Martial Arts Movies 1949 to 1999

USADOJO.COM's alphabetical list of martial arts movies including synopsis', video trailers, articles and interviews! Looking for information about newer martial arts movies, take a look at this list of martial arts movies released between 2000 and today.
(Martial arts movies released between 2000 and today)
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American Kickboxer, also known as American Kickboxer 1, is a 1991 American martial arts film starring John G. Barrett and Keith Vitali. It was directed by Frans Nel and written by Emil Kolbe. Kickboxing champion B.J. is jailed for an accidental murder thanks to the testimony of his arch-nemesis Denard. A year later, B.J. is released and then challenged by Denard for $100,000. (Watch Video)

American Ninja is a 1985 ninja action film produced by Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus's Cannon Films. Directed by Sam Firstenberg, who specialized in this genre in the 80s, the film stars Michael Dudikoff in the title role, with Steve James as his side-kick. Joe Armstrong, an orphaned drifter will little respect for much other than martial arts, finds himself on an American Army base in The Philippines after a judge gives him a choice of enlistment or prison. On one of his first missions driving a convoy, his platoon is attacked by a group of rebels who try to steal the weapons the platoon is transporting and kidnap Patricia, the base colonel's daughter, who happens to be along for the ride. Joe rescues Patricia and gets her safely back to the base, but everyone else in the platoon is killed, leading his superiors to conclude that Joe is guilty of cowardice, collaboration or simple incompetence. At the same time, the rebel leader vows revenge against the serviceman who disrupted his plans, and sends an army of ninjas to assassinate him and bring back Patricia. If he wants to survive and save the girl, Joe's going to have to draw on every last ounce of his training. (Watch Trailer)

Directed by Jackie Chan and starring Jackie Chan, Jackie Chan, Jackie Chan. Jackie (Jackie Chan), a secret agent (code-named "Condor"), is given the task of tracking down hidden Nazi gold. He teams up with Ada (Carol Cheng), a UN representative, and Elsa (Eva Cobo de Garcia), the granddaughter of a Nazi officer linked to the hidden gold. They journey to North Africa to look for an underground base, where it is believed the Nazi regiment who handled the gold was buried alive. While searching for the hidden base, the trio must fight against ruthless treasure-hunters and the last surviving Nazi from the doomed regiment.

Best of the Best is a 1989 martial arts film directed by Robert Radler and staring Eric Roberts and James Earl Jones. The film was followed by three sequels released in 1993, 1996 and 1998. The plot revolves around a team of Americans facing a team of Koreans in a taekwondo tournament. There are several sub plots in the story and there are numerous themes including moral conflict and the power of the human spirit to triumph over adversity. (Watch Trailer)

Starring Bruce Lee, Maria Yi, James Tien, Yin-Chieh Han, Tony Liu
Director: Lo Wei Rating R
Martial arts master Bruce Lee's first major film solidifies his standing as one of the great action stars in The Big Boss (Fists of Fury), the story of a Chinese country boy (Lee) sent to live in Thailand with his uncle and cousins. Around his neck is a charm representing his promise to his mother not to fight, a promise which is repeatedly tested when he goes to work in the local icehouse for an abusive overseer and prejudiced natives. When some of his cousins are killed after discovering the icehouse is actually a front for a heroin-smuggling operation, Lee sets out to exact revenge and eventually has a showdown with the Japanese crimelord behind the entire scheme (Han Ying Chieh). Lee's physical gifts are undeniable; the blinding speed of his fists and feet must be seen to be believed. The film was originally released in Asia as The Big Boss. Bad guys beware when that charm comes off! ~ Jeremy Beday, All Movie Guide. (Watch Trailer)

Bloodsport is a 1988 martial arts film directed by Newt Arnold and strring Jean-Claude Van Damme, Donald Gibb, Ken Siu, Bolo Yeung, Leah Ayres. The movie is "based on true events in the life of Frank Dux" as portrayed by Jean-Claude Van Damme. Although it enjoyed little box office success, it is considered a genre classic by martial arts film enthusiasts for showcasing a large variety of international fighting styles, ranging from Kung Fu to Jeet Kune Do and Muay Thai.
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The Bride with White Hair is a 1993 Hong Kong Wuxia film directed by Ronny Yu. The film's main character, Lien Ni-Chang, is very loosely based on the protagonist of Liang Yusheng's novel Romance of the White Haired Maiden. However the director Yu himself saw the film as a “Romeo and Juliet” story and said that the lovers’ struggle against fate and their heroic duty inspired him more than the familiar trappings of most martial arts adventures. As such the movie departs significantly from the original source .
The sensitive swordsman Cho Yi-Hang is tired of his life as the unwilling successor to the Wu-Tang clan throne and the unsure commander of the clan's forces in a war against foreign tribes and an evil cult. One day, he meets the beautiful Lien, a killer for the evil cult who is equally unsatisfied with her situation, but their love angers both the Wu-Tang clan and the evil cult. (Watch Trailer)

Starring: Shun-Yee Yuen, Siu Ming Tsui Director: Woo-ping Yuen
Not Rated. Famed martial arts director and choreographer Yuen Woo-ping spins this old school period kung-fu flick featuring some particularly amazing fight scenes. The film opens with inept coiffeur Shang (Yuen Shun-Yi) getting canned from his job and returning to the hinterland to find his old man. Once there, he is unable to find his dad, who mysterious disappeared. Shang does run into his buddy Si-ming (Tsui Siu-ming), who is now a monk. Having both been raised by the same Shaolin master, the two are crack kung-fu artists in their own right. Si-ming finds himself being blackmailed, when, years ago, he violated his oath by drinking liquor, and subsequently getting framed for the rape and murder of a woman. Now a shadowy crime syndicate has the goods on the monk and forces him to do their dirty work, lest his alleged crimes be revealed. Meanwhile, Shang learns that his father stumbled onto a plot by a bunch of foreigners to steal China's cultural treasures. When Shang also discovers Si-tung's blackmailers role in the whole affair, Shang starts to question the loyalty of his friend. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide. (Watch Trailer)

By the Sword is a 1991 film starring F. Murray Abraham and Eric Roberts as world-class fencers. iT IS directed by Jeremy Paul Kagan and it is the first feature film about fencing. Although some reviews of its 1993 U.S. theatrical release noted favorably the lead acting and action sequences, the screenplay was considered "terrible". A mysterious man, Suba, gets a job at a fencing academy, and as he learns the way of the students, the school, and its maestro, they learn that there's more to him than meets the eye. He gains (or regains?) his fencing skills and his philosophy of teaching clashes with the maestro's. As they are thrown into conflict, Suba and the maestro's past appear to be linked. And the resolution of their mysterious relationship may be a duel to the death. (Watch Trailer)

Starring: Tien-chi Cheng, Tien Hsiang Lung Director: Cheh Chang
Rating R. Two warring clan leaders challenge each other to a tournament involving their best fighters. One clan loses heavily, and in revenge employs the services of the Five Element Ninjas, whose fighting styles are based on the five Chinese elements (gold, wood, water, fire and earth). The ninjas dutifully defeat the hitherto victorious clan and then turn on their employers. It seems as though the ninjas are set to rule the martial world - but the sole surviving member of the clans meets up with an old man who alone knows the secret of how to defeat the ninjas. Written by Michael Brooke (Watch Trailer)

Come Drink with Me ( Da Zui Xia, literally Big Drunken Hero) is a 1966 martial arts-action film directed by King Hu. Set during the Ming Dynasty, it stars Cheng Pei-Pei and Elliot Ngok as warriors, and features fight choreography by Han Yingjie. It is widely considered one of the best Hong Kong movies ever made. The story tells of Golden Swallow's (Cheng Pei Pei) quest to rescue her brother, a government official, in a ransom case perpetrated by a bunch of bandits. While her prowess is formidable, a little help is always appreciated when up against the masses, and little does she know that a beggar of sorts, called the Drunken Cat (Yueh Hua), turns out to be her guardian angel and a kung fu master.
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There is no plot in this film, It is a collection of the best fighting scenes from the martial arts films (i.e. Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Cynthia Rothrock, Sammo Hung, Sho Kosugi, Yuen Biao, Keith Cooke, Benny Urquidez). The audio track in this example clip is not the original.
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A fitfully amazing, frequently disheartening hodgepodge of action, farce, and romance, slapped together as a costarring vehicle for three of Hong Kong's major movie stars: Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung (who also directed), and Yuen Biao. Its light-footed, try-anything spirit makes it consistently enjoyable, but these wonderful performers are working (to put it kindly) beneath their gifts. Chan plays a womanizing attorney who recruits arms-dealer Hung and madcap inventor Biao to dig up dirt on the corporate sleaze balls he's supposedly defending--industrial polluters (and heroin smugglers) whose effluents threaten the bucolic fish farm of a handsome widow woman. The trio doesn't have many collective scenes, so their Three Musketeers act never really gets off the ground. As always, the fights and stunt work are mind-boggling; the jaunty details are fun: Chan's flick-of-the-wrist trick with a fancy briefcase; Hung's deft run- through of a few choice Cantonese opera moves; and Yuen Biao's Olympic-level acrobatics on, around, and within an industrial steel-tube staircase.

Drunken Master Stars Jackie Chan, Siu Tien Yuen. Rating R
Wong Fei Hong (Jackie Chan) is sent to train under his uncle, a wine guzzling master famous for crippling his students. Desperate to escape this brutal teacher's cruel regime, he flees but is confronted, humiliated and beaten senseless by a hired assassin (Hwang Jang lee). Angry, ashamed, hungry for revenge, the wayward Fei Hung returns to his drunken master. This is the second collabration between director Yuen Woo Ping and Jackie Chan was another huge box-office hit, drawing in 8 million HK dollars on its run. Blending intresting martial arts moves with slapstick comedy (Jackie trademark). "Drunken Master" ushered in the new genre of comedy kung fu and estableshed Chan as its uncontested king. (Watch Trailer)

Fight Club is a 1999 American feature film adapted from the 1996 novel of the same name by Chuck Palahniuk. The film was directed by David Fincher and stars Edward Norton, Brad Pitt, and Helena Bonham Carter. Norton plays the nameless protagonist, an "everyman" who is discontented with his white-collar job in American society. He forms a "fight club" with soap salesman Tyler Durden, played by Pitt, and becomes embroiled in a relationship with him and a destitute woman, Marla Singer, played by Bonham Carter. (Watch Trailer)

Starring: Jet Li, Shinobu Nakayama Director: Gordon Chan
Rating R
Over twenty years since the first telling of the story, Bruce Lee's Chinese Connection returns to the screen. The story is a classic one that has its roots in an actual event in Chinese history -- the defeat of Master Huo at the hands of the Japanese. This time around, popular actor and martial arts champion Jet Li steps into the shoes of folk hero Chen Zhen, in a race to save his master's honor and his own pride. (Watch DVD Trailer)

Starring: Li, Siao - After the success of the "Once Upon A Time In China" series, Jet Li returned to the screen to play Fong Sai Yuk, another Chinese folk hero. However, Fong Sai Yuk and Wong Fei Hung are completely different characters. Unlike the wise and stoic Wong Fei Hung, Fong Sai Yuk is a young, goofy, playful, momma's boy who also happens to be a martial arts master. When former bandit Tiger Lu (Chan Chung Yung) goes straight, he decides to win over the people by hosting a kung-fu competition with his daughter Ting Ting (Michelle Reis) as the prize. The rules are simple: whoever can knock his wife Siu Lee Wan (Sibelle Hu) off a wooden tower wins. Sai Yuk enters the competition, and the fight extends to the heads of the audience! However, when he gets a glimpse of Ting Ting's homely maid impersonating her, he throws the competition. This forces his mom (Josephine Siao) to masquerade as Sai Yuk's older brother and enter the competition to restore the family name. She defeats Lee Wan, who then falls in love with her, while Tiger Lu demands she marry Ting Ting. As if this wasn't enough, the emperor's agent is in town looking for members of the revolutionary Red Flower Society, a group of which Sai Yuk's dad is a member. (Watch Trailer)

Starring: Bruce Lee, Colleen Camp, Dean Jagger Directed by Robert Clouse. A martial arts movie star must fake his death to find the people who are trying to kill him. This film uses portions of the original Game of Death, which was to be Bruce Lees introduction of Jeet Kun Do, but only 90 minutes of the original movie was filmed when Lee left to shoot Return of the Dragon. Lee died before he could return to finish the original Game of Death so portions of the original were used in this version, which had a new plot. (Watch Trailer)

The Hand Of Death (aka Countdown In Kung Fu, Strike of Death or Shaolin Men), is a 1976 Hong Kong martial arts film directed by John Woo, starring Tan Tao-liang and James Tien, and featuring early acting performances from Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao in supporting roles. In addition to their acting roles, Hung also worked as stunt co-ordinator, and Yuen performed much of the stuntwork, including doubling for both of the principal stars. Yun Fei must avenge the name of the Shaolin Temple against rogue student turned Manchu rat Shih. After being defeated by Shih and escaping (barely) with his life, Yun Fei finds allies in the form of Tan, Zorro and Scholar Cheng. They team up to try and stop Shih from wiping out the Shaolin Temple and it's legacy forever. (Watch Trailer)

Directed by Walter Hill. With Charles Bronson, James Coburn, Jill Ireland. In the depression, Chaney, a strong silent streetfighter, joins with Speed, a promoter of no-holds-barred street boxing bouts. They go to New Orleans where Speed borrows money to set up fights for Chaney, but Speed gambles away any winnings. (Watch Trailer)

Starring: Rongguang Yu, Donnie Yen Director: Woo-ping Yuen
Rating PG13
A Hong Kong variation on Robin Hood. The corrupt officials of a Chinese village are continually robbed by a masked bandit know as "Iron Monkey" named after a benevolent deity. When all else fails, the Govenor forces a traveling physician (Donnie Yen) into finding the bandit. The arrival of an evil Shaolin monk, brings the Physician and Iron Monkey together to battle the corrupt government. (Watch International Trailer) (Watch US Trailer)

The Karate Kid is a 1984 drama film directed by John G. Avildsen and written by Robert Mark Kamen, starring Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita and Elisabeth Shue. It is a martial arts film and an underdog story. It was a commercial success upon first release. It had favorable critical attention, earning Pat Morita an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. A handyman/martial arts master agrees to teach a bullied boy karate and shows him that there is more to the martial art than fighting. (Watch Trailer)

Kickboxer was directed by Mark DiSalle and David Worth and stared Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dennis Alexio, Dennis Chan and Michel Qissi. Kickboxer is a 1989 martial arts movie starring Jean-Claude Van Damme. Like Van Damme's previous film, Bloodsport, it showcases Van Damme's unique fighting style, as well as his ability to do the complete splits. Kurt Sloan is the corner-man for his brother, U.S. kickboxing champion Eric Sloan. When Kurt witnesses his brother maliciously paralyzed in the ring by Thai champion Tong Po, Kurt vows revenge. With the help of Zion, a kickboxing trainer who lives in a remote area of Thailand, Kurt trains for the fight of his life.
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The Knockabout cast include Yuen Biao, Leung Kar Yan, Lau Kar Wing, Sammo Hung, Karl Maka and was directed by Sammo Hung Kam-Bo. A vengeance-seeking martial arts neophyte/con man named Yipao (Biao Yuen) and his brother Dai Pao loose their money to a kung-fu master in the unlikely form of a bum (Old Fox, played by Lau Kar Wing who is really a fugitive criminal). They follow after the bum learning a thing or two from the old master who defeats them soundly. There are lessons learned and the laughter galore. The action is great, the fighting top notch, its a true kung-fu action-comedy. Not available with subtitles.

Kung Fu: The Movie is a 1986 TV movie and the first in a series of sequels which continued the story of the Shaolin monk, Kwai Chang Caine, first introduced in the 1972-75 television series, Kung Fu. The role of Caine is resumed by David Carradine. The role of his son, Chung Wang, is portrayed by Brandon Lee, who makes his acting debut with this film. The film aired on Brandon's 21st birthday in 1986. The role of Master Po is also resumed by Keye Luke and The Manchu is portrayed by Mako (Makoto Iwamatsu). Bruce Lee (father of Brandon) was originally considered to star in the original 1972 TV series.
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In Last Hero in China, Jet Li reprises the role of Wong Fei-hung, a legendary figure in China. Both a doctor and a teacher of martial arts, Wong has just moved his school in Canton, only to discover that the neighboring house is a brothel. Though Wong's students are delighted and the earnest brothel master only wants to study with him, Wong feels he has lost face. But this becomes the least of his troubles: soon he's fighting a corrupt police chief, a temple of slave-trading monks, and a deafness-causing medicine sold to children--and that's just in the first hour. Last Hero in China is a grand melodrama, featuring exaggerated heroes and villains, goofy humor, and hyperbolic kung fu action. The plot takes some hard-to-follow turns, but the action is so nonstop it hardly matters. The lion vs. centipede dance/fight has to be seen to be believed, to say nothing of the priest with a floating lotus chariot and a flying claw. Jet Li is in fine form, Gordon Liu (as the venal top cop) is maniacal and despicable, and the lovely Cheung Man plays an expert martial artist looking for her kidnapped sister. The character of Wong Fei-hung also appears in the Once upon a Time in China series (where he was first played by Li) and in Jackie Chan's Drunken Master movies. (Watch Trailer)

Last Man Standing was directed by Damian Lee, a Canadian film director, writer, and producer. After eight years in an insane asylum, Roo, played Vernon G. Wells, takes a job in a gym owned by Napoleon, played by Michael Copeman. Tormented by memories of shock treatments and inhumane conditions, he channels his pent-up aggression and becomes a bare-knuckled street fighter. He soon goes up against the champ Razor played by Real Andrews.

Starring: Tiet Wo Chu, Sheng Fu Not Rated

Tradition has 18 weapons in the Chinese martial arts. A nationalistic clan tries to use their kung fu to block bullets, but it has proven to fail. An expert in the clan disbands the part under his control, and now the rest of the clan is after him. This expert is skilled in all 18 legendary weapons of China, so the order is to kill anyone who is associated with the 18 weapons. But how can they find the real expert, who has now escaped to Canton, when there are millions there?
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Starring: Jackie Chan, Kwok Kuen Chan Director: Jackie Chan
Rating R
Returning home with his father after a shopping expedition, Wong Fei-Hong is unwittingly caught up in the battle between foreigners who wish to export ancient Chinese artifacts and loyalists who don't want the pieces to leave the country. Fei-Hong has learned a style of fighting called "Drunken Boxing", which makes him a dangerous person to cross. Unfortunately, his father is opposed to his engaging in any kind of fighting, let alone drunken boxing. Consequently, Fei-Hong not only has to fight against the foreigners, but he must overcome his father's antagonism as well. (Watch Trailer)

Starring: Sammo Hung Kam-Bo, Hoi San Lee Director: Sammo Hung Kam-Bo, Woo-ping Yuen Rating PG13
A plump butcher student of Wong Fei Hung, Lam Sai-Wing gets into trouble with a rival kung-fu school known as Five Dragons and is accused of raping the head of that school's goddaughter and killing his son. Now Ko, the head of five dragons, wants revenge. (Watch Trailer)

Master of the Flying Guillotine is a 1975 Taiwanese / Hong Kong martial arts film starring Jimmy Wang Yu, who also wrote and directed the film. It is a sequel to Wang's 1971 film One Armed Boxer, and thus the film is also known as One-Armed Boxer 2 and The One Armed Boxer Vs. the Flying Guillotine.The film concerns Wang's one-armed martial arts master being stalked by an Imperial assassin, the master of two fighters (the Tibetan Lamas) who were killed in the previous film. When the One-Armed Boxer is invited to attend a martial arts tournament, his efforts to lay low are unsuccessful, and the assassin soon tracks him down with the help of his three subordinates competing in the tournament: a Thai boxer, a yoga master, and a kobojutsu user. The title refers to the assassin's weapon, the "Flying guillotine" which resembles a hat with a bladed rim attached to a long chain. Upon enveloping one's head, the blades cleanly decapitate the victim with a quick pull of the chain. (Watch Trailer)

Directed by Jackie Chan and starring: Kenny Bee, Yuen Chor Chan stars as a young man who rescues a dying crime boss in 1930s Hong Kong. When the boss passes away, he is tapped to become the new leader. He attributes his good luck to an old rose seller and the roses he buys off of her. To pay her back for all of his good fortune, he helps her pretend to be a wealthy socialite, just as she had described herself in letters to her daughter in order to help impress her daughter's wealthy fiancé and not queer their upcoming marriage. The plot is lifted from Frank Capra's Lady for a Day (1933), which Capra remade in 1961 as Pocketful of Miracles. Of course, like all Jackie Chan films, this movie contains more--and more innovative--fight scenes than Capra could ever dream of.

Mortal Kombat is a 1995 action film directed by Paul W. S. Anderson that was based on Mortal Kombat series of fighting games. The movie was filmed in Los Angeles and on location in Thailand. A sequel, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, was released in 1997. Based on the popular video game of the same name, "Mortal Kombat" tells the story of an ancient tournament where the best of the best of different Realms fight each other. The goal - 10 wins allows the winner to legally invade the losing Realm. Outworld has so far collected 9 wins against Earthrealm, so it's up to Lord Rayden (Christopher Lambert) and his fighters to stop Outworld from reaching the final victory.
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Starring: Jet Li, Biao Yuen Director: Hark Tsui Rating R.
This is a spectacular retelling of the adventures of a legendary Ching Dynasty hero Wong Fey Hong and his small band of loyal followers. It is the closing quarter of the last century and China is beginning to feel a growing swell of Western influence. Foreign culture and religion are upsetting the traditional order, and firearms are threatening the omnipotence of the martial arts. Wong's small local militia is to be disbanded by a new regional commander who sees it as a threat to his power, and to his possibly lucrative relationship with foreign traders. A woman for whom Wong has long cared is captured aboard one of the foreign ships. A spectacular battle ensues to defeat the foreigners and their mercenaries and rescue the girl. (Watch Trailer)

Starring: Jet Li, Ka-Kui Ho Director: Hark Tsui Rating R
This Good Guy has some Bad Moves... International martial arts sensation Jet Li brings razor-sharp action to the screen in this classic Kung Fu tale set in turn-of-the-century Canton! Dr. Wong Fei-Hung (Jet Li) his assistant Foon and his beloved aunt arrive in Canton for a medical conference in which Wong is to demonstrate the art of Chinese acupuncture. Unbeknownst to them however the city is on the brink of revolution as pro-democracy rebels and anarchists alike threaten the stability of a crumbling dynasty. Justice his only allegiance Wong joins forces with a brave revolutionary Sun Yat Sen when a religious terrorist group - The White Lotus Clan - initiates a campaign of violence against all foreigners in an attempt to preserve Chinese culture.
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Only The Strong is a 1993 action film, directed by Sheldon Lettich. It is considered to be the only Hollywood film that showcases the Afro-Brazilian martial art of Capoeira throughout the entire movie. The story is about a Former Green Beret Louis Stevens (Mark Dacascos) who returns to his hometown of Miami after completing military service in Brazil, only to learn that his old high school has become a haven for gangs and drug dealers. After Stevens uses his capoeira skills to kick several drug dealers off of the school property, Kerrigan (Geoffrey Lewis), one of Stevens' old teachers, sees the impact that Stevens has on the students and Kerrigan gives Louis the task of teaching Capoeira to a handful of the worst at-risk students at the school. (Watch Trailer)

Starring: Lung Chan, Alfred Cheung Not Rated
Pedicab drivers Lo Tung (Sammo Hung) and Mai Chien-tang (Max Mok) are just a pair of ordinary working joes in love with two women--Ping, a buxom bakery employee, and Hsiao-tsui, a woman forced to work for a gangster. When Lo and Mai decide to help Hsiao-tsui, a Triad baddie (John Sham) decides that he won't let a couple of scruffy bicyclists stand between him and his profits. Much of the humor of the film derives from scenes of Hung's rotund body peddling furiously on his fragile pedicab. Even with such precarious physics, there is a credible sequence in which Hung rides a pedicab sideways against a wall. The fight scenes are, as to be expected from Hung, very good, with Billy Chow (the villainous Japanese general in FIST OF LEGEND) menacingly portraying Sham's chief bodyguard. In a wild flight of fancy typical of the Hong Kong action film genre, there is also an homage to the lightsaber duels of the STAR WARS series. (Watch Trailer)

Directored by Jackie Chan Starring Jackie Chan and Brigitte Lin
Kevin Chan (aka Jackie) is a Hong-Kong cop, who scores his first big hit by virtually single-handedly capturing and arresting a big drug-lord. Of course, the drug-lord isn't too happy about this, and frames Kevin with the murder of another cop (who happened to be on the take). Kevin has to clear his name, whilst keeping himself from getting killed or arrested, and keeping his girlfriend from leaving him. Written by Yaron .
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The original Police Story was a slam-bang action movie that was high on stunts, but low on plot, but the movie had some of the greatest action sequences ever put on film, not to mention a strong cast and a winning performance by Jackie Chan. Police Story 2 came out 3 years later. This movie is plot-driven, has better camerawork, and seemingly higher production values, but the film is nearly identical to Police Story 1 and continue as Kevin Chan must fend off terrorist while trying to salvage his relationship with his girl friend who eventually is kidnapped by the terrorists.

Police Story 3: SuperCop Stars Jackie Chan, Michelle Yeoh Director: Stanley Tong - When a dangerous undercover mission is required to put a high-powered drug lord out of commission, the job goes to the one man fearless enough to take on the task of infiltrating the biggest crime and narcotics syndicate in the Pacific Rim--Detective Kevin Chan. Chan's assignment begins in a prison labor camp where he's sent to retrieve a gangster named Panther, who will lead Chan to Panther's older brother, Chaibat, a drug lord so mighty that the authorities believe his capture will cut the Southeast Asian drug trade in half. Chan learns he won't be solo on this mission when he's joined by his new boss (posing as his sister), Director Yang, who's as elegant as she is skilled in martial arts. In order to break up the syndicate the two detectives--working undercover as Fu Sheng and Hana--must fight Chaibat and his gang in a series of explosive battles in and on cars, motorcycles, and finally atop a moving train after Chan swings wildly from a helicopter among the skyscrapers of Kuala Lumpur. (Watch Trailer)

Jackie Chan reprises his role as Chan Ka-Kui (also known in some versions as Jackie) a Hong Kong cop who works with Interpol to track down and arrest an illegal weapons dealer. Jackie soon realizes that things are not as simple as they appear and finds himself a pawn of an organisation posing as Russian intelligence
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The Prodigal Son or Bai Ga Jai Stars Yuen Biao Lam Ching Ying Sammo Hung Frankie Chan and is Rating R . "Kung fu Kung-fu movie about a spoiled youngster, Young Leong Tsan, who hates books and conventions but is obsessed by martial arts. His rich father dotes on him so much that handsome payments are awarded to people who manage to lose gracefully to his son, and Young Leong soon comes to think he is the best fighter in Canton." -imdb.com. (Watch Trailer)

Director: Jackie Chan Starring: Jackie Chan, Wu Long Cheung International martial arts megastar Jackie Chan (RUSH HOUR, TWIN DRAGONS, RUMBLE IN THE BRONX) directs and performs all his own death-defying stunts in a hard-hitting and humorous action adventure that's been called one of his very best! Chan rocks the high seas as Dragon Ma, a determined coast guard officer on patrol in late 19th-century Hong Kong. As he battles with a ruthless syndicate in a seemingly never-ending struggle for control of the dangerous waters, you'll be blown away as Jackie literally throws himself into some of the most amazing movie stuntwork ever captured on film! Also starring popular Sammo Hung (TV's MARTIAL LAW), this must-see, adrenaline-pumping adventure delivers all the intense thrills and witty fun that Jackie Chan fans demand!

Starring: Bruce Lee, John Saxon Director: Robert Clouse Rating R
A martial arts expert is recruited to infiltrate a drug operation under the guise of taking part in an invitational competition sponsored by the one handed crime boss. This was Bruce Lee's most popular film in the west.
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Riki-Oh - The Story of Ricky Stars: Siu-Wong Fan, Mei Sheng Fan Director: Ngai Kai Lam Rating R
A young man with superhuman strength is incarcerated at a prison run by corrupt officials and seeks to use his martial arts to clean up the system. The story is set in the year of 2001 in a prison owned by a major company. A new prisoner sees his friends being harassed and killed by the guards and seeks his revenge. (Watch Trailer)

Keung (Jackie Chan), a Hong Kong cop comes to New York to attend the wedding of his Uncle Bill (Bill Tung) who own a supermarket. Uncle's friend, Steven Lo, loans him a vintage automobile for the wedding. A street gang smotorcycle racing near Uncle Bill's apartment are about to run over his friend's car until Keung jumps down and stops them. He soon starts a rivalry with the street gang when he drives them away from the supermarket they were robbing and vandalizing. When a member of the street gang named Angelo (Garvin Cross) gets involved in an illegal diamond deal gone bad and steals the diamonds, the small-time gangsters become the victims of a much larger criminal syndicate, and Keung agrees to help their leader, Tony (Marc Akerstream). Keung convinces the street gangsters to reform, then brings the big-time criminals to justice.

One of the greatest films ever made, Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai. In 17th century Japan, farmers in a small village face the prospect of again losing their crops to a band of roving thieves. Their solution is to go to the nearest city and see if they can hire samurai to protect them. The farmers are poor and can only offer food and lodging but they soon recruit Kambei Shimada who determines that they will need a total of seven samurai to properly guard the village. Slowly, he recruits other samurai for their task and once complete, move tho the village. There they teach the farmers basic self defense and fortify the village itself. When the bandits attack, they are prepared but suffer many losses. Written by garykmcd
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Starring: Chia Hui Liu, Lieh Lo Director: Chia-Liang Liu Rating R
Gordon Liu seeks refuge at the infamous Shaolin Temple after the Manchus kill off his family. Starting at the bottom cleaning the temple, he progresses through all of the 35 chambers of martial arts training, eventually mastering them all...and how! (Watch Trailer)

Starring: Jet Li Director: Chang Hsin-Yen and Xinyan Zhang
The Tang emperor is betrayed by one of his generals, who installs himself as emperor in the East Capital. The son of one of his slave workers escapes to the Shaolin Temple, learns kung fu, and sets out to kill the traitor, who killed his father. The monks have to help him, and in the process, they save the true emperor, who rewards them greatly. Based on a true story from Shaolin folklore, but highly fictionalized. (WatchTrailer)

Directed by Chang Hsin-Yen and starring Jet Li.
This is Jet Li's first film. Jet Li was the all-round wushu champion in the early 1980's (about 1982). This movie was one of China's biggest blockbusters and helped rebuild the real Shaolin Temple as it stands today. The story reenacts one of Shaolin's most famous legends at the beginning of the Tang Dynasty. At Loyang, the cruelty of the Emperor Huang Shi Chun oppressed the people. A famous Kung Fu master named "Mighty Leg Chang" fought back, but was killed by the Emperor's nephew, Huang Yih Jih. His son Shiu Hwu (Jet Li) was saved by the Shaolin Monks and learns Shaolin Kung Fu. Together, 13 staff wielding monks rescued the new Tang Emperor, Li Shinmin. Contains some of the finest fights scenes ever filmed. (Watch Trailer)

Starring: Jackie Chan, Siu Tien Yuen Director: Woo-ping Yuen
Rating PG Shangkuan I-yun (Hwang Jang-li) has developed the deadly eagle claw style to devastating effect on the follower of the Snake Fist technique, killing all except the group's dithering leader Pai Chang-tien (Simon Yuen Siu-tien). When harried orphan Chien Fu (Jackie Chan) saves Pai's life, the master teaches the youth some of the finer points of the Snake Fist style. When Chien nurses Pai back to health following an ambush by two of Shangkuan's followers, Pai teaches the lad everything he knows. Later, Chien watches with amazement as his pet cat kills a cobra, giving him the beginning of a new deadlier technique that eventually defeats the evil Shangkuan. This film helped created Jackie Chan's winning screen persona as a put-upon everyman and kung-fu comedian. This film proved to be so popular that director Yuen Woo-ping, Simon Yuen, and Chan went on to make the smash hit Drunken Master later that year. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide. (Watch Trailer)

Directed by Sum Cheung and starring John Chang.
John Chang stars in Snake in the Monkey's Shadow as Liang, a martial arts student who impresses his teacher enough to have him instruct Liang in drunken boxing technique. After Liang dispatches a pair of thugs, two hitmen set out to murder him. Liang's friend Khoo teaches him the monkey fist technique in order to help him battle the deadly snake style used by the pair chasing him. The killers murder Khoo, but Liang finds inspiration at the funeral and develops a fighting system that will keep him alive and help him vanquish his foes. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide. (Watch Trailer)

The Street Fighter is a Japanese martial arts film released in 1974. It was directed by Shigehiro Ozawa and produced by Toei Company Ltd. The copyright for the film failed to be renewed and it lapsed into public domain. Also known as Kung Fu Street Fighter, a mercenary karate master is hired by Yakuza and Mafia to kidnap an oil magnate's daughter. After the fee for her kidnapping is denied, Terry (Sonny Chiba) converts over to the good side of the law smashing heads in and tearing off limbs along the way. (Watch Trailer)

Dennis Quaid stars as Art Long, a Fort Worth tree trimmer by day and struggling Country singer by night. But when he enters a local Toughman Contest, he discovers that he may have a knack for knockouts. Now with the help of his street-smart corner man (Stan Shaw of SNAKE EYES) and a crafty promoter (Warren Oates in his final film role), Art is headed to the National Finals in Detroit where all he’ll have to do is beat up five guys in one night on national television to win $100,000, a recording contract, and the title of Toughest Man In America. Even if Art is crazy enough to try, will he be tough enough to win it all? Pam Grier and Wilford Brimley co-star in this wild action-comedy directed by Oscar® winner Richard Fleischer and featuring songs by T.G. Sheppard, Mickey Gilley and Dennis Quaid.
(Watch Trailer)

One could say that the "kung-fu movie" (term coined in the the early seventies) started with The True Story of Wong Fei Hung: Whiplash Snuffs the Candle Flame. True Story was the very first martial-arts movie that aimed for a realistic display of authentic martial arts in a realistic setting. This was the first film about Wong Fei-hung, famed chinese folk hero. Plot: The film opens with scenes establishing Wong Fei-hung’s credentials as a martial-artist (he performs a lengthy lion dance) and an eminent "sifu" (master/teacher) of the "Authentic Shaolin Boxing School" as he inducts a new student Leung Foon (Cho Tat-wah). He is then called to rescue a young woman held against her will by a crafty rascal. Wounded in the attempt, he is saved by a foxy courtesan who falls for him, much to the master’s embarrassment. Once that affair is settled, Master Wong has to deal with the undisciplined behaviour of his new student Foon and he also runs afoul of a loutish sifu rival. This leads eventually to a confrontation where Master Wong armed with a set of steel whips snuffs out the flames of a pair of candles in an impromptu display.
(Watch Trailer)

The Twelve Gold Medallions (Shi er jin pai) is a 1970 Shaw Brothers wuxia film directed by Gang Cheng. Starring Ping Chin, Hua Yueh, Chiao Chiao, Miao Ching, Mei Sheng Fan, Lee Yan HoPlot: Traitorous minister Chin Kuei tries to halt General Yueh Fei's victorious battles against the country's invaders. He sends imperial orders - in the form of gold medallions - summoning the General back to the capital. Among the patriotic knights trying to intercept the medallions is Miao Lung (Yueh Hua), whose teacher Chin Yen-tang is in the evil minister's clique. Miao is in love with Chin's daughter, Chin So (Chin Ping), who also rebels against her disloyal father and intercepts the medallions herself. Desperate, Chin Yen-tang attacks his own daughter and and a fellow patriot, Meng Ta-pei. (Watch Trailer)

Directed by Ringo Lam and Tsui Hark and starring Jackie Chan. Jackie Chan plays two roles, as twins who were separated at birth and grow into very different men - one (John Ma), becomes a famous classical pianist, the other (Boomer) becomes a common crook. When Ma visits Hong Kong he and Boomer are confused with one another and each is forced to assume the other's identity. Boomer eventually comes to the rescue of Ma when Ma becomes stuck in the middle of a gang war.

Starring: Jet Li, Michelle Yeoh Director: Woo-ping Yuen Rating R
Jet Li plays Junbao, a child that grows up as a monk in a Shaolin temple along with his friend Tianbao. During a friendly competition, they are both expelled during a vicious fight when another competitor cheated by using a weapon. They wander China and during a performance, Junbao and Tianbao go their separate ways, Tianbao joining the military, and Junbao joining the rebels opposing the government. Tianbao, hungry for power and wealth, sets-up and betrays his lifelong friend, Junbao, in an ambush to attain the rank of general. Junbao, stricken with grief and disbelief, turns to Tai Chi to help. The climactic finale pits Tianbao against Junbao in a martial arts battle that rages throughout a military encampment while an army of thousands look on. Written by Chris Castellano. (Watch Trailer)

Directed by Sammo Hung, starring Hung, Jackie Chan and Yuen Biao. Thomas (Jackie Chan) and David (Yuen Biao) are cousins who run a fast food van in Barcelona. The food is delivered by Thomas, who rushes around the square on a skateboard. After fending off a biker gang, they meet the beautiful pickpocket Sylvia (Lola Forner), who asks them to hide her in their van to avoid the police. Thomas and David are enamoured by her, but after allowing her to stay in their apartment that night, they wake to find Sylvia and their money gone. The next day, they bump into Moby (Sammo Hung), a bumbling private investigator who is also tracking Sylvia. It is discovered that Sylvia is the heir to a sizeable inheritance that a criminal gang is trying to steal from her. When she is kidnapped, Thomas, David, and Moby team up to save her, infiltrating the villains' castle and defeating them in a martial arts battle.

When Taekwondo Strike is a Martial Arts film from the seventies. It was produced by Raymond Chow. This Martial Arts classic has a very experienced martial arts cast and high quality fight choreography. The film features well known martial arts actors such as Angela Mao, Jhoon Rhee, the father of American Taekwondo, Wong In Sik aka Ing-Sik Whang, Carter Wong, Kenji Kazama, Sammo Hung, Biao Yuen and Golden Harvest producer Andre Morgan. This was Jhoon Rhee's only film.Plot: Korean nationalists struggle against Japanese invaders in this action adventure set during World War II. (Watch Trailer)

Starring: Michelle Yeoh, Donnie Yen Director: Woo-ping Yuen
Not Rate. Wing Chun, a woman living in a remote village often pillaged by robbers. When Wing Chun finally loses her cool and defeats them, her heroic actions stir up even more trouble in this male-based society of the time. The climactic battle to the death is a dazzler. Written by Towne 3, San Jose, CA. (Watch Trailer)

The Young Master Stars Jackie Chan, Yuen Biao, Feng Feng, Shih Kien Directed by Jackie Chan YOUNG MASTER: Youthful master Jackie Chan is searching for his missing brother, when he is mistaken for a criminal on the lam. He must prove his innocence by solving the case himself, while local lawmen and merciless mercenaries are hot on his trail. A highly entertaining action/comedy from Hong Kong superstar Chan. YOUNG TIGER: An early Jackie Chan film where he plays the ruthless leader of a gang who needs to find the purse of an ex-gang member before someone else does. An innocent taxi driver was the last person to see the dead woman, and he enlists his sister, who is a policewoman and martial arts master, to help him. (Watch Trailer)

(Martial arts movies released between 2000 and today)