Think of the intense fighting, crushing strikes, and beautiful choreography in The Matrix or Mission Impossible: Fallout. We all enjoy a good fight scene. These and other Hollywood blockbusters’ fight scenes have roots in renowned martial arts movies from China, Thailand, Indonesia, and other countries. According to GQ, The Matrix specifically drew inspiration from Shaolin kung fu and Tai Chi, and the Wachowskis enlisted renowned Hong Kong choreographer Yuen Woo-ping to plan its fight scenes. This list honors the best kung fu, wuxia, muay thai, and other martial arts movies ever made. These movies astound us with their incredible stunt work and gripping depictions of hand-to-hand combat. Here is a list of the top martial arts films ever made.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, the most well-known martial arts film ever, took home the 73rd Academy Awards’ Best Foreign Language Film, Best Art Direction, Best Original Score, and Best Cinematography prizes. It contributed to the rise in popularity of East Asian cinema on a global scale. It was a lovely, romantic wuxia picture. A more inclusive effort than many of the other movies on this list, it is notable for focusing on three strong female protagonists. Start here if you’re new to martial arts movies.
Enter the Dragon (1973)
A martial arts retrospective would be lacking if Bruce Lee wasn’t given accolades. Lee, arguably the most well-known martial artist to ever exist, contributed to the Westernization of East Asian combat sports. One of his best films, Enter the Dragon, has a significant legacy. Even the setup is iconic: a martial arts expert working secretly must compete in a tournament to learn more about a drug lord. The best martial arts film of the 1970s was Enter the Dragon, which had intense battles and a cast of villains that rivaled James Bond’s.
Hero (2002)
Hero is most appropriately categorized as high art wuxia. As the movie is divided into five visually separate, color-coded sections using the colors black, white, red, green, and blue, its magnificent use of color is still unmatched. Jet Li, Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Maggie Cheung, and Donnie Yen are among the ensemble cast members that aid in bringing this grandiose depiction of historical China to life.
Ip Man (2008)
When Ip Man came out in 2008, Donnie Yen had already established himself as an actor and martial artist, but the film’s success made him a global fame. The movie, which is based on the real life of Wing Chun grandmaster Ip Man, depicts incidents from his life during the Sino-Japanese War. Man and his family live in squalor, famine, and persecution while under the control of Imperial Japan. Man is reluctant to use his martial art for violence, but he must battle to protect his community from oppression, even if it means engaging in simultaneous combat with ten other black belts.
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
The renowned fight choreographer Yuen Woo-ping was chosen by Quentin Tarantino to collaborate on his martial arts duology, Kill Bill, after the Wachowskis. The fight at the House of Blue Leaves, a Tokyo restaurant that serves as the setting for a big death match between our protagonist (the Bride) and 88 Japanese warriors, is the scenario that makes the first entry, Kill Bill: Vol. 1, deserving of its spot on this list. It has some of the best sword battle choreography in movie history and is brutally fantastic fun.
Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior (2003)
Tony Jaa, a Thai martial artist, rose to fame in the movie The Thai Warrior, according to Ong-Bak. The choreography of its muay thai fights hasn’t been topped in the ten years after its release. The force and heaviness of Jaa’s strikes can be felt through the screen, as his flying knees and slicing elbows serve as stand-alone set pieces. Watch this one for what Jaa does with his fists rather than expecting much of a story.
Police Story (1985)
The martial arts movie genre is virtually transcended in Jackie Chan’s Police Story. It has more in common with Hollywood’s numerous action movies thanks to its fast chases, massive explosions, gunplay, and parkour. But because it’s a Jackie Chan film, it also features some of the best hand-to-hand fight scenes ever captured on camera. Chan’s fight scene choreography is notable for the way it incorporates props and risk-taking stunt work. One of Chan’s best fights is his final one, which takes place in a Hong Kong shopping center.
The Legend of Drunken Master (1994)
The Legend of Drunken Master perhaps more than any other movie serves as a reminder of the artistic nature of martial arts. Even when Jackie Chan is downing booze to give him more vigor, his combat choreography is quite beautiful. Less stunt-heavy than some of Chan’s other films, this follow-up to the lesser-known Drunken Master has the ideal balance of action, comedy, and inebriated boxing beatdowns. It’s a superb example of everything great about martial arts movies.
The Protector (2005)
Don’t take Tony Jaa’s elephants is a valuable lesson that The Protector can impart to us all. A custodian of elephants has his cherished animals abducted by gangsters in a tale that will have you thinking John Wick meets Ong-Bak, and he must go on the attack to regain control of them. This is one you turn on for the fight sequences because Tony Jaa shows off his great muay thai talents.
The Raid: Redemption (2011)
The Raid: Redemption established the reputation of Indonesian martial arts movies. Iko Uwais, the film’s star, rose to fame after its 2011 release, not least because of his extraordinary physical strength and silat martial arts expertise. Martial arts enthusiasts consider his fights with the character referred to in the movie as “Mad Dog” to be legendary, and they helped The Raid receive a well-regarded sequel in 2014.
