Top 5, Bottom 5 Martial Art Movies

[brianbarton]

I have just started getting into Martial Arts Movies and have made a few too many bad choices along with the good ones for my liking.

So it is for this reason that I would like to ask fellow members to recommend their top 5 Martial Arts Movies that we should all take the time to watch, plus 5 that you would post to your own worst enemy.

 

[deadhand31]

Here are my top 5:

1. Enter the Dragon -Bruce Lee (anything else as number 1 is pure blasphemy!)
2. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon -Chow Yun Fat
3. Kiss of the Dragon -Jet Li
4. Fist of Legend -Jet Li
5. Return of the Dragon -Bruce Lee




5. Anything with Steven Seagal (dang squinty eyed, whisper voiced poser)
4. Any 3 ninjas movie (duh!)
3. Mortal Kombat Annihilation -Robin Shou (the first one was good, but the sequel was just plain stupid)
2. Game of Death -Bruce Lee, sort of (the only redeeming quality about this movie is the last 15 minutes, where it's really Bruce fighting, not the double. The should have released only the last few scenes. i'm serious, it would have been better!)
1. The Prisoner -Jackie Chan (the movie makes it seem that Jackie is the star, but he's only a minor character. BOO!)

 

[Zujitsuka]

I don't have any to bash, but here are my five favorites are:

1) "Enter the Dragon", w/ Bruce Lee

2) "Return of the Dragon", w/ Bruce Lee

3) "The Chinese Connection", w/ Bruce Lee

4) "The Tai Chi Master", w/ Jet Li

5) "Fist of Legend", Jet Li

 

[Kirk]

Do any of you consider The Matrix to be a M.A. flick?
It had some excellent fight scenes. I couldn't rank
the ones I like, cause I just like practically all of them.
If you have high bandwidth, I recommend checking out
http://www.kwoon.tv ... high quality, yet still amatuer
kung fu movies.

 

[Samurai]

Best Movies.....

1.) Enter the Dragon (I had to say that to avoid blasphemy)

2.) Seven Samurai (Even the Bare Naked Ladies mention the director in there song)

3.) Return of the Dragon (Chuck Norris verus Bruce Lee )

4.) The Octagon (Best 1980's Ninja flick)

5.) The Mask of Zorro (That is great Spanish fencing)

As a side note: I loved the CBS TV Series "Martial Law" with Sammo Hung. I hated to see it go. Another series I liked from a long time ago was called "Spy Game". The hero (forget his name) used everyday items as weapons.


WORST MOVIES....

1.) Ninja 3: The Domination (demon ninjas...come on)

2.) Anything with VanDamme (I did like Bloodsport but that is it)

3.) Game of Death (excluding the last fight scene)

4.) Ghost Warrior (A frozen Samurai )

5.) The Protector (worst Jackie Chan movie ever...I love Jackie's other works)


--Jeremy Bays

 

[Cthulhu]

In no particular order (really depends on my frame of mind at any given time):

- Enter the Dragon
- Star Wars - The Empire Strikes Back
- The Seven Samurai
- Rapid Fire (not a great movie, but great fight scenes)
- one that I'm having trouble remembering at the moment

General worst pics:

- anything with Seagal, Van Dummy, and/or David Carradine

Cthulhu

 

[donald]

Here are my top, and worst 5. With the not so grand prize going to, Ninja:The Domination. In my opinion the absolute worst martial arts flick, EVER!!! After all the hype in Blackbelt, etc.. I excpected a VERY good movie. This movie was so bad. I was ashamed to admit I did anything comparable to those poor miguided creatures on the screen.
1)Trial of Billy Jack
2)Above the Law
3)Eye for an Eye
4)Fist of Fury
5)Kill or be Killed
Now The Stinkers
1)Ninja:The Domination
2)Glimmer (Glitter?)Man
3)Gym Kata
4)Blood Sport
5)The Big Brawl

 

[Dronak]

I don't think I've ever made it a point to watch martial arts movies. I'm not too big on movies in general. But maybe I'll try to get Enter the Dragon since it seems to be one of the best kung fu films from the reviews I've seen. I just wanted to say that Gymkata may not have been a great movie, but I thought it was kind of funny. It's one of the few films I know of that featured gymnastics (which was something of a big deal back in high school when I did gymnastics) and I think my parents still have it on tape. It was funny how gymnastic equipment just happened to be around when needed -- the high bar across the alleyway, the pommel horse in the town of crazy people. I found it rather amusing.

 

[fist of fury]

For me in no particular order:
Enter the dragon
The prodigal son
warriors two
crouching tiger
once upon a time in china series

 

[disciple]

My top 5:
Once Upon a Time In China 1
Once Upon a Time In China 2
Once Upon a Time In China 3
Tai Chi Master - Jet li
Appointment with Death

salute
:asian:

 

[Kirk]

Nobody said The Matrix?!?!

There was some excellent Kung Fu scenes in that flick!

 

[arnisador]

Anyone who isn't listing "Enter the Dragon" amongst their Top 5 is clearly in the wrong, and may in fact be unstable and dangerous.

 

[brianbarton]

Originally posted by arnisador
Anyone who isn't listing "Enter the Dragon" amongst their Top 5 is clearly in the wrong, and may in fact be unstable and dangerous.

While I agree that Enter the Dragon is a good movie, I do not think it is a great martial arts movie, or better than many other movies that have been made since or before.

What I think let the movie down mainly was the camera work. Most of the fighting scenes work shot so close that it stopped you from seeing some of the great action which was happening.

Having said that I feel Enter the Dragon is a very important film. It effectively introduced the film genre to the west. It also set the standard by which all future martial arts movies are made.

 

[Yari]

Originally posted by Cthulhu
General worst pics:

[cut], and/or David Carradine

Cthulhu

I really liked "silent flute" (I think it was called). Where Carradine played a blind man.

/Yari

 

[Blindside]

In no particular order:


Drunken Master 2 (Rereleased as the Legend of Drunken Master)
Fist of Legend
Out for Justice/Above the Law (I don't really differentiate these two)
The Seven Samurai
Enter the Dragon (bowing to peer pressure)

Rapid Fire and Only the Strong get honorable mentions.

As for the worst well, I'll leave you with some of the wise words of Dave Barry:

"Karate is a form of martial arts where men with years and years of training, using only their hands and feet, can make some of the worst movies known to man."

(Though no movie with "ninja" in the title has ever been considered good.)

Lamont

 

[arnisador]

I hate to have to admit it, but I kind of like Kill and Kill Again.

 

[Kirk]

Originally Posted By Arnisador
I hate to have to admit it, but I kind of like Kill and Kill Again

I totally forgot about Kill or Be Killed, and Kill And Kill
Again! Those were great ones!

 

[arnisador]

I watched about 5 minutes of Steven Seagal's "Exit Wounds" tonight--a fight about 15 minutes into the film, where Seagal takes on 5 or 6 gang muggers who have knives and a bat. It was a bizarre mix of various martial arts styles and acrobatics--it was really bad.

 

[arnisador]

The fight at the karate school, where Bond is dressed in a gi--before they send him out to battle there is a sword fight. Is that krabi kabong or is it Indonesian (or possibly something else altogether)?

 

[Rob_Broad]

I look at martial arts movies a little different than a lot of people, I don't most of the martial arts movies I see, and I will admit that even though I enjoy watching Enter the Dragon once every other yr it is not my favorite.

Here are some of my picks in no particular order.
The Perfect Weapon
Big Trouble In Little China
The Last Dragon
The Seven Samuarai
Only The Strong

Things to avoid even if it would save a loved one
Anything with Jean Claude van Damme
Anything with Steven Seagal
Anything with any of the Bruce Lee impostors
Anything with Ninja in the title including Hollywood Ninja with Chris Farley
Gymkata - the shivers run up and down my spine thinking about it
Anything with Billy Blanks, Jalal Merhi, or any other martials arts tournament fighter who thinks they can act