While Bruce Lee is widely considered the greatest ever action star of Asian origin, Jackie Chan comes a close second. However, Jet Li might have a claim to that Number 2 spot too. Lee is heralded as the founder of the martial arts philosophy known as Jeet Kune Do. He died in 1973 at the age of 32, due to a swollen brain.
Chan, on the other hand, is known for the infusion of humor and a slapstick acrobatic fighting style in his movies. Beginning his career in the 1960s, he has appeared in over 150 films. He has also been recognized by Forbes as one of the most charitable celebrities in the world. The following are the best five movies from each actor, according to Rotten Tomatoes.
Jackie Chan: The Legend Of The Drunken Master (83%)
Also known as Drunken Master II, the 1994 Hong Kong action-comedy is a sequel to Chan's 1978 film Drunken Master. It was included in the "Top 100 Films Of All Time" list by Time Magazine. The movie sees Chan playing the Cantonese folk hero, Wong Fei-hung.
The plot involves rogue British government officials trying to smuggle precious Chinese artifacts out of the Asian country. Wong Fei Hung thus gives himself the task of stopping them. To do so, he relies on his uniquely outlandish style of fighting named "Drunken Boxing."
Bruce Lee: Game Of Death (55%)
Bruce Lee died before principal photography for Game Of Death was completed, so that might explain the low Tomato score. It would take five years after his death for the movie to be released theatrically. And while fans adored it, critics weren't totally impressed.
The movie finds Bruce Lee wearing his iconic yellow jumpsuit as he fights his way up a tower in something that's reminiscent of a video game. In each level of the tower, there are martial artists of varying skill. As he goes up, the opponents become even more challenging, There was no solid plot in the film but the entertainment value was existent.
Jackie Chan: Police Story 2 (88%)
In the sequel to Chan's first major international hit Police Story, Inspector Chan Ka-kui finds himself getting demoted to a highway patrol officer due to the violent manner in which he handled his last case involving the crime lord Chu Tao.
His demotion pleases his girlfriend since she's glad he'll no longer have to put himself in danger. Things take a turn when Chu Tao gets an early prison release because he is terminally ill with only three months to live. The crime lord thus dedicates his last days into making Ka-Kui's life as miserable as possible.
Bruce Lee: The Big Boss (73%)
The Big Boss is the film that shoved Lee into the folds of stardom. In it, he plays Cheng Chao-an, a martial artist who gets a job at an ice factory in Thailand and decides to live with his cousins in the country. Soon, two of his cousins end up missing, forcing Cheng to look for them everywhere he can.
His pursuits place him on the radar of a local gang that doesn't appear to like him. Cheng finds himself in a dilemma since he made a promise to his mother to never fight. But when the family is at stake, all promises are thrown out of the window. Cheng eventually decides to show the gang what he's made of.
Jackie Chan: Police Story (93%)
This was the first installment in the Police Story series. All films in the series see Jackie Chan starring as Hong Kong police detective "Kevin" Chan Ka-Kui. Chan made the film after his attempt to get into the American market failed to work out. However, he would be successful in doing so later in his career.
In the movie, Ka-Kui. is forced to protect the girlfriend of a mafia boss who has turned into an informant. Unfortunately, he finds himself being framed for killing a dirty cop and is thus forced to go on the run. The film was widely praised for its wild and dangerous stunts. It is these stunts that got Hollywood's attention.
Bruce Lee: Way Of The Dragon (92%)
Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris in the same film? Euphoric. Even though Norris' wasn't a major star yet at the time, his scenes were memorable. The movie which was also directed by Bruce Lee himself follows Tang Lung (Lee), a man who travels to Rome after learning that his relatives are being harassed by a vicious gang.
Way Of The Dragon has some similarities to Jackie Chan's films in that it blends action and humor. The final showdown sees Tang Lung facing Kung Fu expert Colt (Chuck Norris) at the Colosseum. The film grossed an estimated amount of $130 million globally (equivalent to around $700 million when adjusted for inflation),
Jackie Chan: Crime Story (93%)
The majority of Jackie Chan films blend action and comedy but Crime Story was an exception. The film has a serious tone with no traces of comedy. It is also based on a true story about the 1990 kidnapping of a Chinese business mogul Teddy Wang.
In the movie, Inspector Eddie Chan (Jackie) of the Organised Crime and Triad Bureau is suffering from depression after killing several suspects in self-defense. Despite his mental state, he is assigned to find the kidnapped business mogul Wong Yat-fei. The search takes him all the way to Taiwan where he finds himself dealing with powerful mobsters. To make matters worse, there is a mole in the police force.
Bruce Lee: Fist Of Fury (93%)
Bruce Lee stars as Chen Zhen, a man who becomes devastated after his martial arts teacher dies. While still mourning, he finds himself in a dispute between his own martial arts school and a Japanese dojo when the members of the dojo mock his friends.
Things get even more heated when Chen Zhen discovers that his master was actually murdered. He thus decides to avenge his death. Several sequels starring different actors came out in later years but none quite matched the original.
Jackie Chan: Supercop (96%)
Supercop is the third installment in the Police Story film series. IIn it Ka-Kui (Jackie Chan) is the best cop in the Hong Kong Police Department. Due to his amazing martial arts skills and history of bravery, he is summoned by Interpol director, Inspector Jessica Yang (Michelle Yeoh), and given a mission to track down a drug lord named Chaibat.
In order to this, he needs to get close to Chaibat's henchman Panther, who happens to be incarcerated. Ka-Kui thus goes undercover as a petty thug and gets himself locked up at the prison. He manages to break Panther free, thus impressing the henchman who invites him to meet his boss.
Bruce Lee: Enter The Dragon (94%)
Enter The Dragon came out shortly after Lee's death. It was the only Hollywood production he made in his career. And like Lee's other movies where his characters are the only protagonists, Enter The Dragon had three heroes: Lee (Bruce Lee), Williams (Jim Kelly), and Roper (John Saxon),
The three men engage in a martial arts tournament as Lee secretly digs up information about the movie's villain, Han. The film was a huge financial success, grossing US$350 million globally (over $1 billion when adjusted for inflation), against a modest budget of $850,000. Elements in the film were also used as templates for many future martial arts films.