Jackie Chan’s Top 10 American Movies Ranked

Jackie Chan is a rare example of an actor who has had successful careers on multiple continents, and his best American movies helped make him an international superstar. Chan got his start all the way back in the early ’60s as a child actor, but would soon transition to more mature roles as he grew up.

Often regarded as one of the greatest martial arts performers in the history of cinema, Chan and his stunt team delivered breathtaking sequences that defied injury and death. His films in Hong Kong often combined humor and lots of spectacular action, and Chan was adept at playing serious heroes and lovable goofballs.

His early attempts to break into the American film market weren’t very successful, but there was a growing number of fans on all continents who fell in love with his classic films. When he finally did make the jump to Hollywood, Chan fit right in and headlined some stellar action comedies that were often better than other American films.

Shanghai Knights (2003)

Nearly every Jackie Chan movie made in Hollywood has spawned sequels, but 2003’s Shanghai Knights is often overlooked. It reunited Chan with his Shanghai Noon co-star Owen Wilson, and immediately changed locations in order to prevent the burgeoning franchise from becoming stale. Though it lacks the same spark as its predecessor, it’s still a fun time.

Because Chan and his stunt team were involved, the action is crisp and humorous, and he has great chemistry with Wilson. What’s more, Shanghai Knights also features an appearance by Donnie Yen, another legendary figure in the martial arts genre. Despite its modest success, a threequel has yet to materialize in over two decades.

Wish Dragon (2021)

By 2021, Jackie Chan was already a prolific voice actor, though only Mandarin-speaking viewers got to hear him in Wish Dragon. The American/Chinese co-production is an underrated Netflix original, and it mostly slipped by without notice at first. Its heartwarming story is anchored by an all-Asian voice cast that further roots the film in the cultures it’s exploring.

Chan voices the role of Long in the Mandarin dub, and it continues his string of successful jaunts into animation. While its story is boilerplate, the animation is beautiful and the contemporary Chinese setting is unique. Wish Dragon has since gone on to become quite a sleeper hit on Netflix, frequently topping the charts as more families discover it.

The Karate Kid (2010)

Rebooting such a beloved ’80s film was risky, but 2010’s The Karate Kid proved to be so much more than a rehash or cash-grab. Relocating things to China, the film completely changes its martial arts approach, using kung fu instead of the titular discipline. Some of the movie’s choices are questionable, but Chan’s turn as Han is certainly a highlight.

Reshaping many of the themes of the original, the reboot manages to be familiar while still doing something new. Chan is understated and wise, and his performance has none of the oddball humor that typified many of his other films. He would reprise his role in 2025’s Karate Kid: Legends, but it wasn’t nearly as good.

The Big Brawl (1980)

Coming years before his breakout in the U.S., The Big Brawl was the first time Jackie Chan tried to go international. The historical action flick places Chan in 1930s Midwestern America, and is essentially a backdrop for his stellar stunt work and martial arts. It’s Chan that elevates the film, and it would have been quite boring without him.

The movie’s plot is razor-thin, though it is a nice change of pace to see an action film set in a different time period. It tiptoes around more serious issues, but never strays too far away from its action sequences. If anything, The Big Brawl deserves a lot of credit for inspiring Chan to hone his craft before returning Stateside.

Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016)

The Kung Fu Panda franchise is one of the few that has no bad entries, and the third film saw the return of Jackie Chan in one of his signature voice roles. Having played Master Monkey since the first film, Chan was an adept hand at voice acting, and he fully understood the light and pleasant tone of the threequel.

Like its predecessors, Kung Fu Panda 3 was humorous and heartfelt, but it did have a bit more action than the second movie. It also begins the transition towards the franchise’s future, with Po becoming the master but having a lot to learn. Chan is only a small part, but he adds his starpower to an already stacked cast.

Shanghai Noon (2000)

After the success of Rush Hour a few years before, Jackie Chan was quickly thrust into another buddy action comedy, Shanghai Noon. Working well with Owen Wilson, the film brought martial arts excitement to the Old West. It also brought plenty of action humor, something that Chan had already mastered years before.

Shanghai Noon is one of those blockbuster films from the early 2000s that is often overlooked, mostly because it’s overshadowed by the Rush Hour franchise. Few of Chan’s American movies have been critical and commercial successes, and the Old West comedy checks both boxes. A sequel followed, and was also something of a minor hit.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023)

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film franchise hasn’t always treated the heroes in a half-shell very well, but Mutant Mayhem was a much-needed return to form. With comic book-inspired artwork, the animated film offered a new and simultaneously classic look at the Turtles, and made them actually feel like teens.

Jackie Chan plays Master Splinter, and he brings a lot of heart to the role as the surrogate father to the heroes. Though he’s only a supporting character, Chan’s version of Splinter is uncertain and complex, and his love for the youngsters is absolutely heartwarming. With a sequel inbound, Splinter could become Chan’s next big recurring role.

Kung Fu Panda (2008)

Silly and charming, Kung Fu Panda was yet another big win for DreamWorks Animation in the 2000s. With its cute animation style and A-list voice cast, the martial arts comedy had clear franchise potential from the first moment, and quickly built an exciting new fictional world that was ripe for exploration.

Playing Master Monkey, Chan lends his voice to one of Po’s wise mentors, though he gets to be a bit goofy whenever the movie needs a chuckle or two. Even though he is just voicing a part, Chan’s starpower was important to the success of Kung Fu Panda, and he’s returned consistently throughout the franchise.

Mulan (1998)

Because Disney was hoping that the film would be another smash-hit in China, they tapped Jackie Chan to co-star in the Chinese-language dubs of Mulan as Li Shang. The action adventure film was on a more epic scale than most Disney films of the time, and its beautiful animation was accentuated with memorable music by Jerry Goldsmith.

Though Chan doesn’t appear in the English version of the film, he was already well on his way to becoming a major star in Hollywood by 1998. The film has a somewhat mixed reputation in retrospect, but Mulan still deserves to be considered one of the later highlights of the vaunted Disney Renaissance.

Rush Hour (1998)

Though he had made a few appearances in American films beforehand, 1998’s Rush Hour was Jackie Chan’s first big hit in Hollywood. Paired up with Chris Tucker as a loose canon American cop, Chan is on top of his game as Chief Inspector Lee. Though he usually plays the goofier characters, he proved he could be the straight man too.

The bulk of the humor comes from the clashes between the two disparate personalities, but Rush Hour has loads of Chan’s signature action comedy too. Ironically, Jackie Chan doesn’t really like the Rush Hour movies (via Complex), though they are undoubtedly his most famous and popular American films.

Birthname

Chan Kong-sang

Birthdate

April 7, 1954

Birthplace

Victoria Peak, British Hong Kong

Professions

Actor, Martial Artist, Stuntman, Filmmaker, Singer

Height

5 feet 9 inches