Movies Your Top 3 martial arts movies

[Strychnine]

Bloodsport
Dragons Forever
5 Deadly Venoms

 

[Grassshoppa]

Karate Kid
Bloodsport
Best of the Best

 

[Blayt7hh]

Kill Bill vol 2 if that counts.
Bloodsport
Kung Fu hustle

Also like:
above the law
The perfect weapon
Gymkata
Rumble in the Bronx

Kung Fu Hustle was a funny movie. Sadly I don’t think many people remember it anymore.

Also, Kung Pow. Kung POW had some hilarious moments

 

[Night Owl]

Bloodsport
Kickboxer
Fist of Legend

 

[zapataxiv]

Kung Fu Hustle was a funny movie. Sadly I don’t think many people remember it anymore.

Also, Kung Pow. Kung POW had some hilarious moments

KFH is boss
i still crack up thinking about
"Handles?? who is throwing handles?"

 

[Harry Dresden]

Flashpoint
Ong Bak
Kung Fu Hustle

I like the wire-fu/mma fusion they do in Flashpoint. Definitely a really good movie, plot wasn't bad at all either.

 

[Ripp0ntare]

1) Bloodsport
2) Mortal Kombat (OG not new one)
3) Kiss of the Dragon

 

[TheSlothMan]

That's a tough question. I'll go with

1. The Raid 1 and 2

I feel like these 2 movies get brought up all the time in lists like these, but they're both really phenomenal and unique from each other. The brutality on display really adds to the action scenes.

2. Ong Bak 1, 2, and the Protector

Prime Tony Jaa was great in these movies. While the stories are definitely the weakest part of these, the action scenes are great. I know Ong Bak 2 was not well received when it came out, but the fight choreography is insane, especially during the 20 minute climax.

3. Kill Zone 1 and 2

The first Kill Zone doesn't have any fights until the end, but the 2 fights that do take place are incredible. Donnie Yen is in top form. The second stars Tony Jaa, and has more action throughout. Both movies are great.

Of course there's tons of older martial movies that are awesome too. Fist of Legend, Twin Warriors, Once Upon a Time in China, Masked Avengers, Five Elements Ninjas, Crippled Avengers, The Chinese Boxer, One-Armed Boxer, One-Armed Swordsman, Clan of the White Lotus, Heroes of the East, 8 Diagram Pole Fighter, 36th Chamber of the Shaolin, Shaolin Heroes, Dragons Forever, Police Story, Wheels on Meals, Christ I could go on forever here!

 

[ChickenBrother]

There have been a lot of great ones but old school Master of the Flying Guillotine is probably #1 for me. The muay thai fighter was the best eva.

 

[moreorless87]

Pretty sure Dhalsim and maybe Chun Li in Streetfighter 2 have their origin in that film.

 

[TheAlliance]

Have you guys watched Warrior? It’s based on the writings of Bruce Lee. Yes it’s a series but I’d say it’s my top

 

[ChickenBrother]

Pretty sure Dhalsim and maybe Chun Li in Streetfighter 2 have their origin in that film.

For sure. I think also Sagat from SFII, Raiden in Mortal Kombat, monkey fighter and sumo fighter guys from Blood Sport, long-hair fighter guy from IIRC Best of the Best 3.

Enter the Dragon gets credit for the style vs. style tournament, but Master of the Flying Guillotine did it in the way that's been copied by hundreds of other movies and video games since. It's probably the most influential martial arts movie ever.

 

[Nameless King]

Karate Kid
Bloodsport
Best of the Best

 

[Jack Reacheround]

If I hear this anywhere, I’m helicopter kicking the first person next to me.

This really is the best martial arts film even though is was based on complete bullshit.

 

[Halifax]

Best of the Best got special place for me. Last year motivated myself to hit gym and this song is still on my continously changing gym playlist ;p

Best of the best 2 was alright too. Arena/cage fighting with roberts and lee still kicking ass. After that they sucked balls when Robert's left the franchise

 

[tomjones]

Karate kid
Underseige
Bloodsport

 

[shunyata]

The Legend of Drunken Master
The Protector (2005 / Tony Jaa)
IP Man 2

If we're talking purely fight scenes, these three are top tier martial arts films.

I almost feel like we need to break these down by era.

You see a lot of nostalgic 80s 90s American films on the list above and those are great, but so were the Jackie Chan / Jet Li films of that era. If we go back further there's gold in all the Shaw brothers pics, 5 deadly venoms, 36 chambers of Shaolin, etc.

But in the modern era there have been some spectacular ones like The Protector, The Raid, and John Wick, Crouching Tiger, Hero, etc.



The Night Comes For Us with Iko Uwais and Joe Talsim was fantastic.

 

[Nameless King]

Kurt Mckinney gives behind of scenes interview about no retreat no surrender

 

[Nameless King]

Philip Rhee about Best of the Best

 

[HeroesNeverTap]

This is gonna be my number 1. That was also the very first movie I watched on VHS tape as a kid, remember watching it day by day and never got enough.

No Retreat No Surrender, luckily YT got full version of it so if you haven't watched it yet, I would recommend highly. Van Damme as villain.

I liked the fight choreography in No Retreat, No Surrender. The training montages were a bit suspect though. Timestamped.