The Best Ever Martial Arts Movies

Martial arts movies, in general, are a genre that every one of all ages can find some enjoyment in watching. Whether you like comedy, drama or action films you can find all this wrapped into a martial art film and then some. Having watch martial films since I was a small child I have a certain pension for this particular brand of film making.

Here is a list of what, in my humble opinion, are the 5 best martial arts movies ever made:

Enter the Dragon might not have been the best film acting wise, but as far as martial art films go it was definitely one of the best ever made. This 1973 break through movie starred Bruce Lee, John Saxon, Shih Kien, Angela Mao, Jim Kelly, Bob Wall and Bolo Yeung. Although it was the last film Bruce Lee ever made it was the one that solidified his status as one of the best martial artist to ever live. This was the film that defined the genre and brought martial arts into the mainstream, so now this genre is able to be viewed worldwide.

 Drunken Master has to be one of Jackie Chan’s best films.  Released in 1978 this filmed starred Jackie Chan, Siu Tien Yuen and Jang Lee Hwang.  This film was the one that brought Jackie into the mainstream in Hong Kong to be forever named the king of comedy kung-fu.  Combining his love of slapstick comedy with his martial arts ability in this film he embarks on a journey to learn the drunken master form to help save his teacher and his school.

 Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is cinematically the most beautiful martial art film out there.  This film, released in 2000, starred Chow Yun Fat, Michelle Yeoh and Ziyi Zhang.  It combines high wires with a compelling story and martial arts in the style of the old kung-fu theater films.  It is about a great warrior on a quest to regain is beloved jade sword.  This was originally a series of books that had been adapted into cinema.

Magnificent Butcher is one of the best Woo Ping directed films out there.  Released in 1979 this film starred Sammo Hung, Hoi San Lee, Tak-hing Yuen and Biao Yuen.  It takes you on a martial journey of a young butcher that is accused of crimes he didn’t commit and the lengths he goes in order to save himself. This is one of Sammo’s best performances early on in his career.

 Ong Bak: The Thai Warrior was directed by Prachya Pinkaew and by far one of the best martial art movies ever made.  This 2003 filmed starred Tony Jaa, Petchtai Wongkamlao and Pumwaree Yodkamol.  This movie is about a young man in search of a statue that was stolen from his village.  With the use of Muay Thai to fight off all kinds of adversaries in his quest, this movie is one of the most visual appealing martial films.

With these and a plethora of martial art films, good, bad or indifferent, out there for you to enjoy, my advice would be to run to your local video store or on-line merchant and pick yourself up some of the best movies you will ever see.