Best Action Scenes of All-Time: Jackie Chan - All the Rest

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*Last Updated 8/27/2023  

Click Here for the Top Ten Essential Jackie Chan Action Sequences
Click Here for a Guide to All of Jackie Chan's Films
Click Here for the Top Ten Essential Jackie Chan Films (Coming Soon)

If you have found yourself at this page, then that must mean you more than a passing interest in Jackie Chan or in action cinema. For those who just want to get straight to what I think are Jackie's Top 10 most essential/best action sequences then CLICK HERE. You will find there a thorough introduction to Jackie and what makes his action sequences so unique. If you are still here with me than what you'll find on this page is my rating and ranking of all the rest of Jackie's actions sequences, which is no small task! 

According to my action database, most major action stars and even entire beloved franchises struggle to provide a handful or so A to A+ sequences. Jackie alone can fill out a top 10 for me! In fact, the number of B+ and A- sequences that didn't make the top 10 were enough that I decided it was wise to cut his "Best Action Scenes of All-Time" entry into two sections, this one covering everything that didn't make the top 10. If I committed to a list like this with most action stars it would end up being essentially the same 50 shootouts or 50 fights over and over. Jackie's list is a compilation of impressive fights, mind-blowing stunt fests, hilarious set pieces, bold car chases, outlandish foot chases, scuba tank fights, and on and on. No other star has the creative wit to fill a list like this with such diversity. As of the last update, Jackie has over 140 credits to his filmography and I've been able to watch most of them, but not all of them. If I waited to (re)watch everything, I'd likely never finish this project and get a chance to finish others - so I had to draw a line somewhere. In order to make this article load faster and not go on forever I've kept the commentary and pics/gifs to a minimum until you get to the B+ sequences. In general, don't get hung up on the specific numbers as they could easily rise and fall depending on mood. The best rule of thumb here is the rating and if they are in top, middle, or bottom of that grouping. Hope you enjoy it and feel free to let me know what you think.

(Almost) Every Jackie Chan Action Scene Rated & Ranked 

GRADE: D
Sequences that are plain bad or insulting. Generally my worst grade possible. 
Kung Fu Yoga (2017)

329. "Castle Finale: Getting the Boy and Medallion Back” -The Medallion (2003)
328. "Escaping a Hyena Pit” -Kung Fu Yoga (2017)
327. "Jackie Chan vs. Jumping Snakes!" -Magnificent Bodyguards (1978)


GRADE: D+
Largely bad/insulting sequences that have at some kind of redeemable quality 
The Knight of Shadows (2019)

326. "Roadside Stand Fight - Redux" -Cannonball Run II (1984)
325. "Finale: Yin Yang Book Showdown" -The Knight of Shadows: Between Yin and Yang (2019)
324. "Jackie vs. Two Females for the Book" -Snake and Crane Arts of Shaolin (1978)
323. "Finale: Shootout & Fight Against Axis Apocalypse Forces" -Fantasy Mission Force (1983)

GRADE: C-
Mediocre sequences that have some flaw or issue I find somewhat insulting or offensive.
Operation Condor (1991)

322. "Pinto Ranch Brawl" -Cannonball Run II (1984)
321. "Taking on a Large Challenger Dressed as a Woman" -The Fearless Hyena (1979)
320. "Opening: Hamster Ball Escape from Native Tribe" -Operation Condor (1991)
319. "Temple Opening: Interpol & Chan Try to Stop a Smuggler" -The Medallion (2003)
318. "Dojo Fight: Chan & Tucker Fight Tall Chinese Man" -Rush Hour 3 (2007)
317. "Shootout & Chase on the Top Level of the Ship" -City Hunter (1993)
316. "Nazi Base Entrance: Fighting Off the Natives" -Operation Condor (1991)
315. "Fake Killer is Repulsed by Hero Jackie” -Police Story (1985)
314. "Skydiving Finale Fight: Saving the Dragon Head from a Volcano" -Chinese Zodiac (2012)
313. "Another Restaurant Fight Against Goons Seeking the Book" -Snake and Crane Arts of Shaolin (1978)
312. "Jackie Chases After Target on Skateboard" -City Hunter (1993)
311. "Trampoline Fight at Kids Center" -Robin-B-Hood (2006)
310. "Home Assaulted by Thugs & Chan Loses the Medallion" -The Medallion (2003)
309. "BCB Second Round: Jackie vs. The Moroccan" -Battle Creek Brawl (1980)
308. "BCB Third Round: Jackie vs. Hiram Johnson" -Battle Creek Brawl (1980)
307. "Jackie Avoids an Attempted Stabbing in Prison" -The Prisoner (1990)
306. "Japanese Steakhouse Fight" -The Spy Next Door (2010)
305. "Mistaken Identity Fight with a Fake Gangster" -Twin Dragons (1992)
304. "Finale: Road Chase to Stop the Trucks" -Hidden Strike (2023)
303. "Dubai Diamond Chase" -Kung Fu Yoga (2017)
302. "Rescuing the Ladies from a Saharan Slave Auction” -Operation Condor (1991)
301. "Alley Fight: Chan Beats Gangsters Without Really Trying" -Battle Creek Brawl (1980)
300. "Movie Room Shootout & Fight" -City Hunter (1993)


GRADE: C
Mediocre sequences that lack anything that makes them stand out. Decent, but forgettable.
Rush Hour (1998)

299. "Jackie Accidentally Gets in the Middle of a Gangster Fight" -Miracles: The Canton Godfather (1989)
298. "Premature Fight with Old Enemy Leads to a Beatdown" -The Fearless Hyena (1979)
297. "Jackie Fights Sore Losers in a Gambling Match" -The Fearless Hyena 2 (1983)
296. "Brief Fights: Pair of Bar Fights Against Gangsters" -The Prisoner (1990)
295. "Fighting & Embarrassing a Group of Gambling Cheats" -The Fearless Hyena (1979)
294. "Finale: Cops & Gangsters Get in Crossfire" -The Shinjuku Incident (2009)
293. "Saharan Hotel Fight & Shootout for the Key" -Operation Condor (1991)
292. "Jackie Fights Off Henchmen Unworthy for the Trip" -Magnificent Bodyguards (1978)
291. "Return Fight with the River Bullies" -Snake and Crane Arts of Shaolin (1978)
290. "Jungle Fight with Pirates Over Shipwrecked Artifacts" -Chinese Zodiac (2012)
289. "Large Scale Clan Kung Fu Fight in Open Field" -Snake and Crane Arts of Shaolin (1978)
288. "First Train Raid Against Japanese is Successful" -Railroad Tigers (2016)
287. "Jackie Protects Girl from Gangsters at a Restaurant" -Dragons Forever (1988)
286. "Opening: Capturing the Black Dragon of the Eastern Sea" -The Knight of Shadows: Between Yin and Yang (2019)
285. "Opening: Failure to Capture Juntao on the Docks" -Rush Hour (1998)
284. "African Shootout: Saving VIP's Daughter from Kidnapping” -Vanguard (2020)
283. "Jackie & Sammo Stop Fast Food Thieves in the Mall" -Winners & Sinners (1983)
282. "Market Fight: Wong Fei-Hung vs. Old Lady" -Drunken Master (1978)

The Forbidden Kingdom (2008)

281. "Chasing Down a Kidnapper Ends in a Shot and a Flip" -Police Story: Lockdown (2015)
280. "Jackie Meets Jason & Drunkenly Dispatches a Few Soldiers" -The Forbidden Kingdom (2008)
279. "Running from Goons: First Brief Fight with Bennie & Vitali" -Wheels on Meals (1984)
278. "Dubai Finale: Gold Car Chase Ends in Mall" -Vanguard (2020)
277. "Finale: Tuxedo Fight & Killing the Queen Strider" -The Tuxedo (2002)
276. "Stage Fight: Ambushed by Two Chinese Gangsters" -Battle Creek Brawl (1980)
275. "Opening: Rathbone Steals the Imperial Seal" -Shanghai Knights (2003)
274. "Demonstration Fight: Jackie Chan vs. Iron Fist" -Magnificent Bodygaurds (1978)
273. "Jackie Learning His New Powers in the Hospital" -The Medallion (2003)
272. "Tarmac Finale: Prisoners Get in Shootout with Armed Forces" -The Prisoner (1990)
271. "Opening: Catching a Russian at a Refinery" -The Spy Next Door (2010)
270. "Twin Bus Chase & Conducting Swap" -Twin Dragons (1992)
269. "Quick Fight with Gang Bikers" -Wheels on Meals (1984)
268. "Montage: Jackie Beats Up Various Middle Men Around the Village" -Dragon Fist (1979)

Kung Fu Yoga (2017)

267. "Fighting Off a Few Henchmen on the Stairs and Pipe Area" -Police Story: Lockdown (2015)
266. "Group Fight in an Indian Bazaar" -Kung Fu Yoga (2017)
265. "Roller Derby Relay Race" -Battle Creek Brawl (1980)
264. "Fight in Indian Market at Night Handcuffed" -Around the World in 80 Days (2004)
263. "Escaping Custody: Water Torture Fight" -Shanghai Knights (2003)
262. "Marketplace Fight for Fish" -The Legend of Drunken Master (1994)
261. "Assassins Hit the Hotel Room" -The Protector (1985)
260. "Blossom Valley Brawl" -The Forbidden Kingdom (2008)
259. "Battle Creek Brawl Opening Round Free for All" -Battle Creek Brawl (1980)
258. "Rescuing Jackie & Son Off the Train" -Railroad Tigers (2016)
257. "Chan & His Roman Crew Escape Prison & Fight Off Legions" -Dragon Blade (2015)
256. "Old Man and Wong Fei-Hung Meet and Fight" -Drunken Master (1978)
255. "Chan vs. Female Chinese Assassin" -Rush Hour 3 (2007)
254. "Cena and Chan Protect a Small Walled Village" -Hidden Strike (2023)
253. "Cab Driver Fight" -The Accidental Spy (2002)
252. "Nighttime Yacht Fight" -Rush Hour 2 (2001)
251. "Finale: Jackie Chan vs. Adrien Brody" -Dragon Blade (2015)
250. "Hospital Assassins Stopped by Chan & Tucker" -Rush Hour 3 (2007)
249. "Fighting Over Treasure in an Ice Cavern" -Kung Fu Yoga (2017)
248. "Proving to the Gang He Can Fight" -Miracles: The Canton Godfather (1989)
247. "Jackie Returns to the Village for his Wife & Fights the Garrison with Help" -Dragon Blade (2015)
246. "Backyard Fight with Russian Bad Guys" -The Spy Next Door (2010)
245. "Jackie vs. Knox - Extinguisher Bungee Fight" -Hidden Strike (2023)
244. "Foot Chase Through Chinese Village & Mud Festival" -Skiptrace (2016)


GRADE: C+
Largely mediocre sequences that have some redeeming or standout feature. This, to me, is where the average decent action sequence ranks.
Iron Mask (2019)

243. "Jackie vs. Old Clan Leader Hiding in His Room" -Snake and Crane Arts of Shaolin (1978)
242. "Mocking Fight: Wong Fei-Hung vs. Sub Teacher" -Drunken Master (1978)
241. "Jackie vs. a Group of Amazonian Women" -Fantasy Mission Force (1983)
240. "Sting Operation Goes Sour Resulting in Falling Stilt Houses" -Skiptrace (2016)
239. "Bald Villain & Goons Ambush Jackie's Protection of the Doctor" -Bleeding Steel (2017)
238. "Misunderstanding Fight: Jackie Chan vs. John Cena" -Hidden Strike (2023)
237. "Prison Escape: Peter the Great Breaks Out While Arnold Battles Jackie" -Iron Mask (2019)
236. "Breaking in to Gangster Residence and Several Fights Ensue" -Battle Creek Brawl (1980)
235. "Jackie vs. Flute Playing Female for the Book" -Snake and Crane Arts of Shaolin (1978)
234. "Nighttime Field Fight: Jackie vs. Student of Master" -Dragon Fist (1979)
233. "Finale: Floating Palace Fight” -The Myth (2005)
232. "Riverside Fight: Jackie's Fishing Interrupted by Bullies" -Snake and Crane Arts of Shaolin (1978)
231. "BCB Final Round: Jackie vs. Kiss of Death & Movie House Goons" -Battle Creek Brawl (1980)
230. "Plans Foiled: Urquidez & Vitali Kidnap the Girls" -Wheels on Meals (1984)
229. “Red Demon Fight: Swordsman Complicates the Fight" -The Knight of Shadows: Between Yin and Yang (2019)
228. "Opening: SWAT Training Shootout & Fight in the Woods" -Heart of Dragon (1985)
227. "Opening: Jackie Fights a Woman to Stop a Battle on the Silk Road" -Dragon Blade (2015)
226. "Psychology Analyst: Street Shootout Leads to PTSD" -Crime Story (1993)

The Cannonball Run (1981)

225. "Parking Lot Scuffle: The Three in a Brief Fight" -Dragons Forever (1988)
224. "Bad Dream: Jackie & His Captive Fight Over a Sword" -Little Big Soldier (2010)
223. "Desert Pit Stop Group Fight: Jackie vs. Peter Fonda" -The Cannonball Run (1981) 
222. "Pretend Sword Fight: Jackie vs. Wei General" -Little Big Solider (2010)
221. "Explosive Pack Journey: From Station, to Train, to Field" -Railroad Tigers (2016)
220. "Teasing Fight: Jackie vs. Young Miss Shek" -Spiritual Kung Fu (1978)
219. "Jackie Chan vs. Gas Explosive Throwing Lady Liu" -Magnificent Bodyguards (1978)
218. "Car Chase with Woman in Black Ends with Wrong Car Crashed" -Bleeding Steel (2017)
217. "Finale: Multiple Fights on the Dock" -Skiptrace (2016)
216. "Sword Fight at the Gates: Jackie Chan vs. John Cusack" -Dragon Blade (2015)
215. "Training Fight in Different Styles with the Fairies" -Spiritual Kung Fu (1978)
214. "Bo Staff Training Fight with Grandpa" -The Fearless Hyena (1979)
213. “General Sword Fights with Goons to Save Princess" -The Myth (2005)
212. "Drug Lab Shootout: Rescuing Shapiro" -The Protector (1985)
211. "Jackie Fights By Acrobatically Avoiding All Moves" -Snake in the Eagle's Shadow (1978)
210. "Night Club Fight with the Three and Gangsters" -Dragons Forever (1988) 
209. “Beating Police Officers at the Station" -Project A 2 (1987)
208. "Sammo Tries to Fight Out of the Drug Factory" -Dragons Forever (1988)

The Spy Next Door (2010)

207. "Jackie Has a Playful Fight with a Female in a Restaurant" -The Fearless Hyena 2 (1983)
206. "Prison Knife Fight: Jackie Chan vs. Andy Lau" -The Prisoner (1990)
205. "Beggar Helps Jackie Chan Fight Like a Puppet" -Snake in the Eagle's Shadow (1978)
204. "Old Man & Wong Fei-Hung vs. Iron Bullet Head" -Drunken Master (1978)
203. "Jackie & Woman in Black Fight Over Writer's Source" -Bleeding Steel (2017)
202. "Jackie Helps a Woman and Fights Off Creeps Bruce Lee Style" -Dragon Fist (1979)
201. "Opening: Jackie Fights Goons Wielding Poles to Show His Skills" -Magnificent Bodyguards (1979)
200. "Crime Groups Battle in the Building" -The Shinjuku Incident (2009)
199. "Assault on the Oil Site: Cena & Chan Work Together" -Hidden Strike (2023)
198.  "War Between All Parties on the Silk Road" -Dragon Blade (2015)
197. "For Sale House: Fight with Goons Harassing Blonde Lady" -Operation Condor (1991)
196. "Finale: Monkey King & Co vs. Jade Emperor & Co." -The Forbidden Kingdom (2008)
195. "African River Chase: Hyenas, Jet Skis, & Waterfalls" -Vanguard (2020)
194. "Cave Finale: Bandits vs. Wei Warriors & Jackie" -Little Big Soldier (2010)
193. "Lured into an Alleyway and Surprised by a Gang" -Rumble in the Bronx (1996)
192. "Thunderleg Destroys Wong Fei-Hung" -Drunken Master (1978)
191. "Siberian Terminator Stops Prison Bus but Chan/Knoxville Escape" -Skiptrace (2016)
190. "Scuffle in the Counting Room" -Rush Hour 2 (2001)
189. "Chan Attempts to Rescue the Boy at the Docks" -The Medallion (2003)
188. "Chasing Down a Motorcycle Assassin from Streets to Roofs" -Twinkle Twinkle Lucky Stars (1985)
187. "Russian Confrontation Finale: From Abandoned Warehouses to the Home" -The Spy Next Door (2010)

Rumble in the Bronx (1995)

186. "Saved by the Tangs: Jackie vs. Black Dragon Clan Wielding Swords" -Snake and Crane Arts of Shaolin (1978)
185. "Escape from the Docks" -The Accidental Spy (2002)
184. "War Opening: Saving the Princess from an Ambush" -The Myth (2005)
183. "Dubai Lobby Fight for the Diamond" -Kung Fu Yoga (2017)
182. "Jackie's Snake Style vs. Russian Priest" -Snake in the Eagle's Shadow (1978)
181. "Jackie Roughs Up an Annoying Arrested Criminal" -Crime Story (1993)
180. "Red Demon Capture: Defeating the Possessed & Red Silk Dragon" -The Knight of Shadows: Between Yin and Yang (2019)
179. "Wax Museum Fight" -Shanghai Knights (2003)
178. "Finale: Lord Chu & Henchmen vs. the Three Magnificent Bodyguards" -Magnificent Bodyguards (1979)
177. "Escaping Debt Collectors by Jumping from Air Conditioner to Air Conditioner" -Robin-B-Hood (2006)
176. "Opening: Military Operation to Kidnap Meteor Scientists & Fragments" -Who Am I? (1998)
175. "Chasing the Bomber through an Alley and Warehouse" -Rush Hour (1998)
174. "Disarming Several Enemies With Guns At Sea" -The Medallion (2003)
173. "Saving the Grocery Market from Thieves" -Rumble in the Bronx (1996)
172. "Rope Fight Atop a Silo" -The Tuxedo (2002)
171. "Bar Fight with Nicholas Tse" -New Police Story (2004)

Shanghai Noon (2000)

170. "Jackie vs. Big Muscle Blondie Gary Daniels" -City Hunter (1993)
169. "Security Tries to Arrest Chan & Panther in the Restaurant" -Supercop (1992)
168. "Chan Infiltrates the Chinese Embassy" -Rush Hour (1998)
167. "Cop Team is Ambushed and Strung Up" -New Police Story (2004)
166. "Demonstration Fight: Supercop Showdown for Students" -Supercop (1992)
165. "African Fortress Shootout: Exchange Goes Sour" -Vanguard (2020)
164. "Chan Goes Rambo on Irish Security Men" -The Foreigner (2017)
163. "Train Robbery is Derailed by a Bad Associate" -Shanghai Noon (2000)
162. "Jackie Chan and Children Fight Off Republic Soldiers" -Shaolin (2011)
161. "Dual Duels: Horseshoes & Guns" -Shanghai Noon (2000)
160. "Parking Lot Brawl: Jackie & Cops vs. Some Thugs" -Heart of Dragon (1985)
159. "Taking Out the Generals Compound: Explosions & Gunfire" -Supercop (1992)
158. "Losing a Fight: Jackie vs. Luk Ching" -Spiritual Kung Fu (1978)
157. "Jackie vs. Richard Norton's MacDonald" -City Hunter (1993)
156. "Handcuffed Escape Using a Chair & Spinning Down a Rope to Safety" -Who Am I? (1998)
155. "Wild West Saloon Fight" -Shanghai Noon (2000)
154. "Fireworks Barge Fight: Jackie Chan vs. Donnie Yen" -Shanghai Knights (2003)


GRADE: B-
Good sequences that have some issue holding it back from being solid.
Skiptrace (2016)

153. "Diversion Chase: Chan Leads Police Away to Countryside" -Heart of Dragon
152. "Finale: Fight in the Treasure Temple" -Kung Fu Yoga (2017)
151. "Attempted Murders in a Full Service Hong Kong Spa" -The Protector (1985)
150. "Fighting Together Above the Chinese Restaurant" -Rush Hour (1998)
149. "Free Some Hostages: Chan vs. Boxer" -Police Story: Lockdown (2015)
148. "French Chateau Heist: Nabbing Artifacts, Dogs, & Hedge Mazes" -Chinese Zodiac (2012)
147. "Hospital Fight: Taking Out Assassin Goons" -Heart of Dragon (1985)
146. "Finale: Shootout & Fight in the Villain's HQ" -Bleeding Steel (2017)
145. "Apartment Fight: Jackie & Sammo Take Out Japanese Thugs" -My Lucky Stars (1985)
144. "Old Beggar Plays Keep Away from Jackie with a Bowl" -Snake in the Eagle's Shadow (1978)
143. "Can't Pay: Wong Fei-Hung & Old Man vs. Restaurant" -Drunken Master (1978)
142. "Never Give Up Finale Fight: Jackie vs. Whong In Sik" -The Young Master (1980)
141. "Restaurant Fight: Warriors Notice Jackie Has the Book" -Snake and Crane Arts of Shaolin (1978)
140. "Jackie vs. Gary Daniels II: Street Fighter Parody" -City Hunter (1993)
139. "Eiffel Tower Finale: Sword Fight Against Brother & Saving Soo Young" -Rush Hour 3 (2007)
138. "Saving Knoxville: From the Bowling Alley to a Russian Doll Factory" -Skiptrace (2016)
137. "Helping Panther Escape Prison: Guard Fight & Chase" -Supercop (1992)
136. "Opening: Helping Stock Robbers Leads to an Elevator and Crane" -The Accidental Spy (2002)
135. "General Fights His Own Army to the End" -The Myth (2005)

The Young Master (1980)

134. "Village Fight Alongside Sammo Hung's 10 Tigers" -Around the World in 80 Days (2004)
133. "Opening: Ambassador Assassination Chase in LA" -Rush Hour 3 (2007)
132. "Casino Finale: A Bomb in the Mouth" -Rush Hour 2 (2001)
131. "Food Service Van is Chased Out of Town" -Wheels on Meals (1984)
130. "Pool Hall Fight" -Rush Hour (1998)
129. "Opening: Jackie Escapes Soldiers in his Roller Suit" -Chinese Zodiac (2012)
128. "Car Garage Fight" -Thunderbolt (1995)
127. "Fighting with a Mirror Demon" -The Knight of Shadows: Between Yin and Yang (2019)
126. "Tuxedo Half On Half Off Fight" -The Tuxedo (2002)
125. "Military Hospital Fight" -The Accidental Spy (2002)
124. "Fang Showdown: Statue of Liberty Warehouse Fight" -Around the World in 80 Days (2004)
123. "Speed Boat Chase in Hong Kong" -Twin Dragons (1992)
122. "Punishment Fight: Wong Fei-Hung's Snake Style vs. Palm Style" -Drunken Master (1978)
121. "Karaoke Party Fight" -Twin Dragons (1992)
120. "Finale: Taking Over the Train Shootout & Blowing Up the Bridge" -Railroad Tigers (2016)
119. "Eluding Gangsters on a Yacht" -Gorgeous (1999)
118. "Market Fight: Wong Fei-Hung vs. Bully with a Sword" -Drunken Master (1978)
117. "Finding the General: Wei Warriors vs. Slaving Bandits" -Little Big Soldier (2010)
116. "Chan's Snake Style vs. School Challenger Using Mantis Style" -Snake in the Eagle's Shadow (1978)
115. "Restaurant Fight: Disguised Chan Fights a Master with a Stool" -The Fearless Hyena (1979)
114. "Old Man & Wong Fei-Hung vs. Bamboo King" -Drunken Master (1978)
113. "Downtown Parade Shootout & Chase on Stilts" -First Strike (1996)
112. "Fan Fight: Jackie vs. Brother Bill" -The Young Master (1980)

Robin-B-Hood (2006)

111. "Amusement Park Baby Parkour" -Robin-B-Hood (2006)
110. "Reincarnation Sword Fight: Looking for Answers" -The Myth (2005)
109. "Apt. Fight Leads to Carriage Chase & Near Misses" -Robin-B-Hood (2006)
108. "Breaking Cougar Out of Prison: Shootout & Explosions" -Thunderbolt (1995)
107. "Finale: Spanish Mission Showdown" -Shanghai Noon (2000)
106. "Finale: Fiery Tanker Chase Ends in Bridge Explosion" -The Accidental Spy (2002)
105. "Library Fight with Knights" -Shanghai Knights (2003)
104. "Bar Robbery Shootout Leads to Speedboat Chase in the East River" -The Protector (1985)
103. "Escaping from Goons in an Irish Guest House" -The Foreigner (2017)
102. "Police Fight: Circular Door Comedy" -Shanghai Knights (2003)
101. "Hong Kong Harbor Stunt Filled Foot Chase" -The Protector (1985)
100. "Big Ben Finale: Sword Fight with Rathbone" -Shanghai Knights (2003)
99. "Getting Maggie Back: Fight in the Loft" -Police Story (1985)
98. "Minimal Hurt: Old Jackie vs. Gang of Kids" -The Karate Kid (2010)
97. "Jumping Foot Chase in Dublin" -The Medallion (2003)
96. "Paris Action: Art Gallery Fight & Catching the Balloon" -Around the World in 80 Days (2004)
95. "Docks Finale: Chan vs. Ko's Henchmen Ends in a Helicopter Explosion" -The Protector (1985)
94. "Try to Eat: Jackie and Old Master Fight with Chopsticks Over Food" -The Fearless Hyena


GRADE: B
Good action sequences with much to commend about them. They are a solid entry into their genre.
Twin Dragons (1992)

93. "Opening: Stealing an Artifact from African Natives" -Armour of God (1987)
92. "Jackie & Jason take on Soldiers in a Restaurant" -The Forbidden Kingdom (2008)
91. "Sydney Opera House Fight: Stage to Roof" -Bleeding Steel (2017)
90. "Convention Finale: Saving Relics & Sliding Down Silks" -Rush Hour (1998)
89. "Finale: Three Brothers Take Out Three Assassins" -Twinkle Twinkle Lucky Stars (1985)
88. "Finale: Fight to Save the Baby from the Chiller" -Robin-B-Hood (2006)
87. "Finale: Mitsubishi Testing Site Fight" -Twin Dragons (1992)
86. "Old Man Jackie Takes on Two Robbers" -The Young Master (1980)

Twinkle Twinkly Lucky Stars (1985)

85. "Road Kidnapping Leads to a Failed Car Chase & Accidents" -Crime Story (1993)
84. "Finale: Series of Revelations & Fights Between Clans" -Dragon Fist (1979)
83. "Bamboo Scaffolding Fight & Fall" -Rush Hour 2 (2001)
82. "Teaching a Lesson to Stalkers in a Restaurant" -Police Story II (1988)
81. "Arresting Choi Wolf in the Restaurant" -Project A 2 (1987)
80. "First Encounter: Jackie's Snake Style Fails vs. Eagle Style" -Snake in the Eagle's Shadow (1978)
79. "Jackie is Trapped in a Van and Fights Out of It" -Mr. Nice Guy (1997)
78. "Finale: Market Fight & Shootout Leads to Gas Explosions" -Crime Story (1993)
77. "Five Fists Style Finale: Jackie Takes Out the Luk Family" -Spiritual Kung Fu (1978)
76. "Massage Parlor Scuffle" -Rush Hour 2 (2001)

The Foreigner (2017)

75. "Couch Fight: Jackie Chan vs. Alaa Safi" -Chinese Zodiac (2012)
74. "Finale: Utility Man Chan vs. Irish Terror Cell" -The Foreigner (2017)
73. "Fake Gangsters Fight: Motorcycles & Bats" -Gorgeous (1999)
72. "Temple Ambush: Three Main Bodyguards vs. Dozens of Monks" -The Magnificent Bodyguards (1978)
71. "Paris Chase: Motorcycles vs. Cab" -Rush Hour 3 (2007)
70. "Finale: Parking Lot Shootout & Fight" -Heart of Dragon (1985)
69. "Parkour Escape from Presidential Suite Prowlers" -First Strike (1996)
68. "Sword Fight in the Temple" -The Young Master (1980)
67. "Snake Style's Last Battle: Eagle Claw vs. Old Beggar & Jackie's Hybrid Style" -Snake in the Eagle's Shadow (1978)
66. "Capturing Chan Ho in a Club" -Project A (1983)

The Fearless Hyena (1979)

65. "Hong Kong Chase: Bike Bad Guy & Out of Control Bus" -New Police Story (2004)
64. "Finale: Dock Shootout Leads to Hovercraft Chase" -Rumble in the Bronx (1996)
63. "Indian Temple Fight" -The Myth (2005)
62. "Bo Staff vs. Sword: Disguised Jackie Takes on Challenger" -The Fearless Hyena (1979)
61. "Yacht Fight: Jackie vs. Gangsters" -Dragons Forever (1988)
60. "Helping a Reporter Being Chased by Drug Dealers" -Mr. Nice Guy (1997)
59. "Nazi Gold Mine Fight" -Operation Condor (1991)
58. "Sword, Pipe, and Skirt Fight" -The Young Master (1980)
57. "Saving a Boy: Jackie vs. Crow Indians" -Shanghai Noon (2000)
56. "Cold Shootout: Helicopters, Snowmobiles, & Snowboards" -First Strike (1996)
55. "Jackie Chan vs. Bradley Allan Part 1: Night Fight" -Gorgeous (1999) 


GRADE: B+
Very good action sequences with something holding them back from greatness. These sequences are typically best in their film and represent something above and beyond expectations.

54. "Warehouse Raid: Chan, Biao, and Lau Fight Off Henchmen" -Twinkle Twinkle Lucky Stars (1985)
- Commentary: Jackie Chan makes his way into this about thirty minutes in with a hard-hitting action sequence. Chan with Yuen Biao and Andy Lau as partners, is raiding a warehouse of illegal weapons and full of henchmen. It begins as a small shootout, but soon develops into a full-on brawl. This is one of those team sequences where everyone gets a chance to shine. It's also an early movie sequence that is so good it would easily be a finale blowout for lesser action films. The Sammo Hung choreography here is perfect mixture of athleticism, sparring beats, and bone crunching stunts. Chan and Lau both get respectable and fun beats. Chan gets an efficient but entertaining fight against Dick Wei and Lau, who I've never seen this young before, has some spectacular and hard hitting moves as well. It's Yuen Biao whose incorporation of acrobatics really stands out. 

53. "Opening Chase: Jumping Fences to Fighting Ninjas at the Fair" -My Lucky Stars (1985)
- Commentary: The opening of the film kicks off with a long chase sequence that finds Jackie Chan and Yuen Biao's policeman going after two criminals on a subway. The foot chase turns into a car chase and there's some decent beats here with the highlight seeing Jackie use an empty car transport as a kind of ramp to get his Mitsubishi around traffic. They are too late and the car chase turns back into a foot chase that leads to a theme park. This gives Sammo Hung (he is directing and choreographing here) the chance to let Jackie and Yuen show off their parkour skills as they try and look for the criminals in the crowded fair. This is the highlight of the entire sequence. At one point Jackie climbs up a Ferris Wheel and when he's disappointed the stairs take too long he descends perhaps 30-40 feet in just a few seconds on his own. It's incredible and one of the little touches that are king of throw away moments for Jackie, but no one else would feature.  They find the criminals but find themselves surprised by ninjas and we get a crisp little fight before the criminals disappear into the crowd taking Yuen with them. Great little opening with a wide spectrum of action beats.

52. "Raid on a Taipei Money Laundering House Ends in Catwalk Fight" -Crime Story (1993)
- Commentary: In connection with the film's central kidnapping, the Taiwanese police make a raid on a money laundering house that leads to a shootout. Decent stuff here, but it's not the main attraction. Jackie Chan and another Hong Kong cop are there to help investigate and they are on the scene when one of their main suspects makes it out of the shootout. They chase him down, follow him to a rooftop where Jackie fires on them and some bombs are thrown, dropping them all down to a catwalk overlooking a strip club lounge. The highlight of the sequence is the struggle on he makeshift catwalk with lots of tough stunt falls by bad guys to ground below. The scene is a bit sloppy, but there's some nice high spots. Best action scene of the film.

51. "Finale: Three Way Fight in Lo Sam Pao's Lair" -Project A (1983)
- Commentary: It's always great to see the 'three brothers' (Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, and Yuen Biao) get together for a fight sequence. The three all come together (for different reasons) at the pirate lair of Lo Sam Pao. Biao and Chan work to release some important hostages while Sammo is there to sneak away with some pirate treasure. There’s some nice comedic gags of mistaken identity leading up to the final fight here that takes place in a kind of large central dining room. Each individual gets some nice comedic or fight moments of their own (I like Biao’s work with a knife here) and eventually develops into a full three on one fight against Lo Sam Pao. Some beautiful choreography here and a creative carpet ending make this a fun fight scene.

50. "Jackie Chan vs. Jet Li" -The Forbidden Kingdom (2008)
- Commentary: We never got to see Jackie Chan fight Jet Li in the mid-90’s – when both men were at their prime – instead we got this sequence in the family film Forbidden Kingdom from 2008. Why? I don’t know, maybe the two egos couldn’t handle it until their careers cooled off? Either way, for taking place so much later in their action film careers and being in a family film, this one on one fight scene is actually pretty good. It’s not a career highlight for either man, but it’s certainly not an embarrassment or something they would hide. Li gets to play his traditional monk character while Chan plays a variation of his drunken fighter and the two get about five minutes to go back and forth in a lot of different styles. Historic, competent, but not the masterpiece we all wanted.

49. "Rematch: Bamboo King vs. Wong Fei-Hung" -Drunken Master (1978)
- Commentary: There are a TON of fight sequences (mostly decent stuff) in this film and this is the first time I found myself really enjoying it. Earlier in the film Jackie (playing Wong Fei-Hung) failed to get the necessary wine for his old teacher and thus the teacher was not able to defeat the Bamboo King who came by and challenged him to a fight (kung fu film logic is what it is). After training and growing, Jackie challenges the bamboo king to a re-match. It's a decently long fight with some nice choreography that's highlighted by a couple of fart and poop jokes at the end. It's too good to rank lower, but it's a sequence I wouldn't necessarily go to bat for either. 

48. "Bench Fight: Jackie Chan vs. Yuen Biao" -The Young Master (1980)
- Commentary: Jackie is mistaken for an escaped and wanted criminal and he is chased down by Yuen Biao who trains in kung fu using his bench. These two are long-time friends in real life who studied at the Peking Opera together and made many films together - but they don't often fight each other so it's a treat here. This is primarily a complicated prop/weapon fight that starts out kinda slow. While the creativity using the bench is nice and worthy of a good score, it feels a bit robotic and slow - like they were just going through memorized steps. About halfway in though the fight really picks up when Jackie gets a bench of his own and then later a wooden pole is added to the mix. The pace picks up, the moves are more creative, and everything feels even more satisfying. 

47. "Chase in South Africa: Hotel to Sideways in an Alley" -Who Am I? (1998)
- Commentary: This chase South African chase sequence begins in with Jackie handcuffed in his hotel room where he narrowly escapes some thugs looking to kill him. He runs to the roof and makes a couple of really cool parkour descends using the decorations on the side of the hotel. He notices a familiar face in a car, jumps in, only to realize she has one hand handcuffed to the car as well. The gimmick in this chase is that Jackie is doing the stick shift with his handcuffed hands, one lady is driving, and another lady friend (who is a Rally car driver) is stuck in the other seat. The chase kicks off and the goons follow in BMWs. Some nice shots turning in the city, going down some stairs, and through a market. There’s a moment where they get stuck in dirt and the rally car lady takes over. She then shows off some skills in evading the bad guys. The big stunt here is that she uses a pole to jump the car sideways and make it through a narrow alleyway and out to the road on the other side. The chase ends up on a parking garage complex with the goons’ car falling over the edge. A decent chase where the whole doesn’t quite mesh with all the parts. Still, memorable moments and sequences really count.

46. "Rat Glue Factory Chase" -The Myth (2005)
- Commentary: Jackie is in India and he is a wanted man. The cops begin chasing him from some random boulders (he was in a re-incarnation dream state ya know) down into a city. He has the help of an Indian supermodel, so I’m sure it will all work out for him. They arrive in the city and to escape from the cops she joins a dance group and Jackie is playing one of those instruments that summon snakes…really a snake was summoned and it ruins there cover as Jackie has to scram. The CGI on the snake is almost as bad as the snake itself. The police corner them, there’s a small fight, and they run into a rat glue factory where they continue to fight and eventually end up on a rat glue conveyor belt. The joke here is that it’s incredibly slow and sticky. So anything on it must be taken off. The first guys on it have to take off their shoes/sandals. They still fight in this state and as they land on the glue, the henchmen stick to the belt. It’s an interesting comedic concept that Jackie mines pretty well here, trying to find ways to stick his opponents to the belt and stay unstuck himself. The joke is that this requires removal of some clothes. It’s a fun concept that isn’t quite as fully realized as it could be, but it contains a really fun idea that is played out with much satisfaction.

45. "Handcuffed and Running from Pirates" -Project A 2 (1987)
- Commentary: Jackie ends up handcuffed to the police superintendent and headed back to the station when he is ambushed by pirates who are still holding a grudge from the previous film. The gimmick here is that they need to escape to safety while being handcuffed. They do a fantastic job getting a lot of comedic gags out of this one – the guys going different ways, getting caught on poles, columns, between people, etc. In fights, if one person tries to punch they can fight their cuffed partner accidentally punching them back involuntarily. The foot chase is good stuff and ends up in a restaurant with some great stunts the highlight being one of the pirate goons jumping up on a table (with an axe) and Jackie pulling the tablecloth from underneath him causing a brutal fall, but keeping the nice table setting at the same time.

44. "Stunt Spectacular Finale: Closing Fight with Falling Wall" -Project A 2 (1987)
- Commentary: It has taken me many viewings to come around to appreciate this finale sequence, though I’m still not fully sold. Like several other major finales on this list, this is a hybrid of stunts, visual gags for humor, and quick fights (this is a hallmark of the Project A series). Like the last half of The Beatles Abbey Road album, this sequence plays like a medley of half imagined ideas that when taken in individual parts isn't remarkable, but when put together and taken as a whole, does feel like an achievement…though you have to strain to get there. Stand out moments for me include a beat where Chan enters into and fights a bad guy in a rotating cage (The most remarkable aspect is just how fluid and easy Chan makes the whole thing appear), the numerous high level falls Chan takes, and the ending stunt tribute to Buster Keaton in Steamboat Bill, Jr. Just as in Keaton's film, this mad cap assembly of moments is both genius and also a little slopped together for my tastes.

43. "Spain Motorcycle Stunt Fest" -Operation Condor (1991)
- Commentary: Jackie has been tasked with finding an ancient buried treasure and is given a key to help him. The key is sought after by a group of thugs who give chase to Jackie in several cars while in a city in Spain. Jackie hops on a dirt bike and over the next few minutes we get what amounts to a stunt highlight reel with action beat after action beat. I’d rate this sequence higher, but there’s a kind of odd disconnect between the narrative of the chase and the narrative of the story. There’s a lot of really amazing stunts on display: riding down stairs, over cars, jumping over obstacles, and by the end, avoiding cars like a gymnast. The problem is that it just feels like a collection of parts rather than a story. I love Jackie and there’s few who do what he can do, but he really struggled with storytelling and it’s obvious in this stunt fest. It’s a fun highlight reel of motorcycle action that doesn’t advance the story or build/reveal character in any way. I’ll take the goodness on display here, I just wish it didn’t feel so gimmicky there was more to it.

42. "Drunken Boxing in Full: Chan Chases Down & Fights Thief" -The Legend of Drunken Master (1994)
- Commentary: When a goon steals from Anita Mui an important object, she sends Jackie to stop the thief. Once he gets the object back a crowd gathers and she asks for Jackie to fight the group of goons using drunken style and give the fight school a little publicity. When Jackie is fighting well but not quite winning she gives him bottles of alcohol to make him fight better – which he certainly does. There’s some fun choreography here as Jackie is able to physically really get into the idea of drunken fighting – his face red and filled with expression, his stupor and stumble unmistakable. Some might rate this a bit higher, it is indeed incredible and one has to marvel at the creativeness to think this up and the athleticism to pull it off, but it's a little too nicely choreographed for my tastes.

41. "Wind Tunnel Fight" -Operation Condor (1991)
- Commentary: While fighting against some goons looking for gold in an underground Nazi bunker, Jackie stumbles into a giant wind tunnel testing facility. His female companions, dumber thank a box of rocks, start hitting a bunch of buttons in the control room and we are gifted with the best comedy sequence of the entire movie. The gimmick here is that Jackie is trying to fight off two goons while the wind keeps changing direction and force, sometimes pushing them into the back wall and sometimes sucking them into a giant fan. This fight allegedly took weeks to film and it's not hard to see why. Jackie makes great comic use of the fight’s gimmick, especially once he gets used to the system and begins using it to his advantage. There is a great silent comedy aspect to the moment he is fighting against the wind and sticks his hand out straight only to have it wack back on one of his opponents. As an action sequence, it’s pretty good, but as an action comedy one – this is really fun stuff; incredibly playful, creative, and physical, I can think of no real equals to this fight.

40. "Catching a Street Racer: Hong Kong Night Race" -Thunderbolt (1995)
- Commentary: Chan is working with local police to help spot illegal street racers and one night he is lucky enough to be helping a reporter with her sports car when the infamous racer "Cougar" goes speeding by. Chan commandeers the car (with the reporter inside) and chases Cougar into the night. The resulting chase is fairly well done with the camera placement done well to emphasize the speed and cutting to the streets and inside the car where Chan is changing gears and focused. There's even a nice small pause in the middle of the race for the drivers to acknowledge each other. Before it ends we get nice turns, high speeds, and even several really nice jumps (of medians and small construction hills). Lots of car bashing/interaction between the two before they come to a police barricade and its all over. One of the better car chases in Chan's filmography and its not just a series of stunts, but a decently engaging story within the action scene. Well done.


39. "Finale: Convention Center Shootout & Legoland Fight" -New Police Story (2004)
- Commentary: The spoiled young adult villains of the film have a final showdown after they rob a bank in the Hong Kong convention center. Chan and his sidekick show up and a shootout begins. Taking advantage of the vertical atrium of the structure allows Chan to do some nice freerunning and parkour stunts here. The shootout breaks down and Chan and the lead fighter, played by Andy On, of the villain team end up in a Legoland exhibit. It’s a colorful setting for a nice little fight between them. Funny enough, Chan doesn’t feature a lot of 1 v 1 fights so this is a nice little treat here. Andy On proves to be a fantastic kicker and there is some nice wide shot choreography between the two. It’s one of the last great 1 v 1 fights Chan would have. The sequence ends in an overly dramatic/cheesy way on the roof of the convention center, but the true gem here is the stunt work and centerpiece fight.

38. "Roller Skate Interstate Chase" -Winners & Sinners (1983)
- Commentary: I'm not sure any action star other than Jackie Chan has ever thought to themselves, "You know, I think an entire chase sequence on roller skates would make for a great action sequence." Whether it comes from a place of innocence or a place of pride (I just want to show the world I can roller skate as well), doesn't really matter when the end result is such a quirky little oddity of a chase sequence that really has no serious parallel in any other action film I've ever seen. It begins with Jackie Chan at a "skate competition" where he shows off his different skating skills - with some pretty obvious stunt doubles thrown in for the harder stuff. When a robbery happens among the spectators, Chan jumps into action and chases the robbers down while still on his skates. This allows for a kind of showcase of a sense where Chan showcases his skating abilities to overcome obstacles like bumps in the road, stairs, and slow traffic. At one point, Chan is using holding on to cars to keep his momentum and he ultimately slingshots himself up the road by going car to car. In the best stunt of the sequence, Chan (or more likely his stuntman) skates underneath a moving semi-truck into an empty lane of traffic. Eventually he gets on a motorcycle and stops the robbers, but not before there's a massive crash behind him and there's a massive car pileup that looks like it was lovingly copied right out of the iconic pileup in The Blues Brothers. This is a hard sequence to rate because its so clearly a quirky little vanity showcase that obviously uses stunt doubles at times and is punched up by a truly massive car wreck sequence at the end. However, that's kind of the point - there's nothing out there like this and there's a couple just insane looking stunts that were clearly done practically (even if the traffic seems to be moving quite slowly). I could see this one placing wildly lower and higher on other lists - it's just that quirky and different.

37. "Dining Room Fight: Jackie vs. Group of Monks" -Armour of God (1987)
- Commentary: Trying to escape from the evil monastery, Jackie and his two friends end up in a big dining room with an evil group of monks. While the two friends provide comedic relief in their attempts to escape (constantly returning with monks on their tale), Jackie fends off the monks. This is one of many great Jackie vs. group of people using environment fights that Jackie has in his filmography. It hurts to say it, but they can at times blend together and become difficult to really talk meaningfully about which one is better than the other. While not the best, this one is no slouch. There are several great fighting beats, comedic beats, and really nice stunt falls from Jackie’s stunt team.

36. "Bar Fight: Cops vs. Navy" -Project A (1983)
- Commentary: It’s just four years since Jackie Chan’s big break in Drunken Master and you can really see him come into his own vision for a Hong Kong action film here. This sequence is as much a comedy set piece as it as a stunt set piece as it is a martial arts sequence. In fact, that’s a good rule of thumb and one that would serve to distinguish Jackie well throughout his career. This sequence finds Jackie’s sailors enjoying a good time in a bar when local cops (there’s a natural rivalry between them) start causing problems. Despite Jackie trying to keep the conflict from happening, it eventually comedically gives way once some music kicks on. We then get some nice action beats – the highlights here are mostly from Chan’s fight with Yuen Biao. Lots of stunts with broken chairs, bottles, and Biao doing some athletic flips on the bar. The headliner here though are the comedy gags – Jackie seems much more interested in Chaplin like jokes peppered throughout the fight like Abrams and Zucker pepper gags in a movie like Airplane!. This is a bit short, but it’s a solid action comedy sequence that just misses out for me on some of his more polished and similar sequences.

35. "Counterfeit Lab Fight: Jackie vs. Guards & Zhoe Zhang vs. Caitlin Dechelle" -Chinese Zodiac (2012)
- Commentary: This the best sequence from Jackie Chan's "retirement film." The sequence takes place in a multi-story counterfeiting lab (I guess replacing the more common drug lab or empty warehouse as a fight setting) and features two main fights. The first one is a classic Jackie Chan "environment fight" where he fights several henchmen using anything he can in the surrounding environment. His fight takes him all around the lab, across walkways and stairs, as well as many specialty areas, like a fabric roller machine that is used for some creative beats. The highlight of the fight for me is a moment where Jackie wanders into a photography area (for taking auction photos of the fake artifacts they manufacture) and we get some classic umbrella choreography. This is followed up by a fight with a couple henchmen where Jackie ends up fighting behind a hanging golden frame and just as he finishes off a henchmen with a punch and pose a photo is taken. It all happens quick and it's a hilarious beat. I wish he would have developed it even more (no pun intended). The second major fight in these sequence is with Chan's right hand lady, the long legged Zhoe Zhang, facing off against the equally long-legged female henchmen Caitlin Dechelle. Their fight is a scene stealer as it takes advantage of their long legs by giving us many complicated choreography featuring some fancy kicking. This is the last really good fight of Chan's career (there's nothing higher than a 'B' from here on out and those are rare) and a good reminder of what he is capable of even at 58 years old. For comparison, Roger Moore was about 57 (looking 70) in A View to Kill. 

34. "Two Fight Finale: The Guandao Trio & the Master" -The Fearless Hyena (1979)
- Commentary: In the traditional kung fu style, Jackie's master was killed by a villain and he has been training to face him for a while. The revenge finale is a two stage fight where Jackie must first take out a trio of guards wielding glaives (Chinese guandaos). This stage is incredible. There's some wonky moments here, but there are some stunning weapons choreography beats here as well; lengthy, complicated, and incredibly demanding sequences. A real impressive sequence for sure. The second stage is a "go for broke" fight where Jackie goes "fearless hyena" on him by running through a gambit of crazy emotions - overjoyed laughing, total relaxation, and also just pitiful crying. The idea here is that the emotions (like being drunk) can relax him, make him unpredictable, and play mind games with the opponent. It goes on for sometime and it works. Eventually, Jackie resorts back to a normal fight and we get a couple of excellent traditional hand to hand kung fu choreography. For those who wonder if Chan could pull off traditional kung fu with 15-20 moves before and edit only need watch this finale. This is a classic traditional style Kung Fu fight right from the golden era.

33. "Finale: Jackie vs. Black Dragon Clan Leader" -Snake and Crane Arts of Shaolin (1978)
Commentary: Most of Jackie's early traditional kung fu films featured stellar finale sequences with lengthy running times and intricate choreography. This sequence sees Jackie taking on the big villain of the film, the Black Dragon Clan leader who poisoned seven Shaolin monks in order to steal a secret manual. The fight itself is primarily a hand to hand combat sequence and its very good. In the last portion of the fight when Jackie sticks with the Snake and Crane style it is most engaging. However, the highlight of the fight is when the Dragon Clan leader hires three spear fighters to take a turn against Jackie. Like several other early films, we get an incredible back and forth with Jackie athletically taking on three spear fighters. Deciding which of the pole sequences in his early career is best is a fools errand, they are all amazing. One downside for this sequence as a whole is that it comes at the end of a film featuring 12 total fights and it lasts for quite some time. This one is best viewed out of context from the film where it can be appreciated for what it is.

32. "Shaolin Tests: Jackie vs. Bamboo Pole & Double Clutch Fights -Spiritual Kung Fu (1978)
- Commentary: In front of an impressive temple and the assembled elders, Jackie must pass the test of a bamboo pole match. It's a competent sequence and you can see some of the pole beats here that Jackie would use more famously in later fights. What kicks this fight to the next level however is after Jackie passes the trial he requests to move onto the next one: a fight with double crutches (think those old school police batons with a horizonal wooden handle). This fight sees Jackie take on dozens of monks with bamboo poles and he absolutely kills it. Just when you think the sequence is over, it keeps going and finding new choreography beats. Incredible weapon work here. I shouldn't be surprised at just how polished Jackie was at a young age, but man is this stuff high level.

31. "Escaping Gangsters: The Rickshaw Fight" -Miracles: The Canton Godfather (1989)
- Commentary: The unlikely gang boss, Jackie Chan, is trying to sneak out of his club when he is spotted in an alley and is chased by a rival gang. The initial chase leads to some clever gags with the market stalls lining the alley (the metal gate gag is so smart) and ends up in a clearing with some rickshaws parked. From there we get classic Chan material with creative and athletic uses of the leverage coming from the unique setup a rickshaw provides. I love how the rickshaw use begins with Chan getting the upper hand and using it like a boss and then brings him down to earth with a nut shot out of nowhere. The sequence ends when Chan gets into a rickshaw and is driven down the rooftops of market stalls down the stairs and lands at the bottom. A classic Chan sequence.

30. "Chased Through Town by Gangster Monks -Armour of God (1987)
- Commentary: Of the three major car chases in Jackie Chan’s filmography, this is probably the most complete narrative from beginning to end. Trying to make contact with people who want “the armour of God” – Jackie and his group are ambushed by thuggish monks (it’s a front for an evil plan). There’s an initial fight and foot chase but that is just meant to lead to the car chase. The star of the chase is the sharp and totally 80’s looking Mitsubishi Colt Targa Concept. Think of this as Jackie’s take on a Bond car chase. They make their way through the city, swerving through corners, bursting through markets, and we get some nice jump stunts and crashes. The chase ends with Jackie and his friend exiting the car in a mini-car that detaches in it – leading those chasing them to crash into the bigger car. It’s a very Bond-esque sequence. It’s all done well with some nice moments, but car chases are just not Chan’s forte.

29. "Gangster Fight: Cornered Upstairs & Fighting Down" -Miracles: The Canton Godfather (1989)
- Commentary: This is one of the those fights where it frustrates me that Jackie is not a better storyteller. Here is an action-packed 3 or 4 minute fight sequence with about 5 or 6 genuinely jaw-dropping stunts and high spots mixed in. There's a good couple of minutes straight of career highlights here. I know it's a crazy fight when I'm struggling to narrow down what gif's I want to use because I can't post them all. The real issue with this sequence however is that it just ends with a whimper and ultimately means nothing in the greater story...it is just filler when it comes to the story. Seriously, the level of polish, stunt work, and efficient choreography on display here puts most films to shame and would be the highlight of most finales in American fight films. In this one, it just starts and then it kinda just ends when the bad guy threatens Jackie with a fan and all of Jackie's hard work is for not. Ugh - I just wish someone taught him how to give these fights he is killing himself for more emotional stakes and how he could push the plot with them. Oh well - we'll always have these fantastic moments on film at least.

28. "Train Thief Fight: Jackie Chan vs Lau Kar-Lueng" -The Legend of Drunken Master (1994)
- Commentary: This is the first time the two Chinese action legends, Jackie Chan and Lau Kar-Lueng, met onscreen in a fight and does not disappoint. The story takes place in 19th century China and Chan is looking for something in the baggage car of a train when he comes across Lau Kar-Lueng’s thief. The two engage in a fight that goes through three distinct phases: fighting with a spear and sword under the train then under an elevated platform and finally in hand to hand combat in a barn. The first two sections feature some classic weapon work and there is a particular sequence underneath the train where there must be 10-15 moves in a single take. It's fast and intense and shows the skill involved on both sides. It is not surprising that this is Chan directed by Lau Kar-Lueng as it is more style based (as opposes to a more practical punch-kick method Chan is known for) with more wide shots and longer takes. I would have loved to see these two in more extended weapons fights, but at least we'll always have this one.

27. "Stunt Punch: Real Thugs Attack the Car" -Police Story (1985)
- Commentary: When reviewing the slew of lengthy stunt finales Jackie Chan has put together it can be easy to overlook a shorter little sequence like this one. This scene is but a few minutes long but packs in so many classic stunts that it becomes like a sampler platter of some of his later fights. It’s short, but this one packs a real punch – giving us 3-4 wide shots of some great athletic kicks and jumps that would be the highlight of anyone else’s career. 

26. "Biker Gang Chase: From Streets to a Parking Garage" -Rumble in the Bronx (1995)
- Commentary: I love this foot chase sequence: it’s gritty, packed with awesome moments, and ends with one of Jackie’s most memorable stunts. It's got no fighting, but that's okay. I love how it's just focused on Jackie doing whatever he can to get away. A biker gang that has been giving Jackie problems, notices him on the streets and chases him down on dirt bikes. They trash an outdoor café and Jackie makes his way into a parking garage to escape. Some of my favorite career parkour moments are embedded here – climbing fences to get into small places, going headfirst into a car sunroof to escape a dirt bike riding over it, narrowly missing getting hit by a van as he pancakes himself as close to the wall as possible. Up and up he goes in the parking garage. He gets cornered and has to make an incredible jump from the top of the garage to a fire escape of a building across the street. An excellent chase sequence. 

25. "Mall Chase: Down Escalators & On Carriages" -Mr. Nice Guy (1997)
- Commentary: Starting with Rumble in the Bronx, I feel like Jackie began a new mentality in many of his action sequences over the next several films, "What if I took some of the big lengthy sequences from my 80's Hong Kong days, cut out a lot of the comedy & fight filler, and just feature a condensed highlight reel of great beat after great beat." The result is a chase like this where Jackie is being chased by bad guys (a very common theme for him) and he uses whatever unique environment he is in to get an advantage. There are lots of great parkour beats here (unique traversing of three different sizes of escalators, sliding down floors, jumping up levels) and them come one after another with little bits of fight between each one - acting like the glue. Once out of the mall the scene moves to a horse drawn carriage ride and again, it's just one stunt/fight beat after another: kicking bad guys off, pulling the door from under them, using the covering to push them off, bouncing them up into an overhang, a close call with a passing bus. The final stunt is a little lacking and after so much creativity, it feels like a bit of a letdown. Otherwise, I think this would be a rating one notch higher.


GRADE: A-
These are great action sequences with some minor issue(s) holding them back. They are typically best in their film and potentially best of the year.

24. "Aquarium Fight Finale" -First Strike (1996)
- Commentary: I greatly admire the guts it must have taken to make this sequence the action finale of your blockbuster film. The bag guys of the film are hunting for a part to a nuclear device that just so happens to have been painted as an oxygen tank in hidden in the shark pool at an aquarium. Jackie must get there, get the tank, and protect the girl. The fight begins conventionally with some fighting between Jackie and a henchmen, but it takes a comedic turn when Jackie and the henchmen fight in a room with random sea animals and they end up in a tub of sea urchin. Jackie then heads to the main shark tank (where the key item is), the henchmen dive in after him, and we get something you thought might have been impossible - an entertaining underwater fight. To make it work, Jackie pulls out all the gags - pulling off mask, sharing/stealing oxygen, shark attacks, fake outs, blood in the water, you name it. This sequence, while making an attempt at punches and kicks, becomes much more like a great Looney Tunes sequence with Chan as Bugs. The ending comes when the bad guys shoot the tank causing it so spill everywhere. They get the item and head off on a boat at a nearby marina. As a little coda, because I guess they didn't think the previous scene was enough, Jackie jumps into an open red sports car at a show being held nearby and jumps the car from the marina into the boat. It was a gutsy move to try and pull off something so out there and creative, but he made it work!

23. "Rotterdam Chase: Shoe Problems" -Who Am I? (1998)
- Commentary: Four things work and work really well in the design of this foot chase sequence taking place in Rotterdam. First, the whole play on Jackie losing his shoes, getting his feet hurt, and hurting other's feet serves as a fun gag that binds the whole sequence. Second, the setting really shows off the great architecture and variety in the city. Third, the use of the wooden shoes to me is genius. It's brutal, funny, and ties into the running theme. Fourth, the final stunt where Jackie slides past a street on his wooden shoes with trucks blaring by has got to be one of his greatest and most dangerous stunts of all-time or one of the greatest visual tricks. Either way, it always catches me off guard and by surprise. This is one of those great chase/fight hybrid sequences that allowed Chan to just fill with great gags and gimmicks. 
22. “Stunt Spectacular Finale: Chased Throughout Kuala Lumpur" -Supercop (1992)
- Commentary: The finale sequence to the third entry in the 'Police Story series is large scale chase throughout the city of Kuala Lumpur. It's often cited as a top 5 career sequence on other lists, but I think it has some issues. First, the good. It begins with Jackie being forced to help some bad guys spring a criminal from a transport in the city in order to free his kidnapped girlfriend. Once his girlfiend is safe the chase is on. Michelle Yeoh, Jackie's police partner, jumps alongside a van housing the sprung convict and Jackie follows behind in a small red convertible. The van swerves and turns swinging Michelle all over as she hand onto the side. In one incredible beat a bus goes zipping past and Michelle (holding on to a roof rack) pull herself up to the roof narrowly avoiding the bus. Michelle ultimately rolls off the truck and onto the hood of Jackie convertible. Behind the scenes videos reveal that this particular stunt went a bit wrong and almost threatened Michelle's life. A helicopter, flown by the bad guys, follows along and fires at Jackie and Michelle, causing some crashes on the highway. The chase finds its way onto the roof of a train station where a small fight breaks out until one of the bad guys heads out on the helicopter. Jackie jumps onto a hanging rope ladder and, in a sweet stunt, flies all around the city of Kula Lumpur. He is goes by downtown, hits some billboards and then they hang him over a train where he lands into a cart full of spiky fruit. The helicopter ends up accidentally hooked to the train and can't leave so it lands on the train. Yeoh follows behind on a dirt bike and boards the train in another crazy stunt that sees he use a nearby hill as a ramp to get on the roof of the train. Jackie and Michelle end up in decent fights with various bad guys to end the sequence. I laid it all out to show just how much ground this sequence covers. It really amounts to several different types of chases and their accompanying stunts strung together into a kind of stunt highlight reel. There's a lot of fun stuff here, but there's something about it that just doesn't work right for me - feels a bit too cobbled together from parts of ideas rather than one whole unified sequence. It's a small thing, but it does hold me back from enjoying this as much as other seem to.

21. "Jackie Chan vs. Bradley Allan Part 2: Warehouse Fight" -Gorgeous (1999) 
Commentary: This is the second significant fight between Jackie Chan and Bradley Allan from the film Gorgeous. In the first fight, Jackie lost because (according to the movie) he had no "music" to his boxing, no rhythm. Bradley Allan (a long time member of Chan's stunt team) on the other hand moves smoothly with rapid punches, quick kicks, and an elusive cater. In this rematch Allan gets another chance to shine here with his speed, crispness, and even comedic reactions. There are a ton of great choreographed beats here showing off a more boxing/kickboxing style. About a third into the fight Jackie is not getting the better of Allan and he happens into a paper that say's something like "Just Smile" and it reminds him of the happiness his girlfriend brings him. From then on he becomes the happy fighter and kicks everything up a notch. It's cheesy, but it's pure Jackie fighting philosophy here. We still get a lot of incredible back and forth moments (I struggled picking just one gif or two here), but there's a turn to adding a bunch more comedy and silliness. For my taste, it's too much of a tonal clash to give it anything more of a higher rating. This is one fight that I wish Jackie would have taken more seriously because there are so many amazing fight beats here. A happy fighter doesn't always mean a silly fighter. 

20. "Finale: Stunt Fest in the Fireworks Factory" -Police Story II (1988)
- Commentary: Set in an abandoned fireworks factory, Chan rescues his girlfriend and must take out three bad guys who like to use bombs to their advantage. It’s hard to imagine the pressure Chan must have felt to try and top the Mall finale from the first Police Story and while I don’t think he tops it (spoiler alert!!) – he does manage to create something great. With an entire abandoned factory at his disposal, Chan comes up with plenty of fun parkour stunts. In one fall, Chan falls down several stories, hitting a floor and rolling off each level along the way. In another stunt, a bad guy is kicked out the doorway of the fourth floor of the factory and falls down the outside stairway a couple floors and hits with a bang! The new and unique element introduced here is a bad guy who enjoys throwing flammable fireworks onto Jackie. There’s a lot to love here, especially a brief fight between Jackie and the smaller deaf villain who is a fantastic kicker. However, the parts I think are ultimately greater than the whole. There’s a real feeling like this finale was just kind of built with them standing around and thinking of one stunt idea after another rather than telling an organic story (there's several major sequences like that on this list). It plays better as a fascinating stunt sizzle reel than a consistent action finale. In the end, the fireworks catch on fire and the entire factory goes up with a bang as Jackie barely makes it out. A beautiful and memorable shot.

19. "Fridges, Pinball Machines, and Skis Oh My!" -Rumble in the Bronx (1995)
- Commentary: Rumble in the Bronx is generally considered Jackie Chan’s Hollywood breakthrough film, and this is the centerpiece fight. It is three nonstop minutes of location-based prop fighting against a group of thugs. This type of fight would dominate Chan's mid to early 2000’s output and provided the sequences he is most known for. I find that different people respond to these sequences in different ways – depending on the setting, props, and stunts featured in each. I think the few standout prop stunts here is the creative use of refrigerators, a shopping cart, and skis. I enjoy this fight but would rank many others of this type above it.

18. "Finale Fight: Thunderleg vs. Wong Fei-Hung" -Drunken Master (1978)
- Commentary: In general, I'm not a fan of the traditional kung fu finale fight where two guys go outside to a field with some mountains in the background and fight for 20 minutes while the camera barely moves. Jackie has a couple of those early in his career (before he was given more creative control) and it typically doesn't connect with me. This finale however, works well. First, it's choreographed by the legendary Yuen Woo-Ping (of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Matrix fame), features many nice and intricately planned fighting beats, and surprisingly doesn't wear out its welcome. In fact, there's a nice little story within the fight as the assassin Thunderleg embarrassed Jackie earlier in the film but he's now able to show him the various techniques and methods he's learned from the Old Drunken Master. Jackie is young, athletic, and very game for long shots of choreography that usually end in him taking a physical bump. I think this is likely Jackie's best traditional old school one vs one kung fu fight. 

17. "Springing the Lucky Stars Finale: Horror House, Super Woman, & Brawls" -My Lucky Stars (1985) 
Commentary: What a wild and creative finale sequence to this second entry in the "Lucky Stars" trilogy. The "Lucky Stars" (including Yuen Biao & Sammo Hung) have been captured by Japanese gangsters and its up to Jackie to help spring them. Trying to infiltrate the bad guys base (hidden somewhere in an amusement park), Jackie enters a Japanese style haunted house and we get one of the most creative action sequences in Jackie's entire canon. What follows are a series of haunted rooms featuring fake and real obstacles and fighters Jackie must traverse to get to the base. There's a room of giant lanterns with real/fake samurai figures, an upside down room, a snowy landscape with hidden ninjas, and a hallway where hands randomly reach out, walls twirl around revealing hidden assassins, and in a truly shocking moment Jackie shoots the head off a figure he isn't sure is real or not (turns out to be fake). What a cool and creative series of obstacles/fights! Jackie eventually exits the horror house and we enter a more traditional ensemble finale brawl. The Lucky Stars crew get free and each get into their own fights. Jackie gets a decent fight with Dick Wei, Sammo gets some decent beats, and Yuen also gets a moment to shine. The highlight of this second half brawl though goes to a brief fight between ladies where Japanese female bodybuilder Michiko Nishiwaki gets to look like a real beast. This is a great finale, but the two halves feel a bit disconnected. I wish they found a way to incorporate the Halloween Havoc house stuff (with a slightly better ending) in an action scene in the middle of the movie (Jackie tries to infiltrate but ends up failing perhaps and that's why he needs the Lucky Stars) because the tone of the two scenes feel at odds. Still, pressed together they make for quite an entertaining final 20 minutes or so of this short and breezy action comedy.

16. "Drug Factory Finale: Showcase for the Three Brothers" -Dragons Forever (1988)
- Commentary: One of the most difficult fight sequences to rank in the entirety of Jackie's filmography. As of this writing, this film is the last time "The Three Brothers" (Jackie Chan, Yuen Biao, Sammo Hung) all headlined a film together and kind of represents a closing of an era between the three action megastars. The pieces were all assembled as they built towards this finale - not only did you have the three brothers as your good guy leads, but you had several legendary bad fighters as well: Bennie Urquidez, Billy Chow, and Dick Wei. The premise is that Sammo Hung was captured by bad guys while he was investigating their drug factory hideout. Jackie and Yuen both arrive to rescue him and the fight is on and it does not disappoint at all. Very quickly Yuen Biao makes your jaw drop with 5-6 fight beats punctuated by some awesome acrobatic flip or brutal stunt fall. This is one of Biao's best showings and would be a career highlight for most other fighters. Chan also gets some nice fight beats as well, but they largely emphasize some parkour stunts around the walkway railings and a few other brutal stuntman falls. Genuinely, the first five minutes of this fight are just incredible - best of all-time level material. That rate in which they throw insanely athletic stunts at the screen makes you feel like you are watching something historic. Unfortunately, it peaks there and never quite attains that level again. The first disappointment is realizing Sammo Hung isn't going to get a major part in the fight - ruining the hopes of seeing the three brothers each get their own slice here. Second, Yuen Biao gets knocked out by Benny Urquidez 2/3rds into the fight and it becomes a Jackie Chan show. That's not necessarily a bad idea, but the resulting fight between him and Benny (a rematch from the legendary fight in 1984's Wheels on Meals) just doesn't quite hit like the previous one. There's some really good stuff between them, but it just can't hit the peaks of that previous fight or the previous high spots of Biao. A good example would be a key moment in their fight where Jackie kicks Benny and we get a slow motion shot out of it. The problem is that it's a slow motion shot of Benny getting knocked into a bunch of empty cardboard boxes and then more cardboard sounding things falling on the ground. In a finale that has so many bone crunching stunts they decide to slow motion play out one of the least painful stunts? It's a strange fight that contains some best all-time beats that somehow co-exist with a "well that's a step down" ending material. 


GRADE: A
Great action sequences that can compete for best of the year and best of all-time.

15. "Pachinko Parlor Brawl" -Thunderbolt (1995)
- Commentary: Some gangsters have kidnapped Chan's sister and he has followed some of them into a pachinko parlor (think gambling parlor) they use as a homebase and he confronts them. Several gangsters including many Yakuza dressed only in loin cloths surround him and once he begins trashing pachinko games with a large hammer they attack him. The resulting fight is a hard hitting affair filled with painful falls and clever maneuvers. It really feels like this fight scene was pulled out of Chan's 80's work (I think action choreographer Sammo Hung has a lot to do with it). Chan fights gangsters between throughout the Pachinko floor and in the best material gets on top of the machines and starts knocking gangsters to the floor. The camera is a bit more dynamic here and the editing quicker (probably cutting around Chan's stuntman who doubled a lot for his injured ankle), but it works. After a lot of great fight beats among the machines, Chan makes his way up to some hanging decorations that double as trampolines for some bouncing fights. This part of the fight surprisingly works thanks to some nifty camera work and choreography. Chan jumps up onto a neon truss and it all comes crashing down and splashes pachinko balls all over the floor in a really great stunt. Unfortunately there's a part of the middle of this fight when the Yakuza come out and surround Jackie and there's this choppy slow motion section of the fight. It's pretty darn bad and really detracts from everything else. Interestingly enough, when I rented this film again on Youtube, this part of the fight had been edited out. I had to go look it up (ironically on Youtube) to find a clip and remember what used to happen. Anyways, regardless of the version, this is one of Jackie's best with great choreography in a unique setting, hard hitting shots, and a fantastic final stunt to cap it off. Love it.

14. "The Playground Fight" -Police Story II (1988)
- Commentary: I don’t normally put “A” or “The” in the title for action sequences, but I think it’s safe to put “The” in front of this one – what other fight on a playground could possibly make a claim as the definitive one other than this one? Out walking through a park with his girlfriend at night, Chan is ambushed by Mr. Ko, a crime boss underling, and his henchmen. They capture him at a playground, but Chan breaks loose, and the fight is on. Chan makes use of the playground equipment to both evade, trap, and fight his opponents – who have short steel beams. There are a number of creative uses of the equipment here that continues to surprise me...and I've seen this sequence multiple times! Although fairly short, this fight is overstuffed with high impact stunts and fights. Without a second to breathe, this might be the most quickly paced fights Jackie has ever put out. It's a breathless masterpiece.

13. "Axe Gang Attack" -The Legend of Drunken Master (1994)
- Commentary: I couldn’t find anything concrete, but it looks like this fight marked the final collaboration between Jackie Chan and Lau Kar Leung. The two of them are meeting on the second floor of a restaurant (can you see the kung fu cliché of a fight trashing a restaurant coming?) when they are attacked by a mercenary gang all wielding axes. By gang, I mean what seems like 50 men or so by the end. The two of them fight all over the restaurant – moving between both floors, using support beams, and trashing pretty much every piece of furniture. Eventually, some bamboo poles are introduced and this is when the fight really picks up and we get some really stiff shots to stuntmen who take some really stuff tumbles inside and outside the restaurant. Notice here the variety of camera work and perspectives we get. This fight is at one time big and epic and at other times tight and up close, but the camera captures both feelings perfectly. The final phase sees Jackie given a bamboo pole that has frayed at the ends and he just starts wrecking large groups of people, leaving bloodied stuntmen in his wake. I love this sequence so much that its relatively short runtime  leaves me a bit wanting – I think there was another good 2-3 minutes here – one more good bit of back and forth and this could have been one of the all time set pieces. Still, I'll take an efficient masterpiece over a great 3-4 minute fight watered down by stuff that doesn't quite reach the level of what came before (see the Dragons Forever finale for a good example).


THE END!


“Martial arts is not for hurting people, it’s for protecting people.” - Jackie Chan

Comments

  1. Daniel EspinaNovember 27, 2023 at 4:16 AM

    Wow. How friggin awesome is this list? Tremendous effort. I'm going to keep it nearby as I once again go through Chan's filmography. I've also never gone past Forbidden Kingdom other than 1 or 2 movies.

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