The All-Time Greatest Martial Art Movies

Updated August 12, 2020 54.4k votes 5.0k voters 230.4k views333 items

List RulesMovies must have martial arts in them.

All the best movies with martial arts action compiled into a list of the best martial art movies. Martial arts movies are amazing to watch, so they're a perfect fit for film. From the revenge tactics of The Bride in the Kill Bill series to the martial arts mastery of Bruce Lee in Enter the Dragon and Way of the Dragon (among many others), this list of movies with martial arts is a great fit for anyone who loves action.

Martial arts films have been with us for decades. This list includes all different forms of martial arts including karate, jiu jitsu, kenpo, muay thai, and many other fighting techniques. While most of these films are action oriented, some are also comedic (like Rush Hour and Shanghai Noon), or even animated (Kung Fu Panda). Martial art movies are also the perfect kind of film that a dad can enjoy with this teenage son or any other action-loving family member. If you're into martial art movies, then this is the list for you.

What are the best martial arts movies? Take a look at this list and you'll see for yourself.

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263
Enter the Dragon
Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan
Released: 1973
Directed by: Robert Clouse
Released: 1973
Enter the Dragon is a 1973 Hong Kong martial arts action film directed by Robert Clouse;... more
More Enter the Dragon
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2
882
153
Fist of Fury
Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan
Released: 1972
Directed by: Lo Wei
Fist of Fury, also known as The Chinese Connection and The Iron Hand in the United States, is... more
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#275 of 553 The Best '70s Movies#5 of 41 The Best Kung Fu Movies of the 1970s
3
1,286
281
Ip Man
Donnie Yen, Simon Yam
Released: 2008
Directed by: Wilson Yip
Released: 2008
Ip Man is a 2008 Hong Kong semi biographical martial arts film very loosely based on the life... more
More Ip Man
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4
729
149
Return of the Dragon
Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris
Released: 1972
Directed by: Bruce Lee
Way of the Dragon is a 1972 Hong Kong martial arts action comedy film written, produced and... more
5
766
228
The Legend of Drunken Master
Jackie Chan, Andy Lau
Released: 1994
Directed by: Jackie Chan, Lau Kar-leung
Drunken Master II is a 1994 Hong Kong kung fu film directed by Lau Kar-leung and Jackie Chan,... more
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223
Drunken Master
Jackie Chan, Hwang Jang-lee
Released: 1978
Directed by: Yuen Woo-ping
Released: 1978
Drunken Master is a 1978 Hong Kong martial arts film directed by Yuen Woo-ping, and starring... more
7
717
229
Ip Man 2
Donnie Yen, Sammo Hung
Released: 2010
Directed by: Wilson Yip
Released: 2010
Ip Man 2 is a 2010 Hong Kong biographical martial arts film directed by Wilson Yip, based on... more
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8
692
242
Fist of Legend
Jet Li, Paul Chun
Released: 1994
Directed by: Gordon Chan, Yuen Woo-ping
Released: 1994
Fist of Legend is a 1994 Hong Kong martial arts film directed by Gordon Chan, and features... more
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9
588
209
Hero
Zhang Ziyi, Jet Li
Released: 2002
Directed by: Zhang Yimou
Released: 2002
Hero is a 2002 wuxia film directed by Zhang Yimou. Starring Jet Li as the nameless... more
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10
505
138
The 36th Chamber of Shaolin
Chia Hui Liu, Lau Kar-wing
Released: 1978
Directed by: Lau Kar-leung
The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, also known as The Master Killer and Shaolin Master Killer, is a... more
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656
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Bloodsport
Jean-Claude Van Damme, Forest Whitaker
Released: 1988
Directed by: Newt Arnold
Bloodsport is a 1988 American martial arts film directed by Newt Arnold, and starring... more
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306
84
The Big Boss
Bruce Lee, Lam Ching-ying
Released: 1971
Directed by: Lo Wei, Wu Chia Hsiang
The Big Boss is a 1971 Hong Kong martial arts action film written and directed by Lo Wei, with... more
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#18 of 200 The Best R-Rated Martial Arts Movies#4 of 17 The Best Bruce Lee Movies
13
657
244
Ong-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior
Tatchakorn Yeerum, Mum Jokmok
Released: 2003
Directed by: Prachya Pinkaew
Released: 2003
Ong-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior, also known in the United States as Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior is a... more

14
477
155
Iron Monkey
Donnie Yen, Wong Jim
Released: 1993
Directed by: Yuen Woo-ping
Released: 1993
Iron Monkey is a 1993 Hong Kong martial arts film written and produced by Tsui Hark and... more
15
480
197
Fearless
Michelle Yeoh, Jet Li
Released: 2006
Directed by: Ronny Yu
Fearless, also known as Huo Yuanjia in Chinese, and as Jet Li's Fearless in the United Kingdom... more
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Five Deadly Venoms
Philip Kwok, Chiang Sheng
Released: 1978
Directed by: Chang Cheh
Five Venoms aka Five Deadly Venoms is a cult 1978 Hong Kong martial arts film directed by... more
17
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134
The Game of Death
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bruce Lee
Released: 1978
Directed by: Sammo Hung, Bruce Lee, Robert Clouse
This film is an incomplete 1972 Hong Kong martial arts film directed, written, produced by and... more
More The Game of Death
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Kickboxer
Jean-Claude Van Damme, Lau Kar-wing
Released: 1989
Directed by: David Worth, Mark DiSalle
Kickboxer is a 1989 American martial arts film produced and directed by Mark DiSalle, and... more
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110
Ip Man 3
Donnie Yen, Lynn Hung
Released: 2015
Directed by: Wilson Yip
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703
417
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Zhang Ziyi, Michelle Yeoh
Released: 2000
Directed by: Ang Lee
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is a 2000 wuxia film. An American-Chinese-Hong Kong-Taiwanese... more
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House of Flying Daggers
Zhang Ziyi, Andy Lau
Released: 2004
Directed by: Zhang Yimou
House of Flying Daggers is a 2004 wuxia film directed by Zhang Yimou and starring Andy Lau,... more
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Big Trouble in Little China
Kurt Russell, Kim Cattrall
Released: 1986
Directed by: John Carpenter
Big Trouble in Little China is a 1986 American action film directed by John Carpenter, and... more
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Once Upon a Time in China
Jet Li, Yuen Biao
Released: 1992
Directed by: Tsui Hark
Released: 1991
Once Upon a Time in China is a 1992 Hong Kong–Chinese martial arts film written and directed... more

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Tai Chi Master
Michelle Yeoh, Jet Li
Released: 1993
Directed by: Yuen Woo-ping
Tai Chi Master is a 1993 Hong Kong martial arts film directed by Yuen Woo-ping, and produced... more
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Kill Bill Saga
Uma Thurman, Lucy Liu
Released: 2003, 2004
Directed by: Quentin Tarantino
The Kill Bill Saga consists of Kill Bill Vol. 1 and 2 in which Beatrix Kiddo (Uma Thurman)... more
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Ip Man 3