Jet Liis an international superstar,a martial arts master, a philanthropist, and a Buddhist philosopher at heart. Because of his larger-than-life personality both on and off-screen,Li is a welcome addition to people’s TV screens and cinemas. Bringing his knowledge of wushu and kung fu to film made Li a household name over the years, domestically and internationally.
Li’sIMDb creditssay he starred in 50 projects until now, and his most memorable ones defined a certain era; right afterThe Matrixcame out, Li became famous inHollywoodand made bangers with a similar feel to the timelesssci-fi/kung-fu classic.A mix of these and his Chinese roles make the ten best Jet Li movies; of course, everyone has a personal favorite, too, since many of his films are cult classics.
10’The One' (2001)
Directed by James Wong
Li’s international fans know him for action-packed kung fu movies in which he usually portrays an expert with a certain skill set; inThe One, he’s a lot more than just one man, though—he portrays all iterations of himself from existing parallel universes.Li steps into multiple roles inThe One, and even if this movie isn’t among the greatest action flicks ever made, it’s still memorable for Li’s brilliance and influential for its unique plot. This movieinspired many others later, most notablyEverything Everywhere All At Once, which was the first Oscar-winning movie with a predominantly Asian cast. One could sayThe Oneis the first domino in this domino effect.
The Onefollows Li in the roles of Gabe Law, an LA County Sheriff; his parallel universe self, Gabriel Yulaw, a multidimensional agent who wants to kill all other iterations of himself and absorb their power to become the One; and Lawless, a convict and another parallel universe version of Yulaw who he chases down.Gabe and Gabriel confront each other in the battle to become the one and only variant, and so the movie takes interesting twists and turns. It’s pretty fun and one of the essential Jet Li cinema experiences.
Written and directed by James Wong, The One is a 2001 Action and Science Fiction film starring Jet Li. The premise follows a man that must travel to alternative universes to kill versions of himself that threaten to become a multidimensional superbeing known as “The One.”
9’Romeo Must Die' (2000)
Directed by Andrzej Bartkowiak
A unique take onWilliam Shakespeare’sRomeo and JulietisRomeo Must Die, and in the sea of interpretations, adaptations, and versions, this one’s also the most violent— probably. It wasn’t Li’s Hollywood debut, but it washis first major Hollywood film as both the lead and the good guy of the story(he was the antagonist inLethal Weapon 4two years prior). ProducerJoel Silverwanted to bring the Hong Kong style of movies closer to the US, and decided to hire Li to show people, basically, how it’s done. In addition, this is thefirst acting credit for Aaliyah, whose song “Try Again” was written for the movie.
Romeo Must Diefollows Han (Li),a former detective in Hong Kong who escapes imprisonment to avenge his brother’s death, which took place in Oakland, California. There, Han meets Isaak O’Day (Delroy Lindo) and his daughter Trish (Aaliyah), and Han and Trish fall for each other. While the movie isn’t a masterpiece at the level of Li’s other martial arts films, it’s iconic today because of its unique blend with hip-hop culture and the 2000s aesthetic.
Romeo Must Die
8’Unleashed' (2005)
Directed by Louis Leterrier
Unleashedis, by many critics and fans alike, Li’s best English-language feature. It was written byLuc Besson, the French action/sci-fi legend, and starsMorgan FreemanandBob Hoskinsbesides Li, though Li is the true hero of the story. It gives him some room to show emotional range as an actor and to find his inner martial arts master in scenes with more action and fights.Li considersUnleashedone of the three movies that tell the message he wishes to convey to the world. In this case, violence is never the answer. Indeed,Unleashed, for all its violence and shock factors, in the end wins with compassion and humanity.
Unleashedfollows Glasgow loan shark Bart (Hoskins), who keeps a man with a collar by his side called Danny (Li). He removes the collar from Danny when he wants him to fight but returns it when social matters are in question; this results in making Danny antisocial and difficult to adapt to humanity. After Danny escapes his “prison,” he is taken in by Sam (Freeman) and hisstepdaughter Victoria (Kerry Condon)andlearns how to show emotions and exact revenge on Bart. It’s very Luc Besson-like, futuristic and adventurous while getting down to the emotional core of its protagonists.
7’Tai Chi Master' (1993)
Directed by Yuen Woo-Ping
Tai Chi Masteris where we get to see Li andMichelle Yeohbecome fighting partners, and it’s among the best movies for both actors. It wasinspired by the real-life tai chi master Zhang Sanfeng, who is believed to have invented the discipline. It’s a somewhat personal story for Li, too, since he practices tai chi and likes promoting it on film and in other ways (he founded a company called Taiji Zen, which combines tai chi and meditation).Tai Chi Masteris the ultimate fun andenjoyment for any fan of martial arts filmsout there.
Tai Chi Masterfollows two Shaolin monks and sworn brothers, Gwanbou (Li) and Tienbou (Chin Siu Ho), who get expelled after Tienbou nearly kills someone. To find their way in the outside world,Gwanbou and Tienbou travel and meet people who offer them opportunities to use their kung fu skills. Yeoh plays a woman looking for her lost husband, Siu-lin, who later bonds with Gwanbou.Tai Chi Mastershows that the path of a warrior isn’t linear and that his skills can either lead to destruction or reverting to inner peace. While it’s a simple kung-fu movie, it’s also a meditative reflection on using violence as defense or a response.
Tai Chi Master
6’The Warlords' (2007)
Directed by Peter Ho-Sun Chan and Wai-Man Yip
The Warlordsis an effective and memorable historical epic; it’s a Hong Kong-Chinese co-production and has a trio of leads: Li,Andy Lau, and Takeshi Kaneshiro. It’s set in the 1860s China, specifically during the Taiping Rebellion, and it wasinspired by Chang Cheh’sThe Blood Brothersfrom 1973, which was, in turn, based on the assassination of a local governor in 1870. This isn’t amartial arts movie as muchas it is a historical epicthat tells the tale of betrayal, glory, and blood oaths; Li’s character is pretty much the antagonist, though he begins as a heroic personality.
The Warlordsfollows imperial army commander Pang Qingyun (Li), who ends up as the only survivor of a battle between his battalion and the rebels. Left alone, Pang wanders and meets Zhao Erhu (Lau) and Jiang Wuyang (Kaneshiro), two bandits and friends who take Pang on their pillaging missions.The three swear a blood oath and form a militia, but ambition and envy become major parts of their lives. Jet Li was nominated for several awards for his portrayal of Pang and won the Best Actor award at the Hong Kong Film Awards.
5’Swordsman II' (1992)
Directed by Siu-Tung Ching
The Swordsmantrilogy isa famous martial arts franchisebased onLouis Cha’s novelThe Smiling, Proud Wanderer.While Li doesn’t appear in the first feature,he’s the hero of the second, and the trilogy is elevated by his appearance. It’s one of the quintessential Li movies and one of his most financially successful films at the Hong Kong box office. Li is joined byBrigitte Lin,Rosamund Kwan, andMichelle Reis, and besides Li, lots of praise went to Lin for her portrayal of Dongfang Bubai, a vicious antagonist and enemy cult leader.
Mystical, magical, visually stunning, and incredibly entertaining,Swordsman IIis worth watching even without having the context of the first movie.
Swordsman IIfollows Ling Wu Chung (Li), a master martial artist and swordsman from the Wah Mountain school, who travels with his female sidekick, Kiddo (Reis). When they encounter the Sun Moon Cult and their vicious leader, Dongfang Bubai (Lin), they have to fight back andget out of the cult’s claws while helping allies shake off their influence. Mystical, magical, visually stunning, and incredibly entertaining,Swordsman IIis worth watching even without having the context of the first movie. Still, if you want to honor it, make sure to see the entire trilogy.
4’Once Upon a Time in China' (1991)
Directed by Hark Tsui
Once Upon a Time in Chinais originally calledWong Fei-hung, which is the name of the protagonist and hero who inspired the movie. He is a Chinese folk hero and martial arts master, known for practicing acupuncture and being a healer, specializing in Chinese medicine. This movie iscredited with starting the popularity of the period martial arts wave in the 1990sand is one of the most influential wuxia movies of all time.Once Upon a Time in Chinaalso jumpstarted a franchise, having been followed by five sequels and a TV series during the 1990s.
Once Upon a Time in Chinais set in Foshan and follows Wong Fei-hung (Li), a martial arts trainer and medic specializing in traditional Chinese medicine. When he attends a lion dance on a ship and firecrackers are shot, a nearby French ship mistakes the celebration for an attack, and they open fire on the celebration.This triggers the mobilization for the protection of China against foreign influencesand emphasizes Wong’s role in those events. The movie is quite patriotic, too, and might allow people to dive into the Chinese sentiment of the time, as well as the importance of a persona like Wong.
Once Upon a Time in China
3’Fist of Legend' (1994)
Directed by Gordon Chan
Fist of Legendis another martial arts classic in which Jet Li portrays a well-known hero of his discipline, though this hero is only well-known in fiction. It’sLi’s most influential role, because he rose to international fame through it; the movie’sfight choreographer, Yuen Woo-ping, was also hired to choreographThe MatrixafterThe Wachowskisbecame enamored withFist of Legend. The movie is considered one of Li’s greatest lead roles and one of the most influential martial arts movies ever made.
Fist of Legendfollows Chen Zhen (Li), a martial arts master who studies in Japan. During the Japanese occupation of China in the 1930s, Chen returns to Shanghai to avenge his master, who was killed by the Japanese.This movie is a remake of the 1972 filmFist of Furystarring Bruce Lee; for Li to succeed Lee in such an iconic role was expected, but it wasn’t expected for him to supersede the Wing Chun legend as Chen Zhen. If you’re a fan of the martial arts genre,Fist of Legendis an unmistakably great choice to watch.
Fist Of Legend
2’Fearless' (2006)
Directed by Ronny Yu
While he portrays a fictional martial artist called Chen Zhen inFist of Legend, Li portraysChen Zhen’s supposed teacher in that movie andreal-life martial artist Huo YuanjiainFearless. This biographical wuxia film is Li’s last wuxia movie—per his own announcement—and it remains synonymous with his career.Fearlesscaused controversy among Huo Yuanjia’s descendants, who found the depiction of their ancestors too violent, but ironically,the movie is one of the most critically acclaimed martial arts films of all time; some critics disagreed, but they were rare, andFearlessremains a wuxia powerhouse feature.
Fearlessfollows Huo Yuanjia through his most audacious years as a fighting challenger. The story shows him standing up against colonialism and the Western occupation andspreading the sentiment of Chinese identity through teaching and showing the ways of martial arts. He was the co-founder of the Jingwu Athletic Association and a legendary personality throughout history. Li considersFearlessa movie that shows that a person’s biggest enemy is usually themself, which is something he always tries to convey through his heroes.
1’Hero' (2002)
Directed by Yimou Zhang
Herois a star-studded wuxia movie that belongs in the ranks of legendary, timeless features. This incredible,visually stunning action epic is set during the Warring States period of ancient China, when the nation was divided into seven states (around 200 B.C.). This period was also notable for the assassination attempt of the future King of the Qin state, Ying Zheng, and the movie follows that event, weaving a story around the major characters that were known to take part and adding fictional characters. Li is joined byTony Leung,Maggie Cheung,Donnie Yen, andZhang Ziyi, the biggest wuxia andmartial arts stars of the time.
Herofollows Nameless (Li), a hero who approaches the King of Qin to tell him how he eliminated his potential assassins on his way to the palace.He mentions warriors like Broken Sword (Leung), Flying Snow (Cheung), and Long Sky (Yen). The recounting of the stories depicts Nameless as a solitary man we can easily sympathize with, and Li himself calledHeroa movie in which the message is clear: “Your personal suffering is not as important asthe suffering of your country.”
