Greatest Martial Art Movie(s) Of All Time!
POSTED BY: chrisisall
UPDATED: Monday, June 15, 2026 04:24
VIEWED: 13349
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For raw fight awesomeness, I say DRUNKEN MASTER II (aka Legend Of The Drunken Master)!!!
Other nominations?
Chrisisallkungfooey
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Not really a big martial arts fan. Especially as so many of the American martial arts movies had the main character out for revenge over the death of their brother/father/wife/best friend/army buddy etc. Boring.
But I would have to nominate Hero with Jet Li.
More for just the beauty of the film and the way it is shot and uses colour than for the actual fight scenes, although they are stunning as well.
Following that it would have to be Enter The Dragon with the Bruce who isn't named Campbell (see other thread in Other SciFi Shows for reference).
The earlier and classic Jackie Chan movies were also good coz they were funny as well as action packed.
The only others that stick in my mind are Crouching Tiger and House Of Flying Daggers.
Can I also nominate Hong Kong Phoey, although this is a TV show not a movie?
"I don't believe in suicide, but if you'd like to try it it might cheer me up to watch."
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Quote:A truly great movie.
Originally posted by lwaves:
But I would have to nominate Hero with Jet Li.
I own itisall
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The Last Dragon
Bruce Leroy!!!
Really though. I have to cast a vote for Fist Of Legend.
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Best of the Best 2.
Why are we still talking about this?... 
(Although you may want to also check out Ong-Bak, a really fantastic Thai movie!)
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Fists of Legend - Jet Li
Yuen Woo Ping and Jet Li team up in a remake of Bruce Lee's Fists of Fury. Although the story remained vengence oriented it was expanded to include some of the racial and historical tensions that existed and still exist between the Chinese and Japanese people. The fights are still incredible to me after seeing 15 years worth of kung-fu cinema.
Police Story - Jacky Chan
Pure gimmick movie but what a great one. Jacky Chan had the idea of making a film where the majority of action incorporated breaking glass. The result is Police Story. The action in this film reset the bar for body abusing stunts. The pace and innovation in the fight scenes are unparalleled.
Those are my picks.
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Let's not forget Rapid Fire with Brandon Lee, arguably the best American martial art film ever made...
Jake Loisall
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Rapid Fire was very good but I wouldn't call it the best American martial arts movie. Brandon Lee was definately a full package action star. It's funny that you mentioned Rapid Fire because a couple of the fight scenes were direct copies of scenes from Police Story. The scene in the loft where he rams the guy with the motor cycle and the one where he uses a rolling clothes rack as a weapon were ideas Jacky used 10 years earlier. It's always been said that he did it to pay homage to Jacky.
I have a very hard time making a distinction between American martial arts films and Asian martial arts films because the American films copy (or co-opt) the Asian style so much. It's like calling Wal-Mart an American store. Doesn't sit right with me.
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Quote:Name a better one, and don't say Matrix, that was Yuen Woo Ping, so it's essentially Chinese.
Originally posted by GoramMan:
Rapid Fire was very good but I wouldn't call it the best American martial arts movie.
Quote:Yeah, I was always aware of that- like the motorcycle chase in Armor Of God was lifted by Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Jackie tests it, Americans steal it
The scene in the loft where he rams the guy with the motor cycle and the one where he uses a rolling clothes rack as a weapon were ideas Jacky used 10 years earlier.
Quote:Simple until The Matrix, now it's a mixed breed....
I have a very hard time making a distinction between American martial arts films and Asian martial arts films
Chanisall
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If you are looking for good fight scenes definitely The Legend of Drunken Master or Ong Bak. If you are looking for the whole package movie it would have to be House of Flying Daggers. Iron Monkey also is a pretty good movie.
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