He probably doesn’t need much of an introduction at this stage, but Jackie Chan will get a brief one here anyway, because rankings play by rules, unlike Chan, who, especially in his early years, broke boundaries and reached new heights in terms of stuntwork and on-screen action. Jackie Chan surviving some of the stunts he’s done, and the movies he’s been in, is honestly impressive, and anyone who’s a fan of martial arts cinema is likely well aware of that already (hence the introduction not being very necessary). Some might even know that he appeared in minor/uncredited/unnamed roles in the early 1970s, including in legendary martial arts movies like Enter the Dragon, Fist of Fury, and apparently A Touch of Zen. Well, for that last one, Letterboxd says he was there as a “Stunt Extra (uncredited),” but good luck spotting him in the actual movie.
So, those are great movies, but when considering Jackie Chan’s masterpieces, it’s best to look at films where he had a starring role and/or directed, too. The following movies are probably his best, or closest to perfect, and won’t include any of his Hollywood movies, even though they did bring him an added level of international fame. They’re generally not quite as good, and Jackie Chan himself has said as much, or at least seemed a bit indifferent to them. But when Chan was younger, and at his most physically daring and active, he was capable of things few other actors have ever come close to matching, and so if you enjoy action movies and haven’t seen the following, you should make seeking them out a priority.
5
‘Project A’ (1983)
Directed by Jackie Chan
Image via Orange Sky Golden Harvest
Project A has got quite a bit going for it, perhaps most noticeably, the fact that it has a story about pirates and adventuring in the late 1800s, which feels distinct from a good many other martial arts movies. It also combines lots of stuntwork and hand-to-hand combat with comedy, but that’s a little less rare when you’re talking about Hong Kong martial arts films, and especially when you’re talking about Jackie Chan’s Hong Kong martial arts films from around this time. There are Marine Police who clash with the more regular Police Force, but then there are also pirates and gangsters to contend with, and it all gets pretty messy. One thing spirals into another in a way that’s confusing on paper, but generally works in execution, at least once you get swept up in Project A’s energy and overall style.
Jackie Chan’s best-known stunt from this film was a 60-foot drop from the hand of a clock tower.
And the series of events that make up the plot are mostly just excuses for farcical comedy, fighting, and some massive stunts, with Jackie Chan’s best-known one from this film being a 60-foot drop from the hand of a clock tower. That’s the film’s highlight, but there’s still plenty more to be entertained by here, and it helps that Chan’s supported by the likes of Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao, both of whom were also legends within the Hong Kong martial arts movie scene. Also, Chan co-wrote and directed Project A, doing a pretty good job in those departments on top of, of course, acting in the film.
Project A
Release Date
December 22, 1983
Runtime
106 minutes
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Jackie Chan
Sergeant Dragon Ma Yue Lung
4
‘Drunken Master’ (1978)
Directed by Yuen Woo-Ping
Image via Golden Harvest Company
Standing out among other Jackie Chan movies because it was something of a star-making film for the actor, Drunken Master is a little simpler than the more extravagant action films he starred in during the 1980s and 1990s, but that straightforwardness means you can really appreciate his performance here. There aren’t a lot of distractions, in other words, with the stunts not quite being as wild as what one might be used to, and the fights are also pretty small-scale. But, as the title promises, drunken boxing does feature in those fights, and proves to be the main thing that gives most of the hand-to-hand combat sequences some style and overall unique qualities. The style of combat is about deception on top of physical proficiency, through pretending to be drunk (well, sometimes, the person is drunk), which can confuse an opponent, making one’s moves seem more unpredictable and all.
Otherwise, Drunken Master is another martial arts comedy for Jackie Chan, and arguably his first great one. Well, his first great one where he was front and center, since he’d been acting in smaller roles (and a few larger roles in movies not quite as great) in the preceding years. Also, Drunken Master was skillfully directed by Yuen Woo-ping, who is one of the all-time greats when it comes to martial arts cinema, thanks to his work as both a director and a fight choreographer. His efforts as a choreographer can even be seen in some English-language movies, like The Matrix and Kill Bill.
Drunken Master
Release Date
October 5, 1978
Runtime
110 Minutes
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Jackie Chan
Wong Fei-hung
3
‘Police Story 2’ (1988)
Directed by Jackie Chan
Image via Golden Harvest
Admittedly, it’s always a little hard (or even strange) to talk about a movie’s sequel before talking about the movie, but if a ranking goes from worst to best – or, in this case, great to greatest – it can happen. Sometimes, the original is just better. That being said, there was a sequel to Drunken Master that’ll appear higher up in this ranking, so that’s one instance where the sequel exceeded the original. But with Police Story 2, not so much. And that does ruin that the first one will be here, oh, and then the sequel to Drunken Master is also going to be on here; that was just mentioned. So, really, the whole ranking is ruined. Life is hard. If only Jackie Chan could save this ranking somehow.
He can’t, but a movie like Police Story 2 can save a boring afternoon, because if you put it on and you’re not at least a little entertained, then, like, check your pulse, or go to a doctor or something; maybe that’s a concern. This is a very good sequel that gives you more or less what you’d want, given the strengths of the first movie, with it all being ever-so-slightly-less strong. There’s an element of revenge here, with the bad guys from the first movie coming back, while Jackie Chan’s character also has to deal with some new threats, and what all that amounts to is lots of punching, chasing, jumping, and things blowing up. It delivers the goods, and goods that are close to greats, even if – again – the first movie delivers the most that’s, you know, great.
2
‘Drunken Master II’ (1994)
Directed by Lau Kar-Leung
Image via Golden Harvest Company
Things get amazing here, honestly. Drunken Master II is sort of a sequel to the aforementioned Drunken Master, but you can watch it without having seen the original and still enjoy it a ton. The drunken boxing style featured in the first movie is important here a fair few times, but Drunken Master II has more on its mind, action-wise, than just the sorts of small-scale fights seen in the first. This one gets more epic in terms of scope, with some of the scenes here going on for a very long time and featuring so many people (and moving parts) on screen at once. Drunken Master II might not have the biggest stunts Chan’s done, but it might well be the film of his that contains the most impressively choreographed action sequences.
The only other movie he starred in that might well be better than this one does have more by way of stuntwork, but Drunken Master II is a movie that sees Chan perfecting and modernizing a sort of old-school style of martial arts movie. You know, it’s got hand-to-hand combat, or when people do use weapons, they’re the sorts that involve people having to get up close and personal; no guns or more extravagant/modern-day things playing a big part here. The comedy misses at a few points in Drunken Master II, which might hold it back a tiny bit, but such stuff doesn’t matter when all the action sequences are so damn strong. They play out and, while they do, it’s honestly hard to fathom how they were pulled off. Calling the best moments here “remarkable” really would be underselling them.
Drunken Master II
Release Date
February 3, 1994
Runtime
102 Minutes
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Jackie Chan
Wong Fei-hung
1
‘Police Story’ (1985)
Directed by Jackie Chan
Given it came out almost a decade before Drunken Master II, Police Story might well be more of a “classic” martial arts movie, but also, it feels modern in other ways, being set during then modern-day times in contrast to Drunken Master II going back into the past. Also, with Police Story, though there are still a great many scenes of people getting punched, kicked, and thrown around, the setting – and the fact that there are indeed police here – means there’s more of a variety to the action sequences. There are some shootouts and chases involving vehicles, for example, including a big sequence early on where an entire shantytown on a hill gets progressively destroyed as vehicles blast through it.
It’s an impressive way to kick things off, but Police Story – and Jackie Chan, as its director and star – save the best for last, because the series of fights in the shopping mall near the end? That’s about as perfect as sequences of action can get, and the famous pole slide right near the end of that already climactic scene could well be the most visually dazzling stunt of Chan’s entire career. That Police Story also moves quite well pacing-wise through its non-action scenes while having some decent comedic moments during said downtime? That’s all icing on a cake that doesn’t even need it in the first place.
Police Story
Release Date
December 14, 1985
Runtime
99 minutes
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Jackie Chan
Sergeant ‘Kevin’ Chan Ka-Kui
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Brigitte Lin Ching-Hsia
Salina Fong