Martial arts movies can sometimes go above and beyond in their creative presentation, with certain films in the genre sporting a unique visual style that stands apart from the run-of-the-mill action fare. Admittedly, the vast majority of martial arts movies rely on violence and over-the-top, brutal hand-to-hand battles to entertain, sporting impressive choreography but no real visual flair to speak of. Luckily, this isn’t always the case, with some films in the genre standing out for their breathtaking visuals.

Usually, the actual cinematography of martial arts movies can be quite bland, with the frenetic movement of its subjects providing all the dynamism they need. For a rare selection of standout films, however, this simply isn’t good enough, leading to sweeping camera motions, creative sH๏τ compositions, and beautiful flowing colors that compliment the choreography, making the camera as much of a combatant in the fray as the characters are. The most visually stunning martial arts films tend towards the philosophical, complimenting their deep thoughts with artistic ingenuity.

10

Everything Everywhere All At Once

A modern martial arts masterpiece

A rare martial arts movie to take home the coveted Academy Award for Best Picture in the year it was released, Everything Everywhere All At Once is admittedly difficult to restrain to one genre. The spectacular multiversal epic centers on a down-on-her-luck woman named Evelyn who has seemingly failed as a mother, business owner, and wife. Her mundane life is thrown into chaos when she becomes dragged into a war across parallel dimensions waged by an evil variant of her daughter, whose nihilism threatens the multiverse itself.

Despite being absurd and utterly silly at times, Everything Everywhere All At Once is nothing short of a visual marvel. The actual kung fu sequences themselves are impressive, despite being laden with bizarre stunts, but it’s the set design, editing, and cinematography that truly stand out as Evelyn is hurled through different dimensions at a rapid pace. Martial arts movie royalty Michelle Yeoh turns in the performance of a decade as the hapless Evelyn, whose arc compliments the fierce artistic vision behind the madness.

9

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

Justified as a venerated classic

The film that truly put Michelle Yeoh on the map for Western audiences, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is another of the most critically praised martial arts movies in the West. A wuxia epic set in 19th century China, the story splits its attention between martial arts masters Li Mu Bai, Yu Shu Lien, and the mysterious thief Jen Yu. When the latter steals the mythical Green Destiny blade, eschewing her sworn duties in pursuit of power, the former are forced to track her down and retrieve the legendary weapon.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is known for its delicate and graceful wirework, featuring battles in which star-crossed characters soar through the air at one another with the greatest of ease. This might not be the most realistic depiction of kung fu, but it certainly facilitates some breathtaking visuals, with one battle scene taking place among the tips of bamboo shoots in a forest being particularly astonishing. The stunning landscapes and dynamic camera movements punctuate both the action and the deep-seated themes of the film.

8

Hero

Toys with visual storytelling through a kung fu lens

With a stacked cast including names like Donnie Yen, Jet Li, and Tony Leung, it’s surprising that Hero isn’t willing to simply rest on its laurels visually and let the talent’s fists do the talking. Hero uses the frame story of a nameless ᴀssᴀssin approaching a king to tell him how he was able to protect him by dispatching several other prominent warriors. The film weaves a surprisingly heady and meditative tale about the nature of a hero and whether or not extreme violence can ever be justified as a subject of admiration.

Hero does some incredible things with camera work and choreography that have yet to be earnestly replicated in the martial arts movie world. The film plays with time and perspective throughout its gorgeous battles, flinging the camera into the fray as the action speeds up and slows down as necessary. One scene in particular in which the protagonist and his opponent visualize an entire battle before ending things with a single decisive strike is particularly phenomenal.

7

House Of Flying Daggers

Wields bold romantic visuals with fierce dedication

Another romantic wuxia epic known for its fight choreography and romantic angle, House of Flying Daggers adds some real visual splendor to its already captivating story. The premise takes place amid the muddled politics of the Tang Dynasty’s decline, with multiple rebel groups popping up to challenge the government’s waning control. One of them, the тιтular House of Flying Daggers, is set to be infiltrated by police officers Leo and Jin, only for a love triangle to develop between the two of them and Mei, an active Flying Dagger rebel.

House of Flying Daggers might have a somewhat by-the-numbers romantic tragedy for a plot, but the entrancing visuals more than make up for any narrative weakness. The vivid colors, score, and flowing fight choreography all add up to a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. In particular, the final battle is one of the most beautiful kung fu fights set in a snow storm ever conceived for the screen, ending on a bitterly intense fight that makes the film’s тιтle all too literal.

6

Only God Forgives

Carried by style over substance

Admittedly, some martial arts movies don’t have the strongest narratives, but are still worth watching for their visual splendor alone. Such is certainly the case for Only God Forgives, a lesser-known Ryan Gosling star vehicle made by the same director behind Drive that proved Gosling could handle martial arts. Gosling stars as Julian, an American expat living in Thailand and a career criminal who is pulled into a graphic bloodbath after his brother is murdered for his abhorrent behavior.

With Gosling only speaking a mere 17 lines throughout the entire film, it’s clear that the nonsensical plot and troubled characterization aren’t the main attraction. Only God Forgives is oozing with style, from the blaring neon lighting to the slick electronic soundtrack. The fight between Julian and the self-aggrandizing Lieutenant Chang is the easily the most visually stunning martial arts movie battle in which one character doesn’t manage to land a single blow, helped by the daring overhead camera sequence reminiscent of John Wick: Chapter 4.

5

The Grandmaster

Half biopic, half epic martial arts saga

While the Donnie Yen-led Ip Man films might be the more well-known adaptations of the life and times of real-world wing chun master Ip Man, The Grandmaster barely manages to edge it out visually. In this film, Tony Leung instead plays the iconic Chinese folk hero in a lengthy saga that chronicles his entire life, from scrapping it out in Japanese-occupied mainland China to spreading his teachings overseas. At the core of his expansive journey is a bitterly missed romantic connection stemming from one of his old rivals.

Partially a straightforward martial arts movie and partially a prestige biopic, The Grandmaster punctuates its combat with long periods of actionless drama. Perhaps this is the reason why director Wong Kar-wai focused so heavily on making every frame of the film a veritable painting in beauty, each sH๏τ magnificently composed and lit. When the hand-to-hand fights do happen, they’re just as impressive, with the limbs of each fighter trailing with motion and close-ups that slow down time to provide a stunning amount of detail.

4

A Touch Of Zen

A wuxia epic that earns its long runtime

One of the most iconic wuxia movies ever made, A Touch of Zen earns the right to be as mᴀssive and sprawling as it is thanks to a sharp and visionary cinematic look. The three-hour-long, two-part extravaganza takes place in the Ming Dynasty of China’s middle ages, taking the perspective of Ku Shen Chai, a burnout artist in his 30s. Ku’s entire life is turned upside-down when a princess on the run from ᴀssᴀssins takes him on as a student, training him to become a powerful kung fu warrior.

A Touch of Zen would hardly be able to justify its mᴀssive runtime without some incredibly engaging visuals, but luckily, that’s exactly what the film offers. Dynamic camera angles dip and weave among the action, better showing off the gorgeous sets and locales the fights take place in. The vibrant colors and deep depth-of-field also utilized by the film keep the aesthetic remarkably fresh even over fifty years later. It’s no wonder A Touch of Zen is such a cultural touchstone.

3

The Matrix

Sleek and stylish all these years later

Though the Matrix franchise might be primarily thought of as a science fiction series, the first film, at the very least, is still very much a martial arts movie at the core of its action. The story of The Matrix needs little introduction, thrusting the gifted hacker Neo into the realization that the world as he knows it is merely a computer simulation run by hostile A.I. to keep humanity in line. The unique setting allows The Matrix to offload some stunning visuals that have yet to be topped by any of its sequels.

The entire color palette of the film is doused in a sickly green that emulates the lines of code making up the gargantuan тιтular program itself, maintaining a remarkably distinct visual style. The iconic slow-motion action sequences and fairly aged CGI components have also been homaged and parodied countless times in other films for good reason, continuing to be captivating to this day. Crafting costumes, lighting, and choreography styles with a unique signature flair, The Matrix is considered to be a classic for a good reason.

2

Fearless

The apex of mid 2000s martial arts flair

One of the most important entries in the esteemed filmography of Jet Li, Fearless is among his most beautifully rendered projects. Taking place in the early 20th century, Fearless posits Jet Li as Huo Yuanjia, a real historical figure whose life the film is loosely based on. Li’s Yuanjia challenges a series of foreign fighters in mᴀssive public bouts to help prove the superiority of kung fu as a combat system and restore pride and nationalism to China at a time when the nation was besieged by outside interests.

Jet Li’s Huo Yuanjia fights his way through an eclectic range of opponents, including boxers, fencers, wrestlers, and muay thai kickboxers. Each bout is showcased with fantastic zeal and visual flair that emphasizes the kineticism of Li’s performance, supplemented by small touches of CGI that tie together an impressive visual landscape. The camera itself isn’t afraid to twist and turn along with its subjects, making for an engrossing style that draws the viewer in to the circus-like turn-of-the-century world.

1

The Monkey King 2

An improvement on the original’s high-flying fantasy

The iconic Chinese folklore story Journey to the West has been a source of inspiration for countless films and TV shows, from martial arts movies to the iconic Dragonball series. One of the most straightforward adaptations was Donnie Yen’s The Monkey King, which had impressive moments but admittedly struggled to keep its digital effects on par with the scope of the story. Luckily, sequel The Monkey King 2 managed to improve on its predecessor enough to result in a visual marvel.

Re-casting Aaron Kwok as Sun Wukong himself, the film picks up where the previous entry left off, with the simian warrior of legend trapped under the Five Fingers mountain. From there, the spectacle of the many demons, gods, and oddities Wukong and Buddhist disciple Tang Sanzang encounter are brilliantly portrayed with both CGI and practical effects. Looking like an ancient work of art, this martial arts epic is able to do Sun Wukong and his many storied battles justice with its stunning artistic design.