Exciting, action-packed martial arts fantasy/adventure/thriller movies
It’s hard to find a really comprehensive list of the best English language martial arts movies. There are many lists around the web with sometimes 100+ movies listed, but they’re never in an agreeable order and are always missing some great ones while including some stinkers, often with many that aren’t even made in English!
So this page began as a scrapbook of reviews & recommendations for anyone who wants to watch a good martial arts movie but has seen most of them before and either can’t find anything new or can’t re-find a good one seen before.
Now I think it’s time to beef it up a bit. I intend to make it a VERY comprehensive list (still in order from best to worst) by the end of 2024 so feel free to bookmark this page and check back regularly!
PS – I may occasionally adjust the ratings of some movies (slightly), to ensure they’re in a fair & accurate order.
Movies rated EXCELLENT (9/10)
These are the very best movies I have found (to my taste). If you don’t already know & love them, I don’t know what planet you’re from.
Bloodsport (1988) – Jean-Claude Van Damme
9/10 — This is easily one of Van Damme’s best movies. A masterpiece of a martial arts movie. Great budget, great acting, great story, great entertainment throughout – keeps busy and doesn’t have boring or over-predictable patches like Van Damme’s later straight-to-VHS/DVD style movies did. This movie was clearly made with love. Great soundtracks, ample distinct highly entertaining scenes, great cast. The lead antagonist is played by Bolo Yeung from Bruce Lee’s ‘Enter The Dragon’ as he’s a highly credible martial artist with high talent in real life (this is why he was chosen for a strong role in Bruce Lee’s highest-budget, last-completed movie). Bloodsport could probably get a perfect 10 if it had one or two further outstanding actors in it and if its martial value was far more detailed (helping viewers learn a lot more about martial arts techniques & principles while watching). If you’re a fan of martial arts movies, particularly Van Damme’s movies, and haven’t yet seen this one, you really need to catch up with this classic. Easily re-watchable every year or two.
The Matrix (1999) – Keanu Reeves
9/10 — This quality of movie simply cannot exist without high budget, great lead actors and a lot of love & dedication by the writers, producers and some supporting cast. The Matrix isn’t totally a ‘martial arts movie’ but is an action-packed, convincing sci-fi thriller with a significant element of martial arts. From instant (computer-assisted) learning of kung fu and other martial arts which are exhibited with great camerawork, to the eccentric use of guns and stunts, this movie is a great example of what can happen when people make a real effort and don’t cut corners in producing a movie that was cutting edge for its time. A cool plot involving hacking and conspiracies make this sci-fi both believable and doubly entertaining for fans of martial arts movies. This is a classic performance by Keanu Reeves, who has made many great action movies. Due to the overall quality of acting and production we give this movie a 9/10 – to get a perfect 10 it would probably need a more genuine representation of great martial arts training exercises, and it would need a deeper, broader or generally more significant base of philosophical teaching behind the movie. Still, it’s an excellent movie as it is, from start to finish, and the only real disappointment is how its inevitable sequels don’t manage to maintain the standard set by the original although they are still well worth watching sequentially, but sometimes you might still want to enjoy the original by itself.
Movies rated VERY GOOD (8/10)
A level below the very best few movies, but still very very good – thoroughly entertaining if you’ve not seen them in a while. Very few boring bits, if any. These would be the best movies ever, if not for the few extra special ones mentioned earlier. Enjoy!
Blade (1998) – Wesley Snipes
8/10 — Wesley Snipes is a top-tier action movie hero when given the right movie to work on, as we saw earlier in his career with Demolition Man and Passenger 57; and this movie certainly brings out the best of him. Undoubtedly inspiring the Matrix to some degree, which came out the year after, with agents instead of vampires dodging bullets, and a team instead of a single man. Wesley Snipes has less of a cool ‘hacker’ feel than Keanu Reeves, but more of a convincing martial artist vibe about him, so this movie is very close to the level of the Matrix in terms of acting performance and convincing execution of plot. Wesley Snipes makes a very convincing animalistic/vampiric human being – his moves are sharp and slick, helped very much by great camerawork but also largely thanks to Wesley’s real life martial arts background and his general on-point demeanor. Blade is a rare example of a ‘vampire horror’ that appeals to people who prefer non-gritty, fast-paced, martial-arts-packed action movies that thrill rather than scare. I don’t personally enjoy horror movies, but this one’s fine as it’s more of an action thriller than anything. Like The Matrix, Blade also has a couple of sequels which is inevitable considering how great the original movie turned out to be; and like The Matrix, Blade’s sequels are not quite as good as the original but still worth watching sequentially.
Kickboxer (1989) – Jean-Claude Van Damme
8/10 — This is one of Van Damme’s best movies after Bloodsport. Kickboxer was released just one year after Bloodsport and you’ll spot a few resemblances in the training methods and fighting techniques used in this movie. Good storyline and good training scenes – really captures the imagination and draws you in with the help of great soundtracks too. Dennis Chan Kwok-San also treats us to a strong performance as Van Damme’s trainer in this movie. Kickboxer also has sequels (as it’s a franchise) but they’re not starring Van Damme, with the exception of the sixth instalment and thereafter where he has a supporting role. Generally the sequels are neither similar nor as good as the original – but 6, 7 & 8 are quite star-studded with combat sport celebrities.
The Quest (1996) – Jean-Claude Van Damme and Roger Moore
8/10 — Action packed, borderline slapstick adventure, all about (empty handed) martial arts. Based around the idea of Bloodsport where a tournament decides who is the best fighter from all corners of the world, and has endless similarities with Bloodsport in terms of techniques and fighting styles, but with an added injection of great story and strong acting thanks to Roger Moore’s ever-excellent presence, albeit probably on a far lower budget than Bloodsport but the strong lead cast of The Quest makes it a convincing, enjoyable movie (just a little bit boring in the over-dragged-out final fight scene at the end).
The Foreigner (2017) – Jackie Chan and Pierce Brosnan
8/10 — Thoroughly entertaining – one of Jackie’s slightly more gritty performances but great action for his usual fanbase just with the omission of the usual comedic edge. The only letdown is the strong vibe of modern imperialist propaganda that this movie stinks of and thus was probably funded by. Still Jackie holds it down very well so it doesn’t upset the movie too much. Very strong performance by Pierce Brosnan too, as an Irish politician and former IRA leader who has to defend his farm-come-castle from an angry elderly chinaman who happens to be ex special forces – a role played flawlessly by Jackie Chan with the help of a great all-round movie production. Slightly minimal on plot beside the core story – hardly as much twists as The Matrix – but that’s fine, it focuses on one theme, a slowly developing scenario and does it very well.
Crocodile Dundee (1986) – Paul Hogan
8/10 — An oldie but goldie. This is not a particularly martial arts oriented movie but is based around a character who has outstanding fighting ability not just with his fists and knives but also with throwing blunt objects and in utilising his environment smartly. Mick ‘Crocodile’ Dundee is an ingeniously skilled survivalist who is in his element in the Australian ‘bush’ but has many a trick up his sleeve on his strange trip to New York too. High budget; plenty of entertaining scenes that keep impressing the viewer; decent supporting cast; and above all, an outstanding concept and lead performance. The sequel in 1988 is equally great, although the third instalment made much later in 2001 was not on the same level.
Ninja (2009) – Scott Adkins
8/10 — Scott Adkins is a favourite of ours, having made many great martial arts movies and this is one of them. Ninja (2009) sees the main character grow up in a Ninja school in Japan, competing with his ninja brother to inherit the position of Soke (master) of the school. Upon being disrespectful and outcast by the current master, the main antagonist then kills the current master and everyone found in the school that night, while hunting down the old master’s daughter who fled to America with the movie’s main hero to hide and protect the sacred armour & weapons that have been kept by the school for hundreds of years. American police obviously get involved, as does an organised crime syndicate, but they aren’t able to do much against the talented ninjas. With a likeable lead man and woman, and credible moves, equipment, bad guys and cops, this movie scores 8/10.
Equilibrium (2002) – Christian Bale
8/10 — This movie was made shortly after The Matrix came out breaking all kinds of records, and seemed to try to copy its style, with slickly-dressed plain-faced agents dropping guns from their sleeves and shooting guns from exotic martial arts stances as if performing a wushu demo. But it’s not just a corny ripoff; this movie has a quality of its own. Particularly appealing to people with an interest in the plight of a freedom-fighter movement against a hi-tech draconian police state. This is more of a sci-fi than a martial arts flick, but is listed here as it contains plenty of fast-paced skilled combative action including empty-handed fighting, samurai swordwork and gun firing in Matrix-like ‘bullet time’. Plotwise, Equilibrium basically follows the plight of the highest-ranked, most-skilled assassin from the government’s elite hit squad, from initially callously killing anyone he’s ordered to kill, to eventually becoming leader of the rebellion and overthrowing the evil dictator. It’s not too heavy on the plot so not a movie for drama lovers but has the balance just right for those who prefer adrenaline-rich action and steer clear of gritty drama. With a likeable lead character, entertaining techniques, strong scenery and a simple but powerful story, this movie makes an impact, scoring 8/10.
The Rundown (2003) – Dwayne Johnson and Seann William Scott
8/10 — Also known as ‘Welcome to the Jungle’, this movie stars Dwayne Johnson (The Rock) and Seann William Scott (from Bulletproof Monk and American Pie) and deserves its 8/10 rating as it’s thoroughly entertaining from start to finish mainly thanks to great performances by the two lead characters who are well known for producing thoroughly entertaining action movies. The rundown also benefits from a mildly adventure-packed plot, and decent performances by the supporting cast – some of whom are just as famous as the lead actors. Christopher Walken is the bad guy; while the lead female role is played by Rosario Dawson who is perhaps best know for playing Claire (the nurse) in Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and The Defenders. The Rundown is a real adventure and highly recommended for fans of Dwayne Johnson and fans of Seann William Scott who both produce some of their best work in this movie. As you’d expect, with Dwayne’s background in wrestling and combat-oriented movies, and Seann’s role in another awesome martial arts focused movie in the same year, this movie features plenty of fighting – mainly empty-handed but also plenty of action with guns. This movie doesn’t seem under-funded although it does have a fairly simplistic (but sufficient) plot – with a more advanced plot this movie could potentially deserve a 9 or 10 due to its already outstanding action-comedy entertainment value.
Movies rated PRETTY GOOD (7.5/10)
These movies are clearly lacking something, compared to the very best movies (above). But when you’re short of something to watch, and haven’t seen these in the last few years, they provide pretty good entertainment value. Boring bits are few and far between. First-time viewers will probably rate them higher, but they may get over-cheesy for many-time rewatchers. Enjoy!
The Transporter (2002) – Jason Statham
7.5/10 — Jason Statham has been involved in a lot of good action movies in recent decades, and this is easily one of his best movies. This is where he really made his name in the big time – prior to this movie he had only supporting roles such as in The One (2001) with Jet Li, and a couple of movies with Vinnie Jones. The Transporter was such a hit, it had multiple sequels, each one being not quite as good as the one before (like most sequels are). Owing to his on screen charisma and martial arts ability, Statham went on to secure the lead role in many other decent action movies (especially after he proved himself yet again in Transporter 2), and has since teamed up with many other stars too (including being a key figure in all of The Expendables movies, and joining the Fast & Furious movie saga from number 6 with a minor appearance and number 7 as a key cast member).
The Transporter basically tells the story of a man who is a very good driver and gets hired to confidentially drive packages around. He conducts himself with great precision and pretty much always gets the job done, in style.
Shu Qi (of Gorgeous (1999) and Chinese Zodiac (2012) with Jackie Chan) does well as the lead female, especially early on – the chemistry between her and Statham is believable – and François Berléand puts in an outstanding performance as the senior police investigator who is cordially acquainted with The Transporter – very much respecting him, while also investigating him.
The Transporter is a fast paced action flick with good budget and just the right amount of downtime for the likes of romance and banter, at least in the beginning and middle. The action scene at the end is overly drawn out and in dire need of additional plot to continue the level of quality that the movie began with – this makes it a bit boring and very skippable for frequent rewatchers. Still, for the most part, it’s a masterpiece of a movie, if a bit one dimensional near the end. It could probably have edged into a 9/10 rating if it were more serious about the plot in places, especially towards the end, and had stronger villain characters. So I give it a well deserved 7.5, and concede that it’s probably an 8 or above for first time viewers. Well worth watching and rewatching every few years. Enjoy the whole series sequentially, or just watch the first 2 or 3. Jason wasn’t interested in the 4th so another actor took that role, but rumour says Jason is coming back for the 5th in 2025.
Bulletproof Monk (2003) – Chow Yun-Fat and Seann William Scott
7.5/10 — With strong performances by the two lead characters and an interesting storyline, this martial arts movie is infused with touches of humour as you’d expect from a Seann William Scott performance. Entertaining for the most part from start to end, just a bit short of depth in plot or breadth of strong cast – you may get a bit bored for a minute or two but that won’t last long as there’s enough action and entertainment here to keep you on your feet most of the way through.
No Retreat, No Surrender (1986) – Kurt McKinney and Jean-Claude Van Damme
7.5/10 — This is one of the few movies Van Damme has done where he doesn’t play the hero role. Kurt McKinney is the hero in this movie and puts on a decent performance, while Van Damme plays the role of the main enemy and does an good job of it. This movie is packed with uplifting training scenes backed by good soundtracks (although the music varies between versions and some are far better than others). Overall it’s a low quality of acting by all but the lead characters but is a story you can really enjoy and get motivated by, like many mild-quality martial arts movies are when they have a classic action hero tale and a good lead performance.
The Order (2001) – Jean-Claude Van Damme
7.5/10 — This is one of Van Damme’s better movies in terms of plot. Quite adventurous and a bit mysterious, yet still with that cool ass-kicking vibe you expect from all his movies. With the help of a small but strong supporting cast, this movie warrants a successful 7.5/10.
If Looks Could Kill (1991) – Richard Grieco
7.5/10 — Originally released under the name of ‘Teen Agent’, this is a fun action adventure – not so much a martial arts movie but involves a lot of James Bond style operatives and assassinations. It’s basically James Bond crossed with Naked Gun. Mild humour but decent quality throughout. Strong performance by all of the lead cast members.
Shanghai Noon (2000) – Jackie Chan
7.5/10 — High quality acting with an action-packed plot backed by decent budget, this Jackie Chan movie is one of his more comedic and adventurous ones – great for watching with people who like comedy and adventure movies. Good level of martial arts involved but not so much that only martial arts fans would like it. Shanghai Noon also has a high quality sequel – Shanghai Knights – with its own creative storyline – well worth watching in succession. Don’t be put off by the co-star’s Boris-Johnson-esque wig, he’s actually a likeable character that wins you over by the end.
Movies rated DECENT (7/10)
We’re getting close to the bottom of our list now, but these are still legendary movies! The only reason they’re ranked so low is because they’re beaten by those ranked higher. These movies are still quite entertaining for the most part, and can be very enjoyable for first time viewers. If you’ve never seen them before, you definitely need to check them out. They are all very noteworthy contributions to the martial arts movie archives.
The One (2001) – Jet Li
7/10 — The One is a pretty cool Jet Li classic. It’s a simple but pleasant sci-fi packed with kung fu by Jet Li. There’s some energetic solo demonstrations of Xing Yi and Ba Gua to enjoy, plus the usual fast-paced choreography. Jason Statham has a decent supporting role.
The main hero and the main villain are both played by Jet Li (they came from different universes). The villain is trying to kill the good guy in order to gain his power. He’s already killed 123 other versions, making the remaining 2 versions of Jet Li very powerful as they’ve automatically absorbed the speed & strength of those who died (power is split between survivors). The bad guy is trying to kill the good guy now, to become the last remaining one, at which point the universe could explode or the remaining one could ‘become a god’ they say.
The Master (1992) – Jet Li
7/10 — The Master is a fun film for the keen martial arts enthusiast. It’s not a very high budget blockbuster; but with a strong lead performance by Jet Li, a decent lead female for light-hearted near-romantic chemistry with him, and a complete focus on martial arts from start to finish with three separate schools of kung fu in the film, this is definitely one to watch if you’ve never seen it before and quite worth re-watching if you’ve not seen it in a few years as there are very few moments of boredom – it’s pretty much entertaining from start to finish if you haven’t watched it in years. The Master is not naturally an English language movie but there is a well dubbed English version which is almost as good for those who don’t like reading subtitles. With the humble budget, good lead cast, decent techniques and simple but effective storyline for the martial arts enthusiast we give this movie a rating of 7/10 (which is not a bad score, considering 5/10 would still be ok/average and watchable during times of significant boredom).
Universal Soldier (1992) – Jean-Claude Van Damme
7/10 — Very creative base storyline, with credible lead acting, and the odd awesome scene; but it gets a bit boring towards the end as the writers run out of creativity, which makes for less interesting re-watching. Fortunately there are several sequels to keep you entertained if you like the first one. The sequels are about as good as the original – some are possibly better, for some people’s taste.
Replicant (2001) – Jean-Claude Van Damme
7/10 — This movie has a very creative story, which makes it intriguing to follow until the plot unravels; then it becomes predictable. Not a bad effort in acting by the lead characters. Generally a classic direct-to-DVD JCVD performance – recommended viewing for Van Damme fans who watch all his movies and haven’t seen this one yet. This movie probably inspired Jet Li’s movie ‘Unleashed’ (2005) which has a lot in common with Replicant – not in how the child-minded killer is created, but in the basic story of a deadly killer kept encaged and trained to kill without being taught basic skills like how to communicate and perform common daily tasks, or how the world works, etc.
The Hunted (1995) – Christopher Lambert
7/10 — This one is a bit dated but probably had a fair budget in its day. Not exactly a blockbuster but it has classic Christopher Lambert in his element. Martial arts (ninja) theme throughout, with a decent quality of acting all round, thus consistently entertaining for those who are keen on this genre. Not a bad plot although could have been a bit more creative. Still, a decent film for those who haven’t seen it and are into this type of movie generally. I’d rate it a 7/10 alongside movies like Jet Li’s The Master which is a good comparison because it has a similar budget, a similar quality of acting / investment in cast, similar input on plot, similar year of production and all round similar style and quality of movie with the exception that one is about kung fu and one ninjutsu/samurai so if you like one you’ll like the other.
The Accountant (2016) – Ben Affleck
7/10 — The accountant is a cool movie to watch for the first time, especially for anyone interested in how Asperger Syndrome can effect the performance of a martial artist. Many movies have portrayed a slick, meticulously accurate assassin but few go so far as to portray such a well rounded account of autism by the lead character – this movie is like a cross between Hitman and Rain Man. In terms of martial arts moves, there’s nothing flashy – there’s a lot of quick-kill gun shooting and a bit of empty-handed combat of a similar nature – no classical exotic moves but a good representation of the spirit of the ninja you could say. Casting wasn’t bad either – there are multiple strong performances in this movie, including by Jon Bernthal (Marvel’s ‘The Punisher’) and above all the lead role by Ben Affleck. And there are times where production has shined by taking well-researched notions and strong creative ideas then doing them justice on screen, especially where traits of Higher Functioning Autism could manifest themselves in the life of a careful assassin. For the most part, the genre is a bit James Bond without the humour – it’s callous from start to finish but only faintly gritty and containing enough James Bond style features to make the movie very watchable by fans of that genre. It has a bit of a simplistic drawn-out ending which makes rewatching it less fun than it otherwise would be – perhaps the writers became complacent after a decent beginning and middle, or the producers ran out of budget to wrap things up in style, or they preferred to linger in the grittier drama genre that the movie exposed us to throughout, even though the bulk of the movie appeals to the opposite audience. There are probably certain people who love both genres, but for a fan of high budget action who steers clear of gritty drama, I would rate this movie an 8 for first-time viewing and have settled on 7/10 to cover rewatchings. Still, it had so much potential and such great good parts (demonstrated perfectly by the trailer) that it could have easily been a 9 with a bit more work, although that would probably have been to the dissatisfaction of gritty drama lovers – perhaps you can’t please everyone and trying to do so may have been the reason why this movie never achieved the heights it promised to. Still, a good watch.
Transporter 2 (2005) – Jason Statham
7/10 — Straight into the good stuff that we know & love from Transporter 1, this movie begins with Jason Statham in his element with a fancy car and a gang of thugs trying to steal it.
It then proceeds with Jason playing difficult cryptic word games with an energetic young child – something only a disengaged nerdy adult in Hollywood could come up with – probably an attempt to build plot and characters but it’s very unrealistic not to mention incredibly boring for this genre – sack the guy who dragged that bit out. It should have been a much shorter feature and/or much easier and more fun.
François Berléand rejoins us as Inspector Tarconi – this is one of the best things about this movie. This time he’s on vacation, gets raided by a swat team for his association with Frank Martin (Jason Statham’s character) then discretely helps him out via the FBI database.
Good to see Shannon ‘the Cannon’ Briggs given a minor role – Let’s Go Champ! – for those who don’t know, he still holds the record for the most round 1 knockouts in professional heavyweight boxing till this day.
Jason Flemyng did very well as Dimitri the scientist.
Kate Nauta performed well as an over-sexualised LGBT type baddie with guns – not to my taste but she put her heart into it – credit where it’s due.
Amber Valletta put in a bog standard performance as an anaemic-looking lead female character with whom Jason’s character was almost intimate.
Plot was a bit one dimensional to say the least – clearly pushing a theme of contagions and injectable cures. Nice shiny vials. Poor scene building. Filthy motives.
Still, there’s plenty of well made car chases and combat scenes to give us what we came for. With a more present & fertile lead female character worthy of credible romance, and a more creative and less malintended plot than the one we’ve got, and one or two better adversaries (or more character-building & screentime given to the better actors already cast here) this movie could have been about as successful as Transporter 1, but as it stands, it’s markedly inferior but not massively so. I give Transporter 2 a decent 7/10 rating. Best watched in close succession with the first and third movies.
Transporter 3 (2008) – Jason Statham
7/10 — Maybe slightly downhill again from Transporter 2, but still a decent movie. Quite one dimensional in plot and lacking strong cast members aside from Jason Statham (The Transporter) and François Berléand (Inspector Tarconi). But there was a fair amount of the action we came for.
Robert Knepper did a decent job as the main antagonist in this movie even though he had very little plot to work with – aside from the final fight scene he scarcely did anything but make a few phone calls.
Natalya Rudakova was given plenty of screen time as the lead female in this movie. She played the kidnapped daughter of a politician, accompanying Jason throughout his journey. Her style may be pleasing to some, but for me it was quite basic and underwhelming. Horses for courses I guess.
The Matrix Resurrections (2021) – Keanu Reeves
7/10 — This is the fourth instalment of The Matrix, which waited 18 years since the trilogy came out in 2003, so understandably some of the old characters are missing or replaced (Morpheus is no longer played by Laurence Fishburne, and Agent Smith has changed face) and those actors who returned are much older now – Neo (Keanu Reeves) and Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) are now both in their mid 50s, pushing near 60, which makes their romance a bit less glamorous to say the least. Still, Keanu and Carrie-Anne did alright, and Jessica Henwick (of Marvel’s Iron Fist) makes a very refreshing addition to the cast – she’s probably the best thing about this movie. There’s even a small role for Priyanka Chopra – she did alright too.
Jada Pinkett’s role as the elderly leader of the new city was not so fun – her face was covered in a disgusting looking mask to age her, and her attitude was grossly callous with a false sense of nobility.
The writers seem to have got carried away with psychology this time, and the fight scenes are less succinct here. Replays from previous movies are abundant. Neo can’t fly anymore but is throwing chi balls like there’s no tomorrow. There’s also a strong zombie horde theme, like so many movies released around the same year (representing the rumoured side-effects (or primary intended effects) of something people started adding to their bloodstream since late 2020 / early 2021).
All in all, The Matrix (IV) Resurrections deserves a 7/10 for my taste, since it’s fairly watchable and mildly entertaining. This movie is several levels below the original, and some levels below the 2nd and 3rd instalments. Still, there is a fair amount of the good stuff that you’d expect from any Matrix movie. Best viewed soon after seeing the original movie, or after watching the entire trilogy that precedes it.
The Protector (1985) – Jackie Chan
7/10 — This movie is mildly entertaining. One of Jackie Chan’s early English movies. If you’re a fan of Jackie Chan and are bored, this movie can be mildly enjoyable to watch. Also featuring Bill ‘Superfoot’ Wallace as the main antagonist who fights – they meet near the end, like a final boss scene. The plot is thin and the acting is nothing special, but Jackie brings his usual energy this film. As it’s one of his earlier movies, he’s still trying to establish himself so he’s very acrobatic in his fight scenes but they’re not so cleverly arranged as in the more recent higher-budget movies where he has more control and confidence, and for the same reason he’s a bit more serious, there’s less of the cheesy humour that he becomes known for in his later movies. There’s also more blasphemy (from Jackie) and more nudity (moderate female nudity) than you might expect, as well as depictions of drugs (packing, not consuming) and an ugly murder scene (with a utensil lodged in an eye). But there’s nothing terribly unsuitable for guided family viewing except for the most young or conservative of households who might prefer something more classy, less explicit or less ‘vice’ themed.
What’s incredible is Jackie was well aware of all the flaws I’ve mentioned, and had disagreements with the director over them. They reached a compromise where the director’s cut went out to American audiences but Jackie’s own personal edit was released in Cantonese for Hong Kong audiences. Jackie’s version had a deeper plot, more attention to detail in fight scenes (often completely re-shot for the Cantonese version), faster action scenes, less nudity and less blasphemy (Cantonese dubbing often completely changed the dialogue, not only removing curse words). But there’s no dubs or subs needed for the American version, as The Protector is an English-first movie with a 50-50 mix of American and Asian actors.
Movies rated WATCHABLE (6/10)
OK, now we’re scraping the barrel. The movies below are quite watchable if you’re desperately bored and haven’t seen them before. Any worse and I wouldn’t have bothered to review them, but as they made it to this list, they are genuinely watchable (once a decade, tops).
Birth of the Dragon (2016) – Philip Ng and Xia Yu
6/10 — While it is watchable when you’ve not seen it before or perhaps when you’ve not seen it in many years, I would not rate this as a particularly good movie, although it’s not terrible either. The two lead performances were not bad in terms of actor charisma – they were actually pretty good although they had very little plot to work with. And the movie also saw some fair martial arts moves, which vaguely reflected the styles they were meant to represent. But anyone who’s very familiar with Bruce Lee’s life and levels, including his progression through Wing Chun into Jeet Kune Do, and his rivalry with Wong Jack Man will know that this movie not only butchered his history in unforgivable ways but it totally turned it on its head in a borderline parodic manner. Anyone who feels an affinity to Bruce and knows his true story in depth will most likely feel this movie is utterly disrespectful to him, the way it makes him out to be so arrogant and one-dimensional in his early years. Still, as a martial arts flick unrelated to the real life of Bruce Lee except in the way it borrows a few names and a few moves, it’s mildly entertaining thus deserving of a 6/10.
Bruce Lee Movies
Check out my other site – Bruce Lee Movies – which introduces you to Bruce Lee’s handful of outstanding martial arts movies from the 70s while also outlining the Kung Fu lessons built into these movies, from a Jeet Kune Do enthusiast’s perspective.