MRQE Ranks: Cinema's Best Martial Arts Movies

1

Seven Samurai (1954)

Cast: Toshiro Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Yoshio Inaba, Seiji Miyaguchi, Minoru Chiaki

Director: Akira Kurosawa

Synopsis: Akira Kurosawa's epic tale concerns honor and duty during a time when the old traditional order is breaking down. The film opens with master samura... [MORE]

2

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)

Cast: Chow Yun-Fat, Michelle Yeoh, Zhang Ziyi, Chang Chen, Lung Sihung

Director: Ang Lee

Synopsis: Taiwanese filmmaker Ang Lee took a break from making Western period dramas to fashion this wild and woolly martial arts spectacular featuring speci... [MORE]

3

Akira (1988)

Cast: Mitsuo Iwara, Nozomu Sasaki, Mami Koyama, Taro Ishida

Director: Katsuhiro Otomo

Synopsis: One of the most influential examples of anime, Akira is based on the manga (comic book) by Katsuhiro Otomo. The story is set in the post-apocalypti... [MORE]

4

Hero (2002)

Cast: Jet Li, Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Maggie Cheung, Chen Daoming, Donnie Yen

Director: Zhang Yimou

Synopsis: Hero is two-time Academy Award nominee Zhang Yimou's directorial attempt at exploring the concept of a Chinese hero. During the peak of their Warri... [MORE]

5

Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)

Cast: Uma Thurman, David Carradine, Michael Madsen, Daryl Hannah, Gordon Liu

Director: Quentin Tarantino

Synopsis: Quentin Tarantino's sprawling homage to action films of both the East and the West reaches its conclusion in this continuation of 2003's ultra-viol... [MORE]

6

The Matrix (1999)

Cast: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, Hugo Weaving

Director: Larry Wachowski, Andy Wachowski

Synopsis: What if virtual reality wasn't just for fun, but was being used to imprison you? That's the dilemma that faces mild-mannered computer jockey Thomas... [MORE]

7

Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)

Cast: Uma Thurman, David Carradine, Daryl Hannah, Michael Madsen, Vivica A. Fox

Director: Quentin Tarantino

8

Kung Fu Hustle (2004)

Cast: David Carradine, Barry Sullivan, Keye Luke, Albert Salmi, Benson Fong

Director: Jerry Thorpe

9

Fist of Legend (1994)

Cast: Jet Li, Chin Siu-hou, Yasuaki Kurata, Ada Choi, Billy Chow

Director: Gordon Chan

Synopsis: Jet Li stars in this historical Hong Kong action film, as Chen Zhen, a Chinese student in Japan in the 1920s. When his master is killed during the ... [MORE]

10

Enter the Dragon (1973)

Cast: Bruce Lee, John Saxon, Jim Kelly, Shih Kien, Bob Wall

Director: Robert Clouse

Synopsis: One of the most popular kung fu films ever, and perhaps the peak of the famed Bruce Lee's career, Enter the Dragon achieved success by presenting a... [MORE]

11

Once Upon a Time in China (1991)

Cast: Jet Li, Biao Yuen, Rosamund Kwan, Jacky Cheung, Steve Tartalia

Director: Tsui Hark

Synopsis: Though generally unknown to Western audiences, Tsui Hark is considered a giant among Asian filmmakers and this exceptional epic, combining hard-hit... [MORE]

12

Kung Fu Panda (2008)

Director: John Stevenson, Mark Osborne

Synopsis: A clumsy panda bear becomes an unlikely kung fu hero when a treacherous enemy spreads chaos throughout the countryside in this animated martial art... [MORE]

13

Ong-bak (2003)

Cast: Tony Jaa, Petchthai Wongkamlao, Pumwaree Yodkamol, Rungrawee Borrijindakul, Chetwut Wacharakun

Director: Prachya Pinkaew

14

The Legend of Drunken Master (1994)

Cast: Jackie Chan, Cheung Chi-Kwong, Ho Wing-Fong, Mark Houghton, Chin Kar Lok

Director: Lau Kar-Leung

Synopsis: Jackie Chan returns in one of his greatest roles in this action-comedy sequel to his 1978 Hong Kong blockbuster Drunken Master. Wong Fei Hong (Chan... [MORE]

15

The Crow (1994)

Cast: Brandon Lee, Ernie Hudson, Michael Wincott, David Patrick Kelly, Angel David

Director: Alex Proyas

Synopsis: Based on the graphic novel by James O'Barr, this fantasy follows Eric Draven (Brandon Lee), a rock musician who is murdered along with his fiancée,... [MORE]

16

The Karate Kid (1984)

Cast: Ralph Macchio, Noriyuki "Pat" Morita, Elisabeth Shue, Martin Kove

Director: John Avildsen

Synopsis: Newly arrived in California from New Jersey, teenager Daniel (Ralph Macchio) almost immediately runs afoul of karate-trained high school bullies. H... [MORE]

17

Banlieue 13 (2004)

Cast: Cyril Raffaelli, David Belle, Tony D'Amario, Bibi Naceri, Dany Verissimo

Director: Pierre Morel

Synopsis: A nuclear weapon has been stolen by the most powerful gang in Paris' treacherous, walled-in ghetto, and it's up to a determined cop and a vigilante... [MORE]

18

Big Trouble in Little China (1986)

Cast: Kurt Russell, Kim Cattrall, Dennis Dun, James Hong, Victor Wong

Director: John Carpenter

Synopsis: Playing in a manner that can be conservatively described as larger than life, Kurt Russell plays a macho truck driver who agrees to go to the San F... [MORE]

19

Ip Man 2 (2010)

Synopsis: Hong Kong film star Donnie Yen reprises his role as Ip Man in this semi-autobiographical sequel following the adventures of the grand master of Win... [MORE]

20

Ip Man (2008)

Cast: Donnie Yen, Chen Zhihui, Hiroyuki Ikeuchi, Simon Yam, Calvin Cheng

Director: Wilson Yip

Synopsis: Behind every great man there lies a teacher, and this was certainly true of Bruce Lee, who claimed as his mentor a martial arts expert named Ip Man... [MORE]

21

Supercop (1992)

Cast: Jackie Chan, Michelle Khan, Maggie Cheung, Ken Tsang, Yuen Wah

Director: Stanley Tong

Synopsis: Even for viewers who can take or leave martial-arts films, the work of Jackie Chan bears special attention. Chan is quite simply the hardest-workin... [MORE]

22

Iron Monkey (1993)

Cast: Yu Rong Guang, Donnie Yen, Tsang Sze-Man, Jean Wang, James Wong

Director: Yuen Woo-Ping

Synopsis: This kung fu classic weaving fact and myth earned a theatrical release in the U.S. from Miramax eight years after it was produced, following a succ... [MORE]

23

Master of the Flying Guillotine (1976)

Cast: Jimmy Wang Yu, Kam Kang, Lau Ka Wing, Lung Kun Yee, Wang Lung Wei

Director: Jimmy Wang Yu

Synopsis: When the Manchu dynasty employs the Master of the Flying Guillotine (Kam Kong) in hopes of quelling the resistance stirring within than Han people ... [MORE]

24

Shanghai Noon (2000)

Cast: Jackie Chan, Owen Wilson, Lucy Liu, Brandon Merrill, Roger Yuan

Director: Tom Dey

Synopsis: Jackie Chan has often played a fish out of water, but he's rarely found himself so far upstream as in this comic adventure, in which he puts his fi... [MORE]

25

Le Pacte des loups (2001)

Cast: Samuel Le Bihan, Vincent Cassel, Emilie Dequenne, Monica Bellucci, Jeremie Renier

Director: Christophe Gans

Synopsis: French legend has it that a creature known as the Beast of Gevaudan -- a huge, wolf-like monster -- was responsible for the violent deaths of over ... [MORE]

26

Fearless (2006)

Cast: Jet Li, Shidou Nakamura, Sun Li, Dong Yong, Hee Ching Paw

Director: Ronny Yu

Synopsis: Fearless opens in Shanghai, China, circa 1910, when wushu master Huo Yuanjia (martial arts superstar Jet Li) prepares to battle one Japanese oppone... [MORE]

27

Jackie Chan's First Strike (1996)

Cast: Jackie Chan, Jackson Lou, Chen Chun Wu, Bill Tung, Yuri Petrov

Director: Stanley Tong

Synopsis: Ever wondered what a James Bond movie might be like if (a) Bond was from Hong Kong, (b) he was too busy to chase women or drink martinis, and (c) h... [MORE]

28

Danny the Dog (2005)

Cast: Jet Li, Morgan Freeman, Bob Hoskins, Kerry Condon, Vincent Regan

Director: Louis Leterrier

29

Rush Hour (1998)

Cast: Jackie Chan, Chris Tucker, Elizabeth Pena, Tom Wilkinson, Julia Hsu

Director: Brett Ratner

Synopsis: Brett Ratner directed this action-comedy that found box-office success by teaming Chris Tucker with Jackie Chan -- performing his own stunts as per... [MORE]

30

The Karate Kid (2010)

Cast: Jaden Smith, Jackie Chan, Taraji P. Henson, Wenwen Han, Rongguang Yu

Director: Harald Zwart

Synopsis: When a 12-year-old from Detroit moves to China with his mother and incurs the wrath of the class bully at his new school, he makes an unlikely ally... [MORE]

31

Rumble in the Bronx (1995)

Cast: Jackie Chan, Anita Mui, Francoise Yip, Bill Tung, Kris Lord

Director: Stanley Tong, Tong Kwei Lai

Synopsis: After years as a major star in most of the rest of the world, Jackie Chan finally broke through to stardom in the United States with Rumble in the ... [MORE]

32

Shanghai Knights (2003)

Cast: Jackie Chan, Owen Wilson, Fann Wong, Aidan Gillen, Donnie Yen

Director: David Dobkin

Synopsis: East and West team up to take on bad guys in the British Empire in this sequel to the action comedy hit Shanghai Noon. Chon Wang (Jackie Chan), onc... [MORE]

33

Casshern (2004)

Cast: Yusuke Iseya, Kumiko Aso, Akira Terao, Kanako Higuchi, Fumiyo Kohinata

Director: Kazuaki Kiriya

34

The Forbidden Kingdom (2008)

Cast: Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Michael Angarano, Collin Chou

Director: Rob Minkoff

Synopsis: Legendary martial arts stars Jackie Chan and Jet Li come together onscreen for the first time ever in director Rob Minkoff's time-traveling take on... [MORE]

35

Undisputed (2002)

Cast: Wesley Snipes, Ving Rhames, Peter Falk, Michael Rooker, Jon Seda

Director: Walter Hill

Synopsis: Director and screenwriter Walter Hill returns to one of his favorite themes -- desperate and violent men using force to escape from an unforgiving ... [MORE]

36

Circle of Iron (1978)

Cast: David Carradine, Jeff Cooper, Roddy McDowall, Eli Wallach, Erica Creer

Director: Richard Moore

Synopsis: This symbol-laden drama explores the inner mythology of martial arts practice and is based on a Bruce Lee story idea. The original screenplay was w... [MORE]

37

Fist of Fury (1972)

Cast: Bruce Lee, Miao Ker Hsiu, James Tien, Robert Baker

Director: Wei Lo

38

Above the Law (1988)

Cast: Steven Seagal, Henry Silva, Pam Grier, Sharon Stone, Ron Dean

Director: Andrew Davis

Synopsis: Martial arts hero Steven Seagal developed, co-wrote, co-produced, choreographed, and debuted in this thrill ride -- a cop film with more attitude, ... [MORE]

39

Silent Rage (1982)

Cast: Chuck Norris, Ron Silver, Steven Keats, Toni Kalem, William Finley

Director: Michael Miller

Synopsis: The sheriff of a small Texas town is pitted against a genetically engineered super-villain. [MORE]

40

Heroes Among Heroes (1993)

Cast: Ng Man Tat, Ying Ng, Yuen Kit, Donnie Yen

Director: Yuen Woo Ping

Synopsis: As officer Lam Che Chu (Fong Pao) and Wong Fei Hong (Yuk Wong) join forces to fight a gang of determined opium smugglers, Beggar So Chen (Kwan Hoi-... [MORE]

41

Bloodsport (1988)

Cast: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Leah Ayres, Donald Gibb, Norman Burton, Forest Whitaker

Director: Newt Arnold

Synopsis: Jean-Claude Van Damme makes his starring debut in the aptly titled Bloodsport. An American soldier at large in Hong Kong, Van Damme becomes involve... [MORE]

42

Five Deadly Venoms (1978)

Cast: Chiang Cheh, Sun Chien

Synopsis: Five Deadly Venoms tells the tale of a martial arts master who commands a student to track down some of his other students and get them to stop tho... [MORE]

43

Billy Jack (1971)

Cast: Tom Laughlin, Delores Taylor, Clark Howat, Bert Freed, Julie Webb

Director: Tom Laughlin

Synopsis: Actor/auteur Tom Laughlin created the character of Billy Jack in the motorcycle flick The Born Losers. Wandering Christlike through the Southwest, ... [MORE]

44

Game of Death (1978)

Cast: Gig Young, Dean Jagger, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Hugh O'Brian, Bruce Lee

Director: Robert Clouse

Synopsis: Star Bruce Lee died before this film was completed, thus the producers were forced to pad out the running time with outtakes and alternate shots. T... [MORE]

45

Five Fingers of Death (1972)

Cast: Lieh Lo, Shen Chan, Chen Feng, Min Fong, Chiao Hsiung

Director: Chang-hwa Jeong

46

Snake in the Eagle's Shadow (1978)

Cast: Jackie Chan, Hwang Jang-li, Simon Yuen Siu-tien, Dean Shek

Director: Yuen Woo Ping

Synopsis: Shangkuan I-yun (Hwang Jang-li) has developed the deadly eagle claw style to devastating effect on the follower of the Snake Fist technique, killin... [MORE]

47

The Way of the Dragon (1972)

Cast: Alexander Lou, Liu Hau Yi

48

Tai-Chi Master (1993)

Cast: Jet Li, Michelle Yeoh, Chin Siu-hou, Chin Sui Ho, Fannie Yuen

Director: Woo-ping Yuen

49

Fist of Fury (1972)

Cast: Bruce Lee, Miao Ker Hsiu, James Tien, Robert Baker

Director: Wei Lo

50

Enter the Ninja (1981)

Cast: Franco Nero, Susan George, Sho Kosugi, Alex Courtney, Will Hare

Director: Menahem Golan

Synopsis: Cannon Productions' first foray into the martial arts milieu, Enter the Ninja stars Franco Nero. While visiting old pal Frank Landers (Alex Courtne... [MORE]