5 Underappreciated Martial Arts Films

Over the course of this series, I've covered: fantasy, sci-fi, horror, romance, westerns, musicals and animated films. It's time to go through some action films - specifically martial arts films!

No real rules on this one; as long as martial arts is a key factor in the film, it counts.

Number 5: Master with Cracked Fingers (1973)

One of Jackie Chan's earliest films, Master with Cracked Fingers was released in 1973 and follows a young man named Jackie who, against his father's wishes, trains in martial arts under a wandering master - the 'man who isn't there' - who has some...uh...questionable training methods.

He uses these skills to defend his family from a ruthless local gang leading up to a fight with the gang's head honcho.

I first saw this one about 8 years ago on a 5-disc DVD set of Jackie Chan films and I loved it! Don't get me wrong, it hasn't aged well at all; the fights are well choreographed and VERY exaggerated! The soundtrack isn't bad and the film itself looks pretty good all things considered. That said, the dubbing...oh, brother...the dubbing is terrible! Although, I have to admit that they did a fair job with the technology they had at the time and it did provide one of the funniest domino games ever so there's that.

This one isn't great but it doesn't get nearly as much love as it deserves. In spite of the wildly exaggerated fights and the rather corny acting from the voice cast that did the English dub; this is a good film for martial arts fans and casual viewers alike.

Number 4: Fist of Fury (1972)

From one legend to another, Fist of Fury was released in 1972 and stars Bruce Lee in what is arguably his most famous film - after Enter the Dragon - of course.

Lee plays Chen Zhen, a man who returns to his martial arts school to find that his master has died. When students from a local Japanese dojo start causing trouble, Chen finds himself in the cross-hairs of political intrigue on both sides in his quest to even the score.

The film is set against the Japanese occupation of China in the 1910s and was a huge hit upon its release and has spawned multiple sequels and remakes over the years.

Much like Master with Cracked Fingers, Fist of Fury looks really good. The story is great, the performances - while a bit stilted - are fun and the tone is consistently dark and brooding throughout. It's not easy to watch this one as it is significantly slower-paced but if you can sit through the slower sections it's definitely worth a watch.

Number 3: American Ninja (1985)

I debated putting this one on the list for a long, long time. American Ninja is a classic 80's action flick and it has a major following. The deciding factor was the number of people I've spoken to over the years who have never heard of or seen the film. It's honestly very depressing to think about all the blank stares that I've gotten over the years while talking about the film.

So, what's the story? American Ninja follows Private Joe Armstrong, a man trained in the arts of ninjutsu, as he takes on a black market arms dealer while stationed in the Philippines with the help of some buddies on the base.

The film was a huge financial success; grossing a little over $10 million ($10,499,694 - to be exact) on a budget of $1 million in the United States. Four sequels followed with each one receiving mixed to negative reviews.

I've recommended this film a few times and gotten some pretty good reactions all around but this one and its sequels don't really seem to get much attention nowadays.

Number 2: Hero (2002)

Hero was released in 2002 and follows an encounter between an assassin and the emperor of China. The assassin is telling the story of how he'd killed three assassins who had recently attempted to kill the emperor.

This film has fallen through the cracks big time. It came out at a time when The Matrix was at the top of the charts. The fight choreography and wire work are fantastic and the story is pretty good. This was a massive financial success, grossing $177.4 million on a budget of $31 million.

The casting was fantastic, Jet Li, Donnie Yen, Maggie Cheung and Zhang Ziyi are great. This film doesn't get a whole lot of attention but it's a great film that is sadly underrated.

Number 1: Eagle Shadow Fist (1973)

Eagle Shadow Fist is also called Not Scared to Die is set in the Japanese occupation of China and follows a troupe of circus performers trying to oust the Japanese military forces from a small town.

The film was released in 1973 and is largely unknown. This one also stars Jackie Chan BUT his role was incredibly small. In terms of quality, the film hasn't aged well but that's not too surprising. The dubbing is bad but the fight choreography is pretty good.

This one is very difficult to watch at times; the violence is often unnecessary. It's a slow movie and most of the characters are pretty much unlikable for the most part.

With all that said, it's a decent film to watch if you can get into it.