1990s action movie with great choreography, made him a household name in the States as one of the greatest martial arts actors of all time. In fact, he is largely famous for his work on-screen, with nearly 200 acting credits, but not only has he been on the scene since the '60s, which was years before Rush Hour, but he has also worked exclusively as a stuntman in a few films.
Chan has contributed to cinema behind the camera as well. His directorial debut came in 1979 with The Fearless Hyena, which he also starred in. While none of Jackie Chan's best martial arts comedy movies involved him sitting in or sharing the director's chair. The impressive roster of films he has both directed and starred in demonstrates his expert understanding of cinema.
13 1911 (2011)
Directed by Zhang Li and Jackie Chan
1911: Released in 2011, 1911 depicts the historic Wuchang Uprising led by China's first President, Sun Yat-Sen, and military commander Huang Xing. The film focuses on their efforts to dismantle the Qing Dynasty and establish a new era in Chinese history.
- Cast
- Jackie Chan, Winston Chao, Bingbing Li, Chun Sun, Joan Chen, Wu Jiang
- Runtime
- 125 minutes
- Director
- Li Zhang, Jackie Chan
- Writers
- Wang Xing-Dong
- Producers
- Wang Zhebin
The 1911 revolution in China ended the last major dynasty in the country. Known as the Wuchang Uprising, it eventually led to the birth of the Chinese Republic. With some historical accuracy and gorgeous cinematography, 1911 tells the story of the revolution and stars Winston Chao in the ing role of China's first provisional President, Sun Yat-sen. Jackie Chan stars as the protagonist, the military commander Huang Xing.
1911 was released in 2011 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Wuchang Uprising.
The movie's opening scene is a classic action set-piece, portraying Chan single-handedly taking down a horde of Imperial soldiers. 1911 isn't an action movie, though, and mostly focuses on the tension and drama that the revolution brought with itself. However, despite the great cinematography and acting, the film is quite disappointing because of its singular focus on this particular theme.
12 Chinese Zodiac (2012)
Directed by Jackie Chan
If you've ever wondered what it would be like to see Indiana Jones do martial arts, you're not the only one. Jackie Chan himself wanted to experiment with the idea of playing a character who goes on missions to retrieve long-lost artifacts of Chinese heritage. This is what inspired his character Asian Hawk, introduced first in Armour of God (1986).
While the stunts are stunning as always, Chinese Zodiac, the third movie in the Asian Hawk trilogy, is too messy in its storytelling to feel narratively composed or even coherent. Even though it is one of Jackie Chan's highest-grossing movies and the highest-grossing movie in the Asian Hawk trilogy, it has a meager 25% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
11 Dragon Lord (1982)
Directed by Jackie Chan
Written and directed by Chan, Dragon Lord follows him as Dragon and Mars as Cowboy, a duo of goofy best friends who choose to take up a serious task one day. After uncovering a plot that they can't stand by and watch unfold, the two of them use the skills developed through their sports to foil the plan.
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While Dragon Lord showcases Jackie Chan's incredible skills as a serious martial artist, portraying him pulling off unbelievable parkour maneuvers, that's nearly all the movie has to offer. The sequences where the duo just fool around as friends are memorable, but the story, despite a hooking premise, fails to live up to its potential as an emotional setup. However, Chan's stunning stuntwork makes it more than worthwhile to watch.
10 Armour of God (1986)
Directed by Jackie Chan and Eric Tsang Chi-Wai
Armour of God
- Release Date
- January 21, 1987
- Runtime
- 88 Minutes
- Director
- Jackie Chan, Eric Tsang
Armour of God is an action-adventure film directed by and starring Jackie Chan as treasure hunter Asian Hawk. The story follows Hawk's quest to rescue his ex-girlfriend from a religious cult, leading him to seek three pieces of the mystical Armour of God. The film combines thrilling action sequences with Chan's signature comedic style and showcases elaborate stunt work and fight choreography.
- Cast
- Jackie Chan, Alan Tam, Lola Forner, Rosamund Kwan, Ken Boyle, John Ladalski, Robert O'Brien, Bozidar Smiljanic
- Writers
- Barry Wong, Edward Tang, Cheuk-Hon Szeto, Kin Lo, John Sheppard, Jackie Chan
As far as martial arts adventure movies go, Armour of God is, on paper, up there with the best in the genre. However, a paper-thin plot, too many characters, and a forgettable villain ruin the glory that the premise promises. Chan stars in the movie as Asian Hawk, an Indian Jones-style adventurer, but while his unmistakable charm and expertise in martial arts make him an interesting character, there's an entire subplot around him that seems to go nowhere.
However, Armour of God does somewhat redeem itself for the narrative mistakes through the elaborate action set piece in the final scene. Chan is at his razor-sharp best, delivering zingers and punches with the same sting in them that he has delivered throughout his career. If the plot was deeper and the characters more fleshed out, Armour of God would have been a fantastic film.
9 Who Am I? (1998)
Directed by Jackie Chan and Benny Chan Muk-Sing
Who Am I? is a 1998 action film co-directed by Jackie Chan and Benny Chan. Jackie Chan stars as a covert agent suffering from amnesia after a mission in South Africa goes awry. With the aid of a reporter, he endeavors to uncover his identity and unravel a conspiracy involving a rogue CIA agent.
- Cast
- Jackie Chan, Michelle Ferre, Mirai Yamamoto, Ron Smerczak, Ed Nelson, Tom Pompert, Glory Simon, Ron Smoorenburg, Ken Lo, Kane Kosugi, Mike Lambert, Kwan Yung, Steve Brettingham, David John Saunders, David Vlok, Bradley James Allan, Patrick Mofokeng, Al Karaki, Nicky Li Chung-Chi, Sam Wong Ming-Sing
- Runtime
- 120 Minutes
- Director
- Jackie Chan, Benny Chan
- Writers
- Jackie Chan, Susan Chan Suk-Yin, Lee Reynolds
In Who Am I?, Jackie Chan plays an amnesiac man nicknamed Whoami after his most-asked question, who tries to uncover the conspiracy that led to the accident that caused his amnesia. The balance between slapstick writing and beautifully choreographed action sequences makes Who Am I? a bona fide Jackie Chan action thriller. It features one of Jackie Chan's most intense movie stunts, which shows him spinning down a rooftop with an unravelling rope tied to himself. The only drawback of Who Am I? is that it gets too nonsensical at times, and a sincere treatment of the storyline would have given us a more intense ride.
8 The Fearless Hyena (1979)
Directed by Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan's directorial debut showcases his expertise as an actor and not just a martial artist. While he spends the first half of the film doing his usual slapstick comedy, the emotional hook that sends his character down a path of revenge changes the tone entirely. Chan's unique fighting in The Fearless Hyena shows him emoting constantly while landing punches and kicks.
The emotional richness of the third act, unfortunately, feels jarring due to the lack of emotional beats in the first half of the film. However, despite the emotional incoherence, The Fearless Hyena is an exceptional kung fu movie. The film's incorporation of typical kung fu themes and subversion of the traditional choreography by showing Chan weeping and laughing through his fights makes it the ideal demonstration of Chan's talents as a director and actor.
7 Miracles: The Canton Godfather (1989)
Directed by Jackie Chan
Miracles (1989) is a comedy-action film directed by Jackie Chan. Set in 1930s Hong Kong, it follows the story of a down-and-out man who, through a series of fortuitous events, rises to prominence in the criminal underworld. The film blends martial arts, humor, and drama, featuring Chan's signature choreography and stunts.
- Cast
- Jackie Chan, Anita Mui, Gua Ah-leh, Ko Chun-hsiung, Wu Ma, Bill Tung, Richard Ng, Gloria Yip
- Runtime
- 127 Minutes
- Director
- Jackie Chan
- Writers
- Jackie Chan, Edward Tang
Just like actor Jackie, director Jackie Chan never shied away from experimenting with genres. So, not only did he star in the period movie Miracles: The Canton Godfather, but Chan was also the one sitting in the director's chair for scenes where he wasn't in front of the camera. While the movie tells a mature and grounded story that showcases Chan's ability to be melodramatic, it still features memorable action scenes.
Miracles is a good early Jackie Chan movie that fans should check out if they want to see his work before his work in Hollywood. It has action set pieces that allow him to show off his death-defying stuntwork, all of which he performed himself. However, you have to wait for those set pieces where Chan performs his stunning stunts, because there are only three in the entire movie, which is two hours long. Not only is Chan's dramatic acting worth watching, but the set pieces are also so elaborate that they make the wait worth it.
6 Project A: Part II (1987)
Directed by Jackie Chan
Project A: Part II is a Hong Kong action film that continues the story of Dragon Ma, played by Jackie Chan. Transferred to the Sai Wan district, Dragon faces challenges from a gangster kingpin, anti-Manchu revolutionaries, and a corrupt police superintendent while managing conflict with runaway pirates and Manchu Loyalists.
- Cast
- Jackie Chan, Maggie Cheung, Rosamund Kwan, Carina Lau, Bill Tung, Lam Wai, Kwan Hoi-San, Regina Kent, Isabella Wong, Chris Lee Kin-Sang, Tai Bo, Tai Bo, Mars, Ben Lam, Ken Lo, Lau Siu-Ming, Chu Tit-Wo, John Cheung Ng-Long, Lee Hoi-Sang, Michael Chan, Johnny Wang Lung-Wei, Mai Kei, Hon Yee-Sang, Chan Dik-Hak, Fan Mei-Sheng
- Runtime
- 106 minutes
- Director
- Jackie Chan
- Writers
- Edward Tang
- Producers
- Leonard Ho
Jackie Chan's charm as an actor buoys the sequel to one of Chan's finest directorial features. Project A: Part II pitches him as a soldier against unbelievable odds in a movie that's more restrained than the first part, but not better for it. The story isn't as interesting as Project A, and one wishes there was more time dedicated to the pirates, who have the best banter ever.
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Despite the drawbacks, Project A: Part II is typical Jackie Chan fare with incredible action in the set pieces, especially the climax. The number of people he fights in the final scene is difficult to keep count of, but he disposes of them with a smile as disarming as his punches. The elaborate setup is the major negative aspect of Project A: Part II, as we spend too long getting to the crux, which is as good as any of Jackie Chan's best martial arts comedies.
5 Operation Condor (1991)
Directed by Jackie Chan
Armour of God 2: Operation Condor
- Release Date
- July 18, 1997
Armour Of God 2: Operation Condor is an action-adventure film starring Jackie Chan as Asian Hawk, a treasure hunter on a mission to retrieve Nazi gold from a North African desert. Directed by Jackie Chan and released in 1991, the film features a blend of martial arts, comedy, and thrilling stunts, as Hawk faces various obstacles and adversaries along the way.
- Cast
- Jackie Chan, Carol Cheng, Eva Cobo, Shôko Ikeda, Aldo Sambrell, Ken Goodman, Steve Tartalia, Vincent Lyn
- Runtime
- 80 Minutes
- Director
- Jackie Chan
- Writers
- Jackie Chan, Edward Tang
Chan's solo directorial sequel to Armour of God ramps up the excitement factor to give us another engaging Asian Hawk adventure that takes Chan's iconic character on a hunt for Nazi gold in the Sahara desert. It's expansive and more elaborate than the first movie, and benefits from introducing a more over-the-top tone to the character's adventures.
One of Jackie Chan's best action movies from the 1990s, Operation Condor is also memorable for its villain. The entire story seems to be a more intentional homage to Indiana Jones, who inspired Chan to create the character in the first place. However, the stereotypical writing of the native characters and the women in the movie hasn't aged well, and if the film's lacking something else, it's more fight scenes from Jackie Chan.
4 The Young Master (1980)
Directed by Jackie Chan
The Young Master follows youthful martial arts master Lung as he searches for his missing brother while being mistaken for a fugitive. Lung must prove his innocence by solving the case himself, all while being pursued by local lawmen and relentless mercenaries. Released in 1980, it stars Jackie Chan.
- Cast
- Jackie Chan, Yuen Biao, Wai Pak, Hwang In-shik, Lily Li, Sek Kin, Fung Hak-On, Tien Feng, Fung Fung, Fan Mei-Sheng, Cheng Kang-Yeh, Cham Siu-Hung, Cheung Chi-Ping, Cheung Chok-Chow, Chui Fat, Lee Hoi-Sang, Chiang Kam, Chan Siu-Kai, Cheng Wai-Ching, Cheung Hei, Johnny Cheung Wa, Choi Chung-Wing, Chow Gam-Hoi, Chow Kong, Chu Kong
- Runtime
- 107 minutes
- Director
- Jackie Chan
- Writers
- Edward Tang, Lau Tin-chi, Tung Lo
- Producers
- Leonard Ho
One of Jackie Chan's earliest directorial features, The Young Master was his first time acting in a Golden Harvest movie. The studio is largely responsible for popularizing Hong Kong cinema on a global scale, and played a big role in making Chan the household name he is today. Chan's remarkable physicality and expertise in martial arts peppers the film with insane moments, especially the 20-minute-long climactic fight that is relentless until the end, slowly depicting Chan taking control and turning the tide against his enemies.
Chan's Dragon Lord was originally supposed to be a sequel to The Young Master, but gradually drifted away and became its own thing during production.
The neatness of The Young Master feels almost jarring compared to the chaotic action films that have defined Chan's career, but it serves as a demonstration of Chan's talent as a director. A mystery thriller and an action movie packed into one film, The Young Master never seems to lose sight of the ending as it balances the conventional narrative and emotional beats of both genres.
