Drunken Master a.k.a. Jui Kuen (1979)
This is the one that put Jackie Chan on the map everywhere but here (that wouldn’t happen until Rumble In The Bronx). It’s entertaining and funny, action packed, yet not too violent. Chan plays an undisciplined boy who must learn the Drunken Fist style of kung fu in order to stop an assassin. The finale is an unbelievably long fight scene that finds Chan battling more opponents than ten Chuck Norris films. File under Komedy Fu.

Kill and Kill Again (1981)
One of the many films to rip off the Enter the Dragon premise is Kill and Kill Again, which stands as the best bad martial arts film ever, me thinks. James Ryan (as Steve Chase) was supposed to be the next big thing back in the nearly ‘80s, the cracker Bruce Lee, but you’d never know it from this piece of crap. Yet this film is sooooo bad, that I find it impossible not to sit through. From the bad guy with the bad fake beard, to his punk-rock girlfriend, to watching Ryan round up his motley crew of fighters, to the terribly staged fight scenes, and cheesy dialogue, this movie has got to be one of the (unintentionally) funny action films of all time. And you haven’t lived till you’ve seen Ryan deflect a slow-mo bullet that is clearly being pushed on a wire. CLASSIC!

The Shaolin Temple (1982)
This is Jet Li's first film after becoming the all-round Wushu champion. He hasn’t really learned to act yet, has yet to get into the cinematics of his art (i.e. – no x-ray shots of breaking bones), and the film ain’t that great. But for fans who want to see the real thing, go see this. This is the real deal. No camera trickery, no special FX, just pure ass-kicking martial arts battles that make your hair stand on end. This is not for people who like trivial things like plot and character development.

A Chinese Ghost Story a.k.a. Sinnui Yauman (1987)
Directed by Siu-Tung Ching and produced by the great Tsui Hark (who has directed more than his fair share of great Chinese action flicks), this film is where horror, action, martial arts and the supernatural collide. Fans of Sam Raimi and the Cohen brothers will appreciate the fast-paced rollercoaster ride aspect of it, while kung fu fans will dig the intense fight scenes. Mainly, I just like the old guy whose eye brows shoot out into the sky and the witch whose fingernails fly trhough the forest. Trippy, intense, hilarious and friggin’ insane.

Black Mask (1996)
Romeo Must Die made audiences perk up, but it was Black Mask that blew heads away. Li’s style and charisma is very reminiscent of Bruce Lee, in a good way. He can also act, which is what separates him from the pack. All of this is on display on the brisk, well-made Black Mask, which also debuts what would become Li’s trademark effect in his films, the zoom-in x-ray of his opponents bones breaking as he beats the daylights out of them. Man, the first time Li snaps a dude’s neck and the camera flies in and you see his vertebrates break as the guy goes limp….incredible.

Rumble In The Bronx (1996)
Jackie’s Chan’s American breakthrough is more comedy than hardcore action, but is a spectacular martial arts film nevertheless, and features some incredible (real) stunt-work by Chan. Every action sequence is a winner and they never let up. From the truck rooftop chase, to the pool room brawl, to the building leaping, this film is as close to riding a rollercoaster as cinema gets. Chan is also quite hilarious here. It almost makes you forget his awful cartoon show and films like The Tuxedo…almost…

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (1999)
How can you not consider this one a classic? Ang Lee’s award winning epic single-handedly reignited the martial arts genre and made a worldwide star out of Chow Yun-Fat (he was already a legend in China). Mainly though, it’s a beautiful love story highlighted by spectacular action scenes and full of imaginative style. It wasn’t the first film to features dancing and fighting among the treetops, but no film made it look as elegant and breathtaking. The fight scenes played like ballets and the story was as central to the action as the flying kicks, something that cannot be said of about 99 percent of all action movies.