Few things are more exciting than a martial arts movie that keeps the action consistent and has viewers on the edge of their seats throughout. While there have been several all-time classic kung fu movies, that does not necessarily mean they featured non-stop action, as plenty of fighting films value slow-burn narratives or contemplative dialogue over intense action sequences and fight scenes. However, other movies keep the energy high from start to finish and more than deliver on their promise of spectacular choreography and consistent combat.
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Many of the best martial arts movies ever made featured non-stop action, as true kung fu legends punched, kicked, and fought their way through Shaolin temples and seedy criminal underworlds. From old-school kung fu classics featuring Donnie Yen to iconic Girls with Guns stories from Michelle Yeoh, the martial arts genre is vast and varied. While all these movies achieved classic status for different reasons, they were all united through non-stop action and exceptional fight sequences.
You are watching: 10 Classic Martial Arts Movies That Have Non-Stop Action
10
The 36th Chamber Of Shaolin (1978)
Directed by Lau Kar-leung
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The 36th Chamber of Shaolin
R
Action
Adventure
10/10
Release Date
February 2, 1978
Runtime
115 minutes
Cast
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-
Gordon Liu Chia-hui
Liu Yu-de / Monk San Ta
-
Lo Lieh
General Tien Ta
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As perhaps the greatest Shaw Brothers movie of all time, The 36th Chamber of Shaolin was an action-packed kung fu triumph that solidified Gordon Liu’s status as one of the greatest martial arts stars of all time. Telling the fictionalized story of the legendary Shaolin monk San Te, once this burgeoning kung fu master gained access to the Shaolin Temple, he was confronted with near-continuous challenges. Watching San Te make his way through dozens of the temple’s chambers was an exhaustive cinematic experience filled with fast-paced fight choreography.
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As an absorbing showcase of a man’s quest for vengeance, The 36th Chamber of Shaolin blended exciting training sequences with Buddhist philosophy in a classic kung fu story. As the first in a loosely connected trilogy, while the two sequels were entertaining, they could not live up to the non-stop action of the original. As a film that influenced not just kung fu cinema but also the hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan’s debut album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), The 36th Chamber of Shaolin has gained an esteemed place in pop culture across the globe.
9
The 8 Diagram Pole Fighter (1984)
Directed by Lau Kar-leung
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The 8 Diagram Pole Fighter
Not Rated
Action
Drama
Release Date
February 17, 1984
Runtime
98 minutes
Cast
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-
Gordon Liu Chia-hui
Yang 5th Brother
-
Alexander Fu Sheng
Yang 6th Brother
-
Kara Wai Ying-Hung
Yang No. 8
-
Lily Li
Mother Yang (She Tai-chun)
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The 8 Diagram Pole Fighter represented the pinnacle of Shaw Brothers productions output during the 1980s and was one of the greatest movies to feature martial arts star Gordon Liu. As a cult classic packed with astounding choreography and awe-inspiring showcasing of pole-fighting expertise, this Lau Kar-leung movie was unique for its focus on the art of stick-fighting. As Liu showed off his intense staff-wielding skills, viewers were left gobsmacked by his sheer commitment to the role.
Based on the Generals of the Yang Family, a well-known story in Chinese folklore, The 8 Diagram Pole Fighter explored themes of revenge and retribution. Featuring a protagonist whose family was captured and killed, the only survivors were two brothers who made an escape and vowed to enact revenge. Featuring Alexander Fu in his final film role, The 8 Diagram Pole Fighter was a martial arts classic that will appeal to viewers looking for non-stop action.
8
The Prodigal Son (1981)
Directed by Sammo Hung
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The Prodigal Son
R
Action
Adventure
Comedy
Release Date
January 1, 1981
Runtime
100 minutes
Cast
-
Sammo Hung
-
Lam Ching-ying
-
Yuen Biao
-
Billy Chan
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The Prodigal Son follows the long-standing tradition of students who defeat their masters in kung fu cinema. Co-written and directed by martial arts legend Sammo Hung, The Prodigal Son told the story of a young man named Leung Chang (Yuen Biao) who discovered that his reputation as a martial arts master was actually fabricated by his rich father. With a desire to prove himself, Chang meets a real master and trains as his apprentice.
While Chang was originally seen only half-heartedly studying kung fu, the discovery that his father had been paying his opponents to lose their fights forced him to take his studies far more seriously. This led to intense training sequences as Chang worked with a master to achieve these skills he falsely thought he already had. Based on the real fighter Leung Jan, one of the earliest practitioners of Wing Chun, The Prodigal Son pairs fast-paced action with the discipline and constant training it requires to excel in the ways of martial arts.
7
Dragons Forever (1988)
Directed by Sammo Hung
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Dragons Forever
Action
Comedy
6/10
Release Date
February 18, 1988
Runtime
102 Minutes
Cast
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Jackie Chan
Jackie Lung
-
Sammo Hung
Wong Fei-hung
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While Jackie Chan has had plenty of action-packed classic releases over the years, one of his most enjoyable and underrated movies was Dragons Forever. Directed and co-starring Chan’s fellow Seven Little Fortunes colleague Sammo Hung and featuring his consistent co-star Yuen Biao, this thrilling story of lawyers caught up in a complex conspiracy was one of six movies starring his iconic trio.
Dragons Forever featured Chan’s signature blend of action and slapstick comedy and, as the final movie to feature Chan, Hung, and Yeun all sharing the screen, represented the end of an era. The mix of Chan’s slick womanizing, Yeun’s eccentric nature, and Hung’s timid persona made this martial arts classic stand out as a varied story filled with diametrically opposed characters. With epic fights and consistent action, Dragons Forever deserves to reach a far larger audience.
6
The Scorpion King (1992)
Directed by David Lai
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Operation Scorpio
Action
Comedy
Release Date
September 10, 1992
Runtime
99 minutes
Cast
-
Chin Ka-Lok
Fei Yu-Shu
-
Won Jin
Sonny Wong “The Scorpion King”
-
Lau Kar-leung
Master Lo
-
Frankie Chin Chi-Leung
Bull (Jean Pal)
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The Scorpion King stars Chin Kar-lok as Yuk Su, a budding comic book artist who spends most of his time in an imaginative fantasy world. While these fantastical tendencies led to him learning two opposing martial arts styles, Yuk Su did not realize that run-in with a local gangster’s son would force him to act out his fantasies in real life. With a template that borrowed heavily from the underdog stories of movies like Rocky and The Karate Kid, watching Yuk Su train to become a genuine hero was filled with thrilling training sequences and action-packed fight scenes.
As a practitioner of the deadly Scorpion Style of martial arts, The Scorpion King features a likable hero in an epic story that highlights that, under the right circumstances, anyone could rise up and save the day. While an underdeveloped romantic subplot held The Scorpion King back from greatness, it was still a classic release filled with well-choreographed fight sequences. Also released under the title Operation Scorpio, this Hong Kong movie featured martial arts legend Lau Kar-leung as one of Yuk Su’s masters.
5
Iron Monkey (1993)
Directed by Yuen Woo-ping
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Iron Monkey
PG-13
Action
Crime
Drama
8/10
Release Date
September 3, 1993
Runtime
90 Mins
Cast
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Donnie Yen
Wong Kei-ying
-
Yu Rongguang
Dr. Yang / Iron Monkey
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While Donnie Yen has plenty of incredible old-school kung fu movies for viewers to check out, the greatest release in the early part of his career was Iron Monkey. This fantastic martial arts classic followed Yen’s breakout success in Once Upon a Time in China II the year before with a story based on the real Chinese folk hero Wong Fei-hung and his father, Wong Kei-ying. Telling a tale that would be very familiar to Chinese viewers, Iron Monkey saw the father-son duo face off against a masked martial artist known as the Iron Monkey.
As a film filled with gorgeous cinematography and incredible fight sequences, it’s no surprise that Yen’s career went from strength to strength in the years since Iron Monkey’s release, even breaking through in Hollywood productions like the John Wick franchise. Iron Monkey laid the groundwork for Yen to become a global kung fu superstar, and the film will certainly appeal to those who like their action fast-paced and non-stop.
4
Yes, Madam! (1985)
Directed by Corey Yuen
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Yes, Madam!
Action
Crime
Release Date
November 20, 1985
Director
Corey Yuen
Cast
-
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Michelle Yeoh
-
Cynthia Rothrock
-
John Sham
-
Tsui Hark
Yes, Madame features Michelle Yeoh and Cynthia Rothrock as a dynamic duo in this high-flying action flick. When a microfilm of crucial information falls into the hands of innocents, these two formidable women must protect them from a deadly gang of criminals. Known for its groundbreaking fight choreography and strong female leads, the film blends suspense, humor, and explosive martial arts, making it a classic in the action genre.
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While martial arts cinema has been traditionally a male-dominated genre, releases such as the Girls with Guns movie Yes, Madam! helped showcase it was not always a boys club. Starring Michelle Yeoh and Cynthia Rothrock, this acclaimed duo helped turn this unique female spin on the buddy cop formula into a true kung fu classic of the 1980s. With several sequels as part of the In the Line of Duty series, Yes, Madam! featured plenty of exciting gunplay, stunt work, and martial arts action.
As Yeoh’s first starring role and the feature debut of Rothrock, Yes, Madam! signaled the dawning of two incredible careers and helped turn the pair into major names in the world of kung fu. With Yeoh as Senior Inspector Ng and Rothrock as Inspector Carrie Morris, this action-packed story saw these two officers on the hunt for a stolen microfilm containing details of criminal activity that has fallen into the hands of a group of low-level thieves. Through its incredible choreography and a tongue-in-cheek sense of humor, Yes, Madam! featured just about everything a viewer could ask for from a female-led buddy cop story.
3
Tiger Cage II (1990)
Directed by Yuen Woo-ping
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Tiger Cage II
TV-14
Action
Comedy
Martial Arts
Release Date
August 11, 1990
Runtime
102 Minutes
Cast
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Donnie Yen
-
Rosamund Kwan
-
David Wu
-
Robin Shou
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Tiger Cage II reunited Donnie Yen with director Yeung Woo-ping for a sequel to their 1988 classic Tiger Cage, although this time with a new story and with Yen as an entirely different character named Dragon Yau. As one of Yen’s most underrated movies, Tiger Cage II featured non-stop action as an ex-cop and divorce lawyer attempted to clear their names following a vicious money laundering scheme. Featuring excellent chemistry between Yen and his co-star Rosamund Kwan, despite being less well-known than the original movie, Tiger Cage II was no less enthralling.
With the perfect balance between action and comedy, Tiger Cage II actually surpassed the previous movie in terms of impressive fight choreography and provided a glimpse of Yen’s bright future as a martial arts movie legend. While the story was quite muddled and haphazard, Yen more than made up for this in sheer physicality as he punched, kicked, and fought his way through several astounding action sequences.
2
Fist Of Legend (1994)
Directed by Gordon Chan
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Fist Of Legend
R
Action
Drama
Martial Arts
10/10
Release Date
December 22, 1994
Runtime
103 Minutes
Cast
See All
-
Jet Li
Chen Zhen
-
Shinobu Nakayama
Mitsuko Yamada
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Fist of Legend was truly one of Jet Li’s crowning achievements and a firm showcase of his status as one of the greatest kung fu stars of all time. As a remake of the Bruce Lee classic Fist of Fury, Fist of Legend saw Li portraying the Shanghai martial artist Chen Zhen as he investigates his master Huo Yuanjia’s death at the hands of the Imperial Japanese occupation forces. With a powerful story that updated the classic Lee film for the 1990s, Fist of Legend featured some of the most impressive fight choreography ever captured on film.
The action sequences in Fist of Legend were so impressive that the Wachowskis hired choreographer Yuen Woo-ping for the fight scenes in The Matrix, a decision that had a major influence on the action genre as a whole. Fist of Legend was a true modern classic that highlighted Li’s exceptional talent and ability to carry forward the legacy of Bruce Lee. Interestingly, Li would later portray Zhen’s teacher, Huo Yuanjia, in the later release Fearless.
1
Police Story (1985)
Directed by Jackie Chan
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Police Story
PG-13
Action
Comedy
Crime
Thriller
10/10
Release Date
December 14, 1985
Runtime
100 Minutes
Cast
See All
-
Jackie Chan
-
Brigitte Lin
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While Jackie Chan’s legacy speaks for itself through his countless kung fu classics, it must be admitted that Police Story stood as the crown jewel in his vast and varied filmography. With Chan at the helm, this was the most fully realized version of his unique style, as he not only starred in the movie but also directed and co-wrote the film himself. As the definitive martial arts cop movie, Police Story was just the beginning of a major franchise and was a major release in turning Chan into the most recognizable kung fu star of the modern era.
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Part of the power of Police Story was Chan’s insistence on doing his own stunts, and iconic moments like the shopping mall fight have gone down in history as some of the most impressive action sequences ever filmed. Police Story just might be Chan’s greatest movie, and the fact that he was so heavily involved creatively only further proved his status as a true kung fu legend. While there have been plenty of sequels, spin-offs, and remakes, the original Police Story was as good as it gets when it comes to non-stop action in martial arts cinema.
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Category: Entertainment