14 Jun 2019 21:27:21
Top 10 Martial Arts Films

After Deependra suggested it, and realising I had no articles close to finishing, I thought I would do a quick top 10 of films. I decided to go with martial arts films as they are the ones I have seen most of, large parts of my life have probably been lost watching them. I did want to narrow the field a little, by trying to pick only one film by each star, ie only one starring Jet Li, one by Jackie Chan etc. Though I did allow ones that they starred in but alongside others, such as the series of films Jackie Chan did with Sammo Hung and Yuen Baio, as they were not just Jackie Chan movies.

It was difficult to pick just 10 and I am pretty sure if I picked it again another day I would pick a different 10, other than the top 3 or maybe 4. Even the order of those top 3 might well change on another day, but that is the fun of these kind of lists, when people remind you of the things you missed off!



10. Triple Threat

A new film I only saw recently, so it is fresh in my mind, which might be why I have chosen it, but the cast helps. Tony Jaa, Tiger Chen and Iko Uwais (star of The Raid) as the good guys taking on a crew of baddies which includes Michael Bisping, Scott Adkins and Michael Jai White. It is not going to change the world or make you think, but it was good entertainment with some of the best martial arts actors around up against Scott Adkins and Michaels Bisping and Jai White.



9. Mr Vampire

A Chinese martial arts film that is fun as well as full of action. In fact, in a lot of respects it is as much a comedy film as it is a martial arts one. It is the first film Ricky Lau directed and, sadly, Sammo Hung's only involvement was as a producer. However it is a good film, though when I saw it in Cantonese I was capable of understanding a lot of it without the subtitles, not so sure how good it would be dubbed or relying solely on subtitles like I would have to now, as it has been probably 30 years since I heard any Cantonese! However, like most martial arts comedies, most of the jokes are not from the dialogue, so I would hope it would still be just as enjoyable.



8. Ninja Assassin

The story is awful, the plot is terrible, but, despite the lead being just an old K-Pop star called Rain, the fight scenes (though ludicrously over the top) make this film for me. I grew up with a ninja obsession and anything with ninja in the title I will have a look at (though Ninja Immovable Heart is to be avoided at all costs!), so I am already biased towards it. Add in Sho Kusogi and I am a happy boy (as ninja films always bring out my inner child). Ridiculous film but I love it anyway.



7. Rumble In The Bronx

There had to be a Jackie Chan movie in the list and it could have been one of any number of them really, though I plumped for this one in the end. Not sure why, I mean I love it, but then I love lots of his films, but this is the one that always comes to mind when I think of a typical Jackie Chan solo film. Crazy stunts, slapstick comedy, fun fight scenes and, in the middle of it all, Jackie Chan just manages to make it all work, no matter how silly the piece of scenery he is using to fight with is.



6. Legend Of Fong Sai Yuk

Similarly to Jackie Chan there are a large number of Jet Li films I could have picked, though I was particularly torn between this one and Kiss of the Dragon. It helps that you know Jet Li is actually a fantastic martial artist in real life, rather than just a martial arts actor. That gives him an edge as he can actually act as well. I love the stories of Fong Sai Yuk anyway, but having them brought to life by Jet Li is something that really appeals to me. Unusually for Jet Li there is more humour in this film (and the sequel) than he is associated with.



5. Wheels On Meals

Put Jackie Chan, Yuen Baio and Sammo Hung in a film and I am happy. So many of their films together are great fun, if not masterpieces. The three just work so well together and bounce off each other brilliantly. It is just a shame they no longer make films as a trio. Hollywood has its buddy movies but they do not come close to comparing to the brilliance of these three as a group in my mind.



4. Warrior

Just a good film with an excellent performance by Tom Hardy, with far more substance than the usual martial arts movie. It is a film that you do not need to be a martial arts fan to appreciate, as it actually has a decent story that tugs on the heartstrings, for those that actually have a heart.



3. The Raid

A simply sensational rollercoaster ride of martial arts action from Indonesia starring Iko Uwais and Joe Taslim (who is also in the excellent martial arts TV show Warrior). The story is not great, basically it is Game of Death turned up to 25 out of 10, but it delivers in the action stakes and has some of the best fight scenes ever filmed. The combination of a Welsh director and Indonesian film does not sound appetising but it works.



2. Ong Bak

The film that announced Tony Jaa to the world outside of Thailand and boy did he emerge with a bang! The fight scenes are brilliant, Jaa took the martial arts genre to a whole new level with this film but it is the stunts he does, with no use of camera trickery or wires, that really do take the breath away and make you say 'Wow!' The problem is, when your first film is this good, how do you ever match it, let alone better it? What it did show is that you do not need huge budgets and massive amounts of special effects to make a brilliant film.



1. Enter The Dragon

It could not be anything else at number one really could it? The incomparable Bruce Lee lights up the screen with a charisma no one has ever come close to matching. I used to watch this film so often I knew the dialogue off by heart, but I still will stop to watch it again any time it is on TV. This film is the reason I fell in love with martial arts and it still stands up as a great film. It also had Sammo Hung in, losing a fight to Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan in a blink and you'll miss it moment as he got punched by Bruce Lee in one of the fight scenes. And I do mean punched, Bruce Lee felt so guilty that he kept him on set for the entire shoot and ensured he got paid for each day he was there, when he had only been meant to be in one scene. There are some people who still believe that it was getting punched by Bruce Lee that launched his career! One thing that this has made me realise is that I missed out the film based on one of Bruce Lee's martial arts instructors, Ip Man! Donnie Yen's best film and it should be in the top 5 in this list, but I would then want to move around the bottom half, so I am just going to leave it and hang my head in shame for forgetting to put it in.

{Ed001's Note - ok Deep, you asked for it mate!}

1.) 15 Jun 2019
15 Jun 2019 05:59:17
Nice list ed.
Glad the raid made it on, great film.
I'm surprised mortal kombat or street fighter never made the list
🤣

{Ed001's Note - thankfully I had forgotten those films. I know it is hard to believe a list of martial arts films could be complete without JCVD though. He is a legend in his own pint glass after all and very adept at annoying stunt men into kicking his arse in nightclubs.....}

2.) 15 Jun 2019
15 Jun 2019 10:17:47
Thanks ed1, you're just too awesome

{Ed001's Note - I would argue but you are so obviously right it would be wrong to dispute it!}

3.) 15 Jun 2019
15 Jun 2019 17:42:10
I actually really liked mortal kombat when I was a kid.
Bloodsport was one of van dammes best.

{Ed001's Note - Bloodsport may even be the best film he did, though one he did fairly recently is probably better. Where he wakes up and finds out they have taken a body part. Or the one where he is a butcher is not too bad either. I can't remember what either are called.

I did a top 10 on the TV site as I had them in my mind while doing this list, it is amazing how many other TV shows and films come to mind the minute you finish one list!}

4.) 16 Jun 2019
16 Jun 2019 09:33:09
Triple Threat has been in Netflix, and I never had an interest to watch it. Mainly because of Tony Jaa. His recent films are quite bad. One of the worst is XXX Return of Xander Cage. Now it's in your list, I'll definitely give it a try.

{Ed001's Note - I agree he has not lived up to Ong Bak since, but he has been making the mistake of trying to make it in Hollywood on their terms, rather than letting them come to him. Jackie Chan made the same mistake as well and ended up in the Cannonball Run films.

Triple Threat is him leading, rather than him being the bloke to do flash stunts and then get his arse kicked by the good guy in embarrassing fashion ala Fast & Furious. Defo a better film than those.}

5.) 16 Jun 2019
16 Jun 2019 17:51:52
Reading it I thought Rumble would be the Jackie film. Was expecting some Donnie especially Ip Man. Easily done though. Maybe we can have a series. Readers do there own lists, top tens.

{Ed001's Note - I am hoping others will add their own lists Mort1.}

6.) 16 Jun 2019
16 Jun 2019 18:17:55
I get the time I'll put something together. Wouldn't be MA films though.

{Ed001's Note - even better if it is something different.}

7.) 16 Jun 2019
16 Jun 2019 19:52:27
Top ten Keanu Reeves films?

{Ed001's Note - can you find 10 good ones?}

8.) 16 Jun 2019
16 Jun 2019 20:23:54
I'm struggling to think of ten if you discount sequels.

{Ed001's Note - I can only think of two, though I am sure everyone else will add The Matrix on top of that. Personally I thought that film was abysmal.}

9.) 16 Jun 2019
16 Jun 2019 22:21:08
I liked Ong Bak, thought the fight scenes were very well choreographed. Another one I liked was Unleashed with Jet Li, it's the only MA film I've watched that I thought had a genuinely decent story to it. Most of the MA films have mythical or just ridiculous stories, but Unleashed felt more real.

{Ed001's Note - you thought it felt more real? OK, I worry for your idea of reality now!}

10.) 17 Jun 2019
16 Jun 2019 23:08:46
What I mean is it's not something that's totally ridiculous. He's basically a brainwashed slave that eventually wants to be free from his mobster boss. I'm not saying the fighting is realistic or anything like that, because we've got UFC which shows what real fights look like lol. I just mean the idea is more real.

11.) 21 Jun 2019
21 Jun 2019 17:22:39
I would not class the UFC as real, the rules are set up to favour grappling over striking as it was initially set up to showcase how good BJJ was. Street fighting, when your life depends on the outcome, is totally different and much more brutal. In UFC you are fighting to win rounds, so you don't put full force into each punch or kick, you have to have something left for the next round. In real life people are living or dying and so put everything behind every punch and kick.