Please excuse the potential boldness of this claim if it seems disagreeable, but it sometimes feels like martial arts as a movie genre is underrated overall. When a martial arts movie works, it feels like action at its purest and most visceral, and who doesn’t love a good action film? The genre probably had its heyday some decades ago, with a particularly high number of classic martial arts movies coming out during the 1970s and ‘80s, many – but not all – from Hong Kong.
This type of action movie has never gone away entirely, but many of the classics from decades past don’t get the kind of love they deserve. Indeed, the entire genre sometimes feels like it delivers better action scenes than many modern-day action movies, lending credence to the idea that there are too many under-appreciated martial arts movies. The following exemplify this well, all being martial arts movies that range from good to great that sometimes feel like they’re kind of obscure and unknown, at least among people who aren’t heavily into martial arts cinema.
10 'Fearless Hyena' (1979)
Director: Jackie Chan
Even those who’ve only seen a handful of martial arts movies will likely be well aware of who Jackie Chan is, thanks to the fact he achieved international stardom in the 1990s. Prior to his popular Hollywood flicks, Jackie Chan made films that were of an arguably even higher quality in Hong Kong, often blending spectacular action and stuntwork with comedy, as seen in something like Fearless Hyena.
This isn’t one of his absolute best early films, but it is still an overall good one for anyone interested in seeing just what Jackie Chan was capable of in his physical prime. The story ends up being a fairly generic one about revenge, and it doesn’t have quite as many jaw-dropping sequences as some of his later classics… but it still functions well as a comedic martial arts movie, and is pretty consistently entertaining.
9 'The Valiant Ones' (1975)
Director: King Hu
King Hu is a highly respected director among martial arts movie aficionados, with his best-known works (namely, 1967’s Dragon Inn and 1971’s A Touch of Zen) ranking high among the best martial arts movies ever made. He wasn’t the most prolific of filmmakers, with 15 directorial credits to his name, but he is someone whose deep cuts are usually worth digging out; deep cuts like 1975’s The Valiant Ones.
It has an epic-sounding story, though the runtime clocks in at a relatively lean 102 minutes, all of it focusing on two married warriors who battle various foes posing a threat to China, first with their wits, and then eventually with their swords. The Valiant Ones saves the bulk of its action for the film’s climax, so it can take a while to deliver the goods. Still, that action is spectacular and well-crafted enough to be worth the wait.
8 'The Kid with the Golden Arm' (1979)
Director: Chang Cheh
If you’re seeking good cinematic sword fights and are fortunate enough to stumble upon The Kid with the Golden Arm, then you’ve come to the right place. It’s a no-nonsense Shaw Brothers Studio production (a company responsible for funding countless great martial arts flicks), revolving around a large quantity of gold being transported, and various characters who are all drawn to such wealth for different personal reasons.
It's a martial arts movie that’s less than 90 minutes long, and possibly has a few too many characters for such a runtime, making it hard to follow in places. But as long as one understands that lots of people want gold (as simple as action/adventure movie premises get, really), it’s easy to get the basics, allowing one to sit back, relax, and just enjoy all the sword fights and hand-to-hand brawls on offer throughout The Kid with the Golden Arm.
7 'Human Lanterns' (1982)
Director: Sun Chung
Blending some gory horror with martial arts action, Human Lanterns is certainly an oddity, albeit not one that’s entirely alone, given there are some other movies out there that combine martial arts with unexpected genres. Essentially, the story follows two kung fu masters who are both at odds, and, all the while, there’s also a masked killer on the loose who likes to make lanterns with… well, you know.
The title implies grisly violence, and you definitely get that in Human Lanterns, though it’s probably not the kind of horror movie that many viewers today will find genuinely terrifying. The atmosphere is a little creepy, and the kills bloody, with Human Lanterns being interesting for adding all that into the mix alongside some well-choreographed fight scenes. As a result, it’s a pretty good time, and fairly distinctive, too.
6 'Crime Story' (1993)
Director: Kirk Wong Chi-Keung
Not long before he took Hollywood by storm, Jackie Chan starred in the fairly under-appreciated Crime Story, which had the spirit of a martial arts movie (plus a few hand-to-hand fights) while also being a tough and gritty crime/thriller film. It’s easy to recommend to anyone who liked Jackie Chan’s more famous Police Story. Crime Story might not be quite as good as that 1985 movie, and it might take itself a little too seriously at times, but the action soars nonetheless.
The plot keeps things simple, following a skilled officer who's forced to fight through numerous criminals after the businessman he’s watching over gets kidnapped. Crime Story isn’t about the story so much, though, instead being at its best when it delivers exciting and wild action scenes. Jackie Chan has some impressive stunts, too, and the number of explosions seen throughout the film’s climax needs to be seen to be believed.
Crime Story
A special agent is assigned to protect a wealthy business magnate. However, when the businessman is kidnapped in a daring ambush, he teams up with a seasoned detective to crack the case. But soon he discovers the case isn’t that simple.
5 'The Fate of Lee Khan' (1973)
Director: King Hu
Like The Valiant Ones, King Hu’s The Fate of Lee Khan is at its best during the climax, because everything builds up to one monumentally great action sequence right at the end. There are a few smaller fights peppered throughout; enough to tide one over, which helps The Fate of Lee Khan feel a little more consistently engaging than something like The Valiant Ones.
Much of the film takes place in a single confined setting: an inn filled with high-ranking government officials, spies, warriors, and various other interesting characters who all have a multitude of reasons to clash and fight. The earlier parts of The Fate of Lee Khan work well to build tension, ensuring the action at the end can have the maximum impact possible. Additionally, it helps that most of the non-action stuff here is also pretty entertaining, thanks to the intrigue inherent to the set-up and the suspense that comes with a limited location full of characters.