Martial arts movies aren't usually known for their gripping stories, but a rare few of them can break the mold of the genre with genuinely fantastic narratives alongside gripping action. For the most part, martial arts movies are given a lot of leeway when it comes to their stories, with gripping hand-to-hand fight scenes being the primary draw for audiences of the genre. That being said, some of the best fight scenes in martial arts movie history come from films with brilliant narratives that compliment the action.
Martial arts movies with earnestly great stories come in multiple varieties. Often, the period setting of martial arts films allows for some fascinating political and cultural drama sprouting from the relevant movements or historical events of the time they take place in. In other cases, lovingly choreographed action is used as an emotional vessel for two characters to hash out their relationship, mirroring the intimacy of other areas in life with the intimacy of combat.
10 Last Hurrah For Chivalry
1979
A 70s Hong Kong martial arts film existing in the filmography of John Woo, Last Hurrah for Chivalry makes the most out of its Ming Dynasty setting and remarkable performances. The plot revolves around a distinguished swordsman, courtesy of Ti Lung, who is commissioned to seek revenge on behalf of a disgraced noble. From there, it's up to Lung's character to assemble a powerful team of warriors to aid him in his quest.
Along the way, the swordsman must face all manner of threats to his livelihood, from rival duelists to devious political manipulators. It's fascinating how well Woo is able to marry political intrigue and heady dissertations on the meaning of chivalry with some of the best swordplay ever seen in a kung fu movie. For both its intense blade-wielding battles and thoughtful ponderings on chivalry as a code of ethics, Last Hurrah for Chivalry has a lot to celebrate.
9 Five Deadly Venoms
1978
It's a rare treat when the narratives of martial arts movies cross over with other, more traditional story structures, such as romance or horror. Thusly, it's easy to see why Five Deadly Venoms became one of the most popular kung fu movies of its era, drenching a typical whodunit mystery in exciting martial arts battles. The film centers on Yang Tieh, a kung fu student who is requested by his master's dying wish to find each of his former pupils and examine how they used his teachings, taking them down if they strayed down the path of evil.
Each of the five deadly venoms has their own nickname based on a poisonous or venomous animal and a unique kung fu technique to back it up, making for some creative novelties in the film's kung fu battles. They also have their own delicate role to play in the film's overarching mystery, with a deliciously evil final villain that bears all the smug satisfaction of a typical thriller antagonist. Even the most cynical detractor who dismisses kung fu movies as mindless action can easily find something to enjoy about the intricate web of deceit Five Deadly Venoms weaves.
8 Ip Man
2008
In truth, the entire Ip Man franchise qualifies for the title of martial arts movie with the best balance of drama and action. Essentially prestige cinema wrapped with a generous helping of blisteringly fast kung fu action, Ip Man stars Donnie Yen as the titular character in his most famous role to date, playing the real life revolutionary and wing chun practitioner with deft skill. Taking place during the Japanese occupation of China, the film sees Ip go from a downtrodden worker to an inspiring symbol of Chinese cultural victory.
The first Ip Man sets a precedent for the rest of the series in exploring kung fu's possibilities as a valuable cultural keystone for the Chinese people, even in their darkest hour. It helps that the actual fight choreography is top-notch, with Yen making wing chun look like the martial arts style to end all others. Ip Man is a triple threat that works as a character study, a political period drama, and a versatile action movie all at the same time.
7 Dragon Inn
1967
Not all of the best kung fu action films with a beating narrative heart necessarily need to hail from China, as proven by Taiwan's Dragon Inn in 1967. The film centers on the children of one Governor Yu, placed in grave peril after their father is politically outmaneuvered by a clever eunuch at court. It's up to a crack team of four martial artists to save them from the wrath of the secret police at the legendary Dragon Gate Inn at the edge of China's borders.
The political intrigue behind the conflict of Dragon Inn is quite prototypical for the wuxia subgenre, with the film being among one of the most important in establishing such conventions early on. Even if the mission to rescue the Governor's innocent children is a simple one, the tension that Dragon Inn is able to maintain seeds genuine uncertainty into a nailbiting plot. Of course, the martial arts swordfighting also rivals some of the Shaw brothers' later work in Hong Kong in its complexity, complimenting the atmospheric story.
6 Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
2000
The movie that put martial arts films on the map in of serious critical assessment, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is still such a venerated title in Hollywood and beyond for a good reason. The wuxia epic takes place in 19th century China, telling the story of the revered Green Destiny blade, a magical sword of great power. When the sword and its techniques are stolen by the daughter of the powerful Governor Yu, it's up to two seasoned warriors to stop her juvenile wrath.
There are a lot of delicate themes explored by the winding narrative of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, from gender roles to whirlwind romance to the slow poison of cynicism. The spirited Jen eventually becomes just as jaded as the blade she wields, leading to a tragic ending that feels almost Shakespearean in its profundity. Of course, it helps that the film has some of the most impressive wirework fight sequences ever conceived, including one of the best sword fights in martial arts movie history in Jen vs. Shu Lien.
5 Come Drink With Me
1966
Penned by the same director as Dragon Inn, King Hu, Come Drink with Me is another tale of feisty fighting women and delicately dangerous swordplay that results in one of the greatest wuxia films of all time, bar none. Once again, a local governor's son is kidnapped, only this time around his rescuer is none other than his own sister, the mysterious and highly-decorated swordswoman, Golden Swallow. It's up to Golden Swallow to navigate an army of deadly bandits with a little help from a disguised shaolin master and a few fellow female warriors.
As an early progenitor of wuxia films as they're known today, Come Drink with Me deserves no end of credit in the martial arts movie space. However, its graceful fight sequences, more like delicate dances than outright brawls, still hold up today as something special. The revolutionary commentary of femininity as it relates to combat is also an important aspect of the story, which is all but unprecedented for such a historic film.
4 The Prodigal Son
1981
As if martial arts movies don't have enough of a reputation as surface level spectacle, martial arts comedies are even harder to ascribe as narratively rich experiences. That being said, The Prodigal Son breaks that mold as a martial arts comedy with a touching message. Wealthy slacker Leung Chang is a half-hearted martial arts student who thinks himself to be a powerful fighter, only to learn that his rich father has been paying his opponents to lose on purpose.
This shocking discovery sends Chang into a spiral of introspection, vowing to apply himself and genuinely learn kung fu from a true master. Despite the silliness one might expect from such a premise, which certainly comes into play, The Prodigal Son gets surprisingly dramatic, with a compelling inner journey that also delves into yet another deconstruction of Chinese gender norms. Of course, the cheeky humor and brilliant fight scenes cement the film's place as a genuinely great story that also happens to feature excellent surface-level spectacle.
3 Drunken Master II
1994
The Prodigal Son isn't the only martial arts comedy with a heart of gold worthy of consideration for even the most elite story connoisseurs. Billed simply as Drunken Master in the United States, Drunken Master II continues the story of Wong Fei-hung after his training in the drunken boxing style in the first film. After a screw-up, Wong finds himself in possession of a valuable Chinese artifact sought after by the occupying forces of England, leading to a hopeful confrontation with the ruling class.
Again, the choreography, slapstick, and comedic timing to be expected of one of Jackie Chan's strongest films is all well and good. But beneath the veneer of comedy and kung fu sits a heartfelt message about inaction vs pacifism and standing up to a hostile occupying government, especially noteworthy for the choice of the British consul as an exploitative villain. The strength of the Wong family is also a rich beating heart that drives the narrative, always at the forefront of Wong Fei-hung's actions.
2 Everything Everywhere All At Once
2022
Not every martial arts film that succeeds on the basis of its story as well as its action is such a legacy picture. Everything Everywhere All At Once was quite a notable release in recent years, gaining prized accolades such as the Best Picture Oscar at the 2023 Academy Awards. The film follows Evelyn, a tired mother and co-owner of a laundromat who suddenly is thrust into a multiverse-spanning adventure of silly proportions as another version of her daughter seeks to consume the universe in oblivion.
Everything Everywhere All At Once deserves its recognition for a variety of reasons. The physical comedy, gag possibilities opened up by the multiverse concept, and impressive fight sequences with ordinary household objects all have their own appeal as exciting crowdpleasers. But it's Evelyn's touching journey of kindness in the face of nihilism, as well as her delicate relationship with her loved ones, that keep the film so highly-assessed, and rightfully so.
1 House Of Flying Daggers
2004
Another wuxia epic deserving of critical accolades, House of Flying Daggers is a difficult film to dissect due to the sheer breathtaking beauty of its visuals. Widely renowned for its visual splendor, even if House of Flying Daggers had a miserable story, it would be worth suffering through for the jaw-dropping stunts and unreal cinematography alone. Luckily, there's a surprisingly deft and sound narrative lurking under the flashy imagery of House of Flying Daggers, one that doesn't get enough credit for the film's success.
The film takes place in the collapse of the Tan dynasty, with one Tang assassin being sent to infiltrate and destabilize a rebel group growing in power, the titular House of Flying Daggers. However, the intrepid police officer Jin soon falls in love with one of his enemies. Complicating matters further is the scorned affections of another House of Flying Daggers member, creating a deadly love triangle that results in a tragic end. One of the strongest and bleakest romances in martial arts movie history, the epic calamity of House of Flying Daggers isn't to be underestimated.
