Top 10 Most Underrated Martial Arts Movies

Forgive me if you are offended by the possible boldness of this claim. However, martial arts as a genre of film can feel undervalued overall. When a martial arts movie works well, it feels like action at its purest and most visceral. Who doesn't love a good action movie? The genre probably had its heyday a few decades ago, with a particularly large number of classic wuxia films released in the 1970s and his '80s, many of which were produced in Hong Kong, but not all.

This type of action movie has never completely gone away, but many of the classics from decades ago don't get the love they deserve. In fact, it sometimes feels like the genre as a whole offers better action scenes than many modern action films, lending credence to the idea that there are too many underrated martial arts films. . The following illustrates this well. All are martial arts movies that range from good to great, but at times feel vague and unknownAt least among people who aren't that into martial arts movies.

Ten “Fearless Hyena” (1979)

Director: Jackie Chan

Even if you've only seen a few martial arts movies, you'll probably have a good idea of ​​who's who. Jackie Chan Thanks to the fact that he achieved international stardom in the 1990s. Prior to his popular Hollywood films, Jackie Chan probably made even better quality films in Hong Kong, often blending comedy with spectacular action and stunt work, as seen in works such as I did. fearless hyena.

While this isn't the absolute best of his early films, it's still a good movie overall for anyone who wants to see what Jackie Chan is capable of in his physical prime. The story ultimately becomes a fairly general one about revenge. There aren't many sequences as amazing as his later masterpieces.…However, it still works well as a comedy martial arts movie, and is fairly consistently entertaining.

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9 The Valiant Ones (1975)

Director: King Fu

King Hu He is a highly respected director among martial arts film enthusiasts. His most famous works (namely 1967's Dragon Inn and 1971's A Touch of Zen) rank among the best martial arts films of all time.. He wasn't the most prolific filmmaker, with 15 of his directorial credits to his credit, but he's usually someone with a deep perspective that's worth digging into. deep cut like 1975 brave people.

Although the story sounds epic, the film has a relatively short running time of 102 minutes and focuses on two married warriors who fight, first with wits and then with swords, against the various enemies that threaten China. is guessing. brave people Because most of the action is saved for the climax of the movie, it may take some time for your item to arrive. Still, the action is great and well-made enough to be worth the wait.

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8 “The Kid with the Golden Arm” (1979)

Director: Zhang Che

If you're looking for a good cinematic sword fight and are lucky enough to come across it. child with golden arms, then you've come to the right place. This is a production of Shaw Brothers Studios (the company responsible for financing countless great martial arts films), with tons of money being transported and people attracted to such wealth for various personal reasons. The story revolves around various characters.

This is a martial arts film that is less than 90 minutes long and has too many characters for such a long runtime, so it can be hard to follow in places. But once you understand that most people want gold (which is, in fact, as simple as the premise of an action/adventure movie), it's easy to understand the basics.You can sit back, relax, and just enjoy sword fighting and hand-to-hand combat. child with golden arms.

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7 “Human Lantern” (1982)

Director: Soon Chung

A fusion of brutal horror and martial arts action. human lantern It's not a completely standalone movie, considering there are several other movies that combine martial arts with unexpected genres, but it's certainly an odd one. Basically, the story follows two rival kung fu masters, all while also on the loose with a masked killer who likes to make lanterns with them… well, you know.

The title suggests gruesome violence, and you definitely get it human lanternHowever, it's probably not the type of horror film that many viewers today would find truly frightening. The atmosphere is a little creepy, the murder scenes are bloody, human lantern It's interesting to add all that into the mix along with some well-choreographed fight scenes. As a result, this is a very good time, and also a rather unique time.

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6 “Crime Story” (1993)

Director: Kirk Wong Chi-kun

Shortly before taking Hollywood by storm, Jackie Chan starred in a fairly underrated film. crime story, which had the spirit of a martial arts film (plus some hand-to-hand combat), but was also a tough, gritty crime/thriller film.Easy to recommend for people who like Jackie Chan's famous works police story. crime story It may not be as good as the 1985 film, and it takes itself a little too seriously at times, but the action is still soaring.

The plot keeps things simple, with a seasoned police officer forced to fight a bunch of criminals after the businessman he was monitoring is kidnapped. crime story It's not really related to the story, but Rather, it performs best when delivering exciting and wild action scenes.. Jackie Chan also has some impressive stunts, and the number of explosions seen throughout the film's climax is incredible.

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Five “The Fate of Lee Khan” (1973)

Director: King Fu

like brave peopleKing Hu's The fate of Lee Khan It's at its best during the climax, Because it all builds up into one monumentally great action sequence at the end.. There are several small battles scattered throughout.Enough to get over it, it helps The fate of Lee Khan I find it a bit more consistently appealing than something like brave people.

The majority of the film takes place in a single, confined setting. The inn is home to government officials, spies, warriors, and a variety of other interesting characters who have various reasons to clash and fight.early part of The fate of Lee Khan It works well to build tension and allow the final action to have the biggest impact possible. Additionally, most of the non-action stuff here also helps to be pretty entertaining, thanks to the inherent intrigue of the setting and the suspense that comes with the confined locations filled with characters.

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Four “Opium and Kung Fu Master” (1984)

Director: Tong Kai

title of Opium and Kung Fu Master This, of course, suggests two things. Drugs play a role in the story, Kung Fu is featured, and ideally someone who has mastered such things. The film is far more successful as a martial arts film than it is as a serious depiction of addiction, with the anti-drug message coming through a little stronger and all the action and It clashes strangely with comedy.

I mean, that's it Opium and Kung Fu Master teeth Quite uneven and probably less than the sum of the parts…but most of the parts are very nice. The action scenes are of very high quality, making it a breezy watch at just over 80 minutes long, delivering exactly what you'd expect from a Shaw Brothers production. It's really solid stuff and deserves a little more love.

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3 Royal Warriors (1986)

Director: David Chang

Martial arts movies can be great without non-stop action, but But by the same token, many of the pieces are great because they're relentless in how much action they offerAs shown in royal warriors. Already in the first act of this modern day (set in the 1980s) crime/martial arts movie, you get the sense that: royal warriors It has the same amount of action in total as some martial arts movies offer.

This is an early movie of Michelle Yeoh'sAnd she shows here why she's one of the greatest and most consistently entertaining action movie stars of all time. The story sees her character, a determined police officer, form an alliance with two other physically capable police officers, one of whom is Hiroyuki Sanada) Fight against a group of brutal terrorists. Revenge, surprisingly bloody violence, car chases, and lots of punches and kicks ensue, all very entertaining.

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2 “The Eagle of Vengeance” (1978)

Director: Soon Chung

Overall, it feels like a perfect martial arts movie., eagle of revenge That's just what the doctor ordered…at least if you've been diagnosed with martial arts movie deficiency. The plot sees two people meet by chance and then realize that they share a similar quest for revenge, but one of them doesn't share all the details of his tragic past. As it turns out, things get complicated.

The two main characters are convincing and fairly complex by wuxia movie standards, but the main villain and his gang of assassins are completely unlikable. The story is really great, but it's the action. eagle of revenge That lifts the entire movie to greatness. For those who want to start exploring classic martial arts movies but aren't quite sure where to start, this might be a pretty good entry point.

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1 “Wing Chun” (1994)

Director: Yuen Woo-ping

Yuen Woo Ping He is best known for his involvement in choreographing action scenes for films such as: matrix, kill billand Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, but he's also the director of some really great action movies. One of the best of them is his Wing ChunReleased in a great year for the film industry. Despite having a fairly well-known director, as well as stars Michelle Yeoh and Donnie Yen, this movie feels surprisingly underrated..

There's a bit of comedy, some drama, and even a bit of romance. Wing Chun, along with lots of interesting and captivating action. The plot sees Yeoh's character fight bandits multiple times, and they all seem surprised that they keep getting beaten up by women in battle. It's empowering, it explores a wide range of themes surrounding gender and masculinity without being preachy, and it doesn't distract from the action, which is its main attraction. Wing Chun The result is a great film overall, and one that's well worth it even if you haven't seen it yet.

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