The Greatest Martial Arts Movie From Every Year of the 2000s
Martial arts movies are one of the storied pillars on the movie platform, right up there with Westerns, dramas, comedies, sci-fi, and horror. However, it didn’t always used to be this way. Before the 1970s, the West didn’t have a lot of access to these great, action-packed movies. But, thanks to the late Bruce Lee bringing the genre to a new audience, the West came to appreciate just how badass this genre is. The rise of martial arts films continued with Jackie Chan in the 1980s and ’90s, and Hollywood even got into the act, with films such as The Karate Kid and Rush Hour bringing in new fans to the genre. So, by the dawn of the new millennium, we were eager to see just how much this genre had evolved, and it did evolve, to an extent. While the decade began strong, it began to lose steam with the rise of MMA in the late 2000s, but that doesn’t mean there were some great martial arts films that came out in the decade. There were, and we’re going to take a look at each of the 2000s best martial arts films, starting in 2000. Grab some popcorn, put on your gi, and let’s dive in.
1
‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’ (2000)
A woman in a martial arts stance in a crowd looking resolute in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.Image via Sony Pictures Classics
You couldn’t navigate the movie landscape at the beginning of the 21st century without mentioning Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Directed by Ang Lee and based on the book of the same name by Wang Dulu, the film proved to be a surprise box office hit, though it really shouldn’t have been a surprise given how great the storyline was. The movie didn’t stray too much from the novel it was based on, as it follows two master warriors, Li Mu Bai (Chow Yun-Fat) and Yu Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh) as they’re faced with a great challenge when the Green Destiny sword is stolen by Jen Yu (Zhang Ziyi). Along with an enduring plot, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon also had some great martial arts scenes that still hold up well. When discussing the greatest martial arts films of all-time, it’s hard to leave Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon off the list.
2
‘Kiss of the Dragon’ (2001)
Jet Li carries a woman in ‘Kiss of the Dragon’.Image via StudioCanal
While Bruce Lee was the face of the martial arts genre of the ’70s, and Jackie Chan in the ’80s and ’90s, we were all wondering who the face of the genre would be in the 2000s. It didn’t take long for us to find out, as Kiss of the Dragon formally introduced us to a next generation artist by the name of Jet Li. Li’s fighting style was electrifying on the screen, as he dispatched the bad guys in Kiss of the Dragon with relative ease. Directed by Chris Nahon, the movie follows Li, a Chinese cop that is sent to Paris to arrest a mob boss. However, he’s framed for murder, and has an uphill battle to prove his innocence. What made the action scenes in Kiss of the Dragon so impactful was how realistic they looked, which was largely thanks to Li, who wanted to forgo CGI and make the fighting look more real. While there were other great martial arts films of 2001, Kiss of the Dragon took the gold.
3
‘The Transporter’ (2002)
Jason Statham as Frank Martin drives a car and looks serious in The Transporter.Image via 20th Century Studios
At the turn of the century, Jason Statham wasn’t the huge action star that we know and love today. In fact, no one in America really knew who Statham was. That was until The Transporter was released in 2002. It was Statham’s first true starring role, and he showed everyone just how talented he was. Here, Statham stars as Frank Martin, a mercenary driver from Britain who is living in France. Unbeknownst to him, he finds himself wrapped up in a human trafficking plot, and it’s up to Frank to stop it. The Transporter showed off Statham’s awesome martial arts skills, and it elevated The Transporter to one of the best martial arts action movies of the 2000s.
4
‘Kill Bill: Volume 1’ (2003)
Uma Thurman as The Bride in ‘Kill Bill Vol. 1.’Image via Miramax Films
Here’s a scenario for you. You go to a church to get married, only to be blindsided by a group of assassins you worked with. They put you in a comma (thinking that they killed you), but you wake up, and the only thing on your mind from there on out is getting revenge on your former co-workers. If this was you, then you and the Bride (Uma Thurman) have something in common. That was the central premise to 2003’s Kill Bill: Volume 1, one of the best martial arts movies not only of the decade, but of all time. Written and directed by Quentin Tarantino and starring a whose who of big names at the time, Kill Bill: Volume 1 was heavy on great martial arts battles. Make no mistake, this movie was particularly brutal, but there was never a dull moment in the 111-minute runtime. The movie was originally supposed to be a singular film, but because it clocked in at over four hours long, it was broken up into two parts. Which leads us to….
5
‘Kill Bill: Volume 2’ (2004)
While Kill Bill: Volume 1 was, by far, the biggest martial arts movie of 2003, its sequel definitely took the box office by storm in 2004, and was the biggest and best of the year. Kill Bill: Volume 2 picks up where the first part left off, which was natural since it’s actually the same movie, but broken up into two parts. Here, we find the Bride (Thurman) continuing on her bloody revenge quest to kill Bill (David Carradine), her former lover and the leader of the Deadly Vipers, the assassination squad the Bride was formally a part of, and the one who executed the assassination attempt on her and her family in the first film. Volume 2 was even more brutal than the first film, and the ending was extremely satisfying. There will never be another movie series like the Kill Bill franchise, and we’re just fine with that.
6
‘Unleashed’ (2005)
Jet Li standing in a room full of people lingering behind him in Unleashed.Image via EuropaCorp
After the two-year dominance of the Kill Bill movies, it was going to be hard for another film of its nature to replicate what Quentin Tarantino created. That’s what makes 2005’s Unleashed kind of underwhelming if you compare it to the Kill Bill movies. But, if you judge it on its own merit (as you should), then you’ll be in for a real treat. Starring Jet Li, who was easily the face of the genre in the 2000s, Unleashed follows him as he’s a trained enforcer for a notorious crime boss (Bob Hoskins) who learns that he can actually lead a normal life outside of kicking butt on a regular basis. Jet Li’s realistic approach to fighting really makes this movie stand out from the rest, and it was a shame that, despite positive reviews from critics, it bombed at the box office, just barely making back its $45 million budget. Despite that, it’s looked upon as one of the most underrated martial arts films of the 2000s, and one that, if you’re a fan, you should definitely check out.
7
‘Fearless’ (2006)
Jet Li preparing to fight in Fearless – 2006.Image via Edko Films
By the middle of the decade, Jet Li was firmly enriched as the face of martial arts movies. One of his most underrated came in 2006 with Fearless, directed by Ronny Yu and starring Li as a martial artist who challenges fighters from other countries in highly publicized tournaments, all taking place in the last years of the Qing dynasty. While Fearless wasn’t a box office hit for Li, it did receive universal praise for the awesome choreography of the fighting scenes, and Li’s epic performance. It was sort of sentimental as well, as this was Li’s last wushu martial arts film, ending his reign as the face of the genre after a stellar career. Fearless was a great movie to go out on, and is one of the best martial arts films of the 2000s.
8
‘Flash Point’ (2007)
Donnie Yen ready to fight another person in ‘Flash Point’.Image via Mandarin Films
With Li announcing that Fearless was his last true martial arts film, it turned out that he was making a good choice as the genre was not producing box office hits as it did at the beginning of the decade. While the genre may not have been raking in the dough as it once did, there were still some great martial arts movies that would come out toward the end of the 2000s, with 2007’s Flash Point being one of them.
Directed by Wilson Yip, Flash Point follows a Hong Kong police sergeant (Donnie Yen) who sends in a mole to get information to bring down the triad. If you want pure, non-stop action, then Flash Point is definitely your movie. Yen was phenomenal in the lead role, delivering high-impact fighting scenes that will make any martial arts blush. In fact, the stellar choreography won an award at the Hong Kong Film Awards.
9
‘The Forbidden Kingdom’ (2008)
Jackie Chan blocks a kick from Jet Li in The Forbidden Kingdom.Image via Lionsgate Films
After a two-year stint of low box office returns, it seemed like martial arts movies wouldn’t return to the same heights in the West that they enjoyed at the beginning of the decade. That is, until The Forbidden Kingdom was released. A fantasy wuxia film, this stellar martial arts film starred the two titans of the genre, Jackie Chan and Jet Li, in a riveting story that we had long waited for. The Forbidden Kingdom tells the story of Jason Tripitikas (Michael Angarano), a modern-day teenager who gets transported back to ancient China. There, he accompanies Lu Yan (Chan), Silent Monk (Li), and Golden Sparrow (Liu Yifei) as they go and return the Ruyi Jingu Bang, a magical staff, to its original owner while avoiding the evil minions of Jade Warlord (Collin Chou). The Forbidden Kingdom showed just how well fantasy and martial arts can mold together to make a fascinating film, and Chan and Li worked so well together, blending their fighting styles that had martial arts fans flocking back to the theater.
10
‘Black Dynamite’ (2009)
Black Dynamite aiming two guns in Black Dynamite.Image via Apparition Destination Films
Blaxploitation films have long had a spot in martial arts films, and one of the most legendary was Black Dynamite, which molded comedy and martial arts together to create one of the most underrated gems of the subgenre. In 2009, Black Dynamite was rebooted for a modern audience, with Michael Jai White taking on the lead role as Black Dynamite, a Vietnam War veteran and former CIA agent with stellar kung-fu moves. The 2009 reboot of Black Dynamite was just as hilarious and action-packed, with a number of great fighting scenes that would make any martial arts fan happy. Black Dynamite was a dud at the box office, thanks in large part to its small release; but it received universal critical praise, and it’s looked upon as a cult classic today.
Black Dynamite
Release Date
October 16, 2009
Runtime
91 minutes
Director
Scott Sanders
Publicado: 2026-01-05 00:34:00
fonte: collider.com
