Martial Arts Movies That Kick Ass
by steelo01210 | created - 28 Jun 2011 | updated - 13 Jul 2013 | PublicAwesome movies that are in no particular order. Added a couple of 80's goofy ones to make 49, so YMMV depending on taste.
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1. The Blade (1995)
105 min | Action
A swordsmith trains his friend's orphaned son. The boy seeks revenge for his father's murder but loses an arm rescuing the swordsmith's daughter. A hermit girl nurses him, and he learns swordsmanship with his father's broken sword.
Director: Hark Tsui | Stars: Wenzhuo Zhao, Xin Xin Xiong, Sonny Su, Valerie Chow
Votes: 3,582
2. Wu ye lan hua (1983)
93 min | Adventure, Fantasy
Chu Liu-xiang (Adam Cheng) is in seclusion after the death of a female disciple. An evil-doer engages 3 warriors and a Persian princess to find him. A beauty named Su-su (Brigitte Lin) with a dangerous secret also crosses his path.
Director: Peng-Yi Chang | Stars: Brigitte Lin, Adam Cheng, Yi-Chan Lu, Don Wong
Votes: 102
3. Heroes Among Heroes (1993)
R | 91 min | Action, Drama
Action-packed as usual with Donnie Yen kicking his adversaries in the role of "Beggar Su". Basic plot revolves around a young Beggar Su getting addicted to opium and manipulated by a ... See full summary »
Directors: Chin-Chung Chan, Woo-Ping Yuen | Stars: Donnie Yen, Yuk Wong, Dickson Ga-Sing Lee, Man-Tat Ng
Votes: 675
4. Master of the Flying Guillotine (1976)
R | 81 min | Action, Drama, Fantasy
After his students are killed by the One Armed Boxer, a vengeful and blind Kung Fu expert travels to a village where a martial arts contest is being held and vows to behead every one armed man he comes across.
Director: Jimmy Wang Yu | Stars: Jimmy Wang Yu, Tien Wu Chu, Kang Chin, Chun-Erh Lung
Votes: 4,829
5. The Mystery of Chess Boxing (1979)
Not Rated | 90 min | Action, Drama
Supposedly dead, embittered former official, The Ghost Face Killer has returned and seeking revenge on those martial arts masters than once opposed him - his name is infamous and his Five ... See full summary »
Director: Joseph Kuo | Stars: Jack Long, Yi-Min Li, Kuan-Wu Lung, Siu-Tin Yuen
Votes: 726
6. Iron Monkey (1993)
PG-13 | 85 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A 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.
Director: Woo-Ping Yuen | Stars: Rongguang Yu, Donnie Yen, Jean Wang, Sze-Man Tsang
Votes: 17,230 | Gross: $14.68M
7. The Shaolin Temple (1982)
Not Rated | 100 min | Action, Comedy, Drama
A young man, hounded by a psychopathic general, learns martial arts at the Shaolin temple to avenge his father's death. To achieve this he forgoes a budding romance with his kungfu master's daughter, a shepherdess.
Director: Hsin-Yen Chang | Stars: Jet Li, Hai Yu, Chenghui Yu, Lan Ding
Votes: 4,770
8. The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978)
R | 116 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A man studies kung fu at the Shaolin Temple to fight back against the oppressive Manchu government.
Director: Chia-Liang Liu | Stars: Chia-Hui Liu, Lieh Lo, Yue Wong, Chia-Yung Liu
Votes: 18,384
9. Return to the 36th Chamber (1980)
R | 99 min | Action, Comedy
When thugs prey upon innocent factory workers, a small-time scammer trains for revenge by studying the moves of Shaolin temple monks.
Director: Chia-Liang Liu | Stars: Chia-Hui Liu, Lung-Wei Wang, Hou Hsiao, Lun Hua
Votes: 4,239
10. Kung Fu Hustle (2004)
R | 99 min | Action, Comedy, Fantasy
In Shanghai, China in the 1940s, a wannabe gangster aspires to join the notorious "Axe Gang" while residents of a housing complex exhibit extraordinary powers in defending their turf.
Director: Stephen Chow | Stars: Stephen Chow, Wah Yuen, Qiu Yuen, Siu-Lung Leung
Votes: 150,948 | Gross: $17.11M
11. Shaolin Soccer (2001)
PG | 87 min | Action, Comedy, Fantasy
A young Shaolin follower reunites with his discouraged brothers to form a soccer team using their martial art skills to their advantage.
Director: Stephen Chow | Stars: Stephen Chow, Wei Zhao, Yat-Fei Wong, Man-Tat Ng
Votes: 89,273 | Gross: $0.49M
12. The Dragon and the Tiger Kids (1979)
85 min | Action
Two young martial artists seek the training of an old master to try and combat a local warlord.
Director: Chun-Ku Lu | Stars: Jeong-lee Hwang, Yuen-Man Meng, Hoi Mang, Yeong-moon Kwon
Votes: 185
14. Five Deadly Venoms (1978)
R | 101 min | Action, Drama, Mystery
The sixth and final pupil of a dying martial arts teacher is instructed to find the teacher's five former pupils and defeat any evil ones that are among them.
Director: Cheh Chang | Stars: Sheng Chiang, Chien Sun, Phillip Chung-Fung Kwok, Meng Lo
Votes: 7,984
15. Fist of Legend (1994)
R | 103 min | Action, Drama
In 1937, a Chinese martial artist returns to Shanghai to find his teacher dead and his school harassed by the Japanese.
Director: Gordon Chan | Stars: Jet Li, Shinobu Nakayama, Siu-Ho Chin, Billy Chow
Votes: 24,938
16. District B13 (2004)
R | 84 min | Action, Crime, Sci-Fi
In the ghettos of Paris in 2010, an undercover cop and an ex-thug try to infiltrate a gang in order to defuse a neutron bomb.
Director: Pierre Morel | Stars: Cyril Raffaelli, David Belle, Tony D'Amario, Bibi Naceri
Votes: 73,911 | Gross: $1.20M
17. The Duel (2000)
106 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
After a long absence, a master swordsman of royal blood, Yeh Cool-son, returns to the emperor's palace to challenge Snow, a reclusive master, to a dual on new year's eve. In the days before... See full summary »
Director: Andrew Lau | Stars: Andy Lau, Ekin Cheng, Nick Cheung, Wei Zhao
Votes: 1,751
18. Kill Zone (2005)
Not Rated | 93 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
A near retired inspector and his unit are willing to put down a crime boss at all costs while dealing with his replacement, who is getting in their way. Meanwhile, the crime boss sends his top henchmen to put an end to their dirty schemes.
Director: Wilson Yip | Stars: Donnie Yen, Simon Yam, Sammo Kam-Bo Hung, Jing Wu
Votes: 13,206
19. Ip Man (2008)
R | 106 min | Action, Biography, Drama
During 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.
Director: Wilson Yip | Stars: Donnie Yen, Simon Yam, Siu-Wong Fan, Ka-Tung Lam
Votes: 233,675
20. New Police Story (2004)
R | 123 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
A hero cop accidentally leads his team into a trap from which he is the only survivor. Drowning his guilt in booze, he is eventually assigned a new younger partner who turns out to have his own secrets.
Director: Benny Chan | Stars: Jackie Chan, Nicholas Tse, Charlie Yeung, Daniel Wu
Votes: 29,010
21. Drunken Master II (1994)
R | 102 min | Action, Comedy
A young martial artist is caught between respecting his pacifist father's wishes or stopping a group of disrespectful foreigners from stealing precious artifacts.
Directors: Chia-Liang Liu, Jackie Chan | Stars: Jackie Chan, Ho-Sung Pak, Lung Ti, Anita Mui
Votes: 48,947 | Gross: $11.55M
22. Supercop (1992)
R | 91 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
A Hong Kong detective teams up with his female Red Chinese counterpart to stop a Chinese drug czar.
Director: Stanley Tong | Stars: Jackie Chan, Michelle Yeoh, Maggie Cheung, Kenneth Tsang
Votes: 24,293 | Gross: $16.27M
23. Rumble in the Bronx (1995)
R | 87 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
A young man visiting and helping his uncle in New York City finds himself forced to fight a street gang and the mob with his martial art skills.
Director: Stanley Tong | Stars: Jackie Chan, Anita Mui, Françoise Yip, Bill Tung
Votes: 46,030 | Gross: $32.39M
24. Armour of God 2: Operation Condor (1991)
PG-13 | 80 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
Jackie is hired to help the UN find Nazi gold hidden in Sahara. He's accompanied from Spain by 2 (later 3) cute women. As there are others wanting the gold, lots of kung fu fighting and comedy follows.
Director: Jackie Chan | Stars: Jackie Chan, Carol 'Do Do' Cheng, Eva Cobo, Shôko Ikeda
Votes: 22,693 | Gross: $10.44M
25. Wing Chun (1994)
TV-14 | 96 min | Action, Comedy, Drama
Wing Chun's village is yet again being plundered by bandits. This time she uses kung fu to defeat them. The fighting doesn't end here.
Director: Woo-Ping Yuen | Stars: Michelle Yeoh, Donnie Yen, King-Tan Yuen, Catherine Yan Hung
Votes: 3,504
26. The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi (2003)
R | 116 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
The blind masseur/swordsman comes to a town in control of warring gangs, and while bunking with a farming family, he meets two women with their own agenda.
Director: Takeshi Kitano | Stars: Takeshi Kitano, Tadanobu Asano, Yui Natsukawa, Michiyo Yasuda
Votes: 51,557 | Gross: $0.85M
27. Ichi (2008)
R | 120 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Ichi is a blind woman who roams about town with her shamisen (a three-stringed Japanese guitar), but she has exceptional sword skills with which she fights off yakuza and other villains.
Director: Fumihiko Sori | Stars: Haruka Ayase, Shidô Nakamura, Yôsuke Kubozuka, Takao Osawa
Votes: 3,979
28. Chocolate (2008)
R | 110 min | Action, Drama
An 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.
Director: Prachya Pinkaew | Stars: JeeJa Yanin, Hiroshi Abe, Pongpat Wachirabunjong, Taphon Phopwandee
Votes: 18,866 | Gross: $0.01M
29. Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior (2003)
R | 105 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
When 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.
Director: Prachya Pinkaew | Stars: Tony Jaa, Phetthai Vongkumlao, Pumwaree Yodkamol, Suchao Pongwilai
Votes: 78,212 | Gross: $4.56M
30. Ong Bak 2 (2008)
R | 98 min | Action
A young Thai boxer learns the skills and inner meaning of martial arts.
Directors: Tony Jaa, Panna Rittikrai | Stars: Tony Jaa, Sarunyu Wongkrachang, Sorapong Chatree, Primrata Dej-Udom
Votes: 31,924 | Gross: $0.10M
31. Kiss of the Dragon (2001)
R | 98 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
A betrayed intelligence officer enlists the aid of a prostitute to prove his innocence from a deadly conspiracy while returning a favor to her.
Director: Chris Nahon | Stars: Jet Li, Bridget Fonda, Tchéky Karyo, Ric Young
Votes: 66,638 | Gross: $36.85M
32. Once Upon a Time in China (1991)
R | 134 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Legendary martial arts hero Wong Fei-Hung fights against foreign forces' plundering of China. When Aunt Yee arrives back from America, Wong Fei-Hung assumes the role of her protector.
Director: Hark Tsui | Stars: Jet Li, Rosamund Kwan, Biao Yuen, Jacky Cheung
Votes: 19,904
33. Once Upon a Time in China II (1992)
R | 113 min | Action, Adventure, Biography
Arriving 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.
Director: Hark Tsui | Stars: Jet Li, Rosamund Kwan, Siu Chung Mok, David Chiang
Votes: 10,638
34. Fist of Fury (1972)
R | 107 min | Action, Drama, Romance
A young man seeks vengence for the death of his teacher.
Director: Wei Lo | Stars: Bruce Lee, Nora Miao, James Tien, Maria Yi
Votes: 33,910 | Gross: $1.29M
35. Enter the Dragon (1973)
R | 102 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
A Shaolin martial artist travels to an island fortress to spy on an opium lord - who is also a former monk from his temple - under the guise of attending a fighting tournament.
Director: Robert Clouse | Stars: Bruce Lee, John Saxon, Jim Kelly, Ahna Capri
Votes: 113,050 | Gross: $25.00M
36. Seven Swords (2005)
Not Rated | 153 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Seven warriors come together to protect a village from a diabolical General.
Director: Hark Tsui | Stars: Leon Lai, Donnie Yen, Charlie Yeung, Honglei Sun
Votes: 9,919
37. Shogun Assassin (1980)
R | 85 min | Action, Adventure
When the wife of the Shogun's Decapitator is murdered and he is ordered to commit suicide by the paranoid Shogun, he and his four-year-old son escape and become assassins for hire, embarking on a journey of blood and violent death.
Directors: Robert Houston, Kenji Misumi | Stars: Tomisaburô Wakayama, Kayo Matsuo, Minoru Ôki, Shôgen Nitta
Votes: 11,255
38. Shadowless Sword (2005)
R | 117 min | Action, Adventure, History
So-ha, a deadly female warrior, is sent to find a exiled prince after the Killer Blade Army killed the royal family.
Director: Young-jun Kim | Stars: Shin Hyeon-jun, Yoon So-yi, Lee Seo-jin, Ki-yong Lee
Votes: 2,969
39. Cradle 2 the Grave (2003)
R | 101 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A jewel thief's daughter is kidnapped after he steals a collection of prized black diamonds, which aren't at all what they seem.
Director: Andrzej Bartkowiak | Stars: Jet Li, DMX, Mark Dacascos, Anthony Anderson
Votes: 46,778 | Gross: $34.71M
40. Ten Tigers of Kwangtung (1980)
R | 91 min | Action, Drama
The movie involves two stories concerning the original Ten Tigers and their future disciples.
Director: Cheh Chang | Stars: Lung Ti, Sheng Fu, Phillip Chung-Fung Kwok, Sheng Chiang
Votes: 617
41. First Strike (1996)
PG-13 | 107 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
This fourth installment of Chan's Police Story film franchise has our hero trying to locate a missing nuclear warhead.
Director: Stanley Tong | Stars: Jackie Chan, Jackson Lou, Annie Wu, Bill Tung
Votes: 22,530 | Gross: $15.32M
42. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
PG-13 | 120 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A young Chinese warrior steals a sword from a famed swordsman and then escapes into a world of romantic adventure with a mysterious man in the frontier of the nation.
Director: Ang Lee | Stars: Chow Yun-Fat, Michelle Yeoh, Ziyi Zhang, Chang Chen
Votes: 281,728 | Gross: $128.08M
43. House of Flying Daggers (2004)
PG-13 | 119 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A romantic police captain breaks a beautiful member of a rebel group out of prison to help her rejoin her fellows, but things are not what they seem.
Director: Yimou Zhang | Stars: Ziyi Zhang, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Andy Lau, Dandan Song
Votes: 116,291 | Gross: $11.05M
44. Hero (2002)
PG-13 | 120 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A defense officer, Nameless, was summoned by the King of Qin regarding his success of terminating three warriors.
Director: Yimou Zhang | Stars: Jet Li, Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Maggie Cheung, Ziyi Zhang
Votes: 187,715 | Gross: $53.71M
45. Zu Warriors (2001)
PG-13 | 104 min | Action, Fantasy
Between the heaven and the Earth exist the Zu's mountain range, where live the immortals of Omei, the highest mountain of Zu, but the kingdom is in danger by Amnesia, a renegade immortal ... See full summary »
Director: Hark Tsui | Stars: Ekin Cheng, Louis Koo, Ziyi Zhang, Cecilia Cheung
Votes: 3,685
46. Bloodsport (1988)
R | 92 min | Action, Biography, Drama
"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.
Director: Newt Arnold | Stars: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Donald Gibb, Leah Ayres, Norman Burton
Votes: 94,084 | Gross: $11.81M
47. The Last Dragon (1985)
PG-13 | 109 min | Action, Comedy, Drama
In New York City, a young man searches for a Master to obtain the final level of martial arts mastery known as the Glow.
Director: Michael Schultz | Stars: Taimak, Vanity, Christopher Murney, Julius Carry
Votes: 17,499 | Gross: $25.75M
48. Pray for Death (1985)
R | 98 min | Action, Crime, Drama
After a peace-loving Japanese immigrant and his family become victims of a crime syndicate, a master ninja emerges.
Director: Gordon Hessler | Stars: Shô Kosugi, James Booth, Donna Kei Benz, Norman Burton
Votes: 2,199
49. Five Elements Ninjas (1982)
R | 107 min | Action, Drama
A Chinese martial arts school is infiltrated and destroyed by ninjas. Tian Hao survives the massacre and seeks to uncover the trickery of ninjutsu in order to beat the Five Element Ninjas and avenge his family.
Director: Cheh Chang | Stars: Tien-Chi Cheng, Tien-Hsiang Lung, Meng Lo, Michael Wai-Man Chan
Votes: 3,186
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