The Top 250 Greatest Martial Arts Movies of All-Time
"Everybody was Kung-Fu fighting, Those cats were fast as lightning, In fact it was a little bit frightening, But they did it with expert timing..."
In a genre that can be as horrendous as it is pure genius no one can deny that Martial Arts Action Cinema has influenced some of the finest directors of the past 30 years. This is the definitive list of the Top 250 Greatest Martial Arts Movies from The East, to West, And Back Again....
Movies that fall under my "Martial Arts" category and will be considered and included here are as follows: Hand to Hand Combat, (Kung Fu, Hapkido, Filipino Kali, Jeet Kune Do, Muay Thai, Karate, Pankration, MMA, Etc...) Samurai, Ninjas, and Anything to do with Weapon Use & Swordplay.
In a genre that can be as horrendous as it is pure genius no one can deny that Martial Arts Action Cinema has influenced some of the finest directors of the past 30 years. This is the definitive list of the Top 250 Greatest Martial Arts Movies from The East, to West, And Back Again....
Movies that fall under my "Martial Arts" category and will be considered and included here are as follows: Hand to Hand Combat, (Kung Fu, Hapkido, Filipino Kali, Jeet Kune Do, Muay Thai, Karate, Pankration, MMA, Etc...) Samurai, Ninjas, and Anything to do with Weapon Use & Swordplay.
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- 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.There is only 1 true Matrix Movie.
This is Arguably one of the Greatest Martial Arts flick the West has ever produced besides Kill Bill and Enter the Dragon.
And one of the major reasons why is, 2 of those 3 films were choreographed by Hong Kong legend Woo-ping Yuen. (While Enter the Dragon was choreographed by Bruce Lee.)
TRIVIA:
-In the combat training program before Keanu Reeves starts his furious attacks on Morpheus, he rubs his nose with his thumb and finger, a similar mannerism of Bruce Lee before he attacks on his opponents. The move was improvised by Reeves.
-When Tank is uploading the Martial Arts training to Neo, there is a shot of the computer screen as it scrolls through the various Martial Arts styles. The graphics have a computer image of a person and the title of the style below. The fifth one on the screen is entitled "Drunken Boxing". Woo-ping Yuen, the fight choreographer for this movie, was director and fight choreographer for Jackie Chan's early hit, Jui kuen (1978) in which Jackie Chan's character masters the style of Zui Chuan, or Drunken Boxing. Some of the other Martial Arts fighting styles being downloaded are Ju Jitsu, Savate, Kempo, Tae Kwon Do, and, of course, Kung Fu. - DirectorQuentin TarantinoStarsUma ThurmanLucy LiuVivica A. FoxThe Bride must kill her ex-boss and lover Bill who betrayed her at her wedding rehearsal, shot her in the head and took away her unborn daughter. But first, she must make the other four members of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad suffer.
- DirectorAkira KurosawaStarsToshirô MifuneTakashi ShimuraKeiko TsushimaFarmers from a village exploited by bandits hire a veteran samurai for protection, who gathers six other samurai to join him.One of the greatest Movies Ever Made by one of the Greatest Directors of All-Time.
Even your average film snobs who absolutely despise martial arts movies love this film, and for good reason, its a film that help shape what cinema is today. - CreatorJonathan TropperStarsAndrew KojiOlivia ChengJason TobinDuring the Tong Wars in the late 1800s, Ah Sahm, a martial arts prodigy from China, immigrates to San Francisco and becomes a hatchet man for the most powerful tong in Chinatown.Based on the writings of Bruce Lee this in my humble opinion is the most underrated show on television right now.
If you havent been watching, do it right now. - DirectorPark Chan-wookStarsChoi Min-sikYoo Ji-taeKang Hye-jeongAfter being kidnapped and imprisoned for fifteen years, Oh Dae-Su is released, only to find that he must track down his captor in five days.HONORABLE MENTION:
Honestly, this isnt a straight up Martial Arts film by definition of the word, its geared more towards the "Revenge genre", however, this is a damn good film, one of the best ive ever seen, and it makes this list because of 1 particular scene, THE HALLWAY SCENE. Its brilliant. It involves a hallway, a hammer, a bunch of goons, & a pissed off Choi Min Sik who spent the last 15 years of his life training while imprisoned. - DirectorMasaki KobayashiStarsToshirô MifuneYôko TsukasaGô KatôThe mother of a feudal lord's only heir is kidnapped away from her husband by the lord. The husband and his samurai father must decide whether to accept the unjust decision, or risk death to get her back.Samurai Rebellion is a well-acted, brilliantly directed film about standing up against injustice.
- CreatorTerry BullmanStarsJason ChambersBill DuffRandy CoutureThe ultimate search of a Human Weapon, each episode of Human Weapon charts an expedition through foreign continents, famous cities, exotic villages, back alleys and lush landscapes.HONORABLE MENTION:
Not a movie, its a TV show that explores the many different Martial Arts from all over the world, from Kung Fu, French Savate, Muay Thai, varies karate, along with much much more.
See it if youre really interested in this kinda stuff, - DirectorChristopher NolanStarsChristian BaleMichael CaineKen WatanabeAfter witnessing his parents' death, Bruce learns the art of fighting to confront injustice. When he returns to Gotham as Batman, he must stop a secret society that intends to destroy the city.I know what youre thinking. What the hell is this doing here?! Well its simple. Its here because It IS a martial arts movie, or at least i consider it as one. Batman doesnt have super powers, he has nothing but his knowledge of the martial arts and his fancy gadgets to depend on. Its got the mandatory training scene, the final battle, and plenty on "ninjitsu" to go around. At its core Batman Begins is the retelling of the Batman Mythos, his Training and eventual Mastering of the Martial Arts so he may put it to use against the criminals of Gotham City. Well that and its a pretty damn good movie!
Batman = A Ninja in a Cape with pointy ears.
dont miss its sequels, The Dark Knight (2008) & The Dark Knight Rises (2012) either! this series of films joins the rare and elite ranks of a solid trilogies along side such films as The (original) Star Wars & The Lord of the Rings Trilogies.
Hell ill also recommend Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice for Batfleck's warehouse fight scene alone, which is probably the most Batman thing ever put to film so far. In the comics he's a master of several martial art forms and im pumped to see how they handle his future solo efforts. - DirectorAkira KurosawaStarsToshirô MifuneEijirô TônoTatsuya NakadaiA crafty ronin comes to a town divided by two criminal gangs and decides to play them against each other to free the town.The awesomeness of this film apparently directly influenced Sergio Leone's A Fistful of Dollars.
- DirectorGavin O'ConnorStarsTom HardyNick NolteJoel EdgertonThe youngest son of an alcoholic former boxer returns home, where he's trained by his father for competition in a mixed martial arts tournament - a path that puts the fighter on a collision course with his estranged, older brother.A Modern Retelling of the Cain and Abel Story set in the octagon.
Some have dubbed it as "The Fighter, with kicking" and sure it's somewhat accurate lol, but I thought the Fighter was the better directed and acted picture, not to say this is bad, because clearly I wouldn't have included it on this list if it was, its good, mainly because Hardy is such a great young actor, but its not as good as the Fighter. - DirectorPaul GreengrassStarsMatt DamonEdgar RamírezJoan AllenJason Bourne dodges a ruthless C.I.A. official and his Agents from a new assassination program while searching for the origins of his life as a trained killer.The type of martial arts used by Jason Bourne is a combination of Filpino Kali along with Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do. Krav Maga is widely mistaken as being used in this film. It is not, as Matt Damon was trained by Kali/Jeet Kune Do expert Jeff Imada. The film's uncredited fight coordinators are Damon Caro and Jonathan Eusebio. Both are trained in Kali and Jeet Kune Do and neither are trained in the Krav Maga.
- DirectorWilson YipStarsDonnie YenSimon YamLouis 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.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. - DirectorAkira KurosawaStarsToshirô MifuneTatsuya NakadaiKeiju KobayashiA crafty samurai helps a young man and his fellow clansmen trying to save his uncle, who has been framed and imprisoned by a corrupt superintendent.Influential samurai movie by master Kurosawa.
- DirectorJohn LittleBruce LeeStarsBruce LeeKareem Abdul-JabbarPeter ArcherA documentary showing the life of Bruce Lee up-close.Features Bruce Lee's COMPLETED Game of Death Sequences FULL & UNCUT. NO *beep* stand ins, cardboard cut-outs and/or look a likes, this is the real deal.
Forget the abomination the studio glued together called the "Game of Death" and see this version instead, its the way Bruce intended G.O.D. to be... or the closest we will ever get to it really. - CreatorAlfred GoughMiles MillarStarsDaniel WuOrla BradyEmily BeechamA mighty warrior and a young boy with supernatural powers search for enlightenment in a ruthless post-apocalyptic America controlled by feudal barons.
- DirectorAng LeeStarsChow Yun-FatMichelle YeohZiyi ZhangA 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.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. - DirectorGareth EvansStarsIko UwaisYayan RuhianArifin PutraOnly a short time after the first raid, Rama goes undercover with the thugs of Jakarta and plans to bring down the syndicate and uncover the corruption within his police force.More than just a martial arts film, this movie is a crime epic in every definition of the word. With a pinch of Scorcese/Tarantino influence this movie takes place right after the first and almost feels like a completely different type of film while still keeping it in the same world. (Think how Nolan transitioned Batman Begins to The Dark Knight). While the first film was set in one location and was mostly non stop action from start to finish, this one is twice as long as the Raid Redemption and twice as epic. There are more characters introduced, more development and story driven, and dont worry, it has as much action as the first, maybe more, I will have to see it another hundred times to determine that.
Anyways, this is a sequel that joins the elite ranks of one of greatest action movies ever made IMO. Its even better than the original as hard as that is to believe. It takes all the bone smashing, jaw dropping fight scenes from its predecessor and builds on that.
Beautifully shot, acted, and scored there really isnt much to say other than holy *beep* that was a *beep* awesome thrill ride of a movie.
Highly recommended. ;) - DirectorYimou ZhangStarsJet LiTony Leung Chiu-waiMaggie CheungA defense officer, Nameless, was summoned by the King of Qin regarding his success of terminating three warriors.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. - DirectorKihachi OkamotoStarsTatsuya NakadaiMichiyo AratamaYûzô KayamaThrough his unconscionable actions against others, a sociopath samurai builds a trail of vendettas that follow him closely.
- DirectorDaniel KwanDaniel ScheinertStarsMichelle YeohStephanie HsuJamie Lee CurtisA middle-aged Chinese immigrant is swept up into an insane adventure in which she alone can save existence by exploring other universes and connecting with the lives she could have led.the absurdity and style of this film transcends the martial arts movie genre, it delves into sci fi, fantasy, and at its core is a dram, a story about a mother and daughter and the multiverse and its many possibilities. The martial arts action is choreographed by The Martial Club, a youtube channel of martial artists so the action sequences are top notch and imo Michelle Yeoh who is kung fu royalty at this point delivers one of the finest performances of her long illustrious career. Go see it NOW.
- DirectorYoshiaki KawajiriStarsKôichi YamaderaEmi ShinoharaTakeshi AonoA vagabond swordsman is aided by a kunoichi and a spy in battling a demonic clan of killers - led by a ghost from his past - who are bent on overthrowing the Tokugawa Shogunate.the animation is spectacular.
- DirectorShin'ichirô WatanabeTensai OkamuraHiroyuki OkiuraStarsBeau BillingsleaMelissa FahnNicholas GuestA terrorist explosion releases a deadly virus on the masses, and it's up to the bounty-hunting Bebop crew to catch the cold-blooded culprit.LOVED the tv series, the movie is awesome aswell, both features Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do. Spike, the movie and tv series's lead character is an obvious fan and practices Mr. Lee's Martial Arts during the fight scenes, he even quotes the Legend himself.
- DirectorPierre MorelStarsLiam NeesonMaggie GraceFamke JanssenA retired CIA agent travels across Europe and relies on his old skills to save his estranged daughter, who has been kidnapped while on a trip to Paris.The martial art style used by Liam Neeson is Nagasu Do. It's a hybrid martial art style that borrows from Judo, Aikido and Ju Jitsu.
- DirectorStephen ChowStarsStephen ChowWah YuenQiu YuenIn 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.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. - DirectorLee Jeong-beomStarsWon BinKim Sae-ronKim Tae-hoonA quiet pawnshop keeper with a violent past takes on a drug-and-organ trafficking ring in hope of saving the child who is his only friend.Tae-Sik Cha makes Jason Bourne look like an sissy-boy.