Few things are more exciting than amartial arts moviethat keeps the action consistent and has viewers on the edge of their seats throughout. While there have been several all-time classic kung fu movies, that does not necessarily mean theyfeatured non-stop action, as plenty of fighting films value slow-burn narratives or contemplative dialogue over intense action sequences and fight scenes. However, other movies keep the energy high from start to finish and more than deliver on their promise of spectacular choreography and consistent combat.
Many of thebest martial arts moviesever made featured non-stop action, as true kung fu legends punched, kicked, and fought their way through Shaolin temples and seedy criminal underworlds. Fromold-school kung fu classics featuring Donnie Yento iconic Girls with Guns stories from Michelle Yeoh,the martial arts genre is vast and varied. While all these movies achieved classic status for different reasons, they were all united through non-stop action and exceptional fight sequences.
As perhaps the greatest Shaw Brothers movie of all time,The 36th Chamber of Shaolinwas an action-packed kung fu triumph that solidified Gordon Liu’s status as one of the greatest martial arts stars of all time. Tellingthe fictionalized story of the legendary Shaolin monk San Te, once this burgeoning kung fu master gained access to the Shaolin Temple, he was confronted with near-continuous challenges. Watching San Te make his way through dozens of the temple’s chambers was an exhaustive cinematic experience filled with fast-paced fight choreography.
15 Best Martial Arts Movies About Shaolin Monks, Ranked
Shaolin monks perfectly exemplify the power dichotomy between rich philosophy and uncompromising discipline that categorizes the best Kung Fu movies.
As an absorbing showcase of a man’s quest for vengeance,The 36th Chamber of Shaolinblended exciting training sequences with Buddhist philosophy in a classic kung fu story. As the first in a loosely connected trilogy, while the two sequels were entertaining, they could not live up to the non-stop action of the original. As a film that influenced not just kung fu cinema but also the hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan’s debut albumEnter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), The 36th Chamber of Shaolinhas gained an esteemed place in pop culture across the globe.
The 8 Diagram Pole Fighterrepresented the pinnacle of Shaw Brothers productions output during the 1980s and was one of the greatest movies to feature martial arts star Gordon Liu. As a cult classic packed with astounding choreography and awe-inspiring showcasing of pole-fighting expertise, this Lau Kar-leung movie was unique for its focus on the art of stick-fighting. As Liu showed off his intense staff-wielding skills, viewers were left gobsmacked by his sheer commitment to the role.
Based on theGenerals of the Yang Family, a well-known story in Chinese folklore,The 8 Diagram Pole Fighterexplored themes of revenge and retribution. Featuring a protagonist whose family was captured and killed, the only survivors were two brothers who made an escape and vowed to enact revenge.Featuring Alexander Fu in his final film role,The 8 Diagram Pole Fighterwas a martial arts classic that will appeal to viewers looking for non-stop action.
The Prodigal Sonfollows the long-standing tradition of students who defeat their masters in kung fu cinema. Co-written and directed by martial arts legend Sammo Hung,The Prodigal Sontold the story of a young man named Leung Chang (Yuen Biao) who discovered that his reputation as a martial arts master was actually fabricated by his rich father. With a desire to prove himself,Chang meets a real master and trains as his apprentice.
While Chang was originally seen only half-heartedly studying kung fu, the discovery that his father had been paying his opponents to lose their fights forced him to take his studies far more seriously. This led to intense training sequences as Chang worked with a master to achieve these skills he falsely thought he already had. Based on the real fighter Leung Jan, one of the earliest practitioners of Wing Chun,The Prodigal Sonpairs fast-paced action with the discipline and constant training it requires to excel in the ways of martial arts.
While Jackie Chan has had plenty of action-packed classic releases over the years, one of his most enjoyable and underrated movies wasDragons Forever. Directed and co-starring Chan’s fellow Seven Little Fortunes colleague Sammo Hung and featuring his consistent co-star Yuen Biao, this thrilling story of lawyers caught up in a complex conspiracy was one of six movies starring his iconic trio.
Dragons Foreverfeatured Chan’s signature blend of action and slapstick comedyand, as the final movie to feature Chan, Hung, and Yeun all sharing the screen, represented the end of an era. The mix of Chan’s slick womanizing, Yeun’s eccentric nature, and Hung’s timid persona made this martial arts classic stand out as a varied story filled with diametrically opposed characters. With epic fights and consistent action,Dragons Foreverdeserves to reach a far larger audience.
The Scorpion Kingstars Chin Kar-lok as Yuk Su, a budding comic book artist who spends most of his time in an imaginative fantasy world. While these fantastical tendencies led to him learning two opposing martial arts styles, Yuk Su did not realize that run-in with a local gangster’s son would force him to act out his fantasies in real life. With a template that borrowed heavily from the underdog stories of movies likeRockyandThe Karate Kid, watching Yuk Su train to become a genuine hero was filled with thrilling training sequences and action-packed fight scenes.
As a practitioner of the deadly Scorpion Style of martial arts,The Scorpion Kingfeatures a likable hero in an epic story that highlights that, under the right circumstances, anyone could rise up and save the day. While an underdeveloped romantic subplot heldThe Scorpion Kingback from greatness, it was still a classic release filled with well-choreographed fight sequences.Also released under the titleOperation Scorpio, this Hong Kong movie featured martial arts legend Lau Kar-leung as one of Yuk Su’s masters.
While Donnie Yen has plenty of incredible old-school kung fu movies for viewers to check out, the greatest release in the early part of his career wasIron Monkey. This fantastic martial arts classic followed Yen’s breakout success inOnce Upon a Time in China IIthe year before with a story based on the real Chinese folk hero Wong Fei-hung and his father, Wong Kei-ying. Telling a tale that would be very familiar to Chinese viewers,Iron Monkeysaw the father-son duo face off against a masked martial artist known as the Iron Monkey.
As a film filled with gorgeous cinematography and incredible fight sequences, it’s no surprise that Yen’s career went from strength to strength in the years since Iron Monkey’s release, even breaking through in Hollywood productions like theJohn Wickfranchise.Iron Monkeylaid the groundwork for Yen to become a global kung fu superstar, and the film will certainly appeal to those who like their action fast-paced and non-stop.
Yes, Madam!
Cast
Yes, Madame features Michelle Yeoh and Cynthia Rothrock as a dynamic duo in this high-flying action flick. When a microfilm of crucial information falls into the hands of innocents, these two formidable women must protect them from a deadly gang of criminals. Known for its groundbreaking fight choreography and strong female leads, the film blends suspense, humor, and explosive martial arts, making it a classic in the action genre.
While martial arts cinema has been traditionally a male-dominated genre, releases such as the Girls with Guns movieYes, Madam!helped showcase it was not always a boys club.Starring Michelle Yeoh and Cynthia Rothrock, this acclaimed duo helped turn this unique female spin on the buddy cop formula into a true kung fu classic of the 1980s. With several sequels as part of theIn the Line of Dutyseries,Yes, Madam!featured plenty of exciting gunplay, stunt work, and martial arts action.
As Yeoh’s first starring role and the feature debut of Rothrock,Yes, Madam!signaled the dawning of two incredible careers and helped turn the pair into major names in the world of kung fu. With Yeoh as Senior Inspector Ng and Rothrock as Inspector Carrie Morris, this action-packed story saw these two officers on the hunt for a stolen microfilm containing details of criminal activity that has fallen into the hands of a group of low-level thieves. Through its incredible choreography and a tongue-in-cheek sense of humor,Yes, Madam!featured just about everything a viewer could ask for from a female-led buddy cop story.
Tiger Cage IIreunited Donnie Yen with director Yeung Woo-ping for a sequel to their 1988 classicTiger Cage, although this time with a new story and with Yen as an entirely different character named Dragon Yau. As one of Yen’s most underrated movies,Tiger Cage IIfeatured non-stop action as an ex-cop and divorce lawyer attempted to clear their names following a vicious money laundering scheme. Featuring excellent chemistry between Yen and his co-star Rosamund Kwan, despite being less well-known than the original movie,Tiger Cage IIwas no less enthralling.
With the perfect balance between action and comedy,Tiger Cage IIactually surpassed the previous movie in terms of impressive fight choreographyand provided a glimpse of Yen’s bright future as a martial arts movie legend. While the story was quite muddled and haphazard, Yen more than made up for this in sheer physicality as he punched, kicked, and fought his way through several astounding action sequences.
Fist of Legendwas truly one of Jet Li’s crowning achievements and a firm showcase of his status as one of the greatest kung fu stars of all time. As a remake of the Bruce Lee classicFist of Fury,Fist of Legendsaw Li portraying the Shanghai martial artist Chen Zhen as he investigates his master Huo Yuanjia’s death at the hands of the Imperial Japanese occupation forces. With a powerful story that updated the classic Lee film for the 1990s,Fist of Legendfeatured some of the most impressive fight choreography ever captured on film.
The action sequences inFist of Legendwere so impressive that the Wachowskis hired choreographer Yuen Woo-ping for the fight scenes inThe Matrix, a decision that had a major influence on the action genre as a whole.Fist of Legendwas a true modern classic that highlightedLi’s exceptional talent and ability to carry forward the legacy of Bruce Lee. Interestingly, Li would later portray Zhen’s teacher, Huo Yuanjia, in the later releaseFearless.
While Jackie Chan’s legacy speaks for itself through his countless kung fu classics, it must be admitted thatPolice Storystood as the crown jewel in his vast and varied filmography. With Chan at the helm, this was the most fully realized version of his unique style, as he not only starred in the movie but also directed and co-wrote the film himself. As the definitive martial arts cop movie,Police Storywas just the beginning of a major franchise and wasa major release in turning Chan into the most recognizable kung fu star of the modern era.
The 10 Best Martial Arts Cop Movies, Including Police Story
Police offices have been integral to martial arts cinema for decades, with a major boom in this genre of filmmaking taking place during the 1980s.
Part of the power ofPolice Storywas Chan’s insistence on doing his own stunts, and iconic moments like the shopping mall fight have gone down in history as some of the most impressive action sequences ever filmed.Police Storyjust might be Chan’s greatest movie, and the fact that he was so heavily involved creatively only further proved his status as a true kung fu legend. While there have been plenty of sequels, spin-offs, and remakes, the originalPolice Storywas as good as it gets when it comes to non-stop action inmartial arts cinema.
