Martial Arts: The Top 250 Greatest Martial Arts Movies of All-Time

The film that gained Bruce Lee World Wide Fame. He oozed charisma and stole every scene he was featured in.

NO list is complete without this, this film is truly a landmark in Cinema, and at one point i personally considered the greatest kung fu movie ever.

In 2004, Enter the Dragon was deemed "culturally significant" and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.

Its also worth noting all Three of the famous "Dragon Brothers" make appearances, Jackie Chan as Han's henchman in the cave, Biao Yuen as a Tournament Fighter, & Sammo Hung as the Shaolin fighter Bruce sparred with at the very beginning of the movie.

Their appearances are highlighted in this clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Z6z1b-q9u8

TRIVIA:
In their one scene together, Lee actually struck Jackie Chan in the face with one of the fighting sticks he used. He immediately apologized and insisted that Chan would work on all of his movies after that, but he died before he could keep the promise.

Drunken Master II - "Old Wine in a New Bottle."

Rarely does a sequel ever surpass its predecessor. This is one of those rare cases. It's got everything the original had, and more. Anita Mui stands out for her hilarious performance as Wong Fei Hung's Mother, and the fight and action scenes are phenomenal, some of the BEST in the genre for sure. Ive seen this film dozens of times and i just never get tired of it. Its just that good. Keep in mind there are no Stuntmen, Wires, or CGI, everything Jackie does here and in most of his films are REAL. That's what makes him the BEST.

Jackie Chan was named the successor to Bruce, and its not because he copied his style, make no mistake, before the 1st Drunken Master he had his share of failed Bruce Lee Clone Projects, and it wasnt until he smartened up and did things HIS way did his career truly take off, everyone knows, there will never be another Bruce Lee, and as Jackie said himself, "I dont want to be the next Bruce Lee, i want to be the first Jackie Chan."

Based on the true story of real life martial arts master Yip Man. (the man who trained & taught Bruce Lee Wing Chun.)

So you think the Hulk is fierce when hes angry? Wait till you see Ip Man's reaction after witnessing a Japanese school of martial artists kill off one of his friends. His fists become the equivalent of an rapid fire machine gun.

Donnie Yen FINALLY cements his place as one of the "greats" of the martial arts cinema world alongside Bruce, Jackie, Jet & Sammo among others. This is Easily Donnie Yen's BEST. The One he'll be remembered for...

An interesting bit of Trivia is that, although Donnie has been around since the 80's, 90s, and 00's, occasionally taking part in gems such as Hero & Iron monkey, it wasnt until this film did he achieve massive mainstream acceptance. In other words while his peers Jackie, Jet, & Sammo all peaked during their 20's, it wasnt until Donnie reached his late 30's did he reach his "peak" career wise with Ip Man. Some one even argue he only got better with age, which is a rare case in cinema period. This was the role he was born to play, and is currently continuing his winning streak by releasing some of the best martial arts movies today. After 3 decades in the business, and with Jackie & Jet releasing fewer and fewer action movies, he has finally earned the title as the top martial arts star in the world. A title first given to Bruce Lee, then to Jackie & Jet, And now on to Donnie.

Based on the true story of real life martial arts master Huo Yuanjia.

This film is ranked at the # 2 spot after viewing the DIRECTORS CUT. The theatrical version was fine for casual movie goers and if i rank that version of the film on here it'd be at # 5, but if you fancy yourself a "martial arts movie fan" or a fan of GOOD CINEMA in general, pick up the DIRECTORS CUT, the one that opens and ends with a special cameo by Michelle Yeoh, features a deleted fight scene with a Muay Thai Boxer, and additional footage to help flesh out the story more and develop the characters. The Directors Cut in my honest opinion is Jet Li's Masterpiece. In it he expresses in-detail what he believes is the true meaning of "Wushu." It is a story about the journey on takes, Full of Tragedy, Self Growth, Perseverance, and Self Discovery. The Directors Cut is the only way to see this film, the story is alot more complete, the fights uncensored, uncut, and overall the film is that much more Beautiful in comparison to the butchered, dubbed, and dumbed down version released in theaters. I highly recommend you see the film the way Jet Li and the rest of the cast and crew originally intended it to be.

TRIVIA:
-Huo Yuan Jia, the founder of the Jin Wu School, was the deceased master that Chen Zhen, also played by Jet Li in Fist of Legend aswell as Bruce Lee in Fist of Fury, seeks to avenge.

-With Fearless, Jet Li has now been filmed as all of the "big three" amongst the historical martial artists in Qing Dynasty (1645-1911) China, whose exploits has been novelized and dramatized many times. They are 1) Fang Shiyu (c.1700s) in the Fong Sai Yuk series, 2) Huo Yuanjia (1868-1910) in Fearless, and 3) Huang Feihong (1847-1924) in the Wong Fei Hung series.

I know its cliche to have one of Bruce Lee's films at the top, but who can argue with his impact? Seriously. There were martial arts films before him sure, however he is the sole reason the genre exploded in the 70's, and well after his death to even today and for many more years to come, He broke down racial barriers and became the first Asian Superstar the world has ever known, His work ethic and workout regime was ahead of its time, he founded his own form of Martial Arts, and came up with the concept of mixing different aspect from different forms from all over the world to make the most affective use in any situation, basically to adapt to any fighting method, which went on to of course inspire the UFC & MMA in general and for that reason he is being hailed as the "Father of Mixed Martial Arts" and his impact on POPULAR culture is incredible, especially with just 4 completed Kung Fu films under his belt.... Bruce Lee is the KING of KUNG FU Cinema and is arguably the greatest Martial Artist of the 20th century. He is a Philosopher, a Teacher, A Director, A Writer, An Actor, A MARTIAL ARTIST, An Inspiration, A Family Man, and A Legend. Its safe to say he influenced & inspired EVERYONE on this list.

As for Fist of Fury taking the top spot, i can tell you right now, it was a bitch ranking these films, especially the Top 10, they are ALL Masterpieces, and are interchangeable really, it just so happens im in a "Fist of Fury mood" at the moment and any of Bruce's films can and should be at the top anyway, doesn't matter which one, they are ALL land marks in cinema history as far as im concerned. This film may not be as polished as many other films on this list, it had a lower budget too, and sure, it feels a bit dated by today's standards. But there is no arguing at Bruce Lee being a timeless icon. His charisma, influence and overall skill is still unmatched today. Bottom line is, there would be no Jackie Chans, Van Dammes, And/or Jet Lis without this man and his contribution to the Martial Arts World & Cinema.

TRIVIA:
-A Young Jackie Chan appears as an Extra.

-Jet Li Remade the film as "Fist of Legend." He then went on to film a "Prequel" in the form of "Fearless."

-Donnie Yen Also Remade it for TV as "Fist Of Fury: Sworn Revenge." He went on to film a Sequel entitled "Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zen."

INTENSE. That's the word that best describes the fight scenes in this Jet Li classic. FYI this is a REMAKE of Bruce Lee's "Fist of Fury." & the unofficial sequel to "Fearless."

Inspired by the "Early Years" of Legendary Martial Arts Figure and Grandmaster Wong Fei Hung.

This (along with Snake in Eagle's Shadow) are the two turning points in Jackie's Rich & Long History in 'the business.' He started off as a Stuntman and an extra appearing in blink and miss scenes in films that starred Bruce Lee & Sammo Hung. After Bruce's death he was just another face in the countless ocean of Bruce Lee clones, imitators who had no real future.

It wasnt until Jackie got a hold of his career and was given artistic freedom did he break free from all the other clones to set his own path to glory by his own style and terms.

This is a true classic and anyone and everyone whos even a little bit interested in the genre should grab a copy. Its got lots of the signature Jackie Humor, acrobatics, and choreography we all have come to love and expect from any and all of Jackie's Action pictures.

"Jackie Chan, Jet Li and Bruce Lee are my masters; they're the inspiration for my work. Bruce Lee was a heavy fighter who threw hard punches. Jackie moves very fast and uses a lot of comedy, and Jet Li is very fluid. I've tried to combine all of their styles and added some things of my own." - Tony Jaa

He learned from the best, and has now created one of the Best Martial Arts/Action movies of the decade.... Jaa is fantastic in this film. When i first saw it i truly didnt expect it to be as good as it was, the next Bruce Lee & Jackie Chan? NO! the one and only Tony Jaa!

Stephan Chow's Comedic Martial Arts Masterpiece. See. it. now.

TRIVIA:

-Bruce Lee Tribute: When the Landlady is seated between the Boss and his assistant, she faces the boss, and mimics the gestures Bruce Lee used while also facing a crime boss in Way of the Dragon. She wags her finger at him, then closes both fists, then just the right (while knuckles cracking can be heard), she jerks her head up, and the boss nods he understands, then she thumbs her nose, exactly like Bruce Lee in The Way of the Dragon. Chow tends to reference Bruce in ALL of his films.

-As of 2005, this film had the widest cinematic release in the USA of a foreign language film.

Bruce Lee's baby. He wrote, directed, & starred in this. Not to mention the Roman Colosseum fight scene alone almost made the world explode with its pure badassness. Bruce Lee VS Chuck Norris!

Biao Yuen, Sammo Hung Delivers once again.

"Martial Arts Purists" will have you believe this is the greatest wing chun film ever made. Now while im obviously a huge kung fu fan, aswell as being an admirer of Biao Yuens work, disagree, sure its pretty damn good, but ive always thought Sammo's Warriors Two was the best, right up until i saw Donnie Yen's Ip Man films.

I dont even think its Biao's best work, his best IMO is Knockabout.

From the Director of "Ong Bak:Muay Thai Warrior" comes the new Martial Arts Sensation from Thailand, Ms. Jeeja (or Jija) Yanin!

Jeeja Yanin, has been described as "the Female Tony Jaa" and i can honestly say its fitting. Like Jaa, she does ALL of her own stunts and fighting, Like Jaa, her films uses little to NO cgi effects and wires, and like Jaa, Jeeja's debut film, 'Chocolate' is mindblowingly good, especially for long time fans of hardcore wireless Martial Arts action. Not to mention theyre both from Thailand and work with the same directors. Thailand is quickly becoming the "new Hong Kong" in terms of the quality of above average martial arts spectaculars coming out in recent years, its very reminiscent to Jackie Chan & Michelle Yeoh back in their prime. And like Jackie & Michelle who joined forces in "Supercop," Tony & Jeeja WILL BE teaming up for the sequel to Tony Jaa's The Protector, The Protector 2... Lets just hope their chemistry is as good as Jackie & Michelle's in that film, because we all know they both have the skills and ability to blow us away with their crazy stunts, action, and fight choreography.

Bottom line, If you love martial arts films, Do NOT miss this, i can honestly say as a long time fan of the genre this is going to be a classic, and i look forward to seeing more of this upcoming star in the near future.

PS the final 30 minutes of the film is non stop action, one of the greatest climaxes of the decade IMO. Like stated earlier, very reminiscent to early Jackie Chan... Stunt wise.

TRIVIA:
The film originally included Zen watching scenes from Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan movies (in addition to Tony Jaa), but these scenes were eventually cut due to licensing problems. These licensing problems also caused other scenes to be removed from the original movie. The ice factory scene was originally shot as a split screen of Zen imitating the exact same moves she had seen Bruce Lee do in a fight scene from the movie Tang shan da xiong (1971). It showed a clip of Bruce Lee doing his fight moves at the same time as Zen was mimicking Bruce Lee's moves. The warehouse scene was shot in a similar fashion, but this time it showed a split screen of Zen imitating Jackie Chan, wherein she would do her interpretation of a Jackie Chan fight routine. Eventually not only were the split screen scenes removed, but any scenes that involved Zen performing moves that too closely resembled fight sequences from Bruce Lee or Jackie Chan movies were all cut as well. The original full version that included these scenes has not been released anywhere in Thailand.

The Shaolin training sequences are unforgettable. This is essential viewing for all martial arts movie fans.

The film was based on the true story of Cheng Chiu-on who fought the tyrants in Thailand. Cheng lived at the end of the 1800s and beginning of the 20th century. A memorial statue of him was erected in a garden in the Bangkok more than 80 years ago.

I dont give a damn what its listed as, this films title is THE BIG BOSS. Calling it FistS of Fury, never made sense to me, all it did was cause confusion with Bruce's follow-up to this Fist of Fury. Same goes for the renaming of Way of the Dragon to The Return of the Dragon in a low attempt at cashing in on Enter the The Dragon. KEEP THEIR ORIGINAL TITLES DAMMIT.

This is Bruce Lee's 1st movie as an adult (he was a child actor some time during his youth). AND the most bloody. It broke box office records in its first release and reintroduced the world to its first Asian Superstar aswell as its first Martial Arts Cinema Icon.

A Vampire/Kung fu movie starring Sammo Hung?! sounds stupid, and it is just that. But guess what? its also extremely entertaining and loads of fun.

Jackie Chan. Sammo Hung. Biao Yuen. - The Gangs all here.

Watching this film made me realize something, that the "dragon brothers" are so much like the Three Stooges in terms of physical comedy. They are their equal in hilariousness. They make me laugh like no other when the three of them are all together.

Like ALL Yimou Zhang films, this is a work of ART. the Cinematography is just masterful.

TRIVIA:
-Jackie Chan was offered the role of the King but turned it down.

-Jet Li reportedly insisted that the role of Sky, which had been tentatively filled by a different actor, be given to Donnie Yen. Li and Yen had not worked together on a movie since Wong Fei Hung II: Nam yi dong ji keung (1992).

-Is the first foreign language film to open at #1 at the US box office.

"Chained by Violence. Freed by Music."

This is by far Jet Li's finest acting performance. The only film in his career that demands more range as a "serious actor" than anything hes starred in before or since... And he pulls it off quite well. The Martial Arts arent bad either, Woo Ping And Jet collaborates once again to choreograph some of the most vicious and exciting fight sequences produced.

The supporting cast is all star aswell and hits the ball out of the park. Bob Hoskins, Morgan Freeman, & Kerry Condon were all gave great performances.

Another Yimou Zhang film. Beautiful.

TRIVIA:
-The literal English translation of the Chinese title is "Ambushed From Ten Directions".

-Yimou Zhang conceived the story in the late 1990s as a companion to Ying xiong (2002) (aka Hero).

Jackie Chan & Michelle Yeoh make for an exciting pair here. Supercop, the 3rd film in the "Police Story" series if my favorite entry so far. Great characters, funny situations, and as always superb action.

What makes it stad out from Jackie's other films is atleast for me, his costar, Michelle Yeoh, who is the first and only one of his leading ladies to perform all her own stunts. That and their great chemistry together! its a shame they havent worked on more films outside of this and the spinoff. I loved watching them work off each other. Great stuff.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was a movie sensation, topping $100 million at the U.S. box office, the first foreign-language film to cross that mark. It elevated the Martial Arts epic to serious cinema, catapulting the genre into mainstream Western audiences.

How many martial arts films can you say have won multiple Oscars & Academy awards? Not very much...This however did just that. This is Ang Lee's Masterpiece. A modern-day 'wuxia' classic. Probably the most well known Wuxia Film ever.

Do not confuse this with the crappy video game adaptation featuring Van Damme. This one grabs you in the nuts and ripps your balls off. Plus Sonny Chiba makes some of the funniest faces and battle cries since the legendary Bruce Lee. A personal favorite.

TRIVIA:
-The blind assassin wielding a cane sword appears to be an obvious reference to the Zatoichi blind swordsman films starring Shintarô Katsu.

-First film to ever get an X rating for violence.

INCREDIBLE Stunt and fight sequences. Stuff you'd expect from the masterful Jackie Chan. Sammo Hung And Biao Yuen stars as well, so you know youre gonna get some quality physical humor as well as brilliant stunts and action scenes.

I personally consider Both "Volumes" one long 4 hour Martial-Arts-Spaghetti-Western-Revenge EPIC.

Quentin Tarantino Pays "homage" to Asian Cinema.

This one showcased the 1 inch punch, made famous by Bruce Lee, and the AWESOME Gordon Liu, of 36 Chambers fame as the BEST character in the entire film. PAI MEI.

TRIVIA:
-In order to achieve the specific look of Chinese "wuxia" (martial arts) film of the 1970s, Quentin Tarantino gave director of photography, Robert Richardson, an extensive list of genre films as a crash-course in the visual style they used. The list included films by genre-pioneers Cheh Chang and the Shaw Brothers. Tarantino also forbade the use of digital effects and "professional" gags and squibs. As such, he insisted that bloody spurts be done in the fashion made popular by Chang Cheh: Chinese condoms full of fake blood that would splatter on impact.

-Part of the movie was shot at the legendary The Shaw Brothers Creative Group studio in Hong Kong. Quentin Tarantino has seen so many movies made at the studio that he felt it was important for him to work there.

-Quentin Tarantino had intended for three actors of different nationalities to represent their respective countries. Chia Hui Liu represents China, Sonny Chiba represents Japan, and David Carradine represents the United States. Tarantino said that had Bruce Lee still been alive he'd have been asked to appear in Kill Bill as well.

-The Character Pai Mei is based on Pak Mei, the originator of the "White Eyebrow" kung fu technique. According to legend, Pak Mei was one of the few masters left following the decimation of the Buddhist temples, and later sold out other masters to save himself and his team during an attack they had mounted that subsequently went wrong. For this reason, Pak Mei Kung Fu has always been known as the "forbidden technique," and Pak Mei himself has been a villainous figure in Chinese folklore and film for hundreds of years.

Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. This is Pure Wire Fu Greatness. Its kinda like a prequel to Jet Li's Once Upon a Time in China Series. A young Wong Fei Hung is featured here before he went on and became an legendary figure in martial arts history.

This could also be described as The Chinese Robin Hood.