Martial Arts Movies and Action Hero Movies in English

Welcome to my ever-expanding list of the best English language Action Hero movies of all time (to my taste). Including plenty of Martial Arts themed movies like Bloodsport, Kickboxer and The Quest by Van Damme; as well as many other movies often starring famous martial artists but not necessarily focused so much on the topic of martial arts.

This list is gradually expanding – more movies are being added every week, so feel free to bookmark this page and check back regularly.

Overview

Let’s start with a simple overview of all the movies we’ve reviewed so far, that we’ve rated OK and above, using my latest rating system.

Bear with me while I’m adjusting the ratings & ordering a lot right now – this overview may be more accurate than the rest of the page for a while.

MOVIE	STARS	RATING
BEST movies 🥇
The Matrix (1999)	Keanu Reeves	9.5
Bloodsport (1988)	Jean-Claude Van Damme	9.5
EXCELLENT movies 🥈
The Foreigner (2017)	Jackie Chan, Pierce Brosnan	9
Crocodile Dundee (1986)	Paul Hogan	9
VERY GOOD movies 🥉
Black Adam (2022)	Dwayne Johnson, Pierce Brosnan	8.5
Aquaman (2018)	Jason Mamoa	8.5
The Equalizer (2014)	Denzel Washington	8.5
Thor (2011)	Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman	8.5
The Book Of Eli (2010)	Denzel Washington	8.5
Hitman (2007)	Timothy Olyphant	8.5
The Rundown (2003)	Dwayne Johnson, Seann William Scott	8.5
Bulletproof Monk (2003)	Seann William Scott, Chow Yun-Fat	8.5
The Transporter (2002)	Jason Statham	8.5
Equilibrium (2002)	Christian Bale	8.5
The Order (2001)	Jean-Claude Van Damme	8.5
Blade (1998)	Wesley Snipes	8.5
The Quest (1996)	Jean-Claude Van Damme, Roger Moore	8.5
Kickboxer (1989)	Jean-Claude Van Damme	8.5
No Retreat, No Surrender (1986)	Kurt McKinney, Jean-Claude Van Damme	8.5
PRETTY GOOD movies
Wonder Woman (2017)	Gal Gadot, Chris Pine	8
Ghost In The Shell (2017)	Scarlett Johansson	8
The Accountant (2016)	Ben Affleck	8
The Legend of Hercules (2014)	Kellan Lutz, Scott Adkins	8
Ninja II: Shadow Of A Tear (2013)	Scott Adkins	8
Colombiana (2011)	Zoe Saldaña	8
Ninja (2009)	Scott Adkins	8
Ninja Assassin (2009)	Jung Ji-Hoon (Rain)	8
The One (2001)	Jet Li	8
Romeo Must Die (2000)	Jet Li	8
Hard Target (1993)	Jean-Claude Van Damme	8
Universal Soldier (1992)	Jean-Claude Van Damme	8
DECENT movies
Code 8: Part II (2024)	Robbie Amell, Stephen Amell	7.5
The Equalizer 3 (2023)	Denzel Washington	7.5
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)	Tenoch Huerta, Letitia Wright	7.5
Bloodshot (2020)	Vin Diesel	7.5
Code 8 (2019)	Robbie Amell, Stephen Amell	7.5
Hobbs & Shaw (2019)	Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham	7.5
The Equalizer 2 (2018)	Denzel Washington	7.5
Hotel Artemis (2018)	Dave Bautista	7.5
Black Panther (2018)	Chadwick Boseman, Michael B Jordan	7.5
Doctor Strange (2016)	Benedict Cumberbatch	7.5
Mechanic Resurrection (2016)	Jason Statham, Jessica Alba	7.5
Boyka: Undisputed IV (2016)	Scott Adkins	7.5
Hercules (2014)	Dwayne Johnson	7.5
Assassination Games (2011)	Jean-Claude Van Damme, Scott Adkins	7.5
Undisputed III: Redemption (2010)	Scott Adkins	7.5
Transporter 3 (2008)	Jason Statham	7.5
Transporter 2 (2005)	Jason Statham	7.5
Replicant (2001)	Jean-Claude Van Damme	7.5
Shanghai Noon (2000)	Jackie Chan	7.5
Blue Streak (1999)	Martin Lawrence	7.5
Inferno (1999)	Jean-Claude Van Damme	7.5
The Glimmer Man (1996)	Steven Seagal	7.5
The Hunted (1995)	Christopher Lambert	7.5
Fist Of Legend (1994)	Jet Li	7.5
Léon: The Professional (1994)	Jean Reno, Natalie Portman	7.5
Under Siege (1992)	Steven Seagal	7.5
The Master (1992)	Jet Li	7.5
If Looks Could Kill (1991)	Richard Grieco	7.5
The Karate Kid Part III (1989)	Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita	7.5
The Karate Kid (1984)	Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita	7.5
Beverly Hills Cop (1984)	Eddie Murphy	7.5
OK movies
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)	Benedict Cumberbatch	7
The Matrix Resurrections (2021)	Keanu Reeves	7
The Magnificent Seven (2016)	Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt	7
Hard Target 2 (2016)	Scott Adkins	7
Hitman: Agent 47 (2015)	Rupert Friend	7
The Mechanic (2011)	Jason Statham	7
The Karate Kid (2010)	Jackie Chan, Jaden Smith	7
Fearless (2006)	Jet Li	7
Undisputed II: Last Man Standing (2006)	Scott Adkins, Michael Jai White	7
Batman Begins (2005)	Christian Bale, Liam Neeson	7
Legionnaire (1998)	Jean-Claude Van Damme	7
Maximum Risk (1996)	Jean-Claude Van Damme	7
Under Siege 2: Dark Territory (1995)	Steven Seagal	7
Street Fighter (1994)	Jean-Claude Van Damme Kylie Minogue	7
The Specialist (1994)	Sylvester Stallone, Sharon Stone	7
Nowhere To Run (1993)	Jean-Claude Van Damme	7
Out For Justice (1991)	Steven Seagal	7
Double Impact (1991)	Jean-Claude Van Damme	7
Lionheart (1990)	Jean-Claude Van Damme	7
Hard To Kill (1990)	Steven Seagal	7
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)	Harrison Ford, Sean Connery	7
Above the Law (1988)	Steven Seagal	7
Lethal Weapon (1987)	Mel Gibson	7
Raw Deal (1986)	Arnold Schwarzenegger	7
The Golden Child (1986)	Eddie Murphy	7
The Karate Kid Part II (1986)	Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita	7
Highlander (1986)	Christopher Lambert	7
The Protector (1985)	Jackie Chan	7
Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom (1984)	Harrison Ford	7
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)	Harrison Ford	7

Detailed breakdowns, movie by movie

For detailed reviews, don’t forget to click through to the dedicated pages where the review often continues with interesting extra details.

🥇 The very BEST martial arts action hero movies of all time

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.

The Matrix (1999) – Keanu Reeves

ACTION BUSYNESS	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
MOOD SETTING	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
SCRIPT COHESION	⭐⭐⭐⭐
PLOT DENSITY	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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, I 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.

It’s not so easy to rewatch every year like Bloodsport is, but what it lacks in sustained comfortable vibe, it makes up for in frequently cutting-edge features. The Matrix has more of an intermittently chilling vibe – it’s not the same genre as Bloodsport and doesn’t try to be – they are both masterpieces in their own way.

Martial arts wise, there’s a bit of fighting, a bit of running, a lot of shooting, and a strange kind of war going on. Action wise, it’s packed with action in all its forms, with a few drama-ish scenes between. Plot wise, it’s almost confusing, but it kind of works and has become a massive cult classic. Cast wise, there were several strong performances and a few less strong.

Bloodsport (1988) – Jean-Claude Van Damme

ACTION BUSYNESS	⭐⭐⭐⭐
MOOD SETTING	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
SCRIPT COHESION	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
PLOT DENSITY	⭐⭐⭐⭐

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 10/10 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.

Martial arts wise, it’s heavily themed around martial artists in a tournament. Action wise, it’s not James Bond, but there’s a lot of fist fighting and a bit of running around. Plot wise, it’s quite zeroed in on a simple concept, but stays quite busy works fantastically. Cast wise, there are several strong performances and a few less strong.

This movie was inspired by the alleged real life story of Frank Dux, a martial artist still living & teaching today. Although his story now appears to be almost certainly bogus, I guess we can still thank him for his dodgy story having inspired one of the greatest martial arts movies ever made.

🥈 Movies rated EXCELLENT

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 very best movies ever, if not for the odd extra special ones mentioned earlier. Enjoy!

The Foreigner (2017) – Jackie Chan and Pierce Brosnan

ACTION BUSYNESS	⭐⭐⭐⭐
MOOD SETTING	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
SCRIPT COHESION	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
PLOT DENSITY	⭐⭐⭐

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. 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.

We’ve previously seen how fantastic a movie can be when a top martial arts movie star teams up with James Bond, as happened when Van Damme worked with Roger Moore in The Quest (1996). The Foreigner is no exception to this trend – Jackie Chan makes a great team with Pierce Brosnan here, and this time they are adversaries.

Crocodile Dundee (1986) – Paul Hogan

ACTION BUSYNESS	⭐⭐⭐⭐
MOOD SETTING	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
SCRIPT COHESION	⭐⭐⭐⭐
PLOT DENSITY	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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.

🥉 Movies rated VERY GOOD

These movies are all epic classics, but also lacking something compared to the very best movies of all time (featured above). So when you’re short of something to watch, and haven’t seen these in the last few years, they provide solid entertainment value. Boring bits are few and far between. First-time viewers will probably rate them even higher, but they may get over-cheesy or other flaws may appear for many-time re-watchers. Enjoy!

Black Adam (2022) – Dwayne Johnson and Pierce Brosnan

Powerful music and sound effects, and a top class lead cast, make this movie emotive and enjoyable from start to finish, and easily rewatchable. There aren’t really any boring bits. Bit it’s let down somewhat by immature, low-IQ supporting superheroes (Cyclone and Atom Smasher) but the rest of the supporting cast range from decent to excellent.

Dwayne Johnson (The Rock) is made for this role as Teth Adam / Black Adam – he performs outstandingly in this movie. Pierce Brosnan was also a great fit for his role as Doctor Fate – he also gives a very strong performance. Aldis Hodge does a good job too, as Hawkman. America-born ethnic-Iranian actress Sarah Shahi (real name Aahoo Jahansouzshahi) does great in her role as Isis, the benevolent researcher who found the Crown of Sabbac and set free Teth Adam. Bodhi Sabongui does a decent job as Amon Tomaz, the son of Isis, who befriended Teth Adam. Mohammed Amer does a decent job as Karim – he’s a bit of a camp comedian playing a semi-serious role as Isis’s brother / Amon’s uncle. Marwan Kenzari does a good job as the research team member who was hiding his true intentions to become Sabbac – the demon tasked with delivering hell on earth.

Aquaman (2018) – Jason Mamoa

Aquaman is an action-packed movie with a very original plot (compared to other movies, although it’s obviously based on the much older DC comics).

It’s quite consistently entertaining, for well over two hours. A slight downside is the ignorant pride-driven war mentality pushed at times in this movie, but to its credit, it offers somewhat of a counter approach in the way Aquaman shows mercy and aims for peace from time to time (just a shame he still gets stuck into the ignorant warrior approach sometimes).

The sound effects, visual special effects, camerawork and general cinematography is of a fine standard, making for some epic scenes including several that are quite emotionally powerful and get the adrenaline buzzing. In these ways, I rate this movie similar to Thor as well as Black Adam, which are on a similar level with their own pros and cons that balance them out about equal to this one in the end.

Continued

The Equalizer (2014) – Denzel Washington

Continuing the vibe of The Book Of Eli (2010) where Denzel plays an expert assassin with a good heart, here we see him do much the same thing but with a more simple & standard plot.

The Equalizer (2014) masterfully sets the mood with the help of Hollywood’s best sound effects and camerawork, as well as actors in Denzel and his main adversary played by Marton Csokas – they both do an outstanding job to match the unseen crew.

Further supporting actors generally do a good job too, including Chloë Grace Moretz who plays the main victim Denzel’s character attempts to rescue; Melissa Leo who plays a politically connected senior member of the CIA (who Denzel’s character turns to for information on his adversary); David Harbour who plays a bent cop; and David Meunier who plays the local Russian mafia boss – these actors all do a pretty good job.

The action is mostly fluid and of a high standard although there are some slower drama scenes and there are some uncomfortable gritty patches. The ending is especially overly drawn out, from a frequent rewatcher’s perspective. This issue, combined with the simplistic plot, and the impression of great values being taught on the big screen when really we’re only seeing a watered down and twisted version of what they should be, mean The Equalizer is only half the masterpiece it could have been, from a smooth action hero movie junkie’s perspective. It really could have been as good as The Foreigner (starring Jackie Chan) or better, but it’s definitely not, due to these issues. Instead, I rank it on a par with The Transporter (starring Jason Statham), which has similar style, a similarly strong cast, a similar simplicity of concept, and is similarly let down by an over drawn out weak ending, although in The Equalizer’s case, the fairly dull long scene near the end is followed by a few strong short scenes at the very end, to lift the mood.

The Equalizer is quite a classic, and is one of Denzel’s best performances, so it’s good to see a couple of strong sequels were made, just like The Transporter had.

Thor (2011) – Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman

It’s far from the busiest movie, but Thor (2011) is still one of the best action hero movies from Marvel. Not an overly simplistic plot, but far from complicated. The script is well made and the screenplay is well executed. It’s emotive in its mix of realism and fantasy, with good patience and momentum around its points of climax.

Every member of the star studded cast acts very well in this movie, including Chris Hemsworth as Thor, the main protagnoist… Natalie Portman as Jane Foster, an independent researcher from Earth who becomes Thor’s girlfriend… Anthony Hopkins as Odin, the original King and benevolent father of Thor… Tom Hiddleston as Loki, who is Thor’s treacherous adopted brother… Idris Elba as Heimdall, the guardian of the gateway between planets… Stellan Skarsgård as Erik Selvig, a fellow researcher and colleague of Jane Foster… There is also strong CGI around the antagonists in the movie – the Frost Giants – so much so that it’s not really evident which actors are behind them…

All in all, I rate this movie on a similar level to Black Adam – a great modern movie from DC which has a similar mix of CGI-powered fantasy to human-based reality, a similar level of simplicity of plot, a similar level of plot twisting, a similar strength of cast, and a similar level of atmospherics. Both movies are comfortably rewatchable every year or two, although the longer you leave it, the more effective it is.

The Book Of Eli (2010) – Denzel Washington

Mad Max meets The Equalizer, as Denzel Washington makes his way through a post apocalyptic America, taking out all who get in his way, and occasionally helping people.

It’s a strong movie, with powerful emotive sound effects, targeted towards impressionable Christians, especially young black Americans. It gives a warped impression of what Christianity is about, being sure to push King James’s bible as word-perfect gospel, and trying to link earplug-fed music to the ways of an alert and ready-for-anything holyman, which is quite a contradiction, the likes of which take many forms in this movie.

Deceitful messages aside, it’s quite a powerful movie. If you can take the details with a pinch of salt, it can be quite moving and motivational in a good way.

Denzel is made for this role – he does an outstanding job here. He practically made & carried this movie – not many actors could do that so convincingly.

Mila Kunis does alright as the lead female character called Solara, and Jennifer Beals does alright as her mother, Claudia.

Gary Oldman plays the leader of the bad guys – I wouldn’t have picked him to lead a savage post-apocalyptic community – in reality someone so snotty nosed wouldn’t last long – but in this movie he plays a book reading kind of power hungry leader, so it’s kind of believable – he does a respectable job, but it’s still a stretch to imagine such a character in such a position at such a time & place. A more powerfully built man with an intellectual side, would probably be more believable. Unless he were just a puppet being fed supplies and told what to do by his unseen leaders – he actually fits the bill perfectly for something like that, come to think of it, but there was no such detail to the script.

Ray Stevenson does alright as the chief muscle of Gary Oldman’s cartel. Nothing spectacular, but sufficient. His character is mean but slightly educated, and shows flashes of compassion – just the kind of character who I think should have been the leader of the bad guys, but not necessarily played by this actor who probably doesn’t carry enough of an aura for that role.

Evan Jones puts in a strong performance as a ruthless thug in the position of expendable team leader. He probably deserved a bigger role in this movie.

Overall, due to the strong but simple plot, that does quite well in capturing attention from start to finish, and forgiving the maliciously warped messaging mentioned earlier, considering there’s an equal measure of good motivational messaging wrapped up in it, I rate this movie about on a level with The Equalizer. It’s a simple but original concept, carried very well by Denzel and the behind-the-scenes crew. With much more genuine messaging and a much stronger supporting cast, this movie could have easily been one of the best movies ever made, but that was never Hollywood’s priority, was it?

This is not really a movie for frequent rewatching, due to its simple but powerful plot – the powerful effect is not nearly so effective when you remember much of what’s to come – it can get quite boring then. Quite the opposite to Shanghai Noon (starring Jackie Chan), which I’ve rated on the same level as this movie, since Shanghai Noon never had a powerful vibe, but is so action-packed and comedic, it’s quite rewatch-friendly.

The Rundown (2003) – Dwayne Johnson and Seann William Scott

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 a very high 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 known 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 kind of sufficient) plot – with a more advanced plot this movie could potentially be on a par with the best movies ever made due to its already outstanding action-comedy entertainment value.

Martial arts wise, there’s a fair amount of martial value but that’s not strictly the focus of this movie. Action wise, it’s an action packed adventure, with a few slower scenes. Plot wise, it is a weak plot, which allows for a casual atmosphere, but could massively benefit from a strong plot. As with many star studded movies, the stars are carrying this one through a poor script and it would be a pointless movie if it only had average actors. Cast wise, here we have two megastars in one movie! Plus a strong chief antagonist and a decent lead female. It could still benefit from one more star in the cast, but is already doing very well in this department.

Bulletproof Monk (2003) – Chow Yun-Fat and Seann William Scott

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.

The Transporter (2002) – Jason Statham

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 8/10, and concede that it’s probably an 8.5 or 9 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.

Martial arts wise, this movie is not themed totally around martial arts like Bloodsport or Kickboxer for example. But it features a good amount of combat in various forms from an accomplished martial artist in the lead role – on a par with The Foreigner in this respect, and many other action hero movies. Action wise, it’s quite action packed, but the action revolves around one man – it could do with an extra dimension to story to facilitate more kinds of action. Plot wise, there is some plot, which works in some ways, but it could benefit from a little extra, especially towards the end. Cast wise, there’s a strong lead male, strong lead policeman, decent lead female, and wrong genre of the lead antagonist – a better set of baddies would benefit this movie.

Equilibrium (2002) – Christian Bale

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 swordsmanship and guns ablazing 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 8.5/10.

A good amount of martial value, it’s action packed, and has a decent concept. Cast wise, there are some strong performances, some less strong. Christian Bale is a convincing lead, albeit not a massive star. Sean Bean adds a lot of value to this movie.

The Order (2001) – Jean-Claude Van Damme

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 8/10.

This is not so much a martial arts movie per se, but is led by a martial artist who uses his skills a lot. There’s a good amount of action, although it can get gritty in places. It has a surprisingly well endowed script for a Van Damme movie, and a strong lead with varying levels of support – this movie could easily benefit from an additional star.

Blade (1998) – Wesley Snipes

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 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 demeanour.

It’s a very combat oriented theme, with fists and blades and guns from start to finish. Adrenaline is pumping intermittently throughout. Cast wise, we have the odd strong character and a few less strong – this movie could easily benefit from an additional very strong cast member if the plot would allow.

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 just about bearable as it’s more of an action thriller than anything, however, it becomes a bit more sickly when you realise how closely it resembles what really goes on in this world. Like The Matrix, Blade also has a couple of sequels which is inevitable considering how strong the original movie was; and like The Matrix, Blade’s sequels are not quite as good as the original but still worth watching sequentially.

The Quest (1996) – Jean-Claude Van Damme and Roger Moore

Action packed, almost 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).

If you enjoyed seeing a top martial arts action hero like Van Damme teaming up with a legend from James Bond like Roger Moore, you may also be interested in The Foreigner (2017) which sees Jackie Chan teaming up with Pierce Brosnan in what’s arguably the best performance of both their careers.

This movie has a very martial arts oriented theme; a good amount of action, with some slower scenes; a strong plot, but lacking at the very end; and several strong characters.

Kickboxer (1989) – Jean-Claude Van Damme

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.

This movie has a very martial arts oriented theme; a good amount of action, with bits of drama in between; a very basic plot that could do with a bit of extra help; and the odd strong character with a few less strong – it would benefit from an additional very strong cast member.

No Retreat, No Surrender (1986) – Kurt McKinney and Jean-Claude Van Damme

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.

This is a martial arts movie through & through, with a decent amount of action, and drama scenes between. The plot does work, but it is a bit thin. It has some strong characters, with varying levels of support.

Movies rated PRETTY GOOD

We’re getting much further down the 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 – every single one of them. They are all very noteworthy contributions to the action movie archives, well worth rewatching every few years.

Movies rated DECENT

These movies are still thoroughly entertaining for first time viewers and people who haven’t seen them in many years. They’re slightly weaker than those above are still quite strong action hero movies.

Movies rated OK

These movies are mildly entertaining if you’ve not seen them before or in many years. Not quite classics like those above, but far from dustbin material.

Movies rated WATCHABLE

OK, now we’re scraping the barrel. The movies below are (barely) 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). Expect a harsh critique for any movie listed below.

DON’T MISS: My actor-specific Top 10 lists

This is a new concept that I hope to expand on. The top ten movies, in descending order, for each action movie star featured on this site. The full filmography of their movies (minus some in the wrong language or genre) can be found further down the page, beneath the top 10 list. Check out the ones I’ve started here:

Top 10 BEST Van Damme Movies

Why do I do this?

There are many lists of martial arts movies and action hero movies around the web, but they’re never in an agreeable order and they’re rarely comprehensive – they’re usually 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 martial arts themed movie or other action hero movie (including the future me) but has seen most of them before and either can’t find anything new or can’t re-find a good one seen before (there’s one I’m still looking for).

Unlike all the other lists online, this one is BY an action hero movie junkie, FOR action hero movie junkies. I’m also a teacher of Kung Fu, with a focus on practical Self Defence (not cinematics) so I know what I’m looking for when it comes to credible fight scenes, martial philosophy & psychology, strategy & tactics, etc.

I’m not into slow & gritty, suspenseful drama scenes like professional critics always seem to be. Nor am I into gruesome horror scenes. But I do appreciate interesting concepts, rich scripts, good acting, benevolent messages and good effects for setting the mood and building momentum etc. So far as is appropriate for the smooth action hero movie genre.