1. Enter the Dragon (1973)
Bruce Lee’s final film was produced by Warner Bros, and stands as one of his greatest achievements. The story of a mysterious martial-arts tournament featuring competitors from around the globe — including not only Lee’s philosophical fighter, but also John Saxon’s American stud and Jim Kelly’s African-American revolutionary — Lee’s epic is a series of amazing fights that also feature before- they-were-icon turns from Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, and Bolo Yeung. Forty years after its release, it’s still the domestic martial-arts champ.
2. Bloodsport (1988)
Jean-Claude Van Damme helped first solidify his Muscles from Brussels reputation with 1988’s Bloodsport, in which, as an American army captain schooled in deadly Ninjitsu, he finds himself felling a raft of Asian fighters in a lethal underground martial-arts contest. While Van Damme’s acting is often hilariously wooden, his physical prowess is undeniable, with the actor convincingly establishing what would later become his signature moves, including a full split as well as a variety of acrobatic roundhouse and jump kicks.
3. Undisputed II: Last Man Standing (2006)
A direct-to-video sequel to Walter Hill’s 2002 film, Undisputed II: Last Man Standing replaces Ving Rhames with Michael Jai White for this story about a prison-set fighting competition. Though White is an imposing presence, this little-seen gem is most notable for its stellar turn by Scott Adkins, whose combination of brute strength and expert martial-arts techniques makes him one of contemporary cinema’s best, and most unsung, tough guys.
4. Kill Bill (2003)
Quentin Tarantino’s two-part epic is a mixture of martial arts. Much more attention paid to the first. From the Avenger of the Bride (Uma Thurman) in the same yellow tracksuit worn by Bruce Lee in Game of Death, to the bloody anime, the final showdown in the snowy backyard, and a cameo by the legendary Sonny Chiba, just to name a few. a bit – Tarantino’s film is practically chock-full of classic martial arts sagas, and it all delivers the goods of slash and slash through a series of furious, brutal skirmishes between women.RELATED:
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5. The Matrix (1999)
The Wachowskis’ The Matrix melds kung fu and sci-fi elements — along with a healthy dose of groundbreaking bullet-time effects — for a truly unique, and still thrilling, genre mash-up. Amidst their gunplay and futuristic alien-colonization plot twists, the directors stage one fantastic martial-arts battle after another, in the process turning Keanu Reeves into a legitimate action star and giving their saga its distinctive Zen-like quality.
6. Unleashed (2005)
French director Louis Letterier’s 2005 American film features a bizarre Jet Li vehicle in which the martial arts legend plays pawnbroker Bob Hoskins’ virtual war dog. Docile in a collar, Lee becomes a ferocious weapon when unhooked – a bizarre setup for some of the decade’s most inventive martial arts, not to mention the star’s own surprisingly nimble performance that balances its protagonist’s submissive/ferocious instincts with the same precision that characterizes his punches and kicks.
7. The Karate Kid (1984)
Without due respect to Jaden Smith, there is only one karate kid: Ralph Macchio. And his original Karate Kid is a successful combination of martial arts and coming-of-age melodrama. While its action scenes are somewhat goofy compared to its more illustrious genre brethren, the sight of Pat Morita’s Mr. Miyagi catching a fly with chopsticks and teaching Macchio’s apprentice how to “apply wax” and the climactic blow of a crane. , are the touchstones of the 80s that helped introduce the martial arts to a new generation of American moviegoers.
8. The Last Dragon (1985)
A one-of-a-kind martial arts musical, Michael Schultz’s classic B-movie follows a hero named Bruce Leroy (Taimak) who wants to achieve the state of karate bliss known as The Shining, “Comes into conflict with Harlem’s Shogun Sho’nuff (Julius J. Carrey III). This villain’s demand that his henchmen repeatedly answer his questions by yelling his name (“Sho’nuff!”) is one of the many memorable fun aspects of this genre hybrid, which also features ubiquitous R&B music.
9. Black Belt Jones (1974)
For the follow-up to his co-starring turn in Enter the Dragon, American karate champion Jim Kelly assumed headlining duties for Black Belt Jones, an entertainingly goofy blaxploitation effort in which Kelly — and his amazingly gigantic afro — fight back against the mafia villains who are trying to shut down his dojo. Despite its less-than-stellar production values, it’s still an energetic showcase for the charismatic Kelly and his ass-kicking talents.