The John Wick franchise has gone from one success to another, and the newly released trailer for John Wick: Chapter 4 has fans thinking it could be the best yet, as it teases a huge fight scene with Donnie Yen. The assassin series has always been influenced by martial arts movies, and a starring role from Yen brings it full circle.
While the John Wick movies are obviously the most popular, and some would argue the best, martial arts movies right now, there are hundreds of sensational MA films full of dazzling fight sequences, and Redditors have debated which are the best. Between a sports comedy that mixes soccer with kung fu, a Jet Li historical epic, and a profound Hollywood sci-fi movie, no other movies have displayed martial arts better.
The Raid (2011)
Rent on Amazon Video
While John Wick gets all the credit for popularizing gun-fu in Hollywood, it started with 2011's The Raid. The 2011 movie is basically Die Hard but better, as it follows a protagonist taking down enemies in one building, only it incorporates martial arts. The movie is so great at depicting huge fight sequences between several characters in such small environments.
ThisIsBanned thinks that not only is The Raid a great martial arts movie, but its sequel is just as good, adding "Although the plot is a little complex, I do like the simplicity of the first plot a little more. But some of the action, like the jail fight, is insane." The Raid 2 takes the premise to a whole other level, as it features a fight scene involving a dozen men in a toilet cubicle, and it makes the elevator fight scene in Captain America: The Winter Soldier look amateur.
Ip Man (2008)
Stream on Netflix
Crinkzkull08 thinks the first Ip Man, starring Donnie Yen, is the best martial arts movie ever and points to the fact that the actor has built such a strong legacy when it comes to MA movies. The Redditor comments, "I was gonna say any Donnie Yen films (except Mulan) but if I were to pick one, I'd go for Ip Man. That fight scene with the students for rice was really phenomenal." The same could be said for any one of the Ip Man movies, as it's one of the most consistent movie series ever.
Donny Yen appears in the John Wick 4 trailer, and martial arts fans are over the moon, as there couldn't be a more fitting actor inducted into the epic blockbuster assassins franchise. While fans don't yet know what kind of role he'll have in Chapter 4, there'll undoubtedly be an epic fight scene featuring Yen that fans haven't seen since Ip Man 4: The Finale.
Police Story (1985)
Stream on HBO Max
1985's Police Story was the start of an era, and UndeadOne thinks it defined the era too. The Redditor explains, "Those movies made me love action comedy as a kid, and cemented Jackie as my favorite actor growing up. The stuntwork, the action, the comedy, just perfect mix of it all."
The whole Police Story franchise is an achievement in action filmmaking, especially as they were all shot on such shoestring budgets. The series is also what cemented Jackie Chan as an '80s action hero long before he made it in Hollywood. The franchise has been rebooted twice, and it has failed each time, and that's simply because it's impossible to repeat the lightning-in-a-bottle success of the original series.
Hero (2002)
Stream on Hoopla or rent on Amazon Video
LegendOfMatt888 thinks Hero is the best martial arts movie, but there's an interesting reason why. Instead of breaking down the fight scenes, the Redditor notes, "The use of color in that movie is pretty much unmatched." Not only does the film look great, but it's a historical epic that follows China in disarray when it was split into seven countries in 200 BC. The movie has a stacked cast too, including Shang-Chi actor Tony Leung and Donnie Yen in his pre-Ip Man career.
Any one of Jet Li's movies could be considered the best-ever martial arts film, as his movies generally have unique concepts to go with the jaw-dropping action sequences. But between the star power, the high-stakes drama, and the martial arts, Hero is the perfect movie to represent Li's unrivaled and storied career.
Kung Fu Hustle (2004)
Stream on Hulu
Qb1120 points to the comedy Kung Fu Hustle as the best martial arts film. The Redditor comments, "The knife/handle bit is one of the funniest things I have ever seen. This is definitely my choice." A lot of Jackie Chan-led martial arts movies feature a lot of humor, but there hadn't been an over-the-top, laugh-out-loud MA comedy until 2004's Kung Fu Hustle.
The movie is absolutely ridiculous and borderline surreal, as the fight sequences are elevated to a hilariously gravity-defying level. But it still shouldn't be mistaken for anything other than a luminary martial arts film, and it deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as the likes of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Hero.
The Matrix (1999)
Stream on HBO Max
Supermoderators thinks The Matrix is the best martial arts movie ever, and the seminal 1999 film is an obvious answer for many, even though it isn't totally a martial arts film. From the moment Morpheus trains Neo in the dojo, The Matrix introduced the concept of martial arts in a blockbuster movie to general audiences.
Between sci-fi, blockbuster action, and martial arts, The Matrix is an amalgam of so many different genres, but any time Neo is in a one-on-one hand-to-hand fight, audiences are treated to some unbelievable martial arts. And even though the sequels are a perfect example of diminishing returns, as they get worse with each consecutive release, the whole series is peppered with impressive martial arts scenes.
Kung Fu Panda (2008)
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AgentUpright interestingly points to the 2008 animated movie Kung Fu Panda as the best-ever martial arts movie. The Redditor mentions, "They really use the medium to do creative choreography that wouldn’t work in a live-action film. The dumpling fight and the bridge fight are definitely some of the best fights in any martial arts movie."
While Kung Fu Panda might initially seem like a leftfield choice, there are actually a ton of mesmerizing fight scenes. And as the user mentions, as it's animated, it can pull off scenes that no live-action movie can." The whole series is incredibly consistent, especially when it comes to the fight scenes, and it has left fans desperate to see Kung Fu Panda 4.
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
Stream on Fubo
Writer-director Quentin Tarantino has never shied away from wearing his influences on his sleeve, and there's no better example of that than Kill Bill, which sees Tarantino borrowing from some of the most influential martial arts films of all time. Smart_cereal points to the first of an epic two-part movie, Kill Bill vol. 1, as the best martial arts movie. The Redditor adds, "If not for nothing, it’s immensely entertaining."
Both Kill Bill movies fantastically showcase martial arts, but the first movie takes the edge. The movie is stacked with incredible action sequences with each one being more outrageous than the last. The back-to-back scenes of the Bride fighting the Crazy 88 and then O-Ren Ishii are two of the most exhilarating displays of martial arts ever.
Police Story 3: Supercop (1992)
Rent on Amazon Video
Few threequels are the best in the series, but Police Story 3: Supercop took the franchise to another level. UlrichVonLiftenstein cites Supercop as the greatest martial arts movie ever, but not specifically for the martial arts. The Redditor explains, "Supercop is where my heart was stolen by Michelle Yeoh for the first, but definitely not the last time."
Yeoh is the queen of martial arts movies, as along with Supercop, she also starred in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. And even though it isn't a martial arts movie, the characters' fluid movements in the Yeoh-starring Everything Everywhere All at Once's action sequences are heavily influenced by them.
Shaolin Soccer (2001)
Stream on Paramount+
IamSporko points to the outrageous 2001 comedy Shaolin Soccer when debating the best martial arts movie. The Redditor comments, "There are a lot of fantastic movies but Shaolin Soccer was really entertaining." Three years before Kung Fu Hustle, the filmmaking auteur Stephen Chow had his big break with the film that would establish his over-the-top comedy action style, Shaolin Soccer.
The actor, director, and star mixed the sport with kung-fu, and it's one of the classic "so ridiculous it just might work" scenarios. The film sees a group of Shaolin monk brothers with superhuman martial arts skills enter a soccer tournament, and it's one of the most entertaining martial arts movies ever made.