Action movies are always hugely popular because of their high-intensity fight sequences and larger-than-life stunts. This type of movie makes the viewer feel short-term excitement and stress but in a safe and controlled environment.
Especially in Asian Action Movies, the viewers get too excited by the fast-paced fights, epic adventures, hard-hitting martial arts, and so many other things. These movies have all the action elements that can kick the viewing into high gear.
Such movies are influenced by their different backgrounds, showing different forms of fighting. Here’s the list of the best Asian action movies that you need to watch right now :
Drunken Master (1978)
Cast – Jackie Chan, Yuen Siu – Tien, Hwang Jang – Lee, Dean Shek.
Director – Yuen Woo-ping
IMDB rating – 7.4
The father of Wong Fei – Hong attempts to teach his son kung – fu, while his son is very much disobedient. Wong Fei – Hong is sent off to his uncle, who is a notorious intoxicated martial arts master of the 8 – drunken Genii kung – fu.
He teaches Wong the techniques of drunken boxing, which Wong uses to rescue his father when the deadly assassin, Thunderleg, targets his father.
Iron Monkey (1993)
Cast – Donnie Yen, Yu Rongguang, Jean Wang, Angie Tsang, Yuen Shun – yi.
Director – Yuen Woo-ping
IMDB rating – 7.5
This movie is widely considered to be a Hong Kong variation of Robin Hood’s story. In this movie, Iron Monkey is a man who dares to challenge the corrupted government that rules a village.
He gives his maximum effort to give hope to the poor and oppressed villagers, but nobody knows his name or where he comes from. He becomes a living legend due to his heroism and a powerful character to the people of the village.
Fearless (1993)
Cast – Jet Li, Nakamura Shido II, Sun Li, Dong Yong, Nathan Jones, Collin Chou, Masato Harada.
Director – Ronny Yu
IMDB rating – 7.1
After a terrible tragedy, a martial artist retreats to the valleys and in the lap of mother nature to gain a new appreciation for the important thing in life that metaphysically helps him get inner peace. But when he returns to the city, he gets caught up in a duel to protect China’s honor. He has to deal with the threat of evil that has made the city tattered.
Fist of Legend (1994)
Cast – Jet Li, Chin Siu – ho, Shinobu Nakayama, Billy Chau, Yasuaki Kurata, Paul Chun.
Director – Gordon Chan
IMDB rating – 7.5
Chen Zhen, a martial arts student in Kyoto, Japan, discovers that Huo Yuan Jia passed away during a contest with Ryuichi Akutagawa. Chen exhumes his master to prove that the defect results from poisoning, challenges Ryuichi to a duel, and easily defeats him.
Versus (2000)
Cast – Tak Sakaguchi, Hideo Sakaki, Chieko Misaka, Kenji Matsuda.
Director – Ryuhei Kitamura
IMDB rating – 6.3
This movie revolves around a chase between an escaped prisoner and a group of ruthless gangsters that turns into a fight. A portal to hell is opened, and as a result, it spits out an army of zombies. This movie is full of action and is wild and goofy fun.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
Cast – Chow Yun – fat, Michelle Yeoh, Zhang Ziyi, Chang Chen, Lang Sihung, Cheng Pei – pei.
Director – Ang Lee
IMDB rating – 7.9
In the 19th century, Li Mu Bai, who is a great warrior, decides to give his sword, the Green Destiny, to his friend cum lover, Michelle Yeoh, to keep it safe. But the sword is stolen, and it is up to him to find it. The chase to find the sword leads to many happenings that make the movie full of action.
Battle Royale (2000)
Cast – Tatsuya Fujiwara, Aki Maeda, Taro Yamamoto, Masanobu Ando, Kou Shibasaki, Chiaki Kuriyama, Takashi Tsukamoto, Takeshi Kitano.
Director – Kinji Fukasaku
IMDB rating – 7.6
A class is sent to a deserted island where they are given a map, food, and various weapons and forced to kill each other within three days. Their neck is fitted with explosive collar that will explode in case they break the rule. The last survivor can leave the island, but if there is more than one survivor, all will be killed by the explosive collars.
Shaolin Soccer (2001)
Cast – Stephen Chow, Zhao Wei, Patrick Tse, Danny Chan Kwok – Kwan.
Director – Stephen Chow
IMDB rating – 7.3
Story Line: A soccer player has to end his career after a fateful mistake and meets a Shaolin Kung fu student who tries to spread the word about Kung fu. The ex-soccer player then helps reconcile with his brothers, teaches them soccer, and thus adds a twist to the movie’s plot.
Infernal Affairs (2002)
Cast – Andy Lau, Tony Leung, Anthony Wong, Eric Tsang, Sammi Cheng, Kelly Chen, Chapman To, Gordon Lam.
Director – Andrew Lau and Alan Mak.
IMDB rating – 8
Chan Wing-Yan, who is an idealistic police cadet, is recruited by the Police Superintendent to go deep undercover as a member of the criminal Triad society. Hon Sam, who is a crime boss in the same cadet class, recruits a new triad member, Lau Kin Ming, to become a long-term mole for the gang. They both have risen through their ranks, leading to a game of life and death.
Ong Bak (2003)
Cast – Tony Jaa, Petchtai Wongkamlao, Pumwaree Yodkamol.
Director – Prachya Pinakaew
IMDB rating – 7.1
Boosting is a young man living in a small, peaceful village. One day, a sacred Buddha statuette, Ong Bak, is stolen from the village by a ruthless businessman, and Boosting gets the task of tracking down the thief and reclaiming the religious treasure of the village. In order to do this, Boosting has to use his tremendous skills of athleticism as well as traditional Muay Thai to fight against all adversaries.
Kung Fu Hustle (2004)
Cast – Stephen Chow, Danny Chan, Yuen Wah, Yuen Qiu, Eva Huang, Leung Siu – lung.
Director – Stephen Chow
IMDB rating – 7.7
This movie shows a picture of Canton, China, in the 1940s when the Axe Gang rules a town, and Sing desperately wants to become a member of that gang.
Sing stumbles into a slum ruled by eccentric landlords who are actually splendid kung fu masters. Some activities of Sing create an explosive kung fu battle between the Axe Gang and the landlords.
House of Flying Daggers (2004)
Cast – Andy Lau, Zhang Ziyi, Takeshi Kaneshiro.
Director – Zhang Yimou
IMDB rating – 7.5
This is one of the best breathtaking wuxia epics that is fashioned around a tragic love triangle. The Tang Dynasty was fighting to rule over China but losing again and again to some rebel groups, especially the group called the House of Flying Daggers. This group steals everything from wealthy families and gives to the poor ones. Two policemen are ordered to investigate Mei, who works with the House of Flying, but ultimately help her escape.
Throw Down (2004)
Cast – Louis Koo, Aaron Kwok, Cherrie Ying, Tony Leung Ka – fai, Eddie Cheung Siu – fai, Lo Hoi – Pang, Calvin Choi, Jordan Chan, Jack Kao, Albert Au, Yeung Fan, Wing Chung, Kwok Park – yin, Chui Ka – ho, Cheung Wai – kit.
Director – Johnnie To
IMDB rating – 6.9
After quitting the tournament circuit, a former judo champion runs a nightclub. His old rival challenges him, and he has to go back to judo training and prepare for the challenge. This movie is a nostalgic tribute to Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa.
Born to Fight (2004)
Cast – Dan Chupong, Nappon Gomarachun, Santisuk Promsiri, Piyapong Piew – on, Somluck Kamsing, Kessarin Ektawatkul.
Director – Panna Rittikrai
IMDB rating – 6.6
A gang of heavily armed terrorists captures a remote Thai village. It falls to a group of national athletes. Dan Chupong is a fearless police officer who has to save the day by hook or by crook.
Tom Yum Goong (2005)
Cast – Tony Jaa, Petchtai Wongkamlao, Bongkoj Khongmalai, Jin Xing, Johnny Tri Nguyen, Nathan B. Jones, Lateef Crowder, Jonathan Patrick Foo.
Director – Tony Jaa
IMDB rating – 6.6
This is a story of a young fighter who travels to Australia to get back stolen elephants that belong to the king of Thailand. He takes help from a Thai – born Aussie detective and also applies his fierce Muay Thai moves to fight against a gang of evil women. This movie beats everyone to a bloody pulp with its action scenes.
IP Man (2008)
Cast – Donnie Yen, Simon Yam, Lynn Hung, Gordon Lam, Fan Siu – Wong, Xing Yu, Chen Zhihui, Hiroyuki Ikeuchi, Tenma Shibuya.
Director – Wilson Yip
IMDB rating – 8
This movie is a biographical martial arts movie that depicts the life of IP Man, who is a grandmaster of the martial art Wing Chun as well as the teacher of Bruce Lee. This movie shows a picture of the city of Foshan during the Sino – Japanese War. It focuses on various events in the life of IP Man.
Red Cliff (2008)
Cast – Tony Leung, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Zhang Fengyi, Chang Chen, Zhao Wei, Hu Jun, Shido Nakamura, Lin Chi-ling.
Director – John Woo
IMDB rating – 7.3
Emperor Han is forced by the tyrannical and greedy Prime Minister, Cao Cao, to declare War against the Liu Bei and Sun Quan kingdoms which are in South China. The War begins, but the advisor of Cao Cao, Zhuge Liang, meets Zhou Yu and succeeds in his assignment with the alliance of these two kingdoms against Cao Cao. The armies fought against each other in many battles, including the final one called Red Cliff.
The Good, The Bad, The Weird (2008)
Cast – Song Kang – ho, Lee Byung – hun, Jung Woo – sung, Yoon Ke – moon, Ryu Seung – soo,
Director – Kim Jee – Woon
IMDB rating – 7.2
This movie is set up in 1930s Manchuria and shows an epic crusade on a train for a treasure map. Do-won is The Good, who is a bounty hunter, Chang – yee is The Bad, who is a charismatic hitman attempting to steal the treasure map from a military official; and Yun Tae – goo is The Weird, who puts a hitch in the plans of The Good and The Bad. This movie is a remake of the masterpiece by Sergio Leone, The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.
Gallants (2010)
Cast – Leung Siu – lung, Chen Kyan – tai, Teddy Robin, Wong You – nam, JJ Jia, MC Jin, Lo Mang.
Director – Derek Kwok
IMDB rating – 6.5
The paralyzed kung – fu master, Law Sun, wakes from a coma after 30 years and loses all his memories but his skills in martial arts. His renowned kung – fu academy is now a teahouse, but Law Sun’s return brings back vigor to resume the kung – fu academy. He trains Dragon and Cheung to fight to bring their lost glory back.
13 Assassins (2010)
Cast – Koji Yakusho, Takayuki Yamada, Yusuke Iseya, Tsuyoshi Ihara, Hiroki Matsukata, Mikijiro Hira, Goro Inagaki, Masachika Ichimura.
Director – Takashi Miike
IMDB rating – 7.5
Shinzaemon Shimada leads a team of assassins to eliminate the cruel Lord Nartsugu Matsudaira, the one who is wreaking havoc against his own people. Shimada recruits his team’s best samurai in Japan and then sets a trap to kill the lord. This movie has cinematic perfection with an atmospheric action spectacle and mesmerizing images.
The Man from Nowhere (2010)
Cast – Won Bin, Kim Sae – Ron, Kim Hee-won, Kim Sung – oh, Kim Tae – hoon, Thanayong Wongtrakunl, Lee Do – gyeom,
Director – Lee Jeong – beom
IMDB rating – 7.7
After losing his wife in an accident, former special agent Taeshik becomes a loner. He now owns a pawn shop and desires a lifetime relationship with a little girl in his neighborhood. Taeshik risks his own life and becomes intimately involved with the gang to save Someone when they abduct her.
The Raid (2011)
Cast – Iko Uwais, Joe Taslim, Donny Alamsyah, Yayan Ruhian, Pierre Gruno, Ray Sahetapy, Tegar Sathya.
Director – Gareth Evans
IMDB rating – 7.6
A SWAT team is sent to raid an apartment that belongs to the evil drug – kingpin, Tama. This team of brave men is tasked to kill Tama, but as their ammunition runs low and the impending danger comes close, they must utilize their fighting skills and try their best to make it out safely. This movie shows an Indonesian martial art form called Silat.
Commando: A One-Man Army (2013)
Cast – Vidyut Jamwal, Pooja Chopra, Jaideep Ahlawat, Jagat Rawat, Darshan Jariwala, Baljinder Kaur, Nathan Barris.
Director – Dilip Ghosh
IMDB rating – 6.3
Karan Singh Dogra, an Indian army paratrooper, is betrayed by his government, prompting him to launch a one-man assault on a local official. That local official is accused of making improper advances on Simrit Kaur’s beauty. It is a tremendously entertaining action movie.
The Admiral: Roaring Currents (2014)
Cast – Choi Min – sik, Ryu Seung- ryong, Cho Jin – woong.
Director – Kim Han – min
IMDB rating – 7.1
The movie revolves around the Battle of Myeongnyang, where Admiral Yi Sun-sin, who defends his nation with just 13 battleships, has to face a tough challenge against 300 Japanese enemy ships. The Admiral can destroy several Japanese battleships by using the dangerous currents in the strait and push back the enemy. The Japanese get expelled from the Korean Peninsula.
Re: Born (2016)
Cast – Tak Sakaguchi, Mariko Shinoda, Akio Otsuka.
Director – Yuji Shimomura
IMDB rating – 6
The former special ops member, Toshiro, runs a convenience store in a small town where he lives with his young niece, Sachi. When Sachi is kidnapped by his former special ops team, Toshiro’s peaceful life gets upturned, and he determines to get her back. Though it is a family drama, Re: Born is considered a knife-fight film and a perfect example of a Japanese martial arts movie.
Train to Busan (2016)
Cast – Gong Yoo, Jung Yu – mi, Ma Dong – seok, Kim Su – an, Choi Woo – shik, Ahn So – hee, Kim Eui – sung.
Director – Yeon Sang-ho
IMDB rating – 7.6
This movie shows how a virus rapidly spreads and causes all infected to become murderous zombies. The plot revolves around a terrible train journey with a claustrophobic setting. The fast, bloodthirsty, and turbo-charged zombies and the nerve-wracking and visceral actions shown in this movie have made it one of the best zombie films.
Headshot (2016)
Cast – Iko Uwais, Chelsea Islan, Sunny Pang, Julie Estelle, David Hendrawan, Zack Lee, Very Tri Yulisman, Bront Palarae, Yayu Unru, Ario Bayu, Hirooki Goto.
Director – The Mo Brothers
IMDB rating – 6.3
This movie is a perfect action classic that narrates the tale of a man who is looking for his identity after waking up in a hospital with amnesia. This movie is an incredible piece of exhibiting martial art skills where the fighters use everything they get in their surroundings as weapons. It has some of the most bone-breaking and blood-spurting sequences that are really ferocious.
Blade of the Immortal (2017)
Cast – Takuya, Kimura, Hana Sugisaki, Sota Fukushi, Hayato Ichihara, Erika Toda, Kazuki Kitamura, Chiaki Kuriyama, Shinnosuke Mitsushima, Ichikawa Ebizo XI,
Director – Takashi Miike
IMDB rating – 6.7
The story starts with an immortal samurai named Manji who has to protect a girl and avenge the death of her parents by some assassins. This movie has a violent plot as Manji, a notorious samurai, slashes mercilessly through hordes of enemies. This movie is often considered to be a fairytale written in blood.
The Villainess(2017)
Cast – Kim Ok – vin, Min Ye – ji, Shin Ha – kyun, Sung Joon, Kim Seo – hyung, Jo Eun – ji, Lee Seung – Joo, Son Min – ji, Kim Yeon – woo.
Director – Jung Byung – gil
IMDB rating – 6.6
Sook-hee, the trained assassin featured in this film, was a killer by nature. After the death of her mentor, she travels to South Korea as a government agent and, after ten years of service, starts a new career as a theatre actor. However, when Joong-sang and Hyun-soo enter her life, everything changes.
The Battleship Island (2017)
Cast – Hwang Jung – min, So Ji – sub, Song Joong – ki, Lee Jung – Hyun, Kim Su – an, Kim Bo – Yoon, Kwon Han – Sol, Ham Sung-min.
Director – Ryoo Seung – wan
IMDB rating – 7.1
The Japanese trick the civilians of Hashima island into slavery. They are forced to mine for coal. A Korean activist who decides to rescue these poor civilians discovers that the Japanese have planned to blow up the island.
The Outlaws (2017)
Cast – Ma Dong – Seok, Yoon Kye – sang, Jo Jae – yoon, Choi Gwi – hwa, Im Hyung – joon, Jin Seon – kyu.
Director – Kang Yoon – Sung
IMDB rating – 7.2
After coming from China, Jang Chen started working as a loan shark in a run-down Chinatown area of Seoul. Jang is backed up by Wei Sung – Rak and Yang – Tae, who are two bloodthirsty henchmen. Ma Suk-Do, a detective in the Chinatown area of Seoul, tries to keep the peace during the battle between two Chinese – Korean gangs over turf in the neighborhood.
Along With The Gods: The Two Worlds (2017)
Cast – Ha Jung – woo, Cha Tae – Hyun, Ju Ji – hoon, Kim Hyang – gi, Kim Dong – Wook, Doh Kyung – soo, Jang Gwang, Jung Hae – kyun, Oh Dal – su, Im Won – hee, Lee Join – hyuk.
Director – Kim Yong – hwa
IMDB rating – 7.2
This movie tells a story of a firefighter who dies while rescuing a girl in a fire in a skyscraper. This firefighter is led by three grim reapers and guided by them through the seven trials in the Afterlife. Though the movie is initially predictable, the final trials are totally unpredictable and full of suspense.
The Night Comes for Us (2018)
Cast – Joe Taslim, Iko Uwais, Asha Kenyeri, Sunny Pang, Salvita Decorte, Abimana Aryasatya, Zack Lee, Dimas Anggara
Director – Timo Tjahjanto
IMDB rating – 6.9
Ito is a triad hitman who develops a conscience and finds himself caught up in a deadly and violent uprising inside his gang. This film has a dark plot that is set in a gorgeous yet gloomy setting. This movie contains a lot of violent graphic scenes, wounds, and other visceral scenes that are typically disturbing to watch.
Operation Red Sea (2018)
Cast – Zhang Yi, Huang Jingyu, Hai Qing, Du Jiang, Jiang Luxia, Yin Fang, Zhang Hanyu, Henry Prince
Director – Dante Lam
IMDB rating – 6.6
A commando force from the Chinese navy, PLA Navy Marine Corps, launches a hostage rescue operation for the Chinese citizens in Yemen from terrorists. This force undergoes a fierce battle with rebellions and terrorism. The story of this movie and its characters have no moral ambiguity or psychological shadings.
Bleach (2018)
Cast – Sota Fukushi, Hana Sugisaki, Ryo Yoshizawa, Erina Mano, Yu Koyanagi, Taichi Saotome, Miyavi
Director – Shinsuke Sato
IMDB rating – 6.3
A Japanese teenager named Ichigo has the ability to see ghosts, and he begins his duties as a substitute soul reaper after gaining a soul reaper’s powers. This story turns out to be rather simplistic. The villains are just to instigate some action scenes in this movie.
Wira (2019)
Cast – Hairul Azreen, Fifty Azmi, Ismi Melinda, Dato’ Hilal Azman, Dain Said, Yayan Ruhian, Henley Hii, Josiah Hogan.
Director – Adrian Teh
IMDB rating – 6.3
In this movie, Hassan is an ex-soldier who returns to his father and sister to find out whether they are safe from the local mafia or not. This movie offers many scenes containing pretty spectacular fights between the brother and sister that are brutal yet have a sense of realism. This movie has a thrilling finale when a clash happens between Azreen and Yayan Ruhian.
Double World (2019)
Cast – Henry Lau, Peter Ho, Chenhan Lin, Jiang Lucia.
Director – Teddy Chan
IMDB rating – 6.2
The movie shows a fictional universe that comprises ten nations. When the neighboring country becomes more and more powerful, a warlord organizes a competition to select the best warrior. Dong Yilong, who is a valiant young villager, decides to take up the challenge though people have doubts about him.
Gundala (2019)
Cast – Abimana Aryasatya, Tara Basro, Bront Palarae, Ario Bayu, Rio Dewanto.
Director – Joko Anwar
IMDB rating – 6.1
This movie is based on a classic comic and is a poignant portrayal of the notion that heroes or superhumans are everywhere. Santika, an Indonesian orphan, spends his life on the streets of Jakarta and tries to attract people’s attention. When Jakarta is disturbed by the increasing greed and violence, this orphan becomes the only hope for peace for the people.
Space Sweepers (2021)
Cast – Song Joong – ki, Kim Tae – ri, Jin Seon – kyu, Yoo Hae – Jin.
Director – Jo Sung-hee
IMDB rating – 6.5
It is 2092, and space is full of dangerous floating garbage, like discarded satellites and deserted spaceships. The crew members of the spaceship Victory find a little girl inside the debris but soon realize that she is a humanlike robot. UTS Space Guards want this robot, so the crew members decide to demand a ransom in exchange for it.
Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning (2021)
Cast – Takeru Satoh, Kasumi Arimura, Issey Takahashi, Nijiro Murakami, Masanobu Ando, Kazuki Kitamura, Yosuke Eguchi.
Director – Keishi Otomo
IMDB rating – 7.4
The story tells us how a protector, Kenshin, becomes a fearsome assassin known as Battosai under the Chhungo Rebels’ leader’s thumb. But he meets the gentle Tomoe Yukishiro and begins to bring changes to his life. Kenshin believes he fights to bring peace, but now he is proved wrong.
Yaksha: Ruthless Operations (2022)
Cast – Sol Kyung – gu, Park Hae – soo, Hiroyuki Ikeuchi, Lee El, Song Jae – rim, Park Jin – young, Yang Dong – geun, Jin Kyung.
Director – Na Hyeon
IMDB rating – 6.2
Kan-In, whose nickname is Yacha, a fierce ghost who harasses or kills people, leads a secret NIS operation team in Shenyang. He is a cold-blooded man who usually achieves his goals by using any means necessary. Ji – Hoon, who is a strict prosecutor in the Seoul Central District Prosecutor’s Office, gets demoted to Shenyang and comes up against Kang – In.
Furie (2019)
Cast – Veronica Ngo, Cat Vy, Phan Thanh Nhien, Pham Anh Khoa, Tran Thanh Hoa.
Director – Le Van Kiet
IMDB rating – 6.3
This movie depicts the lives of an ex-gangster and an enraged brave single woman who is lying low in the countryside after becoming a mother. Her daughter gets kidnapped, and she cannot escape her violent past. This movie is absolutely suitable for those who love action and martial arts movies with simple plots.