Twenty-first century kung fu film fans are more aware and appreciative of good movies than their ancestors ever were. There are three main reason for this: the mainstream success of Chinese-language martial arts films such as Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Zhang Yimou's Hero and House of Flying Daggers in the West; the use of stylized Hong Kong action in Hollywood blockbusters; and the international success of Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Michelle Yeoh and their cohorts.
Because of their current status in the American martial arts community, Black Belt asked me to devise a list of the top 20 martial arts movies of all time. The result is this article. Movies were included based on their impact on martial arts cinema, as well as their choreography. Before jumping into the list, however, I'll note a few honorable mentions: Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Kung Fu vs. Yoga, Magnificent Butcher, The Sword of Doom, Once Upon a Time in China, Armor of Gods
