Jet Li is an international martial arts action superstar of epic proportions, but he didn't start out that way. For years, he made a name for himself in the East-Asian action movie market before finally crossing over to Hollywood. Though he has largely returned to his roots, Jet Li still remains one of the most recognizable action stars ever put to film.
Though many may judge Jet based on his total body of work, they cannot forget his foray into the American action movie scene. Not all his movies were bona-fide hits, but they were enough to put his name on the map, and pave the way for other East-Asian martial arts actors.
The Mummy: Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor (2008): 5.2
It's ironic that one of the most iconic Hollywood film franchises, and with one of the biggest budgets, would end up ranking so lowly, but it's true. Jet Li traded spots with original Mummy villain Arnold Vosloo to star as the evil Emperor Han, a powerful Chinese ruler cursed by a sorceress who is revived by an opportunistic General.
It's up to original Mummy killers Rick and Evelyn O'Connell to take down Emperor Han before he and his undead army can conquer Earth. While the premise is familiar, the change in scenery and culture wasn't enough to keep this film off the critically panned list.
Cradle 2 The Grave (2003): 5.8
Director Andrzej Bartkowiak teamed up with Jet Li for the second time with this 2003 film that pitted him alongside DMX, who also appeared with Jet in Romeo Must Die. Here, Jet stars as a Taiwanese intelligence operative who teams up with a master thief to recover a cache of stones that are much more than what they seem.
The action sequences are kinetic and frantic, but time-locked squarely at the beginning of the 21st century, for better or worse. As audiences were slowly coming down from the Matrix trilogy, Bartkowiak tried to capitalize on the craze, but ended up harming this film in the process.
The One (2001): 5.9
Oft-forgotten, The One is actually a pretty unique and inventive Jet Li picture that saw him doing far more than just playing the soft-spoken martial arts hero. Here, he plays Gabriel Yulaw, a secret operative who polices the travel between the dimensions that make up the multiverse. Yulaw has a theory that if he murders each and every one of his 124 doppelgangers from other dimensions, he will achieve ultimate power and become "the One."
He pursues his final target, Gabe Law, in the hopes of slaughtering him and achieving his goal, but Gabe has also undergone the same boosts in strength, speed and endurance. Evenly matched, the two battle across multiple universes to see who comes out on top.
Romeo Must Die (2000): 6.1
After Jet Li's explosive entrance to Western audiences with Lethal Weapon 4, director Andrzej Bartkowiak decided to cash in on his amazing martial-arts prowess by casting him in Romeo Must Die. It's notable for an interesting cast of characters, and a rather silly love story involving a feud between two crime syndicates.
The late Aaliyah starred alongside Jet in this film, and although their chemistry was dead on arrival, it was a cute enough pairing for audiences to take notice. The film has some excellent action sequences that are unfortunately undone by the inclusion of some silly x-ray CGI and hokey dialogue. Other than that, great fun to watch.
War (2007): 6.2
Jet Li and the outrageously over-the-top action star Jason Statham teamed up a second time after starring in The One, but this time, they were on opposite sides. Here, Jet stars as Rogue, an ex-CIA assassin who decides to work for the Yakuza. Statham plays FBI agent John Crawford, a man with a personal vendetta against Rogue for the murder of his partner and family.
At least, that's how it seems. As the movie unfolds, the audience is thrown curve ball after curve ball until reality is turned upside down. It's inventive, if not a bit clichéd, but Jet and Statham play off of each other in excellent fashion, and manage to tell an interesting story in the process.
The Expendables (2010): 6.5
Jet Li was picked by action mega-superstar Sylvester Stallone for the first Expendables film, and he fit right in among the rest of the awkward, aging cast. While it was both hilarious and fun to watch Jet Li go up against the likes of Dolph Lundgren, he managed to showcase his martial arts prowess right across the board, including one particularly excellent fight against Gary Daniels.
Jet would be featured less prominently in the other Expendables films as time went on, with this first outing being his most prominent, but it was a stroke of genius to add him to the roster. By the time 2010 had rolled around, he'd certainly earned it.
Kiss Of The Dragon (2001): 6.6
Jet Li starred with Bridget Fonda in this action thriller, which made for an odd, but likeable pairing. Jet played Chinese intelligence operative Liu Siu-jian, a man sent to Paris to apprehend a heroin smuggler, and ends up being framed for his murder. While relatively straightforward in terms of story and spectacle, the grittiness of the film helped nudge it higher on the IMDb ratings.
The movie is memorable for the final scene where Jet's character utilizes an acupuncture needle to trigger the body's blood to rush to the brain, triggering a painful aneurism known as the Kiss of the Dragon. Corny, perhaps, but cool.
The Expendables 2 (2012): 6.6
Jet Li fell a bit into the background with the second Expendables film, especially in light of Jean-Claude Van Damme's appearance as the principal bad guy. Still, he managed to hold his own across the sprawling action set pieces, particularly in the first act when he takes on a group of thugs and beats the living tar out of them with fists, frying pans and whatever else he can get his hands on.
Unfortunately, he checks out after the first 15 minutes, which is a shame considering what happens throughout the next 90 minutes, including a great cameo by the one and only Chuck Norris. Still, he does make one heck of an entrance, not to mention an exit.
Lethal Weapon 4 (1998): 6.7
Lethal Weapon fans were happy to see Murtaugh and Riggs back on screen again, but they had some serious competition in the form of Jet Li, who made his big-screen American debut in the fourth chapter. Jet played Wah Sing Ku, a vicious Triad gang member who proves more than a match for both.
The movie is memorable for that final action sequence when Murtaugh and Riggs tag-team Wah Sing Ku, only to get their butts sorely handed to them. Eventually, brute force wins out over form, and Wah Sing Ku is killed, but it proves to be the most brutal fight of Murtaugh and Riggs' careers.
Unleashed (2005): 7.0
Jet Li shared the screen with none other than Morgan Freeman in this action epic where he played a character with a dual personality. The first is a timid, passive and socially inept young man, and the second is a raging fighter capable of incredible feats of strength and brutality.
The film received high praise for Jet's performance as an abused and traumatized man who was raised like a dog, and forced into a life of merciless pit-fighting. Here, he's able to showcase a wide array of emotions as he learns how to socialize and live like a normal human being, at least in between all the beat-downs.