undervalued and in some cases even
unknown these exhilarating films deserve
more respect welcome to watchmojo.com
and today we’re counting down our picks
for the top ten underrated martial arts
movies before we begin we publish new
videos every day so be sure to subscribe
for more great content for this list
we’re highlighting some top notch
martial arts flicks that may be known in
certain countries but don’t necessarily
get all the love and respect they
deserve worldwide number 10 duel to the
death
marking the directorial debut of
prolific director tony ching duel to the
death pits the greatest swordsman from
china and japan against each other in
well a duel to the death their differing
nationalities aren’t the only thing that
separates these fighters Ching Wan the
champion from China is calm and cool
headed
whereas Hashimoto of Japan is a samurai
who puts his honour above all else of
course these two must put their
differences aside when conspirators show
up and attempt to fix the fight what
follows is a slew of over-the-top and
exciting action sequences culminating
with the final showdown between the two
which we won’t spoil here but we will
say that each man has met his match
number 9 wing chun starring a young
michelle yeoh as the titular character
and balancing kungfu with a beautiful
love story this film has been a major
influence on a number of movies
including The Matrix
in fact the Wachowski siblings hired
directors when Wu ping as their
choreographer after viewing the
extraordinary fight sequences of Wing
Chun paving the way for some of
America’s most beloved action flicks of
the 21st century but you can’t beat the
original Wing Chun features a touch of
comedy and the chemistry between yo and
the acclaimed Donnie Yen is palpable but
it’s the visual style that ultimately
leaves its mark on the genre number 8
Brotherhood of the wolf
at its core Brotherhood of the wolf is a
historical drama centered on the beasts
of jboden
but with a mashing of multiple genres
including plenty of hard-hitting fight
scenes the film is most definitely
steeped in the martial arts and severely
underrated though it stars Vincent
Cassel and Monica Bellucci the actual
star at least in terms of the fight
sequences is Mark Dacascos –is money
the iroquois assistant of the film’s
lead knight grégoire de Falls AK as a
whole Brotherhood of the wolf builds on
a variety of cinematic styles but it’s
fight sequences raised this film to
incredible Heights
number seven master of the flying
guillotine
[Music]
featuring a one-armed protagonist
battling a blind assassin this whoosh a
film is packed with thrills and some
inventive kills master of the flying
guillotine does not disappoint with its
unique contraptions and artistic flair
[Music]
of course we’re talking about the
makeshift decapitation machine not to
mention the iconic score and incredible
lead performance from Jimmy Wang Yu who
also wrote and directed the film despite
the fact that master of the flying
guillotine is relatively unknown in
North America Quentin Tarantino called
it one of his favorite films what’s more
it’s also become one of the most
influential films of the genre often
referred to as the holy grail of 70s
Hong Kong martial arts movies number six
lone wolf and cub baby cart at the river
Styx in this second chapter in a series
of six films adapted from the manga
series lone wolf and cub the deadly yoga
me and his son de gato have a few
problems on their hands but as a former
executioner with some creative kill
tactics the wolf manages to officially
customize the titular baby cart with
blades in order to protect his son on
their journey for vengeance
the relentless fighting and graphic
sequences provide for a steady amount of
heavy-duty entertainment
[Music]
in fact the lone wolf accumulates 37
kills and like so many reputable martial
arts films there’s a certain poetry to
the inherent madness of it all number 5
13 assassins directed by the prolific
Takashi Miike this film represents the
antithesis of watered-down martial arts
narratives focusing on the suicidal
mission of 12 samurais and a wise hunter
13 assassins transcends the genre
through character development visual
style and of course the jaw-dropping
action sequences
amazingly the epic was made for a mere
six million dollars and while it has
been well-received by critics the
average movie fan probably missed this
one which is a shame considering its
quality in a world of effects-heavy
blockbusters 13 assassins is an example
of pure filmmaking and storytelling
number four five deadly venoms if you’re
familiar with the films of Quentin
Tarantino then you know all about the
deadly Viper assassination squad members
all of the deadly Viper assassination
squad
he was changsha’s cult classic that
inspired the Kill Bill Death crew as the
story focuses on the distinct fighting
styles of five unique warriors all of
whom have their own animal-based names
do you see the two even while it’s
entertaining to see in whom the
protagonists of five deadly venoms will
place his trust
it’s the exceptional fighting techniques
that keep the film moving along a
martial-arts picture that will please
the typical fan of such jean flicks this
one is also suited to genuine admirers
of the martial arts number three
chocolate
for many productions of the martial arts
genre the primary emphasis is largely on
form and technique and while there are
plenty of crazy fights in Pratchett pink
cows Thai film chocolate the script is
loaded with narrative drama as well
commencing with a gangland love triangle
the story eventually highlights the
plight of young Zen an autistic girl
with a particular set of skills
incidentally chocolate toes the line
between the human element and high level
stunts and action with each aspect
working together to create a memorable
film albeit an underappreciated one
number two fighter in the wind
loosely based on the life of mas oyama
the creator of the kioku shin style this
film examines solitude and the effects
of xenophobia in Korea fighter in the
wind was a massive success but the
concept of a Korean pilot turned
Japanese legend hasn’t necessarily
translated to North American audiences
even so the character conflict makes for
an exceptional karate based film and the
manner in which joypad all gets down
complements the poignant visuals it’s a
martial arts movie for outsiders a film
that touches on themes of both emotional
and physical discipline that anyone can
relate to before we unveil our number
one pick here are some honorable
mentions
[Applause]
[Music]
number one hockey team in the world of
martial arts honor is everything and
with harakiri director masaki kobayashi
explores the false representations of
so-called honorable men when a samurai
requests an honorable death via seppuku
or harakiri clan members don’t quite buy
his story
oops too much tissue asme even though
multiverse mats that in itself makes for
a unique martial arts plot but as a
whole harakiri operates on a higher
level as the implications of the
characters actions reach far beyond the
visuals depicted the death scenes are
undoubtedly shocking and the sword
fights are beautifully choreographed but
more importantly this is a film that
will always be relevant given the human
element and the investigation of the
whys and how’s of martial arts tradition
do you agree with our picks check out
these other great clips from watch mojo
and subscribe for new videos every day
[Music]
unknown these exhilarating films deserve
more respect welcome to watchmojo.com
and today we’re counting down our picks
for the top ten underrated martial arts
movies before we begin we publish new
videos every day so be sure to subscribe
for more great content for this list
we’re highlighting some top notch
martial arts flicks that may be known in
certain countries but don’t necessarily
get all the love and respect they
deserve worldwide number 10 duel to the
death
marking the directorial debut of
prolific director tony ching duel to the
death pits the greatest swordsman from
china and japan against each other in
well a duel to the death their differing
nationalities aren’t the only thing that
separates these fighters Ching Wan the
champion from China is calm and cool
headed
whereas Hashimoto of Japan is a samurai
who puts his honour above all else of
course these two must put their
differences aside when conspirators show
up and attempt to fix the fight what
follows is a slew of over-the-top and
exciting action sequences culminating
with the final showdown between the two
which we won’t spoil here but we will
say that each man has met his match
number 9 wing chun starring a young
michelle yeoh as the titular character
and balancing kungfu with a beautiful
love story this film has been a major
influence on a number of movies
including The Matrix
in fact the Wachowski siblings hired
directors when Wu ping as their
choreographer after viewing the
extraordinary fight sequences of Wing
Chun paving the way for some of
America’s most beloved action flicks of
the 21st century but you can’t beat the
original Wing Chun features a touch of
comedy and the chemistry between yo and
the acclaimed Donnie Yen is palpable but
it’s the visual style that ultimately
leaves its mark on the genre number 8
Brotherhood of the wolf
at its core Brotherhood of the wolf is a
historical drama centered on the beasts
of jboden
but with a mashing of multiple genres
including plenty of hard-hitting fight
scenes the film is most definitely
steeped in the martial arts and severely
underrated though it stars Vincent
Cassel and Monica Bellucci the actual
star at least in terms of the fight
sequences is Mark Dacascos –is money
the iroquois assistant of the film’s
lead knight grégoire de Falls AK as a
whole Brotherhood of the wolf builds on
a variety of cinematic styles but it’s
fight sequences raised this film to
incredible Heights
number seven master of the flying
guillotine
[Music]
featuring a one-armed protagonist
battling a blind assassin this whoosh a
film is packed with thrills and some
inventive kills master of the flying
guillotine does not disappoint with its
unique contraptions and artistic flair
[Music]
of course we’re talking about the
makeshift decapitation machine not to
mention the iconic score and incredible
lead performance from Jimmy Wang Yu who
also wrote and directed the film despite
the fact that master of the flying
guillotine is relatively unknown in
North America Quentin Tarantino called
it one of his favorite films what’s more
it’s also become one of the most
influential films of the genre often
referred to as the holy grail of 70s
Hong Kong martial arts movies number six
lone wolf and cub baby cart at the river
Styx in this second chapter in a series
of six films adapted from the manga
series lone wolf and cub the deadly yoga
me and his son de gato have a few
problems on their hands but as a former
executioner with some creative kill
tactics the wolf manages to officially
customize the titular baby cart with
blades in order to protect his son on
their journey for vengeance
the relentless fighting and graphic
sequences provide for a steady amount of
heavy-duty entertainment
[Music]
in fact the lone wolf accumulates 37
kills and like so many reputable martial
arts films there’s a certain poetry to
the inherent madness of it all number 5
13 assassins directed by the prolific
Takashi Miike this film represents the
antithesis of watered-down martial arts
narratives focusing on the suicidal
mission of 12 samurais and a wise hunter
13 assassins transcends the genre
through character development visual
style and of course the jaw-dropping
action sequences
amazingly the epic was made for a mere
six million dollars and while it has
been well-received by critics the
average movie fan probably missed this
one which is a shame considering its
quality in a world of effects-heavy
blockbusters 13 assassins is an example
of pure filmmaking and storytelling
number four five deadly venoms if you’re
familiar with the films of Quentin
Tarantino then you know all about the
deadly Viper assassination squad members
all of the deadly Viper assassination
squad
he was changsha’s cult classic that
inspired the Kill Bill Death crew as the
story focuses on the distinct fighting
styles of five unique warriors all of
whom have their own animal-based names
do you see the two even while it’s
entertaining to see in whom the
protagonists of five deadly venoms will
place his trust
it’s the exceptional fighting techniques
that keep the film moving along a
martial-arts picture that will please
the typical fan of such jean flicks this
one is also suited to genuine admirers
of the martial arts number three
chocolate
for many productions of the martial arts
genre the primary emphasis is largely on
form and technique and while there are
plenty of crazy fights in Pratchett pink
cows Thai film chocolate the script is
loaded with narrative drama as well
commencing with a gangland love triangle
the story eventually highlights the
plight of young Zen an autistic girl
with a particular set of skills
incidentally chocolate toes the line
between the human element and high level
stunts and action with each aspect
working together to create a memorable
film albeit an underappreciated one
number two fighter in the wind
loosely based on the life of mas oyama
the creator of the kioku shin style this
film examines solitude and the effects
of xenophobia in Korea fighter in the
wind was a massive success but the
concept of a Korean pilot turned
Japanese legend hasn’t necessarily
translated to North American audiences
even so the character conflict makes for
an exceptional karate based film and the
manner in which joypad all gets down
complements the poignant visuals it’s a
martial arts movie for outsiders a film
that touches on themes of both emotional
and physical discipline that anyone can
relate to before we unveil our number
one pick here are some honorable
mentions
[Applause]
[Music]
number one hockey team in the world of
martial arts honor is everything and
with harakiri director masaki kobayashi
explores the false representations of
so-called honorable men when a samurai
requests an honorable death via seppuku
or harakiri clan members don’t quite buy
his story
oops too much tissue asme even though
multiverse mats that in itself makes for
a unique martial arts plot but as a
whole harakiri operates on a higher
level as the implications of the
characters actions reach far beyond the
visuals depicted the death scenes are
undoubtedly shocking and the sword
fights are beautifully choreographed but
more importantly this is a film that
will always be relevant given the human
element and the investigation of the
whys and how’s of martial arts tradition
do you agree with our picks check out
these other great clips from watch mojo
and subscribe for new videos every day
[Music]
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