The 25 Greatest Martial Arts Film You Should Watch
As the Abbott behind the deft and agile Wu-Tang Clan sound and brand, RZA gave euphoric martial arts fans goosebumps by famously sampling dialogue and sound effects from classic films. In "The Man With The Iron Fists," RZA practically does the same thing in his directorial debut, yet adds another element of flair backed by Eli Roth's veteran screenwriting duties and Quentin Tarantino's mentoring.
In the spirited and exciting martial arts actioner, RZA stars as "The Blacksmith," a man who tries to defend his village against a bloodthirsty clan (led by Silver Lion). If the premise sounds familiar, it's because like many martial arts films, the protagonist is usually a simple man; one with a certain set of skills — and in "The Man With The Iron Fists" this is no different.
To celebrate RZA's successful directorial debut, we take a look at The 25 Greatest Martial Arts Films You Should Watch in hopes that after checking out "Iron Fists," you dive right into these and find out why the Wu-Tang and the Shaolin are nothing to eff with.
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"Sanshiro Sugata (1943)" —
Sugata, a young man, struggles to learn the nuance and meaning of judo, and in doing so comes to learn something of the meaning of life.
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"Redbelt" (2008) —
A fateful event leads to a job in the film business for top mixed-martial arts instructor Mike Terry. Though he refuses to participate in prize bouts, circumstances conspire to force him to consider entering such a competition.
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"Rumble in the Bronx" (1995) —
A young man visiting and helping his uncle in New York City finds himself forced to fight a street gang and the mob with his martial art skills.
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"Yojimbo" (1961) —
A crafty ronin comes to a town divided by two criminal gangs and decides to play them against each other to free the town.
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"Five Fingers of Death" (1972) —
The English dubbed version, released through Warner Brothers, was the film that launched the craze for "kung fu" movies in the United States.
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"The One-Armed Swordsman" (1967) —
An evil gang attacks the Chi school of Golden Sword Kung Fu. One student sacrifices his life to save his teacher and his school. This was Chang Cheh's early masterpiece!
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"Dragon" (2011) —
A sinful martial arts expert wants to start a new tranquil life, only to be hunted by a determined detective and his former master.
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"Seven Samurai" (1954) —
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"Five Deadly Venoms" (1978) —
A dying teacher instructs his final student to check on the activities of five former pupils, each of whom he taught a unique and special style of kung-fu to: The Centipede, Snake, Scorpion, Lizard, and Toad.
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"Flash Point" (2007) —
A hot-headed inspector takes on a small but powerful Vietnamese-Chinese gang, after a series of crimes and murder attempts committed and putting an undercover cop and his girlfriend in great danger.
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"13 Assassins" (2010) —
A group of assassins come together for a suicide mission to kill an evil lord.
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"The Streetfighter" (1974) —
This cult film and its three sequels are thought to be particular favorites of American director Quentin Tarantino. Sonny Chiba stars as Terry, a mercenary hired by the Yakuza and Mafia to kidnap a wealthy heiress. It is notable as the first film to receive an X-rating in the United States solely for violence.
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"Project A" (1983) —
Project A blends comedy moments and spectacular stunts, including set-pieces reminiscent of Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd. Chinese costume drama with plenty of over-the-top tongue in cheek action and music.
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"The 36th Chamber of Shaolin" (1978) —
The film follows a highly fictionalized version of San Te, a legendary Shaolin martial arts disciple who trained under the general Chi Shan, portrayed by the director's adopted brother Gordon Liu.
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"The Protector" (2005) —
A young fighter named Kham must go to Australia to retrieve his stolen elephant. With the help of a Thai-born Australian detective, Kham must take on all comers, including a gang led by an evil woman and her two deadly bodyguards.
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"The Raid: Redemption" (2011) —
A SWAT team becomes trapped in a tenement run by a ruthless mobster and his army of killers and thugs. An instant classic, and one of the BEST action films made in the last decade or two.
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"Supercop" (1992) —
Martial arts legends Jackie Chan and Michelle Yeoh make an exciting pair in the third film in the "Police Story" series. The Stanley Tong-directed action finds Chan playing a Hong Kong detective teaming up with his female Red Chinese counterpart to stop a Chinese drug czar.
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"Police Story" (1985) —
A virtuous Hong Kong police officer must clear his good name when the drug lords he is after frame him for the murder of a dirty cop.
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"Drunken Master" (1978) —
An undisciplined boy must learn Drunken Fist Kung Fu in order to stop an assassin. A true classic and for anyone unfamiliar with Jackie Chan's sense of humor, acrobatic and choreography should grab a copy and get hip.
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"Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" (2000) —
Two warriors in pursuit of a stolen sword and a notorious fugitive are led to an impetuous, physically-skilled, teenage nobleman's daughter, who is at a crossroads in her life.
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"Kung Fu Hustle" (2004) —
After achieving commercial success with Shaolin Soccer, Columbia Pictures Film Production Asia began to develop "Kung Fu Hustle" in 2002. Stephen Chow, who wrote and directed this masterpiece, pulled off a miracle: bridging hilarious comedic timing with great action and fighting. Make it your life's mission to see this film — it will be one of the most entertaining you ever see.
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"Enter the Dragon" (1973) —
The film that gained Bruce Lee World Wide Fame. He oozed charisma and stole every scene he was featured in. In 2004, Enter the Dragon was deemed "culturally significant" and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.
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"Ip Man" (2008) —
A semi-biographical account of Yip Man, the first martial arts master to teach the Chinese martial art of Wing Chun. "Ip Man" and its respective sequel are the films that finally cemented Donnie Yen as one of the great martial arts stars of our generation.
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"The Chinese Connection" (1972) —
Better known as "Fist of Fury," this was the film that made Bruce Lee the legend, the man, the myth and all that. He broke racial barriers and became the first Asian superstar, even though the film was inappropriately titled. This film is a true landmark in cinematic history and should be a film that is in your queue always!
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"Fearless" (2006) —
This film tells the story of Chinese Martial Arts Master Huo Yuanjia (1869-1910). Huo Yuanjia was the founder and spiritual guru of the Jin Wu Sports Federation. The Director's Cut is the best and only way to see this film. The fights are uncensored, uncut and more brutal than the version cinephiles saw in the theaters. A must watch for any martial arts fan.
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