The 25 best Asian martial arts movies of the 21st century ranked, from Ip Man to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Kung Fu Hustle
- Action films from China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, India, Indonesia and Thailand showcase many martial arts styles, from kung fu to Muay Thai to sword fighting
- Their stars include Jet Li, Donnie Yen, Michelle Yeoh, Tony Jaa and Zhang Ziyi, and among their directors are Johnnie To, Ang Lee and Zhang Yimou
Asian cinema is synonymous with the action genre, thanks to its rich legacy of kung fu, wuxia and samurai dramas.
Nevertheless, markets like Thailand and Indonesia have ensured the region remains a hotbed for innovative and exhilarating action.
In the spirit of the genre’s fiercely competitive nature, we have ranked the 25 best Asian martial arts films of the 21st century, from snivelling weakling to undisputed grandmaster.
25. Duelist (2005)
24. Throw Down (2004)
23. Born to Fight (2004)
Veteran action choreographer Panna Rittikrai directs this truly ridiculous high-concept martial arts adventure. When a gang of heavily armed terrorists take control of a remote Thai village, it falls to a troupe of visiting national athletes, and Dan Chupong’s fearless police officer, to save the day any way possible.
22. Fearless (2006)
Touted as Jet Li Lianjie’s final action role on original release, Ronny Yu Yan-tai’s rousing biopic sees the action star on fine form as real-life martial artist Huo Yuanjia, who challenged numerous foreign fighters of different disciplines to exhibition bouts, in an effort to boost Chinese morale at the turn of the last century.
21. Gallants (2010)
Martial arts veterans Leung Siu-lung and Chan Koon-tai enjoyed a late-career renaissance in this 1960s-style Hong Kong comedy from Clement Cheng Sze-kit and Derek Kwok Tsz-kin. They play a pair of ageing kung fu masters who, together with Teddy Robin’s diminutive sifu, must defend their village from greedy property developers.
20. SPL II: A Time for Consequences (2015)
19. House of Flying Daggers (2004)
Looking to repeat the success of 2002’s Hero, Zhang Yimou crafts another visually breathtaking wuxia epic, this time fashioned around a tragic love triangle. Andy Lau Tak-wah and Takeshi Kaneshiro vie for the affections of Zhang Ziyi’s blind rebel, while fending off an endless multitude of military guards and projectile blades.
18. Tom Yum Goong (2005)
Tony Jaa cements his action star status with this stripped-down Muay Thai showcase that overcomes its flimsy narrative with some truly audacious fighting. Jaa plays the trustee of a sacred stolen elephant, who travels to Australia and beats everyone to a bloody pulp, culminating in a dazzling, single-take stairwell showdown.
17. Commando: A One Man Army (2013)
Vidyut Jammwal is sensational as an Indian army paratrooper who is betrayed by his government, prompting him to launch a one-man assault on a local official who is making improper advances on Pooja Chopra’s young beauty. What follows is a preposterously entertaining action film that has spawned two blockbuster sequels.
16. Shadow (2018)
15. The Night Comes for Us (2018)
Pitting two of the stars from The Raid, Iko Uwais and Joe Taslim, against one another in a hell-for-leather fight to the death, Indonesian filmmaker Timo Tjahjanto draws from his background in the horror genre to stage one of the most relentlessly bloody martial arts thrillers ever committed to film.
14. 13 Assassins (2010)
13. The City of Violence (2006)
Ryu Seung-wan, one of Korea’s most accomplished action directors, conceived this high-energy showcase for himself and veteran fight choreographer Jung Doo-hung. As childhood friends investigating their pal’s murder, the duo tear through an endless sea of goons in spectacularly breathless fashion.
12. The Grandmaster (2013)
11. Shaolin Soccer (2001)
Stephen Chow Sing-chi reworks the classic underdog sports comedy with a heavy dose of kung fu in this riotous, chart-topping comedy. Chow plays a down-on-his-luck monk, looking to promote Shaolin teachings. Teaming up with Ng Man-tat’s retired footballer, they put together an unlikely team of sporting superheroes.
10. The Man from Nowhere (2010)
Won Bin is a whirling dervish of pent-up rage in this ice-cool revenge thriller. He plays a former government agent living under the radar since the death of his wife, who comes to the rescue of the little girl next door (Kim Sae-ron) and her wayward mother when they are kidnapped by a despicable gang of crooks.
9. Zatoichi (2003)
8. Hero (2002)
7. Ong-Bak (2003)
Tony Jaa exploded onto the scene as a big-hearted yet fiercely proficient Muay Thai master in Prachya Pinkaew’s blistering thriller. Custom-made to showcase Jaa’s skills, and augmented by inventive choreography from mentor Panna Rittikrai, the story of a small-town boy on the trail of a stolen relic put Southeast Asian action on the map.