In the new thriller Monkey Man, director Dev Patel stars as an underground fighter looking for retribution. Patel’s directorial debut joins a fine tradition of movies featuring characters that come out swinging.
Fighting is the cornerstone of most good action flicks – but when a movie is actually based in a world of fighting, audiences want that one-two punch of big stars doing big fight scenes. And that’s exactly what we’re bringing you here: Our top picks for movies that combine iconic talent with intense physicality and, often, award-winning filmmaking.
With genre-defining and even sport-defining films from the ring to the octagon and beyond, these are the best fighting movies as ranked by Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer.
11. Bloodsport (1988)
45% on the Tomatometer
Bloodsport follows an American soldier who is trying to get into a super secret and very violent martial arts competition in Hong Kong. Not only did this box office hit and cult classic put Jean-Clause Van Damme on the map as the eventual king of action movies, but it has also been given credit for the development of mixed martial arts, or MMA, as fans know it today.
10. Fight Club (1999)
80% on the Tomatometer
The David Fincher-directed Fight Club stars Edward Norton and Brad Pitt as an insomnia-stricken man and a strange soap salesman, respectively, who start an underground fight club for men who are sick of their ho-hum lives. After initially being one of the most polarizing movies of 1999, Fight Club's home video release launched it into cult status.
9. Warrior (2011)
87% on the Tomatometer
Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton lead the way in this film about two estranged brothers who are forced to deal with their relationship when they both enter a mixed martial arts tournament. Praised for its realistic fight scenes, Warrior features real-life MMA and combat sport figures as part of a supporting cast led by Nick Nolte, who was Oscar-nominated for his performance.
8. Ip Man (2008)
86% on the Tomatometer
International megastar Donnie Yen pays tribute to the real-life kung fu grandmaster, Ip Man. And while it plays loose with the facts and fast with the fists, the film’s popularity spawned a successful franchise with more critically-acclaimed films and a couple series as well.
7. Enter the Dragon (1973)
88% on the Tomatometer
In what was his final completed film appearance before his death, Bruce Lee stars as a martial-arts expert who enters a kung fu competition in order to bring down a narcotics dealer and the gang responsible for his sister’s death. Not only is it one of the most successful martial arts films ever, it’s widely considered to be one of the most influential.
6. The Karate Kid (1984)
89% on the Tomatometer
Not long after directing another iconic fighting movie, the boxing classic Rocky, John G. Avildsen turned his camera to the world of karate. Ralph Macchio plays a teenager who moves cross-country and becomes a victim of bullying, but his fortunes turn when he's taught karate by a handyman played by Pat Morita. As one of the highest-grossing films of the year, The Karate Kid was partially credited for popularizing karate in the United States, along with revitalizing the career of Morita, who was nominated for an Oscar. It also spawned a franchise of movies and tv shows that continues to this day.
5. The Fighter (2010)
91% on the Tomatometer
Directed by David O. Russell and starring Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Amy Adams and Melissa Leo, The Fighter centers on the lives of pro boxers and half-brothers Micky Ward (Wahlberg) and Dicky Eklund (Bale). And while the always-tough Wahlberg easily fit the fighter mold for this movie, it was Bale's physical transformation that earned him an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, one of seven nominations for the film.
4. Rocky (1976)
92% on the Tomatometer
Sylvester Stallone wrote and starred in this film about a small-time club fighter in Philadelphia who gets an unlikely shot to fight for the world heavyweight championship against Apollo Creed, played by Carl Weathers. Rocky was nominated for 10 Academy Awards and won three, including Best Picture, launching a full-on franchise that is still going strong nearly 50 years later.
3. Raging Bull (1976)
92% on the Tomatometer
Raging Bull is based on boxing champ Jake LaMotta’s 1970 memoir, with Robert De Niro starring as the boxer. Martin Scorsese directed the film, which covers La Motta's rise and fall in the boxing world, a trajectory fueled by rage and jealousy. Along with taking a beating – or at least sitting in a makeup chair to get that appearance – De Niro gained around 60 pounds for the role and went on to win an Oscar for his efforts.
2. Creed (2015)
95% on the Tomatometer
The seventh installment in the Rocky franchise stars Michael B. Jordan as Apollo Creed's son, who seeks the help of retired champ Rocky Balboa, once again played by Sylvester Stallone. The movie reunited Jordan with writer and director Ryan Coogler, who had previously worked together on Fruitvale Station. Creed's success would spawn two more critical and commercial hits with Creed II and Creed III.
1. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
98% on the Tomatometer
In 19th century China, a warrior, played by Chow Yun-Fat, gives his sword to his love, played by Michelle Yeoh, to carry to their benefactor. When the sword is stolen, the race to recover it is on. With ten Oscar nominations resulting in four wins, the overall package of amazing fighting action, breathtaking scenery and gripping drama helped cement director Ang Lee as a major star.
