Jet Li’s 10 Best Action Scenes in Martial Arts Movies

An icon of the martial arts movie genre, Jet Li Was responsible for putting some absolutely incredible action scenes to screen over the course of his legendary career. The Singaporean martial artist and actor was once a national wushu champion, pivoting into an acting career at the young age of 18 in 1982 with The Shaolin Temple. Since then, Jet Li has had a lauded cinematic career, reviving the Hong Kong martial arts movie on one hand and leaving a wake of fantastic hand-to-hand combat scenes.

Jet Li’s best action scenes showcase the performer’s impressive dexterity, agility, And years of dedicated martial arts training, reflecting his skills on screen. In addition to unarmed combat, Lee is quite proficient with martial arts sword fights and improvised weapons, making for an impressive breadth of variety in his greatest hits. of the iconic Once upon a time in China Series to his many crossover scenes with other martial arts greats, Jet Li’s reputation for kung fu mastery is well earned.

10

Wong Fei-hang vs. “Iron Vest” Sea

Once upon a time in China

The masterful Once upon a time in China The series saw Jet Li join Jackie Chan as Wong Fei-Hang, making him the second prominent martial arts movie giant to portray the classic Chinese folk hero. At one point in the first film of the series, Lee’s Wong comes up against a burly opponent, the intimidating master “Iron Vest” Yim, known for his signature torso arms.

Im duels Wong Fei-hanged in quite the unique arena – a massive pear house full of ladders. Issuing his challenge, Im kicks over a long ladder, beginning one of the most creative and intricately-choreographed sequences of Lee’s career. The maze of ladders that the two fighters dance around are both a dojo and a weapon, with both combatants finding some creative ways to use them for maneuverability and attack.

Wong Fei-hang and Yim also get plenty of chances to show off their unique martial arts strengths, agility and acrobatics for Wong and arms and stamina for Yim. Even if the action is a bit dated by modern standards, with some awkward editing choices and clearly visible wire work, The sheer spectacle and complexity of the lighter setpieces makes this action stand out in Lee’s filmography.

9

Silent Monk vs. old hop

Forbidden kingdom

While Jet Li and Jackie Chan would both jumpstart their careers playing the same character, It would not be until 2008 that the two legendary martial arts icons would meet on screen. Forbidden kingdom Served as an independent retelling of the iconic Chinese novel journey to the west With the added fish-out-of-water story of a Boston teenager transported to ancient China.

The best moment of the entire film might just be Jackie Chan and Jet Li’s fight, with their characters, Silent Monk and Old Hop, both secretly being mythical Chinese folk heroes. The instant chemistry between Chan and Lee In Forbidden kingdom Make it seem like they’ve never worked together before, The two were happy and equal to each other’s complaints and complaints.

Chan’s drunken boxing and animal forms, referencing his older films, clash with Jet Li’s elegant flowing Wuxi wire work. For bringing two cinematic legends together, the title action in Forbidden kingdom Easily deserves a place among Jet Li’s greatest.

8

Kung Wei and Ku Kung Vs. Po Kwong and his men

My father is a hero

In fact, Jet Li is best known for his appearances in Wuxi films set in ancient China. However, this is not to say that he is not also familiar in a more modern setting. This is proven by his incredible performance in My father is a hero, Also known by the title of The American Editor, The Enforcer. Here, Lee stars as a super cop tasked with taking down a Hong Kong terrorist organization while protecting his eight-year-old son, an eager new martial artist.

The evolution of the battle essentially splits the fight into three distinct sections. First, Jet Li’s Kung Wei has to contend with the flamboyant techniques of boss Po Kwong, who uses his loose jacket and white-gloved hands as flowing weapons. When Wei proves too much for him, Po calls in his guns, who proceed to assault Wei with a flurry of coordinated kicks, keeping him literally on the ropes. Eventually, Kang Wei is bailed out by his son, Ku Kung, and the father-son duo proceeds to wipe out the other fighters with some incredible coordination, including a hilarious human wing technique.

7

Danny vs. The stranger

Unleashed

Unleashed Showcased a new, ferocious side of Jet Li’s range as a genuine actor while making countless examples of his overwhelming combat IQ. The film stars Lee as Danny, a talented fighter psychologically trapped in the servitude of a callous loan shark (played by Bob Hoskins, of all people). With the control of a metal collar, Hoskins’ Bart is able to pounce on his enemies like a mad attack dog, prompting a wild performance from Lee in both the acting and fighting arenas. While there are many action scenes to appreciate in released, The biggest has to be Danny’s final rampage through an apartment complex.

Lee’s Danny makes short work of most opponents he comes across in the film, making it all the more intense when another fighter is finally able to give him pause. The mysterious man credited as “The Stranger,” played by real-life kickboxing champion and stunt coordinator Mike Lambert, is the one to do it, tearing through the claustrophobic hallways of the apartment building without caring who’s caught in the crossfire.. Danny uses some expert dodging and improvised weapons to win the day, eventually kicking the stranger through a window only to save him, honoring his vow to never kill again.

6

Wong Fei-hung vs. Commander Lan

Once upon a time in China II

Widely considered to be the best Once upon a time in China Movie, a series very crucial for Jet Li’s career, it’s no wonder that Once upon a time in China II would represent one of Lee’s best fight showcases ever. All the better that the particular fight in question would be Lee’s first time starring against the legendary Danny Yen. in Once upon a time in China II, Wong Fei-Hang is back, this time tasked with protecting a rebel leader who is attempting to replace the Qing Dynasty with a republican government of Danny Yen’s deadly commander Lan.

The fight rages as Wong Fei-hang desperately tries to protect one of his students while burning a ledger containing the names of those responsible for the anti-Qing uprising.Put a tense ticking time element on the action. Lee and Yen both handle stuff, striking one another and defending themselves with elegant, flowing motions. Wong Fei-Hung’s athletic and acrobatic prowess is firing on all cylinders here, resulting in cheer-worthy moments like his series of flying side kicks or Lan snapping Wong’s polearm in half with a length of silk.

5

Han Sing Vs. Gangsters

Romeo must die

Jet Li is skilled in the use of many traditional kung fu weapons, with the most impressive and flashy being the rope dart. That said, Lee demonstrated that he doesn’t necessarily even need a custom-made weapon to emulate the style’s signature moves, as shown in Romeo must die. An interesting crime film, Romeo must die Lee stars as Han Sing, a former police officer who travels to America to investigate the murder of his Triad brother.Get into trouble with street-level gangsters in Oakland, California.

The moment in which Jet Li beats a whole swarm of thugs with nothing but a fire hose attached to the wall may be the pinnacle of creativity in his action scenes. First, he demonstrates that guns are no way to even the playing field against a martial arts master, beating the criminals in a firefight with bursts of high-pressure water while making his own mobile cover from metal workbenches. When someone cuts off his supply, the hose quickly becomes a weighty rope dart in Han Sing’s hands as he proceeds to wipe out the remaining thugs with some effortless long-range strikes punctuated by early-2000s slow motion.

4

Lu Yuhao Vs. After Tanaka

Fearless

Not to be confused with the drama directed by Jeff Bridges, 2006 Fearless Has some of the best showing of Jet Li’s combat abilities. Similar to these IP person films, Fearless See Li as Lu Yuhao, a lone fighter determined to restore Chinese nationalism by publicly taking on a coterie of foreign opponents. This results in some of​​​​the most variety of different styles in any martial arts movie ever, with kung fu, boxing, fencing and lace users all getting a moment in the spotlight. However, Lu’s fight with Japanese swordsman Anno Tanaka presents one of his most eye-catching challenges.

In order to defend himself well against the blade-wielding opponent, Lu Yuhao takes a sanjiebian, also known as a three-section staff, a unique, rarely seen kung fu weapon. The melee combat with Tanaka is intense, so much so that the two fighters end up swapping weapons at one point. Tanaka’s struggle with using the awkward staff demonstrates just how much skill Lu Yuhao really has. Even if the fight ends in a draw when Lu offers to swap back to their original armaments officially, it’s clear who is the more skilled of the two.

3

Lu Yuhao Vs. Kin Lay

Fearless

With how many creative fights its premise promises, it’s no wonder that Fearless Contains not one, but two of Jet Li’s greatest action scenes. As interesting as his many foreign opponents are, Lu Yuhao’s most gripping and emotionally impactful fight is against his peer, fellow kung fu master Qin Lei. Believing that Qin attacked one of his students, Lu Yuhao frantically crashes his birthday party and demands a duel to the death to settle the score.

What follows is a gripping life-or-death sword fight between the two martial arts teachers in a dimly lit room surrounded by a raging storm that reflects the internal turmoil of Lee’s character. Lu Yuhao was able to outmaneuver Qin Lei, but Qin’s strikes were unbelievably strong, eventually reducing Lu’s own sword to scrap metal. After that, the two engage in brutal, drag-down unarmed combat that ends with Lou landing a deadly, chest-crushing finishing blow to Kane, much to his own dismay. From the gripping narrative significance to the reverberating SFX of every blow, this battle is not one to be missed.

2

Nameless Vs. Long ski

Hero

Hero is often considered one of the best films of Jet Li’s career, and meticulous battles like the name of the protagonist’s duel with Donnei Yen’s Long Sky make it easy to see why. The film follows Jet Li as a literally unnamed hero simply referred to as “Nameless”, who tells the Qing Dynasty Emperor how he was able to survive against three of the most deadly assassins of the Warring States period.

Beginning with a menacing staredown, the two kung fu legends hypothesize how a battle would play out against each other in their minds, with black-and-white footage of a gravity-defying battle representing their visualizations.

The combat itself is undoubtedly breathtaking, with intricate wire work standing between the best of Lee’s career and Donnie Yen’s own experience. Time resumes, and Nameless reveals himself as the victor of the predictive duel, striking Long Sky down in real life with a single elegant stroke through the slow-motion raindrops.

1

Chen Zhen vs. Huo Ting-en

Fist of legend

For a long time, a re-make of the venerated Bruce Lee classic Fist of Fury seemed like an impossible task. While Jet Li’s Fist of legend It doesn’t quite top its inspiration, it comes shockingly close, and offers perhaps the single strongest action scene in Lee’s entire filmography. Here, Lee stars as Chen Zhen, a martial arts student who returns to Shanghai after his master’s death. Challenged by another upstart fighter, Huo Ting-en, because of his reputation and taboo love for a Japanese woman, Chan Zhen defends himself with skill and grace in a fight scene that would make Bruce Lee proud.

At first, Chen holds back against his opponent, playing with him by dodging his blows with one-handed pushups evoking the famous exercise of Bruce Lee himself. However, when it’s time to hold back, he unleashes the full power of his Jeet Kune Do-like fighting style, dancing around Huo and harassing him with far-flank Kaporia-esque kicks and booking dodges. Even in a style outside his usual wheelhouse, Jet Li Is able to pull off some cinematic action scenes that pay homage to the great martial arts masters to come before him.