If you like seeing people fight on screen, and are particularly keen on action movies where all the hand-to-hand combat is particularly convincing, then martial arts cinema is where it’s at. Newer movies like The Raid and the John Wick films (they sort of count) might be the best gateway films if you’re entirely new to the martial arts sub-genre, or you could go with some older stuff – the classics – like the movies below.
These ones all hold up, though admittedly, a few are from the 1990s, and that decade might not be obscenely long ago depending on how old you are, yourself. Martial arts films seemed particularly strong throughout the 1970s and 1980s, especially those being produced in Hong Kong, so that’s where the bulk of the 20th century’s best martial arts movies can be found.
10
‘Pedicab Driver’ (1989)
If you’re into martial arts movies, you likely know the name Sammo Hung, but he deserves more love outside martial arts circles than he might get, especially since he’s skilled at both directing and acting. Pedicab Driver was one movie of his where he did both, and it also might be the starring role of his that best demonstrates his talents, especially within fight scenes.
But Pedicab Driver is also a comedy, albeit one that gets pretty heavy at times, and maybe the tonal whiplash found here, during at least one moment, could be a little off-putting, though it mostly works. It’s a movie that wants to deliver on a few different fronts, perhaps to entertain as many potential audience members as possible, with the ambition working and the quality of the action being especially worth noting.
9
‘The 36th Chamber of Shaolin’ (1978)
Potentially the quintessential “train until you get good” martial arts movie, The 36th Chamber of Shaolin is simultaneously simple and satisfying. There’s a young man who wants revenge, and he flees to a temple where he believes he’ll be able to find guidance in the pursuit of becoming a martial arts master, but the whole ordeal of training ends up being more arduous than expected.
Funnily enough, the training stuff is the most entertaining part, even more so than the inevitable action scenes during the final act. This does stand in contrast to a sort of similar – though also more relentless – martial arts film from 1984 that also starred Gordon Liu, but more on that in a bit. The 36th Chamber of Shaolin is probably the best film to start with, rather than that soon-to-be-mentioned one, but watch both! That’s the main takeaway here.
8
‘The Boxer’s Omen’ (1983)
Actually, that bit in the intro, about how some classic martial arts movies are good to seek out for newbies to the sub-genre? That doesn’t apply to The Boxer’s Omen, which is honestly one of the most viscerally gross horror movies ever made, and it also happens to be a martial arts film. The title warns you, to some extent, that this’ll be a blend of genres, sure, because “boxer” suggests hand-to-hand sparring and “omen” sure as hell sounds supernatural.
Even those with strong stomachs might find a few scenes in The Boxer’s Omen a bit much.
You likely won’t be prepared, though, for some of the sights found in The Boxer’s Omen, and even those with strong stomachs might find a few scenes here a bit much. It’s an absolute assault on the senses, and undoubtedly chaotic throughout, but martial arts films don’t get a whole lot more distinctive than this one. There’s nothing else quite like it, and honestly, maybe that’s for the best.
7
‘The Matrix’ (1999)
There aren’t really any American martial arts movies made before the year 2000 that are better than The Matrix, though if the original The Karate Kid counts, maybe it’s a contender, since it’s very charming. But no, The Matrix is still the best, and it is, of course, a lot more than just a martial arts movie, since it’s equally compelling and ambitious as a work of science fiction, too.
Also, there’s quite a bit by way of gunplay in The Matrix, but it’s paired with intricate fight choreography and the kind of stunt work found in the martial arts genre, so it works on both fronts. It’s a lot at once, really, and it introduced a whole new world, series, and countless ideas while doing all those things genre-wise, but the Wachowskis pulled it off, and though some of the sequels had their moments, the original still shines the brightest by far.
6
‘The 8 Diagram Pole Fighter’ (1984)
Yeah, so maybe The 8 Diagram Pole Fighter kind of has a similar plot to The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, as well as the same star (Gordon Liu), and an honestly not dissimilar title, when you put them back-to-back? Five words, both start with “The,” and then include a number… but that’s okay. There are only a handful of plots that are recycled in most martial arts movies, but if what’s done with the plot, and with the action, is exciting enough, it doesn’t matter.
The main character is angrier and not as good at training this time around, and it all results in a messier (and arguably more spectacular) climactic fight, compared to The 36th Chamber of Shaolin. The 8 Diagram Pole Fighter really does have some of the best-choreographed action of all time, even compared to the other amazingly choreographed movies being mentioned here, and it’s worth a watch for that gonzo climax alone.
5
‘Drunken Master II’ (1994)
Jackie Chan had been in countless compelling martial arts movies before 1994, including some small roles in the early 1970s before he started starring in movies nearer to the end of that decade, but Drunken Master II is a highlight of his whole filmography. There’s one more essential/classic Jackie Chan film made a little earlier that might be better, though Drunken Master II emphasizes hand-to-hand action even more than that one.
That’s got something to do with the fighting taking priority over the stunts, though the movie is still impressive if you want good stunt work. It’s all about the action here, some of it indeed being in the Drunken Boxing style, which means there’s a bit of slapstick comedy here alongside action scenes that are executed well enough that you can indeed take them seriously (the film, overall, ends up being more successful as an action movie than a comedy, truth be told).
4
‘Dragon Inn’ (1967)
So, King Hu was a filmmaker who made very different martial arts movies than most of the ones Sammo Hung is known for, but what was said before, regarding martial arts fans knowing Sammo Hung but the wider public maybe not? That applies potentially even more to King Hu, and his name is just as worthy of being known, since his films were among the earlier martial arts movies to feel pretty much masterful, even by today’s standards; like, when judged 50+ years later.
Enter Dragon Inn, (no, don’t enter the dragon; that comes later), which feels like it might well have influenced most martial arts films that were made in its wake, especially those of the wuxia (or slightly fantastical) variety. Dragon Inn moves at a slightly offbeat pace, compared to later films, but it’s still easy to fall into it and get pretty absorbed, and the action scenes here still hold up excellently.
3
‘A Touch of Zen’ (1970)
Dragon Inn was beautiful and ambitious for sure, but then in 1970, King Hu made something that was a considerable step-up in just about every way with A Touch of Zen. For a while, this plays out like a period drama without much by way of action, with its story focusing on a young woman on the run, but then she crosses paths with some interesting characters, and her pursuers also eventually catch up with her.
There’s undeniable patience here, in terms of setting up all the pieces, but the beauty of A Touch of Zen and the mystical stuff keep it engaging, even when there’s not much fighting. It can afford to take its time, with the whole thing going for three hours and all, but the pacing is actually really fitting here, and then the action – when it does roll around – is excellent. It’s packed with stuff to appreciate, but takes its time, which, in turn, gives you enough time to appreciate it all. While labeling it a three-hour martial arts film might make it sound daunting, it really is worth exploring and sinking into at least once.
2
‘Enter the Dragon’ (1973)
It feels a bit rotten to only include one Bruce Lee movie here, but also, there were only a handful of martial arts films the legendary actor starred in, since he died tragically young. The legacy he left behind, though, is immense, even with the small filmography overall, and the best starting point for exploring Bruce Lee’s work is, perhaps surprisingly, with the last completed film he starred in: Enter the Dragon.
Game of Death contains the last couple of fight scenes he ever filmed, but that one’s pretty hard to watch, outside the actual Bruce Lee stuff. Enter the Dragon, though, is A-grade Bruce Lee all the way through, but it’s also expansive and varied enough to also be a strong showcase for co-stars John Saxon and Jim Kelly. You get a lot of martial arts action here, there’s a bit of a spy movie feel to things, and it also kicks off like a sports movie, of sorts. All within 102 minutes, and all in a way that’s easy to digest, even if you’re completely new to old-school martial arts cinema.
1
‘Police Story’ (1985)
As mentioned before, Jackie Chan has one movie that probably dethrones Drunken Master II, if you want to pick his best film overall, and that one movie is Police Story. It’s a showcase for everything Jackie Chan is known for, including comedy, daring stunt work, and super satisfying hand-to-hand combat, but then Police Story’s contemporary setting also means you get some car chases and even a bit of gunplay thrown in for good measure.
In that sense, it’s arguably more of a traditional action movie than it is a martial arts flick, though with the martial arts side of it still being prominent, it can still slide its way into the sub-genre quite neatly. It’s a wildly ambitious film, when you look at all the different types of action captured here, and how simultaneously intense and entertaining that stuff is, and it all adds up to make Police Story enduring and incredibly rewatchable, too.
Police Story
- Release Date
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December 14, 1985
- Runtime
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99 minutes
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Jackie Chan
Sergeant ‘Kevin’ Chan Ka-Kui
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Brigitte Lin Ching-Hsia
Salina Fong
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