Some of the best martial arts movies came out in the 1970s, during the fleeting era in which legends like Bruce Lee were throwing their best punches. Jackie Chan, one of the best-known action stars in the world, has been active even before the heyday of action films in the West. Born in Hong Kong, he spent his youth training at a Beijing Opera school. It was at this school that he was trained in acrobatics and martial arts, but he appeared in his first film when he was only five years old.
Chan had his professional break in 1976 when a film producer decided he wanted Chan to become the next Bruce Lee. His mainstream break occurred in 1978 when he starred in the leading role of Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow, which was one of the first times comedy was mixed with martial arts. Comedic action, in fact, became what Chan is known for; many of the 67-year-old actor’s roles incorporated slapstick humor and well-timed choreography. Since his role in Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow, Chan’s popularity worldwide continued to rise, and he became a face of the genre, perhaps fulfilling the idea that he would become the next Bruce Lee. These are the best Jackie Chan movies ranked.
7 Drunken Master
Released in 1978, Drunken Master is one of the early representatives of comedic kung fu movies. This was Chan’s follow-up film to Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow, but it was also what made him a household name in Asia. He portrays Wong Fei-hung, a man punished by his father for not meeting expectations and dishonoring the family name with his actions. Wong is condemned to study more martial arts under a strict teacher, but he refuses to do so, leading him to continue rebelling against his new teacher. Drunken Master introduces wider audiences to a style of martial arts called drunken boxing in English. The users of this kind of style mimic the actions of a drunk individual. Or, in Chan’s case in the movie, an actual intoxicated person.
6 Dragons Forever
Dragons Forever did not make a splash with either of its three versions—one for Hong Kong, one for international audiences, and then a final cut for Japanese filmgoers—but it is an underrated Chan classic. Chan breaks free from his typical roles to portray a lawyer chasing women, while Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao, two other martial arts actors who usually play the same kind of role, also drive into new territory. Chan is hired by a fishery to help take town a local chemical factory deliberately polluting the water, but his plans go awry when he tries to find a shortcut.
5 Mr. Canton and Lady Rose
Mr. Canton and Lady Rose is also known as Miracles, but there is one thing consistent about this movie: it is a terrific homage to Hong Kong in the 1930s. Kuo Cheng-Wah (Jackie Chan) has just arrived in Hong Kong from the countryside, but he is out of luck when cheated out of all of his money by a local swindler. After buying a lucky red rose from a poor woman off the street, Kuo is named the successor to a local gang after their leader dies, and he now has to make a life for himself as a gangster. Chan served as the director for this film and provides particularly interesting choices in the filmography; these decisions mark a departure stylistically from his previous movies.
4 Project A
There is one scene in Project A that has become iconic. Chan swings from a clock tower and plummets through several awning canopies before finally landing on the ground. Project A is known for its unique brand of kung fu and stunts, and it is one of the many movies Jackie Chan has directed. Sergeant Dragon Ma (Jackie Chan) is a member of the Hong Kong Police Force while the police are fighting against pirates. As the conflict escalates and Ma leaves the police force it is still up to him to save the day.
3 Police Story III: Supercop
Michelle Yeoh, Jackie Chan, and Maggie Cheung appeared in Police Story III: Supercop, creating a showstopping movie. Chan reprises his role from the previous two Police Story films, and Cheung reappears to play his girlfriend, but this was Yeoh’s first time in the series, and she absolutely nailed it. Yeoh and Chan created a powerful combination as both did their stunts in a movie jam-packed with action, and this was the first Jackie Chan film to use live audio instead of dub. Police Story III is entertaining, witty, and refuses to bow down to anyone.
2 Rumble in the Bronx
Rumble in the Bronx takes place in the Bronx, but it was filmed in Canada. Despite that, Ma Hon Keung (Jackie Chan) has come to New York City from Hong Kong to attend his uncle’s wedding, but his uncle owns a supermarket in a rough area. Rumble in the Bronx is a Jackie Chan classic, one where his character is called up to use his skills for some greater purpose. The movie also brought Chan into the North American spotlight, as it was the first of his films to get widespread distribution in the United States.
1 Police Story
The original Police Story movie came out in 1985 and made a splash. Chan even noted in his autobiography that it was his best action movie. He is Chan Ka-Kui, an inspector with the Royal Hong Kong Police Force, and he is about to help bring down a big gangster. Police Story is best known for its action scenes, which are as grand as they can get in the eighties. From hanging off of a double-decker bus to fights in shopping malls, it is a miracle Chan only came out with second-degree burns being the worst injury.
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