10 of the Best Recent Martial Arts Performances
I feel like this shouldn't have to be overtly stated, but in no way is this an in depth dive into Martial Arts movies.
These are movies from 2000-Present that I dig mostly for the fight choreography. If you still feel the need to shame me in the comments, have at it!
Film/Rank:
#10- Jackie Chan as Quan Ngoc Minh in... The Foreigner (2017)
Why, Though:
I can't lie. I wasn't the biggest fan of this movie, but I can't front... it's great watching Jackie Chan do his thing. Based on when I was born, Jackie is to me what Bruce was to my dad when he was watching Green Hornet. The Rush Hour movie (I don't remember the second and choose to ignore the third) didn't make the arbitrary cut due to its release date. So here we are watching Jackie get it in 19 years later (to say nothing of his great work pre Rush Hour).
Film/Rank:
#9- Jet Li as Danny in... Unleashed (2005)
Why, Though:
I remember being underwhelmed by this movie co-starring Eddie Valiant. But, I can't act like it's not interesting to watch Jet Li play a dog! Jet Li is one of my favourites as you'll see throughout this list, but I think that's because he can throw hands. I don't really like his line readings when he's not speaking in his mother tongue. This movie, on the other hand, gave Jet Li a chance to do some physical work that made the performance stand out.
Film/Rank:
#8- Jet Li as Liu Jian in... Kiss of the Dragon (2001)
Why, Though:
This movie is alright. But it has two things going for it. Jet Li gets to actually have a version of sexual tension with women in this movie instead of being a sexless Kung Fu machine. The other thing going for it is my dad's enthusiasm for the final battle and how it ties into the name of the movie.
Film/Rank:
#7- Jet Li as Nameless in... Hero (2002)
Why, Though:
On the evolving story about my dad's interactions with martial artists, I went to see this movie with my dad and it's the only movie I can think of that he's fallen asleep in. What he didn't like was what made me revisit the film. ALL THE STORY TELLING! Everyone takes a run at telling a story and I liked how Jet Li played it. He was coy and mysterious. Also his showdown with Donnie Yen in the gif above is ACES!
Film/Rank:
#6- Min-sik Choi as Dae-su Oh in... Oldboy (2003)
Why, Though:
It's all about this hallway fight scene. Violence wise, of course. The movie as a whole has a great set up and devastating (in a good way) finish. I only watched it because at one point Stephen Spielberg and Will Smith were going to make a version. For most of the movie I thought it was a perfect role for Will then the ending happened and I understood why we got the Spike Lee and Josh Brolin version instead. Will probably didn't think it was good for his brand.
Film/Rank:
#5- Tony Jaa as Ting in... Ong-Bak (2003)
Why, Though:
I must have loved this movie because it's a Thai movie that I saw with Mandarin subtitles. The fact that I watched it more than once speaks to how visually thrilling it was. I loved the chase scenes more than the fight scenes but those were good too. As I said, I didn't know what this movie was about till I watched the english trailer after the fact. I just wanted to see some crazy fights. Tony Jaa definitely kept my attention the whole movie so that's good.
Film/Rank:
#4- Jet Li as Han Sing in... Romeo Must Die (2000)
Why, Though:
I don't know why, but I LOVE ROMEO MUST DIE. The mix of Aaliyah, Delroy Lindo, Anthony Anderson and Jet Li is just a winning combination. And since you haven't heard from my father in a while, it should be noted that his reaction to the trailer for this movie was, "Some titles just beg you to go see the movie!" Also, don't let the trailer trick you into thinking that this movie "stars" the 8th best East Coast Rapper. He doesn't make it past his first scene.
Film/Rank:
#3- Michelle Yeoh as Yu Shu Lien in... Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
Why, Though:
I didn't care about Michelle Yeoh's character until the fourth time I watched this movie. I loved how she tried to be proper and not give into her feelings while also taking care of business in all of her fight scenes. Overall her doomed relationship with Li Mu Bai is what gave this movie replay value for me after I was over the amazing visuals.
Film/Rank:
#2- Stephen Chow as Sing in... Kung Fu Hustle (2004)
Why, Though:
I once read that Stephen Chow was considered the Chinese Jim Carrey. I feel like that put him a box. My good friend James wasn't writing, directing, and starring in anything close to Kung Fu Hustle, let alone Shaolin Soccer. Stephen is this high up on the list because I LOVE THIS MOVIE, and it would appear it came predominantly from him. It wasn't just a great performance, it was a full package.
Film/Rank:
#1- Iko Uwais as Rama in... The Raid: Redemption (2011)
Why, Though:
I love this movie even in the face of it insisting that there's more to it than a cop literally fighting his way to the top... of an apartment building. I honestly got bummed out by the second movie because it wasn't really a sequel and it insisted on more story instead of doubling down on the amazing fights. The fact that I have so many negative things to say shouldn't fool you. The fight scenes are just that good.
-YG