet, and the power of bruce.
- DirectorGordon ChanStarsJet LiShinobu NakayamaSiu-Ho ChinIn 1937, a Chinese martial artist returns to Shanghai to find his teacher dead and his school harassed by the Japanese.a homage to bruce lee's chinese connection (aka fists of fury) that still, straight-up, delivers the most and best hand-to-hand martial arts in a single film i've ever seen.
- DirectorChia-Liang LiuJackie ChanStarsJackie ChanHo-Sung PakLung TiA young martial artist is caught between respecting his pacifist father's wishes or stopping a group of disrespectful foreigners from stealing precious artifacts.aka Drunken Master 2. the best blend of jackies comedy and awesome action...in drunken style!
- DirectorGareth EvansStarsIko UwaisAnanda GeorgeRay SahetapyA S.W.A.T. team becomes trapped in a tenement run by a ruthless mobster and his army of killers and thugs.a brutal brutal film of tooth and nail fighting to survive, trapped in a gang infested apartment complex from level to level . Iko Uwais shines through. and that fight with Ruhian. dang.
- DirectorWilson YipStarsDonnie YenSimon YamSiu-Wong FanDuring the Japanese invasion of China, a wealthy martial artist is forced to leave his home when his city is occupied. With little means of providing for themselves, Ip Man and the remaining members of the city must find a way to survive.donnie yen is quickly becoming the bruce lee of this generation...and whats more amazing is that he finally gets this recognition when he is now well past his 40's too! donnie's amazing speed, strength, and control are showcased in this wonderful film about the man who was bruce lee's master.
- DirectorWilson YipStarsDonnie YenLouis KooRay LuiA hot-headed inspector takes on a small but powerful Vietnamese-Chinese gang, after a series of crimes and murder attempts committed and putting an undercover cop and his girlfriend in great danger.this film came out of nowhere for me, demonstratings donnie yen's true passion for marital arts as he integrates kung-fu, wrestling, and all sorts of mixed marital arts madness.
- DirectorJackie ChanChi-Hwa ChenStarsJackie ChanMaggie CheungBrigitte LinA virtuous Hong Kong Police Officer must clear his good name when the drug lord he is after frames him for the murder of a dirty cop.the craziest stunt work i have ever seen! that bus scene, that final mall scene...jackie chan at his best...pure insanity!
- DirectorRyoo Seung-wanStarsRyoo Seung-wanLee Beom-suKim Byeong-OkAfter their childhood friend is murdered, a two-man martial arts army beats a path to the perp.i just cant quite put my finger on the great work of this director and these actors...the action packed fight sequences in this film have so much tooth and nail intensity that i can almost feel the pain...esp. the sequence with the hall of gangsters with knives.
- DirectorTakashi MiikeStarsKoji YakushoTakayuki YamadaYûsuke IseyaA group of assassins come together for a suicide mission to kill an evil lord.a 45 min. straight showdown sequence of swords in bloody battle. 'nuff said.
- DirectorChia-Liang LiuStarsChia-Liang LiuHou HsiaoKara WaiA disgraced former Kung Fu expert makes a living as a merchant with the help of a hot headed friend. When the men are harassed by gangsters, the merchant decided to teach his friend monkey boxing so they can defend their business.probably one of my favorite fight choreographers ever (also known for directing drunken master 2). in "mad monkey kung-fu" he directs and acts. the precision of the monkey style in this film, and the other main actors commitment to the part (like a real monkey), are a testament to his skill.
- DirectorWei LoStarsBruce LeeNora MiaoJames TienA young man seeks vengence for the death of his teacher.man...this guy was the (marital arts) man. only he could get away with screaming and being bad @$$. he had such presence.
- DirectorChia-Liang LiuStarsChia-Hui LiuLieh LoYue WongA man studies kung fu at the Shaolin Temple to fight back against the oppressive Manchu government.the whole movie is like a crazy montage training sequence of awesomeness.
- DirectorHark TsuiStarsJet LiRosamund KwanSiu Chung MokArriving by train in Guangzhou, 1895, the trio fight off White Lotus followers, who want to kill all foreigners and the cute, European dressed 13th Aunt. It's not kung fu master Dr. Wong's (Jet Li) last fight.great showdown between jet li and donnie yen.
- DirectorWoo-Ping YuenStarsRongguang YuDonnie YenJean WangA martial artist/doctor steals from the corrupt authorities as a masked thief to give to the poor while another martial artist/doctor is forced to hunt him down. But a major threat unites them as a powerful and traitorous shaolin monk takes over the authorities.yuen woo ping, pre "matrix" fame, directs this great film. the final fight sequence on poles over fire still stays in my mind.
- DirectorPrachya PinkaewStarsTony JaaNathan JonesXing JinA young fighter named Kham must go to Australia to retrieve his stolen elephant. With the help of a Thai-born Australian detective, Kham must take on all comers, including a gang led by an evil woman and her two deadly bodyguards.some amazing fight choreographed scenes: from the single take shot up the flights of stairs to the capoiera fight to the consecutive bone breaking battle.
- DirectorWoo-Ping YuenStarsJet LiMichelle YeohSiu-Ho ChinTwo friends, ex Shaolin monks, part ways as they brush with the ongoing rebellion against the government. The ambitious one rises up to be a powerful military commander, while his betrayed friend resorts to learn the calm ways of Tai Chi.another yuen wo ping piece with jet li and michelle yeoh in this film showcasing the flowing tai chi style.
- DirectorLana WachowskiLilly WachowskiStarsKeanu ReevesLaurence FishburneCarrie-Anne MossWhen a beautiful stranger leads computer hacker Neo to a forbidding underworld, he discovers the shocking truth--the life he knows is the elaborate deception of an evil cyber-intelligence.
- DirectorPrachya PinkaewStarsJeeJa YaninHiroshi AbePongpat WachirabunjongAn autistic girl with powerful martial art skills looks to settle her ailing mother's debts by seeking out the ruthless gangs that owe her family money.
- DirectorNewt ArnoldStarsJean-Claude Van DammeDonald GibbLeah Ayres"Bloodsport" follows Frank Dux, an American martial artist serving in the military, who decides to leave the army to compete in a martial arts tournament in Hong Kong where fights to the death can occur.
- DirectorKurt WimmerStarsChristian BaleSean BeanEmily WatsonIn an oppressive future where all forms of feeling are illegal, a man in charge of enforcing the law rises to overthrow the system and state.