Jackie Chan is one of the greatest martial arts stars of all time. His action movie legacy was assured long before he'd found success in Hollywood and his films rank among the genre's most essential. What makes Chan so unique among his martial arts peers isn't his ability to craft thrilling action movies, but the unique way in which he combines his action with comedy.
Though Chan has explicitly stated he wasn't inspired by silent film stars like Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd, since their work wasn't available to him when he began his action comedies, the comparisons are apt, given Chan's propensity for physical comedy and slapstick that goes hand in hand with his death-defying stunt work and fight choreography. These ten films demonstrate that there is no other action-comedy star like Jackie Chan.
10. 'Miracles' (1989)
Though not as acclaimed as some of his other classics, Miracles is an underrated film among Chan's filmography. Inspired by the Frank Capra films Lady for a Day and Pocketful of Miracles, which were both based on the same Damon Runyon short story, the film is set in the 1930s.
It stars Chan as a countryman who is out of his element in Hong Kong until he is reluctantly chosen to succeed a prominent gangster boss. It is not as action-packed as some of Chan's best films, but there is plenty of comedy, romance, and music to make up for the lack of action. It is one of Chan's most technically impressive films, with elaborate camera work and set design to complement Chan's always impressive stunt work. Miracles is a hidden treasure with a lot of charm.
9. 'Drunken Master' (1978)
Drunken Master was a major milestone in Chan's career, solidifying his signature style of comedic action, which he had established in his previous film Snake in the Eagle's Shadow, also with legendary director Yuen Woo-ping. Chan portrays a fictionalized version of the real-life martial arts legend Wong Fei-hung. Here, he is portrayed as a rebellious young man who is sent to train with the same legendary martial arts master Beggar So in order to learn humility and discipline.
Drunken Master had a profound effect on Chan's career and was a major influence on the many martial arts films that would be produced in the wake of its success, but the film's legacy has been somewhat usurped by its sequel, which is often regarded as one of the greatest martial arts films ever made. Despite this, the original is still a significant film in Chan's career because it demonstrates the early stages of his comedic voice.
8. 'Police Story 2' (1988)
olice Story 2 is another of Chan's action comedies that fails to live up to the expectations of its predecessors. The original Police Story is an action classic often cited as his best and the third film features some of the most insane stunts of Chan's entire career. Due to its intense action, which frequently takes precedence over the film's comedy as well, Police Story 2 would rank much higher than almost any other action star's filmography.
After the destructive mall scene in the first film, Chan reprises his role as Sergeant Chan Ka-Kui and returns as a traffic cop. Chan is summoned back to duty when a group of bombers begin detonating half of Hong Kong. As a better showcase for Chan's talents than as a fully rounded feature, the film places more emphasis on the action and stunts than on the story. However, since no one does it better than Chan, it's hard to complain.
7. "Armor of God" from 1986
Jackie Chan played Asian Hawk, a treasure hunter in search of the title artifact in order to save his girlfriend from a cult, in Armour of God, which was Jackie Chan's answer to Indiana Jones and far superior to many of the series' ripoffs. Featuring location shooting in multiple countries and large-scale stunts, including a base jump onto a hot air balloon, Armour of God is a grand martial arts adventure film and seeing Chan in the roguish adventurer role is an absolute blast.
The movie is more of a cult favorite among Chan's fans, particularly in America, where it was released direct-to-video and labeled as a sequel to Armour of God II: Operation Condor, even though that film was the sequel. That practice led to many films of Chan's getting less recognition stateside than they deserve and Armour of God should be counted among the best treasure-hunting movies.
6. 'Armour of God II: Operation Condor' (1991)
Chan's sequel to his adventure romp amps up the action and comedy, making a slick sequel that improves upon the original in just about every way. The tone and plot of Armour of God II: Operation Condor are also even more reminiscent of the Indiana Jones series.
This time, the movie's "MacGuffin" is Nazi gold buried in the Sahara Desert. Here, Chan's approach to high adventure is even more exaggerated, and he is even more confident in his command of the film's lighthearted tone. Chan would return to the franchise years later with Chinese Zodiac, but the first two globe-trotting adventures are still his best.
5. 'Wheels on Meals' (1984)
Chan's collaborations with Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao mark some of his most outright comedic films. The trio, often referred to as the Three Dragons, made six films together. Wheels on Meals is probably the best showcase of Chan's action choreography, with the fight between him and Benny Urquidez frequently listed among the best in film history.
**Wheels on Meals is Chan at his slapstick best alongside two of his greatest collaborators. **
The plot is nonsensical, involving two cousins who run a food truck in Barcelona and get involved in a scheme involving the inheritance of the illegitimate daughter of a wealthy patriarch. It's all just an excuse to string together fantastic fight scenes and comedy bits, including a finale with the trio acting as The Three Musketeers. Wheels on Meals is Chan at his slapstick best alongside two of his greatest collaborators.
4. 'Police Story 3: Supercop' (1992)
Many of Chan's Hollywood efforts would see him paired up with a wisecracking counterpart, mostly done in an attempt to capitalize on the success of Rush Hour, but if there's one other star who makes the perfect pairing with Chan, it's fellow martial artist Michelle Yeoh, who was paired up with him in Police Story 3: Supercop.
Back around for the third time as Ka-Kui, Chan is given a partner from Interpol, played by Yeoh, to take down a drug lord. The action from the two stars is incredible, with Chan dangling from a ladder beneath a helicopter and Yeoh jumping off a motorcycle on to a moving train, and their chemistry gives the movie plenty of levity, making it the second best of the series.
3. 'Project A' (1983)
Another of Chan's team-ups with Hung and Biao, Project A is a period piece that sees Chan as a rogue member of the marine police taking on marauding pirates. The movie has a lot of big set pieces and big stunts, like Chan dangling from a clock, which is like the famous stunt that Harold Lloyd did in the silent movie Safety Last!
The best of Chan's Three Dragons films, Project A perfectly exemplifies the unique combination of comedy and action that makes him such a singular talent. Despite the fact that it does not feature Hung or Biao and does not quite live up to the very high expectations that were set by the original, the sequel is still a league above Chan's American genre-bending films.
2. 'Police Story' (1985)
Police Story is easy to claim as his action masterpiece because it features one of the greatest stunts ever performed and was recommended by Chan himself as one of the best action movies ever made. In his first outing as Ka-Kui, Chan is tasked with protecting the secretary of a crime boss as a key witness, which brings about all manner of complications for him both personally and professionally.
From the opening destruction of a shantytown to the epic mall finale, Police Story features Chan and his stunt team risking life and limb to deliver some of their most thrilling action set pieces. Despite the dominance of the action, there is still plenty of room for comedic moments. One of the most memorable scenes involves Chan fighting an unconscious man while puppeteering his limbs to look like they are moving. Overall, the film's action is on the grittier side of Chan's output, making it sometimes incongruous with the more comedic scenes, but that can't diminish Police Story from being one of the best action movies of all time.
1. 'Drunken Master II' (1994)
Drunken Master II is not only one of Chan's absolute best, it's one of the greatest action-comedies of all time, perfectly meshing humor with its fight sequences in a masterclass of stunt choreography. The standalone sequel sees Chan reprise his role as Wong Fei-hung, trying to control his drinking habits while also getting wrapped up in a smuggling plot orchestrated by a British consul.
Though the film is credited to famed Hong Kong director and choreographer Lau Kar-leung, he and Chan had bitter disagreements over the fight choreography and the director would eventually step away from the production, leaving Chan to finish the final fight sequence himself, which is the standout of the film. The end result is a martial arts classic that features Chan at the height of his abilities as an action star and a comedy legend, despite the tension that exists behind the scenes.