Discover the best martial arts movies that will leave you in awe with jaw-dropping fight scenes and powerful performances from legendary actors.Bruce Lee was the first to bring martial arts films to the world level, and over time they found their niche and admirers and fans. We made a selection of films that were highly appreciated by both critics and viewers.
Best Martial Arts Movies You Must Watch.
What we will talk about:
- Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Taiwan, Hong Kong, USA, China, 2000
- “House of Flying Daggers”, China, Hong Kong, 2004
- “The Raid”, Indonesia, France, USA, 2011
- “Ong Bak”, Thailand, France, Hong Kong, 2003
- “Ip Man”, Hong Kong, China, 2008
- “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”, USA, 2021
- “Drunken Master”, Hong Kong, 1978
- “Hero”, China, Hong Kong, 2002
- “The Great Master”, China, Hong Kong, 2013
- “Kill Bill”, USA, Japan, 2003
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Taiwan, Hong Kong, USA, China, 2000
Genre: Action
Director: Ang Lee
Main actors: Chow Yun-fat, Michelle Yeoh, Zhang Ziyi
Age restrictions: 12+
One of the best martial arts films turned the usual idea of kung fu adaptations upside down. Director Ang Lee’s production not only received a warm reception from critics, but also collected more than $200 million at the box office with a budget of $17 million. The film was nominated for 10 Oscars and won in four categories, including Best Foreign Language Film.
According to the plot of the film, Li Mubai goes in search of a magical sword that was stolen. But other contenders are also hunting for the relic.
For the role of martial arts master Li Mubai, actor Chow Yun-Fat initially flatly refused to shave his head. Then the director showed him a version with special effects – a bald spot superimposed on the frame. The actor did not appreciate this visual and agreed to shave. By the way, Yun-Fat and Michelle Yeoh (she played Yu Shulen, Mubai’s lover) had martial arts skills, they made a career for themselves in action films. But the young star Zhang Ziyi went through a whole training course, her dancing experience helped her.
Ang Lee insisted that the actors perform all their own stunts, and that special effects were used only to remove the safety cables from the frame.
A sequel, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny, was released in 2016, with Michelle Yeoh returning to her role. But the film did not achieve the same success.
“House of Flying Daggers”, China, Hong Kong, 2004
Genre: action, fantasy
Director: Zhang Yimou
Main actors: Takeshi Kaneshiro, Andy Lau, Zhang Ziyi
Age restrictions: 18+
A beautiful love story set against the backdrop of two rivals fighting for the heart of a beautiful girl, it became a box office success. With a budget of $12 million, the film grossed about $100 million. Despite her lack of martial arts skills, Zhang Ziyi became a star of martial arts films after this film.
A secret agent of the imperial police falls in love with its heroine, the blind daughter of the leader of the rebel movement. He must, having inspired the girl’s trust, join the ranks of the rebels and hand them over to his leadership. But the agent himself falls into a trap.
By the way, in order to get into the role of a blind person, Zhang lived with a blind girl for two months, studying how she navigates space.
During the filming of the final scene, a heavy snowfall began. The director did not wait for the snow to melt, but used the change in weather in the film – the battle of the two rivals began in the fall and lasted until winter.
The Raid”, Indonesia, France, USA, 2011
Genre: Action
Director: Gareth Evans
Main actors: Iko Uwais, Joe Taslim, Donny Alamsyah
Age restrictions: 18+
A special forces unit is sent to carry out a mission – to infiltrate a multi-story building located in the most dangerous area of Jakarta. Their target is a drug lord holed up on the top floor. However, the fighters have to go through all 15 floors, on each of which thugs are waiting for them.
This film by Gareth Evans (who also wrote and produced it) is rightfully considered one of the coolest action films of recent times. It opened the way to Hollywood for actors Iko Uwais and Joe Taslim. Iko has been practicing pencak silat (the national martial art of the Malay Archipelago) since he was 10 years old, and he has many victories in world tournaments. Uwais also starred in the Hollywood blockbusters The Expendables 4, 22 Bullets, and Skyline 2. Joe Taslim has mastered wushu, judo, and taekwondo; the actor won a gold medal at the 1999 Southeast Asian Judo Championship. Taslim made his mark in Hollywood with his roles as Sub-Zero in Mortal Kombat 2021 and played one of the characters in Fast and Furious 6.
After the success of the first film, Gareth Evans made the second part. There is also a film called “Bullet in the Head”, which is mistakenly considered the third part. Iko Uwais also stars in it, but it is a completely different story.
“Ong Bak”, Thailand, France, Hong Kong, 2003
Genre: Action
Director: Prachya Pinkaju
Starring: Tony Jaa, Petchtai Wongkamlau, Poomwari Yodkamol
Age restrictions: 18+
The film is unique in that the lead actor Tony Jaa (real name of Thai actor Panom Yiram) performed absolutely all the stunts, incredible jumps and acrobatic pirouettes himself and without any mechanical supports, cables or structures. And, naturally, without special effects!
Tony developed his extraordinary jumping ability since childhood and chose a very unusual way to do it. His family kept a herd of elephants, and little Tony’s entertainment was jumping on the backs of his two favorite pets – baby elephants. The animals grew, and so did Tony’s jumps. Over time, the future star began to practice Muay Thai, and at 15 he was already a student of the famous Thai stuntman Panna Rittikrai. A couple of years later, Tony began an independent career as a stuntman. For example, he was a stunt double for actor Robin Shou in the film “Mortal Kombat 2: Annihilation”.
Tony’s success was noticed by director Prachya Pinkayu, who invited the stuntman to play the lead role in the film “Ong Bak”. According to the plot, a sacred object – the head of a Buddha statue named Ong Bak – disappears in a small village. Only Ting, a strong and brave warrior, can return it.
In 2008, a sequel, Ong Bak 2: Unbeatable, was released, and in 2010, the third part. Now Tony Jaa is a sought-after actor and stuntman in Hollywood, he starred in Furious 7 and The Expendables 4.
“Ip Man”, Hong Kong, China, 2008
Genre: Action
Director: Wilson Yip
Starring: Donnie Yen, Simon Yam, Lynn Hung
Age restrictions: 18+
A semi-biographical film about the great master of Chinese martial arts, a representative of the Wing Chun style, who was the teacher of Bruce Lee himself.
Despite the fact that the scriptwriters were advised by Ip Man’s son and he also helped stage the fight scenes, the creators admit that the master’s name is shrouded in so many legends that it is difficult to say where the truth is and where the myth is.
The main role was played by martial arts star Donnie Yen. But even intense training did not protect the actor from injuries – he received a glancing blow from an axe and injured his shoulder during filming. By the way, Yen was trained by Ip Man’s eldest son – Ip Chun.
The film has several sequels: the second part was released in 2010, the third in 2016, and the fourth in 2019.
“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”, USA, 2021
Genre: action, fantasy
Director: Destin Daniel Cretton
Starring: Simu Liu, Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Awkwafina
Age restrictions: 18+
The first film in the Marvel universe about oriental martial arts became a real box office breakthrough. With a budget of $150 million, it collected almost $450 million at the box office.
Warrior Xu Wenwu has owned a magical artifact for a thousand years – 10 rings that make him immortal and invulnerable. But one day, the cruel warrior falls in love with a beautiful girl from a magical village and leaves his criminal past for the sake of his family.
Years later, his children – son Shang-Chi and daughter Xu, who ran away from their parents’ home, live separately and hide their fighting abilities. But they will have to reunite, as the main characters face a confrontation with their own father, who, driven by revenge for the death of his wife, wants to wipe her home off the face of the earth along with its inhabitants.
The lead actor, Simu Liu, has been studying Korean and Chinese martial arts since childhood, but for filming he also mastered tai chi, wushu, muay thai, krav maga, and jiu jitsu.
“Drunken Master”, Hong Kong, 1978
Genre: Action
Director: Yuen Wu-Ping
Starring: Jackie Chan, Yuan Xiaotian, Hwang Jan-Lee
Age restrictions: 12+
Jackie Chan’s character Huang Fei-hung is a real-life martial artist, healer, and revolutionary. The character appears in many films, but the Drunken Master series is the most successful and striking adaptation.
According to the plot of the film, the future hero of China is a hooligan and a boorish idiot. His father sends his wayward son to be re-educated by his uncle, a famous kung fu master and… a drunkard. Feihong will have to go through very difficult, almost mocking tests to master the style of the “drunken master”.
Jackie, to get the visual effect of a drunk face, stood upside down for half an hour. The blood rushed, and the face became crimson. During the filming of the movie, Chan received one of the first serious injuries in his career and almost lost an eye. He had to put in stitches.
There have been a number of films and imitations of Drunken Master, but Jackie Chan has only starred in two.
“Hero”, China, Hong Kong, 2002
Genre: Action
Director: Zhang Yimou
Starring: Jet Li, Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Maggie Cheung
Age restrictions: 12+
The spectacular historical action movie tells about the times when China was split into small principalities, the entire Chinese land was engulfed in bloody civil strife. But a leader appeared who wants to conquer all neighboring lands and become a great Emperor. A hunt is declared for the future ruler, and three mercenaries are sent to him as assassins – Broken Sword, Flying Snow and Sky. They are opposed by one hero – Nameless.
By the way, the historical drama was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
“The Great Master”, China, Hong Kong, 2013
Genre: Action
Director: Wong Kar-Wai
Starring: Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Zhang Ziyi, Chang Chen
Age restrictions: 12+
Another film about master Ip Man. This time, the founder of the school wants to retire and pass on his life’s work to a worthy successor. But Ip Man’s best student is obsessed with the idea of uniting all martial arts schools into one. He challenges the leaders of all the clans. Everyone is defeated, and only one school remains, for which the daughter of the deceased teacher, secretly in love with her rival, is ready to fight.
“Kill Bill”, USA, Japan, 2003
Genre: Action
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Starring: Uma Thurman, Lucy Liu, Vivica A. Fox
Age restrictions: 18+
There are probably no Tarantino films that have not received cult status. However, the Kill Bill duology stands apart and amazes with its unusualness, spectacularity and sweeping bloodthirstiness. Quentin initially saw only Uma Thurman in the role of the Bride of Beatrix Kiddo, nicknamed Black Mamba. And he waited a whole year because of the actress’s pregnancy.
The director made Robert Rodriguez (who acted as the cameraman in the film) watch dozens of old martial arts films. He also forbade the use of computer graphics and special effects. Only fake blood in huge quantities, professional fighters and stuntmen.
The film contains many references to Bruce Lee. For example, the Bride’s yellow suit is from the film “Game of Death”, and the “Mad 88” squad wears Kato masks from the 1966 TV series “The Green Hornet”.
In 2019, Tarantino expressed his desire to make a third part of Kill Bill. But it is unknown whether Uma Thurman will agree to return to the role, because the previous preparation exhausted her. “Three styles of kung fu, two styles of sword fighting, knife throwing, knife fighting, hand-to-hand combat, Japanese. It was literally absurd,” the actress complained at the time.