Kung Fu films in general are packed with awesome fight scenes, entertaining stories, and memorable characters. Classic kung-fu movies, on the other hand, are a genre all their own. There are (needless to say) WAY too many to choose from, ranging from early Shaw Brothers films to newer flicks starring Jackie Chan and Jet Li. So we’re going to help you out a bit. In no particular order, here are ten classic kung fu movies you should watch on your next movie night.
Five Deadly Venoms (1978)
As far as classic Kung Fu movies go, Five Deadly Venoms is probably one of the best. The movie follows a man tasked with destroying the titular five deadly venoms, a group of martial artists each taught a different style. The fight choreography in the film is incredible, with each Venom using a unique fighting style.
Chiang Sheng plays the young master tasked with stopping the Venoms, and the film’s inventive storytelling and incredible fight scenes make it a must-see for fans of Kung Fu and martial arts cinema.
The Prodigal Son (1981)
The Prodigal Son is about Kung Fu student called Leung Jan (a well-known early practitioner of the Wing Chun style of Kung Fu). Lazy and spoilt, he believes himself to be a great kung fu master, not realising the fact that his father has been paying his opponents to lose on purpose. After being humbled in a real fight, Leung Jan decides to become a true Wing Chun master.
Warriors Two (1978)
Warriors Two, starring Sammo Hung and Casanova Wong, is yet another film about Leung Jan. Cashier Wah is beaten to a pulp and his mother is brutally murdered during his attempt to save his village from being taken over by a gang. A man named Fei Cheun persuades his teacher, Master Jan, to teach Cashier Wah Wing Chun so that he can seek revenge against the gang of killers, led by an evil businessman.
The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978)
The 36th Chamber of Shaolin follows a highly fictionalized version of legendary Shaolin martial arts disciple San Te after he seeks refuge in the Shaolin Temple and is trained in the monks’ famous martial arts skills.
The 36th Chamber of Shaolin is widely regarded as one of the greatest Kung Fu films of all time, as well as a turning point in the careers of its director and star, Gordon Liu, a true legend in the world of classic Kung Fu movies.
The Fearless Hyena (1979)
The Fearless Hyena stars Jackie Chan (credited as Jacky Chan), and tells the story of Shing Lung, a young man whose sickly grandfather has taught him a secret form of Kung Fu. Shing Lung begins to make a living from his unique fighting style, only to attract the attention of his grandfather’s mortal enemy.
The Fearless Hyena was Chan’s directorial debut, and contains a number of unusual slapstick fight scenes, including a chopsticks duel, Hing-lung fighting while disguised as a woman, and fighting using ‘Emotional Kung-Fu,’ a style that involves vividly displaying the emotions of anger, sorrow, joy, and happiness in order to find the opponent’s weakness, as well as fighting while crying or laughing.
Enter the Dragon (1973)
Enter the Dragon is easily one of the most well-known classic Kung Fu movies on this list. Bruce Lee plays martial arts expert Lee (because branding is a thing), who a British intelligence agent approaches to compete in a fighting tournament on a mysterious island, run by a suspected crime lord called Han.
Enter the Dragon was Bruce Lee’s final finished screen project before his death in 1973, and likely contributed to its instant classic status. It’s considered one of the greatest action movies of all time, containing some of Bruce Lee’s most iconic fight scenes, and its success contributed to mainstream worldwide interest in martial arts.
The Kid with the Golden Arm (1979)
A group of highly skilled Kung Fu masters are chosen to escort a shipment of gold to an area that has been devastated by famine in the epic blockbuster The Kid with the Golden Arm, which reunites director Chang Cheh with the stars of Five Deadly Venoms.
They run into a vicious gang along the way, led by the seemingly indestructible Golden Arm, who is determined to relieve the escorts of the gold.
Drunken Master (1978)
Directed by Yuen Woo-Ping, the ‘Grandfather of Wire Fu.’ Drunken Master is another one of those classic Kung Fu movies that should be part of your movie night.
Jackie Chan play a young Wong Fei-Hung, as he reluctantly accepts being trained in the unusually fluid Drunken Boxing techniques by Su Hua Chi also known as Beggar So, a notoriously intoxicated martial arts master. When his father is targeted by the lethal assassin Thunderleg, Wong is forced to put his new skills to the test.
The Magnificent Butcher (1979)
The Magnificent Butcher, another Yuen Woo-Ping film, is a spiritual successor to The Drunken Master. Sammo Hung plays ‘Butcher’ Lam Sai-Wing, a student of the legendary Wong Fei-Hung played by Kwan Tak-Hing. When Lam is falsely accused of murder by a rival clan, he must find the real murderer and fight to clear his name. To be strong enough to have a chance of winning, Sai-Wing must train under Beggar So — the original Drunken Master.
Dirty Ho (1979)
Martial arts comedy Dirty Ho reunites director Lau Kar-Leung and Gordon Liu, who worked together in The 36th Chamber of Shaolin. The film sees Wong Yue as a jewel thief called Ho, who finds himself poisoned by Wang (Liu), a travelling antiques dealer from Peking. To get the the antidote, Ho must obey and train under Wang, unaware that Wang is the 11th Prince of Manchuria in disguise.
The comedic martial arts work is absolutely stunning, and it’s most likely why most viewers will seek out the film.
Well, that’s our list of classic Kung Fu movies we think you should watch. Did we miss one? Is there one you think should’ve made the cut? Let us know in the comments, on Facebook, or on Twitter.
