If you're in the mood for orphan assassins, a single fighter against an entire army,
or Jackie Chan getting serious, then it's time to check out these underrated martial arts flicks.
If you're a fan of Iko Uwais, you probably know him from The Raid franchise,
or possibly American movies like Snake Eyes. In addition to those credits, he also starred in
another fantastic Indonesian movie that hasn't gotten nearly as much attention as it deserves.
2016's Headshot stars Uwais as a man who wakes up from a coma and doesn't know who he is, so
he gives himself the name "Ishmael." When his past comes knocking, it does so with punches and kicks,
and Ishmael engages in one brutal battle after another as he pieces his memories
back together. It's a movie that definitely isn't for the faint of heart, as the fights
and the resulting injuries manage to be even more wince-inducing than those in The Raid.
Based on the Chinese comic Oriental Heroes, 2006's Dragon Tiger Gate is director Wilson Yip's second
collaboration with martial arts legend Donnie Yen. This time around, Yen plays Dragon Wong,
one of the two children of the founders of the titular martial arts academy. Dragon grew up on
the wrong side of the law, while his half-brother Tiger Wong followed a more law-abiding path.
Fate brings the two strangers together one night in a thrilling restaurant battle. When
they finally realize who they are to each other, they team up in a series of fights
that often rely a little too heavily on CG but are still an absolute joy to watch.
If you're a fan of the likes of John Wick and Kill Bill, you surely appreciate when
a one-person army mows down dozens of foes in gleefully over-the-top fashion. When this
technique was deployed for the climactic battle in 2003's Azumi, it was still somewhat novel,
and the film deserves a lot of credit for paving the way for what came after.
Based on the manga series of the same name, Azumi is about the titular young girl, who is part of
a group of orphans who were trained to become assassins. Azumi isn't just tough for a girl,
she's one of the toughest protagonists of 21st century martial arts cinema period.
This movie is so beloved that it's been partly credited for revitalizing the entire genre.
In 2013, Keanu Reeves stepped behind the camera for the first time when he directed
and starred in Man of Tai Chi. His love of the genre is evident in every frame,
as he crafts what feels very much like an old-school martial arts picture.
Interestingly enough, Reeves plays the main antagonist, who owns a shady security firm and
oversees an underground fighting ring. He takes notice of an impressive tai chi fighter played
by Tiger Chen. Tiger is definitely the star of the show here. He was previously on the stunt team for
The Matrix and Kill Bill: Volume 1, and he proves to be just as compelling in front of the camera.
"How would you like to test how good you are, Tiger?"
Jackie Chan is obviously a martial arts legend, but he hasn't always
been as successful with his more serious efforts. Case in point: The Foreigner,
directed by Martin Campbell. It actually did get a decent amount of acclaim when
it was released in 2017 and therefore might not seem befitting of a list of
underrated movies. But it deserves more attention than it's gotten, with a Chan
in his early 60s impressing us with expertly choreographed fights and impressive stunts.
Chan plays Quan Ngoc Minh, a quiet businessman driven to seek vengeance when his daughter is
killed in a terrorist attack. The human drama takes center stage here, but when Chan does fight,
he's undeniably thrilling more than 50 years into his legendary career.
"What if your wife and daughter were killed by a bomb?"
"I'd do everything in my power to get justice."
With Jackie Chan moving toward more serious fare in the last few decades, martial arts
comedy has suffered without its biggest star. So what better way to inject some new life than
to remake one of the earliest classics of the subgenre: 1978's Enter the Fat Dragon.
The original satirized Bruce Lee's Enter the Dragon and Way of the Dragon,
and much of that spirit is a lot more present in the remake than you might think. The new version
also goes its own way, as it puts Donnie Yen in prosthetics that round out his face and belly,
which isn't exactly the best aspect of this movie. Issues with the fat suit aside,
Enter the Fat Dragon is a whole lot of fun, with Yen proving his comedic chops in spades.
Though it features plenty of talent, you'd be forgiven for not giving 2019's
Triple Threat a second look if you came across it in the bargain bin,
thanks to its generic title and cover art. But everyone is bringing their A-game here,
and that's really saying something. The plot is admittedly nothing special
and doesn't shy away from genre tropes, but that's not why you watch a movie like this.
The fight scenes are incredible, especially when the likes of Tony Jaa and Iko Uwais are involved
at the same time. When you add Tiger Chen, Scott Adkins, and Michael Jai White into the mix,
it should be abundantly clear that Triple Threat is a must-watch for any martial arts fan.
Also known as Zen, Warrior Within, 2008's Chocolate is an extremely unorthodox martial arts
epic. Yanin Vismitananda plays Zen, the daughter of a Yakuza boss and his lover Zin. Zin eventually
learns that Zen has autism, which she channels into her obsession with mimicking the moves of
the students at a Muay Thai school. Combined with almost superhuman reflexes, Zen becomes
the ideal person to rescue her kidnapped mother from the clutches of her gangster ex-boyfriend.
What ensues are some of the most elaborately staged and original fight scenes ever put to film.
Simply put, this is an excellent martial arts flick whose star should be more famous worldwide.
Filmmaker and playwright David Mamet is best known for talky dramatic works like Glengarry Glen Ross,
but he's also made some detours into action. One of the most notable is 2008's Redbelt,
which stars Chiwetel Ejiofor as an accomplished fighter named Mike Terry,
who shuns commercialization of the martial arts.
But Mike finds himself involved in the film industry after saving the life of famous action
star Chet Frank, played by Tim Allen. While the action might take a backseat to the morality play,
Redbelt still proves surprisingly competent as it delivers some extremely satisfying fisticuffs.
"The code of the warrior: do you think it's noble?"
"No, I think it's correct."
2009's Ninja is somewhat underrated, though it did manage to build up a fair amount of
buzz among fans of the genre and did well enough to warrant a sequel. But 2013's Ninja:
Shadow of a Tear was largely ignored upon release,
which is unfortunate since it might actually be better than its predecessor.
Scott Adkins returns as Casey Bowman, who was attempting to settle down with his new
wife after the events of the previous film. But when she's murdered, he embarks upon a
quest for revenge. The fights are incredible, and this movie is absolutely packed with them,
as it paved the way for the likes of John Wick to deploy a strategy of nonstop action.
While Japan, China, South Korea, and the United States have long been considered the main sources
of top-quality action, the 2000s and 2010s have really seen an uptick in other countries staking
significant claims. That includes Germany, with 2016's Plan B in particular providing the goods.
It's not surprising that this movie really delivers on the action once you release that
its top-billed actors are stunt performers whose work includes the likes of John Wick and The
Matrix. It's always nice when stunt workers get the chance to actually be themselves on screen.
The plot is fairly standard, as the protagonists need to fight their way
to rescue a friend from gangsters. But whatever it takes to get these fighters
plowing through bad guys is good enough. IMDb has a Plan C listed as in development,
although there's not much information about it available elsewhere. Here's hoping, though.
If you only know RZA as a member of the Wu-Tang Clan or as a solo musician,
then it's time to familiarize yourself with his filmmaking.
Considering his iconic rap group's frequent references to classic martial arts cinema,
it's hardly surprising that he eventually got into the game himself.
After spending some time playing small roles and making music for other action movies,
RZA finally went all in on as a director for 2012's The Man with the Iron Fists.
It's very much in the same vein as Quentin Tarantino's genre tributes,
and though it lacks some polish and craft, it still proves to be an impressive debut.
With a fun script co-written by fellow Tarantino friend and collaborator Eli Roth,
The Man with the Iron Fists is pure camp and doesn't try to be anything else.
It's a must-see for fans of the Wu-Tang, RZA, Tarantino, and classic martial arts.
"They made me a cripple, but if you help me, I'll forge my greatest weapon ever."
In addition to his time as an actor, South Korean filmmaker Ryoo Seung-wan has proven to
be an accomplished director in his own right. He tends to star in many of his own films,
as he did for the excellent 2006 martial arts thriller The City of Violence.
He plays Yoo Suk-hwan, one of four men who have reunited on the 20th anniversary of
their friend's death. An investigation into the still-unsolved murder then turns into a
violent quest for revenge, as Suk-hwan is joined by his friend Jung Tae-soo.
The men basically become a two-man army as they kick, punch, and slice their way through hordes
of goons on their path to vengeance. The action scenes are pulse-pounding and frequently funny,
which is why Sueng-wan has even been compared to Quentin Tarantino.
The Ip Man films have pretty much locked down the irstatus as the definitive version of the life of
Bruce Lee's teacher and mentor, and it's hard to top Donnie Yen as the title character. But
those aren't the only times that his story has ever been adapted for the big screen. In 2013,
acclaimed Hong Kong filmmaker Wong Kar-wai went ahead and offered his own take.
The Grandmaster is no Ip Man, and lead actor Tony Leung Chiu-wai can't quite compare to Yen. But
The Grandmaster is still worth a look, as it takes a more philosophical and introspective
approach to Ip Man and the world events that were occurring around him in the 1930s and 40s.
But that's not to say that there aren't plenty of great fight scenes,
because there most certainly are. It's admittedly not quite as good as any of the Ip Man films,
but The Grandmaster is a fine companion piece to that series,
as it looks at the man and his story in a slightly different but equally interesting way.
Any chance that 2005's SPL: Sha Po Lang could have been as big of a hit in the
west as it was in its native Hong Kong was severely hamstrung when it was localized
with the generic title Kill Zone. It's likely for that reason alone that so
many English-speaking martial arts fans have slept on this movie. For those who missed it,
you should know it's one of the best action films of the century, that it has a killer
cast that includes Donnie Yen, and that it's directed by Wilson Yip of Ip Man fame.
The story involves a dying Hong Kong detective who is trying to get an infamous Triad boss
behind bars as the last big accomplishment of his career. That mission is made a bit
easier by Ma Kwun, who's being trained to be the detective's successor and is
known for his excessive use of force. Not only are the fight scenes unsurprisingly excellent
considering the talent involved, but SPL is also an extremely compelling crime drama.
A follow-up eventually arrived in the form of 2015's SPL II: A Time for Consequences. It's
a sequel in name only, though it's also fantastic and well worth checking out.