Non Martial Arts Films with Great Martial arts Action

[DragonClaws]

 

From what I remember, Tommy Lee Jones character Quint, in this cult B-Movie Black Moon Rising(1986), knows a little Martial Arts. With some of the fights, featuring some Judo and Karate moves, with the final knife fight, being the stand out moment. It's by no means a Martial Arts actioner, and my memory is a little hazy.

Also, if know-ones mentioned it already, the finale of The Hunted(2003), features a great knife fight. Also happen to be anohter Tommy Lee Jones film.

 

 

[DragonClaws]

 

This might interest fans of the film Black Moon Rising, and Hong Kong cinema.

 

Quote

For those that are fans of Tommy Lee Jones' "Black Moon Rising(1986)," while vacationing in Hong Kong last year and shopping at the DVD stalls, I had found a rare HK version DVD of "Black Moon Rising." Recently, for the fun of it, I decided to compare the HK version of the movie to the US version to see of there were any differences.

Both of the versions are the same in running time, but the HK version has a different opening theme and the fight scene sound FX are the loud kickboxing sound FX used in the Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung HK action movies of the mid 80's. Although I appreciate director Harley Cokliss' version and Lalo Schifrin's theme score in the American version, I prefer the HK version because the high octane Jackie Chan/Sammo Hung fight effects give the fight scenes more power and the HK versions is loaded with a library of stock music used in the Hong Kong kung fu and action movies of that time, which makes this HK version an interesting oddity. Usually in HK, foreign movies are not rescored and edited into different versions, unless they are co-product

 

 

 

Tommy Lee Jones showcases the art of fighting, without fighting, by using his head before his fists.

The opening sequence, would not look out of place in epsidoe of Kung Fu, with Caine's desire/philosphy to avoid a confrontation if he can.

 

 

[Daxtreme]

I actually did a list of this: https://letterboxd.com/daxtreme/list/non-martial-arts-boxing-films-featuring-cool/

Titles:

• Kill Bill Volume 1 (2003)
• Kill Bill Volume 2 (2004)
• Lady Snowblood (1973)
• Lady Snowblood 2: Love Song of Vengeance (1974)
• The Matrix (1999)
• The Matrix Reloaded (2003)
• Doctor Strange (2016)
• Kick-ass (2010)
• Kick-ass 2 (2013)
• Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
• The Expendables 2 (2012)
• Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
• Captain America: Civil War (2016)
• Oldboy (2003)
• Logan (2017)
• The Man From Nowhere (2010)
• John Wick (2014)
• John Wick Chapter 2 (2017)
• Rush Hour (1997)
• Rush Hour 2 (2001)
• Mission Impossible: Fallout (2018)
• Upgrade (2018)
• Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017)

There are probably lots of other contenders out there.

[DragonClaws]

10 hours ago, Daxtreme said:

• The Matrix (1999)
• The Matrix Reloaded (2003)

 

For me, the Matrix films sit on the fence, the first film has Yuen Woo-Ping as the fight choreographer. There's no doubt the action is Martial Arts based a lot of the time, in the 1998 film. I guess there's a strong argument for them being MA movies, and also for not being genuine MA films.

[Daxtreme]

Of course it's a matter of opinion but I personally think The Matrix movies are known more as being Sci-Fi classics featuring revolutionary action than straight up martial arts movies, but an argument could be made the other way indeed!

Regardless, a list like this will always be very subjective  

[Drunken Monk]

I'd also say the Rush Hour movies are martial films since Jackie does most of the action. But then subjectivity is very much a thing.

 

 

[Daxtreme]

Fair point!

[shukocarl]

I never think about the Billy Jack movies! ;-)

Edited September 28, 2018 by shukocarl
Sp

[AlbertV]

Delta Force 3: The Killing Game had more firepower, but there was a brief rumble pitting the Americans and the Russians (before their alliance) that featured John Saint Ryan (as Sergei) and Mike Norris (the son of some guy named Chuck ;)) throwing some kicks. It was the only fight scene I think was in the film. 

 

[DragonClaws]

 

Who has some more title's to add to this discussion?.

[DragonClaws]

 

Spoiler Alert, this is the fantastic Filipino style knife fight, that takes place in the finale of The Hunted(2003). I think it as , @KUNG FU BOB who mentioned this title originally?, need t dig out my DVD copy of this. I've also post an interest behind the scenes short, on the making of the fight, which speaks hihgly of actors Benecio Del Toro & Tommy Lee Jones.

 

 

 

Edited March 17, 2019 by DragonClaws

[DragonClaws]

 

Wesley Snipes nearly always put some Martial Arts content into his movie choreogrpahy. This might not be classed as a classic Martial Arts fight, but its good exampe of what I'm talking about.

 

 

 

 

[DragonClaws]

 

 

[DragonClaws]

 

 

[thehangman]

Big Stan is another one

[thehangman]

 

[Cognoscente]

Money Maker (1991) is a gambling comedy with two decent fight scenes - one where Lam Ching-Ying helps Wong Jing fight Mark Houghton, and another involves Chingmy Yau fighting with a big calligraphy brush (it doesn't exactly reach the same heights as the brush scene in Jet Li's Martial Arts of Shaolin...but it's still fun).