[Music]
welcome to watch mojo
and today we're counting down our picks
for the top 10 movies to watch if you
like it man
here's a peter piper playing the flute
oh
for this list we're looking at the best
movies to check out if you're a fan of
the donnie yen it man movies
what's your idea of a martial arts
masterpiece sound off in the comments
number 10 drunken master 2 also known as
the legend of drunken master
obviously this is a sequel to a previous
drunken master film
but this is the one that will arguably
give you the most bang for your buck
as the title suggests the martial arts
exhibited in the film is
mainly of the drunken boxing variety
expressed through an appropriately
drunken reimagining of the folk hero
wang feihong
drunken boxing that's right
i'm the master though it man's style is
a far cry from this
drunken master 2 stands right up there
with the ip-man movies in terms of fight
choreography
due in large part to the tremendous
action comedy physicality from jackie
chan
seriously if you've ever been a fan of
his work you've got to check out this
mid-90s gem
here's a peter piper playing the flute
oh that's a good one number nine wing
chun
from the outset of the first it man film
we learned that the titular
grandmaster's go-to fighting style is
that of the relaxed form
wing chun
despite its prominence in the film the
origins of the technique are not made
widely known
even among it man stalwarts for that we
recommend
1994's semi-biographical wing chun
starring ipman himself
donnie yen and michelle yo as the
titular character
though it doesn't depict the
mythologized origins of the craft
it does serve as an apt precursor to
yen's further popularization of wing
chun
through the ip-man movies and its
pervasive
sense of humor offers an alternative
approach to the depiction of the style
on film
number eight the grand master starting
with 2008
ip man there were a slew of biopics
about the titular grand master released
around the turn of the 2010s
which also extend to include the legend
is born it man
and it man the final fight
but the best and most unique among these
alternative takes
has to be the 2013 entry simply titled
the grand master
directed by wong kar-wai the grand
master utterly defies
general martial arts film conventions
with its methodical pace and strikingly
beautiful imagery
granted this entry will test certain
viewers but for those already fascinated
by the legendary figure
it should prove entirely novel and
captivating what with its
oscar-nominated cinematography from
philip lussoe
number seven dragon now we get to our
first
donnie yen entry posed his debut as the
famous wing chun grandmaster
here he plays lujin chi an early 20th
century villager
whose sordid history of running with a
bloodthirsty band of warriors comes back
to haunt him
[Music]
sharing similar themes with the ip man
movies in terms of unwavering morality
dragon also finds ian in top form
physically
as he looks to make sure his past
mistakes hurt no more innocent people
not only is it an impressively
choreographed martial arts flick with
incredible stunt work
it also proves intellectually
stimulating in its quieter moments of
almost film noir-esque levels of
intrigue
in short dragon has what it man has and
then some
number 6. iron monkey
[Music]
here is another interpretation of the
wong fei hong mythos this time with
donnie yen playing his father
wong k ying a clever and quick martial
arts tale
iron monkey actually crosses over
slightly into the superhero genre
which is what the ip-man movies
essentially made the grand master look
like over time
similarly it also deals with themes
involving poor chinese villagers rising
up against corrupt government officials
something that is particularly prevalent
in ant-man 1 and 4.
and not to get on a soapbox or anything
but it does make good use of waifu
something you just don't see enough of
in martial arts cinema these days
number five killzone if you wanted proof
that donnie yen could go
whole hog this is it
while some sequences from the ip-man
movie stand out for their more ferocious
nature
killzone is chock-full of those moments
here
yen plays a hong kong police officer
who's tasked with bringing down an
infamous triad boss with corruption
present on both sides of the law in the
ensuing investigation
if the big bad looks familiar that's
because he's played by samo hung
action director on the first two it man
films who also squared off with yen
directly in the second
we won't say which of their bouts is
better but let's just say the two
combatants make a pretty convincing case
for both films
number four bodyguards and assassins if
anything
the ip man movies can be counted on to
be nationalistic towards the people's
republic of china
though the plots of those films are
largely fictional bodyguards and
assassins leans on early
20th century history to draw up
excitement
[Music]
when political philosopher sun wen plans
to visit hong kong to discuss plans to
overthrow the qing dynasty
a ragtag band of supporters comes
together to prevent his assassination on
the city streets
though donnie yen's role here is smaller
than in other films on this list
the stunt work performed by the ensemble
cast will be sure to get your blood
pumping
as extended action sequences ramp up
tension with each passing
minute
number 3 master z it man legacy
though a technical spin-off of the
ip-man film franchise we still think
this criminally under-seen gem
warns its inclusion on this list
following the events of ip man 3
chung tin qi shamefully looks to recede
from the world of martial arts
but much like grandmaster ip himself is
compelled to put his skills to use in
the face of drug peddling and political
corruption
fans of martial arts cinema will surely
appreciate the addition of michelle yo
to the franchise
not to mention dave bautista of
guardians of the galaxy fame as the
villain
always wanting to be their hero
hasn't anyone told you that heroes die
quickly
though hardly a box office sensation
compared to its sister films
master z ranks up there critically with
the best of them earning an 89
rating on rotten tomatoes
number two hero littered throughout the
ant-man series are plot points involving
it man standing up to injustice
and protecting the innocent
hero tackles similar themes as a band of
assassins conspires to assassinate a
tyrannical king
however it delves far deeper into the
nuances of said heroism and the ultimate
ideal of
a warrior
fans of the martial arts in it man will
not be disappointed
as they also get a healthy serving of
some breathtaking cinematography and
color design
courtesy of director jung emo while
donnie yen's role in this film is brief
his bout with lead actor jet li is
arguably the highlight
their choreography proving thoroughly
exhilarating as a rainy backdrop
provides an almost serene underscore
before we unveil our top pick here are
some honorable mentions
the unback franchise before there was
donnie yen and it man
there was tony jaw and back
[Applause]
the protector the unbroken shot of the
staircase fight is awe-inspiring
[Music]
the final master another pre-world war
ii film about wing chun
[Music]
13 assassins takashi mikey's slow burn
samurai picture is sure to excite
fist of fury bruce lee originates
classic character later played by donnie
[Music]
yen
before we continue be sure to subscribe
to our channel and ring the bell to get
notified about our latest videos
you have the option to be notified for
occasional videos
or all of them if you're on your phone
make sure you go into your settings and
switch on notifications
number one enter the dragon a
conversation about the legendary ip man
would not be complete without his most
famous disciple
action star bruce lee
essential viewing for any film
enthusiast enter the dragon is often
considered one of the greatest martial
arts films of all time
[Applause]
released in 1973 it was the first of
these projects to be released
posthumously with the star having passed
away roughly seven months after the
epilogue of it man for the finale
fans of those movies will surely
recognize and appreciate the competitive
fighting angle here
not to mention the oh so dastardly
villain that gives some of it man's
adversaries a run for their money
you have offended my family
and you have offended the shaolin temple
comparisons aside
enter the dragon features some rip
roaring martial arts stunt work that
more than holds up nearly five decades
later
do you agree with our picks check out
this other recent clip from watchmojo
and be sure to subscribe and ring the
bell to be notified about our latest
videos