The 10 Best Martial Arts movies

Over the years, there have been some classic martial arts movies, as well as some terrible ones. Thankfully, this list will only be focused on the best martial arts movies and we’ll be avoiding the worst ones. Here, we’ll delve into multiple disciplines aside from the classic Kung Fu and Karate genres. These have been picked based on the following criteria:

• Fight scene quality
• Story/plot quality
• General feel (iconic scenes etc)

It should also be added that this list isn’t in any particular order. So, before you get annoyed – remember it’s just an opinion and everything is subjective. At the same time, if you’re looking for some martial arts action then give one of these a go.

The best martial arts movies to watch

Ip Man

Whilst Ip Man has been questioned surrounding its truthfulness, it’s fair to say that it was still a solid film. This showed the life of Ip Man, who was the influential teacher of Bruce Lee. Simply put, without Ip Man – the world of martial arts would look pretty different compared to how it looks today. What’s also cool about this film is that it showcased the rise of Wing Chun.

Generally speaking, there haven’t been too many Wing Chun movies produced, at least there are not too many of note. So, for this to still be relevant today speaks volumes. In short, if you want to learn about the history of Wing Chun then this is a good watch, just remember it’s not completely accurate in terms of historical events.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was released in the year 2000, a time when the martial arts genre was considered almost dead. This film was directed by Ang Lee who used unique filming and editing techniques to show slo-mo effects during some of the fight scenes. Set in mainland China, this showed Wushu Kung Fu at its finest and also combined with a pretty heavy plot.

Speaking of which, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is a pretty long and slow film. So, if you’re after instant action then it may be too slow for your liking. However, as far as martial arts and history are concerned – it does pretty well in that regard and still holds up today, over 20 years later.

The Raid

These days, there aren’t too many classic martial arts movies produced in the modern era. It seems that from the 60s to the 80s was the golden era, and since then it’s calmed down a bit. This isn’t the case with The Raid, which stars Iko Uwais who is an Indonesian martial artist. He’s tasked with raiding a giant tower block which is defended by a drugs lord. Here, he shows lots of martial arts skills, particularly techniques that are native to Indonesia and surrounding countries.

Because of this, it’s fair to say that The Raid is fairly unique compared to other movies. What’s also nice is that it spawned a pretty good sequel too which was similar in terms of story and quality. In terms of pure pace and adrenaline, this is probably one of the most exciting martial arts movies which is more about action rather than philosophy.

Kill Bill

Directed by Quintin Tarantino, this movie is a parody that was inspired by classic Kung Fu movies back in the 70s and 80s. Here, it stars Uma Thurman as the main character, whose goal in life is to kill Bill, a man that had crossed her years before. In true Tarantino style, this movie is pretty weird at times but in a good way. The fight scenes are incredibly dramatic and over the top, but it definitely works.

That’s not being disrespectful to traditional martial arts either, and it’s done in good taste. Kill Bill was such a success that it was released as a trilogy and the other films are just as entertaining. It also gets bonus points for having a brilliant sound track and the general feel of the movie will make you remember it for years to come.

Bloodsport

Before MMA, there was Bloodsport. This has Jean-Claude Van Damme at his peak as a fighter in an underground combat league. Here, fighters will literally fight to the death in some cases and it’s pretty gory at times. Remember, this was released back in an era where rumors of underground fighting and Kumite tournaments were genuinely speculated on with great intrigue. As a result, this got people talking when it was first released.

It also shows Van Damme during his prime. Here, he shows off some pretty slick kicks and flexibility. Other legendary Van Damme movies include Kickboxer which was also pretty entertaining.

The Legend of the Drunken Master

Sadly, the Kung Fu style of Drunken boxing isn’t really spoken about and generally, most people aren’t really aware of it. However, this style is shown nicely and features a younger Jackie Chan. As you can imagine, it’s pretty action-packed throughout. Here, Jackie Chan’s character has to go against his peaceful father who wishes him not to fight.

However, as martial artists will know – things aren’t always that simple and sometimes you’re forced into violence. This is the case here and it nicely highlights one of the more obscure styles of Kung Fu.

Enter The Dragon

Arguably the greatest martial arts movie ever, Enter The Dragon showed Bruce Lee at his best whilst also showing off some slick Kung Fu moves in the process. This details a Kumite tournament set on a secret island. Here, Bruce Lee unearths more deviant goings-on whilst also having classic fight scenes with the likes of Bolo Yeung and others.

In brief, it’s a great introduction to the martial arts movie genre and even though it’s dated, it highlights why Bruce Lee was so respected – both as an actor and as a martial artist. It also helped shape countless martial arts movies for years to come and inspired a generation of Kung Fu movies. If you’re after a flick with over-the-top fight scenes and sound effects whilst also holding up well, Enter The Dragon is a great choice.

Karate Kid

Back in the 1980s, Karate fever was in full swing and this was only amplified by Karate Kid. Decades later, it’s still a fan favorite and has reached iconic status. Whilst less should be said about some of the dodgy sequels, the original was definitely a classic. Here, it followed the story of Daniel Larusso and his Karate journey under Mr. Miyagi.

This saw Larusso go from a nerdy, bullied school kid to a Karate champion. Although it may have some corny moments, it’s never too much and this won over hordes of fans. Thankfully, compared to some movies during the same time, it wasn’t too corny either and hit the mark in terms of entertainment. It also birthed iconic one-liners such as ‘wax on, wax off’ as well as ‘sweep the leg!’

Rocky

Sadly, some people don’t really view boxing as a martial art. However, it should be viewed as one and has ticks all the boxes both mentally and physically. This movie helped boost Sylvester Stallone’s career whilst also highlighting the ups and downs of someone trying to make it as a professional boxer. Not only does it have a solid plot, but it also has some pretty epic bouts inside the ring.

Several sequels were spawned off the back of this, but there will only be one Rocky. It also did no harm in promoting the benefits of boxing to the masses, whilst also showing the gritty reality of someone trying to make it from the bottom.

Warrior

Whilst Warrior probably isn’t the best ever martial arts film ever made – it’s still solid enough. It also marks a change of guard, as it’s about an MMA fighter and isn’t based on traditional martial arts. This movie stars a young Tom Hardy as the star whose character enters an MMA tournament to win millions of dollars. Interestingly, Hardy actually trains BJJ in real life and was inspired by Warrior.

In one scene, he even ends a fight by using the Kimura submission. Overall, it’s a story of the underdog that has been told before, but not in an MMA setting. You can almost guarantee that many more MMA movies will be produced in years to come, but Warrior was the first to do it and is fairly accurate to the tough world of MMA fighters trying to make it.