The Best Donnie Yen Movies

Ranker Film
Updated September 26, 2023 7.2K votes 1.9K voters 189.5K views
Over 1.9K Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The Best Donnie Yen Movies
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Over 1,900 movie buffs have come together to vote on this comprehensive list of Donnie Yen movies. For those unfamiliar with the name, Donnie Yen is a martial arts legend and an international film star known for his impeccable acting skills and jaw-dropping action sequences. Whether you are a fan of kung-fu flicks or simply appreciate high-octane action in your movies, this list has something for everyone.

From playing iconic roles such as Ip Man in the eponymous series to starring opposite Vin Diesel in xXx: Return of Xander Cage, Donnie Yen has left an indelible mark on Hollywood cinema. But what sets him apart from other actors is his ability to blend traditional martial arts techniques with modern-day stunts seamlessly. This unique combination has made him one of the most sought-after actors in the industry today.

This ranked list features some of Donnie's best work - from old-school gems like Iron Monkey and Once Upon a Time in China II to contemporary blockbusters like Hero and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. So sit back, grab some popcorn and get ready to be blown away by some truly mind-boggling fight scenes. And don't forget to vote up your favorites on this list – every vote counts.

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  • Ip Man
    1

    Ip Man

    Donnie Yen, Simon Yam, Louis Fan
    513 votes
    • Released: 2008
    • Directed by: Wilson Yip
    In the martial arts biopic Ip Man, lead character Ip Man (Donnie Yen) is a grandmaster of Wing Chun, a form of close combat. Set in 1930s Foshan, China, the film delves into his life during the Sino-Japanese War. Amidst turmoil and invasion, Ip Man's skills are put to test as he fights for dignity and freedom. Directed by Wilson Yip, this action-packed drama won Best Film at the Hong Kong Film Awards. With its compelling narrative and impressive fight choreography, Ip Man stands as a notable entry in the genre of historical martial arts films.

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  • Ip Man 2
    2

    Ip Man 2

    Donnie Yen Ji-Dan, Lynn Xiong, Simon Yam
    416 votes
    • Released: 2010
    • Directed by: Wilson Yip
    In this film inspired by a true story, Wing Chun martial arts master Ip Man (Donnie Yen) and his family are moving from Foshan, China, to Hong Kong, where Ip aspires to create a school so that he may teach his fighting techniques to a new generation. However, he finds resistance from an asthmatic Hung Ga master named Hong Zhen Nan (Sammo Hung). Soon, Ip is drawn into a treacherous world of corruption as well as a fateful showdown with a merciless boxer known as the Twister (Darren Shahlavi).

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  • Iron Monkey
    3

    Iron Monkey

    Yu Rong-Guang, Donnie Yen Ji-Dan, Sze-Man Tsang
    191 votes
    • Released: 1993
    • Directed by: Woo-Ping Yuen
    In a desperate and unjust land, where government corruption rules the day, only one man has the courage to challenge the system and fight back. They call him "Iron Monkey." Under the shadow of night, in the silence before dawn, he fights to give hope to the poor and the oppressed. Although no one knows his name and no one knows where he comes from, his heroism has made him a living legend to the people and a wanted man to the powers that be.

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  • Dragon
    4

    Dragon

    Donnie Yen, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Tang Wei
    162 votes
    • Released: 2011
    • Directed by: Peter Chan
    Dragon is a 2011 Hong Kong-Chinese martial arts film directed by Peter Chan, and starring Donnie Yen, Takeshi Kaneshiro and Tang Wei. Yen also served as the film's action director. It premiered on 13 May 2011 at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival in the Midnight Screenings category. Donnie Yen and Peter Chan presided over the lighting of a billboard for Dragon that broke the Guinness Book of World Records for its size, 3591 square metres, previously held by a poster for a Michael Jackson album.
  • Flash Point
    5

    Flash Point

    Donnie Yen, Fan Bingbing, Collin Chou
    278 votes
    • Released: 2007
    • Directed by: Wilson Yip
    Flash Point is a 2007 Hong Kong action film directed by Wilson Yip, and starring Donnie Yen, Louis Koo, Collin Chou, Xing Yu, Lui Leung-wai and Fan Bingbing. Yen plays Ma Jun, a police sergeant who plants his partner Wilson as a mole in a pursuit against a triad led by three Vietnamese brothers. Flash Point was repeatedly hailed as a prequel to the 2005 film SPL: Sha Po Lang, which was Yip and Yen's first feature-film collaboration as director and star respectively. Yen denied the SPL prequel reports, claiming that Flash Point was a completely original film. Principal photography began in Hong Kong from November 2006 to March 2007. In choreographing Flash Point's major fight scenes, Yen relied on the use of mixed martial arts, working alongside an international group of martial artists. His work as a choreographer won him "Best Action Choreography" awards at the 27th Hong Kong Film Awards and the 2008 Golden Horse Film Awards. Flash Point was released in Hong Kong on 9 August 2007. It was a box office hit during its two-month theatrical run in China, despite receiving mixed reviews.
  • Once Upon a Time in China II
    6

    Once Upon a Time in China II

    Jet Li, Donnie Yen, David Chiang
    114 votes
    • Released: 1992
    • Directed by: Tsui Hark
    Once Upon a Time in China II is a 1992 Hong Kong–Chinese martial arts film written and directed by Tsui Hark, and starring Jet Li as Chinese martial arts master and folk hero of Cantonese ethnicity, Wong Fei-hung. It is the second instalment in the Once Upon a Time in China film series. The iconic theme song, A Man Should Better Himself (男兒當自強), was performed in Cantonese by George Lam at the beginning of the film, and by Jackie Chan in the end credits. (Chan also sang the Mandarin version.)