Martial arts movies are a great way to connect with your inner warrior. Watching these films can inspire and motivate you to keep fighting through life’s challenges while providing entertainment that puts your mind at ease.
When you search for Best Martial Arts Movies on Amazon Prime, you’ll find more than a thousand hits that range from the cheesy to the classics to the highly regarded films in the genre.
It is an intimidating collection for those unfamiliar with the genre, but it is the mother lode for those who are dedicated lovers of the genre.
Because Amazon Prime conceals many hidden treasures, unearthing one’s favorites requires backbreaking labor but is ultimately incredibly satisfying.
Here’s our list of the best martial arts movies on Amazon Prime right now:
1. The Karate Kid (1984)
Ralph Macchio stars as Daniel, a teenager who moves to Los Angeles with his mom and gets bullied by the neighborhood tough. Luckily, he meets Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita), a handyman who teaches him karate in exchange for housework.
Soon enough, Daniel is sparring with his tormentors in an epic showdown that will determine not only his future but also the fate of all humanity!
This movie may be corny, but it’s still pretty awesome. It’s one of the best martial arts movies on Amazon Prime you can watch with your family.
2. The Karate Kid (2010)
We can all agree that The Karate Kid (2010) is one of the best martial arts movies on Amazon Prime. It’s not just a classic but features some of the most famous martial artists in history—Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan.
This film has also been praised by critics and audiences alike, who gave it an average score of 6.3/10 on IMDb and 6.9/10 on Rotten Tomatoes!
The story follows Dre Parker (Jaden Smith), an eager young boy who moves from Detroit to China with his mother (Taraji P Henson).
While there, he meets Mr. Han Lee and begins learning kung fu under his tutelage. Eventually, Dre will have to use this knowledge when bullies pick fights with him at school.
3. The Real Bruce Lee (1979)
The Real Bruce Lee is a documentary about the life and death of martial arts legend Bruce Lee. This movie is a great starting point if you’re new to his legacy.
The Real Bruce Lee is one of the best martial arts movies on Amazon Prime that tells his story in an entertaining way that gives you some background without getting too bogged down in details.
There are also interviews with people who knew him personally, which adds another layer of authenticity to the subject matter.
The film includes footage from some of his most famous movies and interviews from people who worked on them with him or knew him personally (including Kareem Abdul Jabbar).
You’ll get a glimpse into both Bruce’s early life before he became famous and his post-stardom years where he tried to make it big in Hollywood despite being rejected by many studios because they didn’t think an Asian man could succeed in American cinema at the time – but luckily enough for us all today he proved them wrong!
4. IP Man 2 (2010)
Ip man 2 has established itself as one of the best martial arts movies on Amazon Prime, with several awards and plaudits.
The second of three Ip Man movies, this one stars Donnie Yen as the titular character, a grandmaster of wing Chun who teaches his martial arts style to students.
The film also features Sammo Hung as a rival to IP Man and an actor portraying Bruce Lee (reportedly a student under Ip Man).
The plot is loosely based on the life of Bruce Lee’s teacher, focusing on how he developed his style and taught it in Hong Kong before moving to mainland China.
It’s notable for being an early example in Hollywood cinema of Chinese Kung Fu using wire-work and CGI effects instead of relying solely on martial arts choreography with no special effects assistance.
Released in 2010, it was met with mostly positive reviews from critics at that time but has since become somewhat forgotten due to its age compared to other martial arts films such as Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, which have gained more attention since then due to their everyday use of technology.
5. Ong-bak: Muay Thai Warrior (2003)
One of the most popular martial arts movies on Amazon Prime to hit American theaters in the 2000s, Ong-bak: Muay Thai Warrior stars Tony Jaa as Ting, a young man who must save his village from a gang of ruthless drug dealers.
The film has been hailed as one of the best martial arts movies ever made and was nominated for several awards at Cannes Film Festival.
The movie has been available on Amazon Prime since 2016 and is rated R The Fighter. The Fighter is the story of Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg), a boxer with a lot of heart but not much success.
His family’s dysfunction and poverty make it hard for him to focus on his career, but he soon finds help from another fighter, Dicky Eklund (Christian Bale), who helps him train and become more successful in the ring.
Micky Ward’s sister, Alice (Amy Adams), also plays a vital role in the film as she struggles with her problems.
She’s worried about her brother’s future and what kind of life he’ll have if he doesn’t win his next big fight. She also cares about their mother, who has been diagnosed with cancer and doesn’t have much time to live.
6. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is a martial arts movie that’s good. Little wonder then that it is ranked among the best martial arts movies on Amazon Prime.
The story is well-crafted, the acting convincing and believable, and the cinematography beautiful. It also has great music and fight scenes—and excellent effects! The dialogue is well-written, which makes the script even better than it would be otherwise.
This rare film has everything: a good script with great characters, an exciting plot; excellent acting; beautiful cinematography; wonderful music; fantastic fight sequences.
If you want to see a movie that’s going to be enjoyable on all fronts—or if you need something other than Game of Thrones or Star Wars for your weekend plans—check out Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon on Amazon Prime Video today!
8. Drunken Master (1978)
Drunken Master is also one of the best martial arts movies on Amazon Prime that stars Jackie Chan. The director, Yuen Woo-ping, directed the movie in 1978, and you can watch it on Amazon Prime in Mandarin with English subtitles.
It’s 90 minutes long and rated PG-13, so you should be able to enjoy this movie with your family or friends without worrying about language or violence issues.
Drunken Master is about Wong, a young child who enjoys getting into mischief; his drunk instructor teaches him a specialized martial arts style to foil an assassin’s plans and stop him from carrying them out.
9. Fearless (2006)
Fearless is an action movie starring Jet Li as Huo Yuanjia, a martial arts student who learns to deal with his fears. The story is based on the life of Huo Yuanjia, a Chinese martial artist and founder of the Chin Woo Athletic Association.
Huo Yuanjia’s father died when he was young, and his mother remarried, leading to his being bullied by his stepfather.
After learning about martial arts at school, he decided to dedicate himself to mastering it so that he could protect himself from bullies and help others.
He became famous for defeating foreign fighters in public challenge matches in Beijing before moving on to Shanghai, where he opened a gym called Chin Woo Athletic Association.
Any fan of jet-li and martial arts will attest that fearless is one of the best martial arts movies on Amazon Prime.
10. Enter the Dragon (1973)
Enter the Dragon – Bruce Lee’s last film and perhaps his most famous, Enter the Dragon has a lot to recommend.
It stars Bruce Lee as a martial arts instructor who is also a spy. This particular martial arts instructor is also a spy who teaches people how to fight and defend themselves.
But wait! There’s more: He also teaches them how to defend themselves so well that they can become spies for the government—which means that those same people who were defending themselves from attackers can now be sent out on missions where their skills will help them protect others from attackers.
Enter the Dragon remains one of the best martial arts movies on Amazon Prime today.
11. Fight Back to School II (1992)
Fight Back to School II is a 1992 Hong Kong martial arts film directed by Lau Kar-Leung, starring Brigitte Lin, Wai Ka-Fai, Cynthia Rothrock, and Yuen Biao.
The plot involves an evil organization that wants to take over a school for girls by brainwashing its students with drugs and hypnotism.
Luckily, three young women have been training in martial arts since they were kids—so they can fight back against the baddies!
12. True Legend (2010)
True Legend is a 2010 martial arts film directed by Yuen Woo-ping. The film stars Vincent Zhao, Zhou Xun, Michelle Yeoh, Andy On, Jay Chou, and David Carradine Su Can, a commander.
He commands an army to rescue a prince held captive in a mountain stronghold by many hostile soldiers.
In exchange, the prince assures the emperor that he will be elevated to the governor of Hubei. Su’s stepbrother Yuan is jealous of her, but since Su loves him, she urges the prince to designate Yuan governor instead of Su.
Su intends to resign from the military and devote the rest of his life to perfecting the art of wushu. Eventually, he wants to open his dojo and teach others the techniques he has learned.
After telling Yuan his goals, Su hands over a large and distinguished sword that he has to a fellow soldier named Ma.
Even though he is always under Su’s shadow, Yuan agrees to take on the role of governor. Su rides out on a horse early the following day.
These are just a handful of movies we think you should watch, but there are many more great martial arts movies on Amazon Prime that deserve your attention.
If you’re looking for some inspiration to either start or continue your martial arts training, then look no further than one of these films!
