Paste's 100 Best Martial Arts Movies of All Time
Created by Panunzio.
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List added January 2015 and updated in November 2022
Fighting, whether sanctioned or no-holds-barred, is without a doubt the oldest form of competition that mankind has ever engaged in. At times, it has been a necessary tool of survival—kill or be killed—and that proved an extremely effective motivation and crucible for enhancing mankind’s fighting prowess. Technology rapidly came into play and has been seen out to its inevitable conclusion, which removes man from the equation almost entirely. Today, robotic drones are poised to do much of our fighting for us—whether we ultimately end up in a Robot Jox scenario where wars are decided by giant mech battles is a valid (and awesome) question.
And yet, despite all of our sophistication and technology, we still fight by hand as well. Some is driven by necessity. Others fight professionally, and have only continued to expand the complete picture of what a fighter is. Look at the exponential growth in sophistication from the early days of mixed martial arts to how the sport has become in 2015, going from big guys winging punches at one another to a beautiful, scientific system of mixed grappling and striking styles. The audience has never been bigger, because on some level, we love fighting, if only because it reminds us of our most primal roots that have long been shelved and put aside by civilization.
And nowhere is appreciation for the beauty of fighting more apparent than in the wide, storied genre of martial arts cinema. Violence is the selling point of these films, but seeing as that violence is achieved through trickery, stunt work and movie magic, it’s not truly the audience’s bloodlust that drives the industry. It’s an appreciation for the beauty of violence, a reminder of the exceptional abilities derived through training and a celebration of ancient, classical storytelling, in the vein of “Avenge me!” No genre reveres classic themes as this one does, because at their root they speak to us like cinematic comfort food, and they provide excuses for what people have really wanted to see all along: The action.
And so, let us celebrate the martial arts genre from its top to its bottom, old and new. Epic and modest. Comedic and tragic. Grave and absurd, all represented in equal measure. These films contain many wondrous sights: Monks training their bodies to repel bullets. Men with prosthetic iron hands shooting poison darts. Flying heads. Incredibly silly ninja costumes. It’s all here.
But please note, don’t look for Seven Samurai, Yojimbo or The Sword of Doom here. Although they’re all great films, we wanted this list to focus squarely on our conception of “martial arts cinema,” which has little in common with a great samurai drama by Akira Kurosawa. These films are action-packed fighting spectacles, but above all, they’re just plain fun.
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7 new
Jui kuen II
1994 — a.k.a. The Legend of Drunken Master, in 4 top lists Check -
18 new
Tai gik Cheung Sam Fung
1993 — a.k.a. Tai-Chi Master, in 2 top lists Check -
19 new
Ging chaat goo si
1985 — a.k.a. Police Story, in 10 top lists Check -
26 new
Fai caan che
1984 — a.k.a. Wheels on Meals, in 3 top lists Check -
27 new
Hung fan kui
1995 — a.k.a. Rumble in the Bronx, in 3 top lists Check -
29 new
Lin Shi Rong
1979 — a.k.a. Magnificent Butcher, in 2 top lists Check -
38 new
Lik wong
1991 — a.k.a. Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky, in 4 top lists Check -
39 new
Wing Chun
1994, in 1 top list Check -
45 new
Xi you: Xiang mo pian
2013 — a.k.a. Journey to the West, in 1 top list Check -
48 new
Meng long guo jiang
1972 — a.k.a. The Way of the Dragon, in 7 top lists Check -
55 new
Se ying diu sau
1978 — a.k.a. Snake in the Eagle's Shadow, in 2 top lists Check -
58 new
Za jia xiao zi
1979 — a.k.a. Knockabout, in 0 top lists Check -
60 new
Baai ga jai
1981 — a.k.a. The Prodigal Son, in 3 top lists Check -
67 new
Geung see sin sang
1985 — a.k.a. Mr. Vampire, in 2 top lists Check -
69 new
Kung fu
2004 — a.k.a. Kung Fu Hustle, in 11 top lists Check -
71 new
Shen bu you ji
1980 — a.k.a. The Victim, in 0 top lists Check -
74 new
The Last Dragon
1985, in 1 top list Check -
75 new
Nan bei zui quan
1979 — a.k.a. Dance of the Drunken Mantis, in 0 top lists Check -
77 new
Lung siu yeh
1982 — a.k.a. Dragon Lord, in 1 top list Check -
79 new
Pan si dong
1967 — a.k.a. The Cave of the Silken Web, in 1 top list Check -
85 new
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
1990, in 3 top lists Check -
86 new
Siu Lam juk kau
2001 — a.k.a. Shaolin Soccer, in 5 top lists Check
Last updated on Jan 24, 2018 by Panunzio; source