Best Martial Arts Movies of All Time
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- 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.
- 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. - 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. ;) - 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.
- 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.
- DirectorChad StahelskiStarsKeanu ReevesLaurence FishburneGeorge GeorgiouJohn Wick uncovers a path to defeating The High Table. But before he can earn his freedom, Wick must face off against a new enemy with powerful alliances across the globe and forces that turn old friends into foes.idk how they keep out doing themselves in this modern american action classic series of films, but they just do and this latest entry brought in not one, but 2 martial arts movie legends into the mix, Donnie Yen
- DirectorYimou ZhangStarsJet LiTony Leung Chiu-waiMaggie CheungA defense officer, Nameless, was summoned by the King of Qin regarding his success of terminating three warriors.
- DirectorJackie ChanChi-Hwa ChenStarsJackie ChanMaggie CheungBrigitte LinA virtuous Hong Kong Police Officer must clear his good name when the drug lord he is after frames him for the murder of a dirty cop.I can honestly sum up the reason why you NEED TO SEE THIS FILM in three words:
THE. MALL. SCENE.
It has got to be one of the most incredible fight/action scenes of ALL TIME. Not to mention Jackie literally destroys an entire small village in the first major action scene alone. A Must See indeed. - DirectorRobert ClouseStarsBruce LeeJohn SaxonJim KellyA Shaolin martial artist travels to an island fortress to spy on an opium lord - who is also a former monk from his temple - under the guise of attending a fighting tournament.
- DirectorChia-Liang LiuStarsChia-Hui LiuLieh LoYue WongA man studies kung fu at the Shaolin Temple to fight back against the oppressive Manchu government.*
- DirectorGareth EvansStarsIko UwaisAnanda GeorgeRay SahetapyA S.W.A.T. team becomes trapped in a tenement run by a ruthless mobster and his army of killers and thugs.An instant classic, and one of the BEST action films made in the last decade or two. Pure adrenaline rush. Indonesia's Iko Uwais who made his film debut in "Merantau" takes it up a notch and delivers the goods. If youre an action junkie you wont be disappointed.
- DirectorBruce LeeStarsBruce LeeChuck NorrisNora MiaoA man visits his relatives at their restaurant in Italy and has to help them defend against brutal gangsters harassing them.
- 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. - DirectorChad StahelskiStarsKeanu ReevesHalle BerryIan McShaneJohn Wick is on the run after killing a member of the international assassins' guild, and with a $14 million price tag on his head, he is the target of hit men and women everywhere.All three John Wick films are great fun. However what makes this one stick out more to me, atleat is it has more martial arts action.
- DirectorChad StahelskiStarsKeanu ReevesRiccardo ScamarcioIan McShaneAfter returning to the criminal underworld to repay a debt, John Wick discovers that a large bounty has been put on his life.
- DirectorChad StahelskiStarsKeanu ReevesMichael NyqvistAlfie AllenAn ex-hitman comes out of retirement to track down the gangsters who killed his dog and stole his car.
- DirectorKar-Wai WongStarsTony Leung Chiu-waiZiyi ZhangJin ZhangThe story of martial-arts master Ip Man, the man who trained Bruce Lee.I was actually really disappointed with this film. Judging from the films descriptions and trailers youd expect it to be a film about Ip Man, but it is not, at least not entirely. The fight scenes were well done, and the visuals of course, but all in all it was a muddled and choppy mess of a film that failed to keep me engaged all throughout.
I might have to do a rewatch sometime to maybe change my mind about it. I originally went into this expecting another Ip Man so it could be my fault for setting myself up for disappointment. - DirectorGuillermo del ToroStarsWesley SnipesKris KristoffersonRon PerlmanBlade forms an uneasy alliance with the vampire council in order to combat the Reapers, who are feeding on vampires.the great Donnie Yen choreographed the fights featured here, too bad his character was underused.
- DirectorWei LoStarsBruce LeeNora MiaoJames TienA young man seeks vengence for the death of his teacher.
- DirectorYimou ZhangStarsZiyi ZhangTakeshi KaneshiroAndy LauA romantic police captain breaks a beautiful member of a rebel group out of prison to help her rejoin her fellows, but things are not what they seem.Another Yimou Zhang film. Beautiful.
TRIVIA:
-The literal English translation of the Chinese title is "Ambushed From Ten Directions".
-Yimou Zhang conceived the story in the late 1990s as a companion to Ying xiong (2002) (aka Hero). - DirectorWoo-Ping YuenStarsJackie ChanSiu-Tin YuenJeong-lee HwangWong Fei-Hung is a mischievous yet righteous young man, but after a series of incidents his frustrated father has him disciplined by a master of drunken martial arts.
- DirectorMichael SchultzStarsTaimakVanityChristopher MurneyIn New York City, a young man searches for a Master to obtain the final level of martial arts mastery known as the Glow.He's a martial arts master who refuses to fight. He's a Bruce Lee fan who's so sure he's Oriental that he eats popcorn with chopsticks. his friends think he's too serious. His family thinks he's crazy. His enemies think he's no challenges. But she knows he's THE LAST DRAGON.
Another hilarious cheesy 80s flick, but a guilty pleasure. - DirectorBrett RatnerStarsJackie ChanChris TuckerKen LeungA loyal and dedicated Hong Kong Inspector teams up with a reckless and loudmouthed L.A.P.D. detective to rescue the Chinese Consul's kidnapped daughter, while trying to arrest a dangerous crime lord along the way.I know people hate Jackie's American Efforts, however You gotta admit, It has its moments.
- DirectorPrachya PinkaewStarsTony JaaPhetthai VongkumlaoPumwaree YodkamolWhen the head of a statue sacred to a village is stolen, a young martial artist goes to the big city and finds himself taking on the underworld to retrieve it."Jackie Chan, Jet Li and Bruce Lee are my masters; they're the inspiration for my work. Bruce Lee was a heavy fighter who threw hard punches. Jackie moves very fast and uses a lot of comedy, and Jet Li is very fluid. I've tried to combine all of their styles and added some things of my own." - Tony Jaa
He learned from the best, and has now created one of the Best Martial Arts/Action movies of the decade.... Jaa is fantastic in this film. When i first saw it i truly didnt expect it to be as good as it was, the next Bruce Lee - DirectorPrachya PinkaewStarsTony JaaNathan JonesXing JinA young fighter named Kham must go to Australia to retrieve his stolen elephant. With the help of a Thai-born Australian detective, Kham must take on all comers, including a gang led by an evil woman and her two deadly bodyguards.I consider this the true sequel to Ong Bak more than the actual sequel to Ong Bak. The one shot upstairs fight sequence is amazing. The Stunts? Incredible. Jackie Chan can rest easy and retire with the thought that Jaa will continue on in his place for the next generation of Action Movie fans.
The final 20 minutes are Bone Crushingly spectacular. - DirectorRob CohenStarsJason Scott LeeLauren HollyRobert WagnerA fictionalized account of the life of the martial arts superstar.a semi-FICTIONAL re-telling on the life of Bruce Lee. Its very LOOSELY based on his Life so dont take it seriously so much. If you want facts, watch one of the MANY documentaries dedicated to Him.
This film took ALOT of liberties and spread alot of that "Hollywood "Magic" aka *beep* to his life story.
Dont know why really, Bruce's Life was entertaining enough, infact the Facts are faaaaar more interesting than the bullcrap they shoved in here.
The Score however was brilliant, the theme song has been used a dozen times for numerous film trailers including Forrrest Gump.
Jason Scott Lee was alright i guess, but he was no Bruce Lee, Ive seen two biopics on Bruce's Life so far and neither actors portraying the man captured his aura, charisma, and skills. Not surprising though since there is no one else like Bruce.
Its great entertainment, but for the REAL story check out the many Documentaries on the Man. - "A Warriors Journey", "Bruce Lee:The Legend" - "Famous Families: The Lee's", - "Curse of the Dragon" - "Immortal Dragon" - "Death By Misadventure" - - DirectorLouis LeterrierStarsJet LiBob HoskinsMorgan FreemanA man enslaved by the mob since childhood and raised into behaving like a human attack dog escapes his captors and attempts to start a new life."Chained by Violence. Freed by Music."
This is by far Jet Li's finest acting performance. The only film in his career that demands more range as a "serious actor" than anything hes starred in before or since... And he pulls it off quite well. The Martial Arts arent bad either, Woo Ping And Jet collaborates once again to choreograph some of the most vicious and exciting fight sequences produced.
The supporting cast is all star aswell and hits the ball out of the park. Bob Hoskins, Morgan Freeman, - DirectorStephen ChowStarsStephen ChowWei ZhaoYat-Fei WongA young Shaolin follower reunites with his discouraged brothers to form a soccer team using their martial art skills to their advantage.Hilarious movie. a great parody/mix of the Martial Arts
- DirectorWoo-Ping YuenStarsRongguang YuDonnie YenJean WangA martial artist/doctor steals from the corrupt authorities as a masked thief to give to the poor while another martial artist/doctor is forced to hunt him down. But a major threat unites them as a powerful and traitorous shaolin monk takes over the authorities.Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. This is Pure Wire Fu Greatness. Its kinda like a prequel to Jet Li's Once Upon a Time in China Series. A young Wong Fei Hung is featured here before he went on and became an legendary figure in martial arts history.
This could also be described as The Chinese Robin Hood.