Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan in 'Rush Hour'Image via New Line Cinema
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Kareem Gantt
Published 2 minutes ago
Kareem is a veteran editor and writer with over 15 years of experience covering all forms of entertainment, from music to movies. He serves as a High Trending List Writer for Collider, covering all things TV. His work has been seen in numerous online publications such as FanSided, AXS, Examiner, Narcity, HuffPost, and ScreenRant.
He first began his professional writing career in 2011 writing political columns for HubPages, gradualaly building his portfolio until he was rewarded with his first paid writing position with News Headquarters in 2013. Since then, Kareem has covered everything imaginable, from writing political news columns for Examiner, reviewing the latest albums for AXS.com, and giving a unique take on sports, food, and the entertainment industry for Fansided.com. He had another online stop at Narcity, covering travel and things to do in his native Florida, before finally bringing his uniquely immense writing talent and voice to Valnet in 2020, first as a List Writer for ScreenRant before taking his talents to Collider in 2021.
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Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents:
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Before the 1970s, martial arts movies were largely confined to the East. However, thanks to the late Bruce Lee, this action-packed genre began to gain popularity with Western audiences. That trend continued into the 1980s, when Hollywood saw the potential martial arts films could be, and began producing their own movies. With films like 1984's Karate Kid and 1988's Bloodsport taking off in theaters, it was a sure sign that martial arts movies were going to be a staple of the moviegoing experience heading into the 1990s.
True to form, the genre began to diversify as a new breed of movies based on this traditional fighting style began to surface. From mutant turtles employing martial arts to fight crime in New York City, to a genre legend teaming up with one of the decade’s hottest comedians to solve crime in the West, martial arts films of the '90s were just as diverse, and just as great as they were in previous decades. So, we dug into the genre's catalog, checked review sites and fan boards, to come up with the best martial arts movie from every year of the 1990s. Without further ado, let's get into it.
1 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' (1990)
Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo read a magazine in 1990's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.Image via New Line Cinema
Heading into the '90s, there were plenty of great martial artist movies that were released in 1990, but we're going to go with a movie that wasn't predicted to do well, but went on to become one of the year's highest-grossing movies. That movie was Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the first film in the legendary franchise about teenage turtles who use their martial arts training from Master Splinter (Kevin Clash) to protect New York City from crime and defeat the evil Shredder (James Saito and David McCharen).
Being passed on by the major distribution studios due to the widespread thinking that the movie would be a flop, New Line Cinema stepped in and acquired the rights to the movie. Once the film was released in March 1990, the studios who passed on it immediately regretted their decision, with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles going on to gross over $200 million at the box office. While it garnered mixed reviews, it's now looked back on as one of the best martial arts movies of the decade, even though the ones doing the fighting were giant, mutant turtles.
2 'Operation Condor' (1991)
Two men fighting in a warehouse in Operation Condor.Image via Dimension Films
As much as Bruce Lee introduced Western audiences to the exhilarating world of martial arts films, one can easily say that Jackie Chan stepped in and filled that role in the '80s, with a slew of great movies that established the Hong Kong martial arts actor as the leading star of the genre. His star power didn't fade once the calendar switched to the '90s. In fact, it actually grew, with Operation Condor easily being the best kung-fu movie of 1991.
Written and directed by Chan, Operation Condor follows him as he battles a former Nazi to retrieve gold from an abandoned German base in the Sahara Desert. It was basically martial arts meets Indiana Jones, and the film didn't disappoint as the fighting was well-done, and the action was non-stop. Operation Condor only continued Chan's rise in starpower, and the '90s would be even kinder to him as the decade went along.
3 'Police Story 3: Supercop' (1992)
Michelle Yeoh kicking an assailant in Police Story 3: Supercop.Image via Golden Harvest
As aforementioned, the '80s saw the rise of Jackie Chan as the new face of martial arts movies. While he had a few hits in the earlier part of the decade, it was 1985's Police Story that became his breakout hit. That movie spawned a legendary martial arts franchise, which continued into the '90s with 1992's Police Story 3: Supercop.
Here, Chan returns as Ka-kui, Hong Kong Police's "supercop" who has to work undercover with Jessica Yank (Michelle Yeoh) to take down the city's most powerful drug cartel. Like the other installments, Police Story 3 was full of action, and the fighting was simply magnificent. This movie was kind of bittersweet, as it marked the last Police Story Chan would star in. But, don't cry any tears, as he was on his way to Hollywood glory afterward.
4 'Green Snake' (1993)
Maggie Cheung and Joey Wong in matching stances with determined expressions in Green Snake.Image via Seasonal Film Corporation
Would you fall in love with a snake spirit? You're probably asking yourself "what is a snake spirit, anyway?" Well, to find out, check out 1993's Green Snake, which isn't your traditional martial arts movie. Let us explain.
Adapted from the Lilian Lee novel of the same name, Green Snake is a fantasy drama that follows the love story between a female snake spirit and a male human, but also focuses on two sisters, the Green Snake and the White Snake. While this love story is playing out, however, the two sisters, who take on human forms to live among us, are threatened by demon hunters. This is where the martial arts aspect of the film takes shape, and the fighting within the movie is terrific. A timeless tale of love and kick-butt martial arts, Green Snake was, by far, the best 1993 had to offer.
5 'Fist of Legend' (1994)
Jet Li as Chen Zhen poised and ready to fight in Fist of Legend.Image via Golden Harvest
While Jackie Chan was continuing to assert himself as the face of the martial arts genre, a new artist was beginning to emerge in the mid-'90s. His name was Jet Li, a martial artist from China who had his film debut in 1982's Shaolin Temple, which was one of the best martial arts films of the '80s. From there, his star power within the genre grew, but it was his portrayal of Chen Zhen in Fist of Legend that firmly put his name on the map.
Directed by Gordon Chan, Fist of Legend is actually a reboot of the Bruce Lee classic Fist of Fury. The movie follows Chen as he investigates his master's death at the hands of the Japanese occupation forces. While no movie can ever top the 1972 classic, Fist of Legend did an admirable job in the remake. Not to mention, Jet Li's talents as a martial artist were simply spellbinding. No wonder Hollywood began to look him up after this fine remake.
6 'Rumble in the Bronx' (1995)
Jackie Chan with arms up looking confused in Rumble In The Bronx.Image via Golden Harvest
By the mid-'90s, Jackie Chan, who was already the main martial arts star in the East, began to make his mark on Western audiences. Sure, we already knew of him from the stellar Police Story series, but he still needed to make the crossover to a wider audience in the United States. The movie that did it was 1995's Rumble in the Bronx.
Directed by Stanley Tong, the movie finds Chan's character, Hong Kong cop Ma Hon Keung, traveling to New York City to attend his uncle’s wedding. Thinking this would be a trip of leisure, Keung finds himself facing off against a Bronx street gang. Of course, Chan works his martial arts magic here, as the fight scenes are dynamite; and the storyline stays within Chan's lane, expertly mixing action and comedy to make one of the year's surprise box office hits in the U.S. There is little doubt that Rumble in the Bronx firmly put Chan on Hollywood’s radar, and was easily the best martial arts movie of 1995.
7 'The Quest' (1996)
Jean-Claude Can Damme carries a bushel of wood in The Quest.Image via Universal Pictures
By the mid-'90s, Hollywood was beginning to woo audiences with budget martial arts films. So, when Universal Pictures agreed to distribute a martial arts adventure film called The Quest, it grabbed one of the biggest names in Western martial arts, Jean-Claude Van Damme, who made a name for himself in the late-'80s with such bangers as Bloodsport and Kickboxer.
Here, he plays Chris Dubois, a thief from New York who, in 1925, is sold into slavery by Lord Edgar Dobbs (Roger Moore). In order to get back his freedom, he learns the ways of Muay Thai, and enters a martial arts tournament in Tibet, and, if you've seen a Van Damme kung-fu movie, you know he kicks a lot of butt that will satisfy any martial arts fan. The action in The Quest was simply magnificent, but unlike his '80s martial arts forays, this one had a story to it that is kind of reminiscent of Fist of Fury, which made it unique among Van Damme's extensive catalog, and one of his best.
8 'Mr. Nice Guy' (1997)
Jackie Chan balances on the side of a bus and another vehicle in Mr. Nice Guy.Image via Golden Harvest
We've had a lot of Jackie Chan movies on this list, simply because he was the main star of martial arts movies in the '90s. Continuing with his action-comedies, he teamed up with Richard Norton in 1997's Mr. Nice Guy, which saw the two reunite for the first time since 1993's City Hunter.
Mr. Nice Guy was the first movie Chan starred in that was scripted and shot in English, representing the shift in his career that saw him breakthrough to wider audiences. The movie, which tells the story of a Chinese chef and a new reporter who find themselves being chased by a drug gang with the latter filming a drug bust that went wrong, is both hilarious and action-packed, with the typical great action scenes from Chan. Mr. Nice Guy is an underrated classic, one that was completely overshadowed by Chan's Hollywood breakout the following year.
9 'Rush Hour' (1998)
Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan with their hands up in 'Rush Hour'Image via New Line Cinema
"Do you understand the words that are coming out of my mouth?!" That catchphrase was everywhere in 1998, the year Rush Hour premiered in theaters. By this time, Chan's star power had reached Hollywood executives, and the famed martial artist teamed up with comedian Chris Tucker for a buddy cop film that broke every mold imaginable.
Rush Hour follows Hong Kong Chief Inspector Lee (Chan) as he travels to Los Angeles to rescue the abducted daughter of a Chinese diplomat. To aid him in his mission, he teams up with LAPD Detective James Carter (Tucker), and the rest is movie history. Chan and Tucker had incredible chemistry, with Chan providing the exhilarating martial arts scenes, and Tucker providing the laughs. Rush Hour was one of the biggest movies of 1998, and spawned a franchise. However, none will compare to the original.
10 'The Masked Prosecutor' (1999)
A hooded person in a white and black mask with red eye windows in The Masked Prosecutor.Image via Proxious Entertainment Group
We've reached the end of the decade, one that was defined by great martial arts movies, and the rise of Jackie Chan as the face of modern martial arts movies. However, the best film of the year in this incredible genre doesn't belong to Chan, or Jet Li. No, it belonged to Louis Koo, who starred in The Masked Prosecutor.
Directed by Herman Yau, The Masked Prosecutor follows a vigilante who goes after criminals who were found not guilty by the court. While the storyline seems really familiar with Western audiences, The Masked Prosecutor scores with its fantastic fighting scenes, which were some of the best of the decade. What a way to wrap up the '90s!
The Masked Prosecutor
Crime
Drama
Release Date
December 9, 1999
Runtime
88 minutes
Director
Herman Yau
Writers
Kee-To Lam
Cast
-
Blackie Ko Shou-Liang
Wan Bing-guy
-
Louis Koo
Tong Hiu-tai
-
Jordan Chan
Wah Kai-lun
-
Grace Yip Pui-Man
Wan Siu Yu
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Rush Hour
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