The world of the martial arts action film has been, for the most, mostly male-dominated. While the scene continues to be dominated by men, there have been a number of women over the decades that have dared to stand up and be noticed in the genre. Ladies like Cynthia Rothrock, Veronica Ngo, Michelle Yeoh, Amy Johnston, and Angela Mao Ying have made a name for themselves in some pretty awesome action flicks, proving that they are just as capable as men in action films. Some of them I will be getting to later in this series, but the one lady that I would like to talk about in this post is Jeeja Yanin. Born in Bangkok, Thailand, Jeeja has trained in Tae Kwon Do since she was 11 and currently holds a 4th degree black belt. She made her on-screen debut in the action film Chocolate and her star has been rising ever since.
Chocolate – Jeeja Yanin Vs. Dojo
When Chocolate was released nearly a decade ago, it was the first Thai action movie that I saw that didn’t have Tony Jaa in it. That didn’t stop me from enjoying the hell out of this one. This one has a pretty unique setup. Jeeja Yanin plays Zen, an autistic girl who apparently has a natural talent for the martial arts by watching movies with Bruce Lee and Tony Jaa, ironically enough. I really liked this movie because it didn’t make fun of people with disabilities, but rather, gave them unique gifts because of their affliction. That was fantastic. The action scenes in this film are pretty good, and some are brutal, especially this sequence in the dojo, where she fights the local Yakuza, and eventually another “disabled” person with a flair for capoeira. It’s one of the most unique martial arts flicks that I’ve seen in years. It has its issues, sure, but I really liked it.
Raging Phoenix – Jeeja Yanin Vs. Gang
Having seen a huge success with Chocolate, Jeeja Yanin was not going to do another action flick like Chocolate. Jeeja Yanin chose Raging Phoenix as her next project, which is a bit of a kidnap/martial arts film. While some people have issues with this film, I loved it, because it’s very different than what I’ve seen before. Raging Phoenix features a fighting style invented specifically for this film, which I would describe as Drunken Boxing meets Muay Thai with a little bit of hip-hop thrown in. It’s bizarre, but it’s very well-choreographed. Jeeja Yanin shines as a potential victim-turned-martial arts bad-ass named Deu. While the movie definitely gets really weird towards the end, a lot of the initial fight sequences are fantastic, including this fight against a small gang. It’s definitely worth seeking out.
The Kick – Jeeja Yanin
While The Kick is definitely focused on a family of Korean martial arts performers, some of the best fights in the film belong to Jeeja Yanin. While there’s a lot of flashy Tae Kwon Do moves being thrown around by the Koreans, Jeeja’s Muay Thay is….mostly grounded and direct. There’s really not a whole lot to say about this film aside from the action sequences, and while it is far from Yanin’s best, it is by no means her worst. The Kick is definitely worth a rental if you’re into Thai action films like me.
The Protector 2 (Tom Yum Goong 2) – Shipyard Brawl
Truth be told, I was debating whether or not to put this one on the list, as The Protector 2 was simply not a good movie. It was a huge step backwards for the director, the fight choreographer and Tony Jaa. It did have a few good things going for it, including pitting Jeeja Yanin against Tony Jaa. The fight scenes with Jeeja Yanin are pretty decent and definitely worth a watch. You may have to get through a pretty bad movie to get to the fights, but they are definitely worth it…..mostly.
While Jeeja Yanin doesn’t have much of a filmography right now, she’s definitely got some pretty good ones under her belt. She’s got a couple of films coming up, Triple Threat and Red Cargo, so we will be seeing more of her in the future. I’m expecting some pretty great things from her.
When it comes to action movies, most people tend to notice the actors on the screen trying to do their own fights and stunts. That’s all well and good, but for large-budget blockbusters, most actors aren’t actually allowed to do their own stunts, Tom Cruise being the main exception. When it comes to stunts and fight choreography, the real unsung heroes of action movies are generally not seen at all, and if they are, they’re in costumes, so you can’t tell who they are. Stunt men and fight choreographers are some of the most important people when it comes to action films. They have an eye for detail and sequences that most people will never see. There have been a number of stunt men that have become actors over the years, but most of them, unfortunately don’t stand out very well from the pack. There are exceptions, of course. One of them is British stunt-man Ray Park. Ray Park was baptized into the world of martial arts at an early age, studying Northern Fist kung-fu and then moving on to become an expert in various other styles, with Wushu being at the forefront. He would continue to participate in tournaments and exhibitions for well over 6 years, finally earning a gold medal for the Great Britain Wushu and Chin Woo Martial Arts teams. While Ray Park may not have the largest filmography in the world, he has made a name for himself over the years. Because of the size of his filmography, I will also be including some scenes where he’s a stuntman and not just an actor.
Star Wars: The Phantom Menace – Ray Park Vs. Liam Neeson and Ewan McGregor
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qp91xlsaKSo
Everybody has an opinion on the merits of George Lucas’ Prequel Trilogy and more importantly, the first entry: The Phantom Menace. I tend to be more forgiving than most, but the one that few people can deny is that Darth Maul is one of the most memorable villains in Star Wars, second only to Darth Vader. That is not an easy thing to accomplish. Ray Park delivers an electrifying physical performance as the black and red-skinned Sith Lord. This was the movie that actually made Ray Park a house-hold name. The fight scene with the two Jedi ranks as one of the best fight sequences in the entire Star Wars saga. George Lucas hand-picked Park specifically because of his stunt and martial arts background for the role. Ray Park does all of his own fighting and stunt-work in this film and most of it is done without wires. That’s why people responded well to this battle. It was fast, furious and non-stop.
Mortal Kombat: Annihilation – Raiden Stunt Double
I bring up Mortal Kombat: Annihilation not to mock Ray Park. Not at all. His stunt-work in this film is really good. The stunts in the film aren’t actually that bad. It’s everything else that sucks. I chose this fight between Raiden and the ninjas, specifically because of Ray Park’s stunt-work. Most of the close-up shots are of James Remar, who actually plays Raiden in the film, but he’s not a martial artist, so the actual fights that you see are Ray Park and there is a brief moment where you can see that it is Ray Park and not Mr. Remar. None of this is Ray Park’s or James Remar’s fault. The fault lies with the director and editors. The movie is not good, and the fight choreography isn’t that great, but a good chunk of the stunt-work, as in the flips and stuff like that, is pretty decent. I don’t think you have to like a movie to appreciate Ray Park’s contribution to it.
GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra – Ray Park vs. Byung Hun-Lee
I’m not trying to bring up bad movies on purpose. Seriously. No, I’m absolutely trying to showcase the best parts of those bad movies. For Rise of Cobra, the most compelling character moments are between the masked ninjas Snake Eyes(The good guy) and Storm Shadow(The bad guy). If the film spent more time focused on these two characters, it would have been a better movie. I didn’t think it was an awful film, but certain decisions were very…questionable. What isn’t questionable is Ray Park’s casting as the silent Snake Eyes. He says more with his body language in the film than most people with actual lines in other movies. This fight sequence between Park and Lee has a surprising amount of emotional weight to it. Granted, these two characters are the most fleshed out in an other-wise generic film, but it surprises me how much you can relate to these two characters.
Accident Man – Ray Park and Michael Jai White Vs. Scott Adkins
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6xJHx8zdGE
Now, this one is a bit of a cheat, I grant you, but it’s awesome because it has Scott Adkins, Michael Jai White AND Ray Park duking it out in one of the best fight scenes of the movie. Ray Park plays Mac, a partner of Michael Jai White’s Mick, and they are part of the same assassination group that Scott Adkins’ character is. Teaming Ray Park with Michael Jai White was a brilliant move as these guys can be pretty funny when on screen together. This fight scene has a lot going for it: Tight choreography, drama, humor, and intensity. Accident Man is loaded with awesome fight sequences and this is one of the best in the film. It’s definitely worth checking out.
While some of the films I brought up in this list are not the greatest, there is no doubt that Ray Park has at least made them watchable. Star Wars was both good and bad for Ray Park. It was good for Mr. Park, because it put him on the map with one of the coolest villains ever. But it was also bad for Mr. Park because he really hasn’t had a role that has matched Darth Maul, and he will always be known as “that guy that played Darth Maul.” That being said, I think Ray Park is really worth paying attention to in terms of movies, because he has grown in terms of acting. I think this is a guy that really needs to be given a chance to carry a movie as a lead actor, because I think he can. Not only can he do his own stunts, but he does also bring his own level of intensity to whatever role he’s given.
China has given the world a large number of incredible martial arts actors including Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao, Wu Jing, and Gordon Liu, just to name a few. During the late 80’s and early 90’s, two martial arts actors came out of nowhere and took the action genre by storm. Jet Li starred in such films as Once Upon a Time in China and Fist of Legend. The way the man moved was almost as legendary as Bruce Lee. But the other one to came out of that same period was none other than Donnie Yen. Donnie Yen has become one of the most well-known martial arts actors of the past 30 years, and his talents go far beyond just on-screen fighting. He’s also choreographed fight scenes and directed a small handful of films. As a fight choreographer, Donnie Yen is in a league of his own. While he has drawn inspiration from legends like Yuen Woo-Ping, he’s developed a style of on-screen fighting that very few have been able to match. As a result, Donnie Yen is one of my favorite martial arts actors of all time. Hopefully, some of the clips below will show you why.
Ip Man – Donnie Yen Vs. Ten Black Belts
Ip Man is a mostly fictional account of real-life Wing Chun Grandmaster Ip Man. It follows the grandmaster from his time teaching Wing Chun to surviving the Japanese invasion of China. During one of the demonstrations held by a Japanese general, Ip Man witnesses the cold-blooded murder of one of his fellow masters. As a result, he challenges not one, not two, but ten of the black belts surrounding the arena. Most martial arts flicks try not to be defined by their fight scenes, but in Ip Man, the fight scene with the ten black belts does just that. The movie is fantastic, but this fight sequence has to be hands-down one of the most epic beat-downs I’ve seen in a movie. Ip Man was one of the main reasons why I started training in Wing Chun in the first place. So, yeah, this entry means a lot to me in a lot of ways.
Kill Zone(SPL) – Donnie Yen Vs. Sammo Hung
Donnie Yen vs. Sammo Hung was one of the most-wanted match-ups that fans had been wanting for years. In 2005’s Kill Zone, we get exactly that in one of the most amazing one-on-one fights in decades. Donnie Yen plays a cop who becomes the leader of a group of cops whose ethics are….questionable. After failing to take down Sammo Hung’s villainous character, the cops do everything they can to frame him and put him behind bars. All those shenanigans leads to some of the most fantastic fight sequences in a Hong Kong film. The final battle between Samme Hung and Donnie Yen is legendary. I won’t spoil how it actually ends, but let’s just say, I didn’t see it coming. Kill Zone is well worth the entry if you can find it.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story – Donnie Yen Vs. Stormtroopers
I’ve always wanted to see Donnie Yen in a Star Wars film as either a Jedi or a Sith, because that would be awesome. In Rogue One, Donnie Yen plays Chirrut Imwe, a blind warrior as he volunteers to aid Jyn Erso on what amounts to a suicide mission to find the plans to the Empire’s ultimate weapon: The Death Star. While I would have preferred Yen to actually play a Jedi, his blind character is close enough and the fight with him and the stormtroopers is one of the big highlights of the film. This film also gives Mr. Yen more mainstream attention. While a lot of people tend disagree about the film itself, most will agree that Donnie Yen was one of the best parts of the movie.
Highlander: Endgame – Donnie Yen Vs. Adrian Paul
As a huge fan of Highlander, the sequels were really not that good. I enjoyed them on a certain level, but they never attained the level of greatness that the original film enjoyed. In my opinion, the best sequel was Highlander: Endgame. That’s not really saying much, but there many elements in the film that I really liked. Adrian Paul, Christopher Lambert…..and of course, Donnie Yen. This was the first movie that I actually saw Donnie Yen in, and it was his first American-made film. Regardless of what you might think of the story and its villain, you can’t deny that the fight scenes here are some of the best in entire series. Mr. Yen had a hand, literally, in staging most of the fight scenes. The best one of which is between him and Adrian Paul in what remains of Connor McLeod’s loft apartment. It’s fast, furious and fun.
Iron Monkey: Donnie Yen Vs. Renegade Shaolin Monks
After Highlander, I started looking for more Donnie Yen films and Iron Monkey was the first one I came across. Donnie Yen plays Wong Kei-Ying, the legendary father of the equally legendary Chinese folk-hero Wong Fei-Hung. This film was filled to the brim with awesome fight scenes, even if a good number of them used wires, but the film was so bonkers it didn’t really matter. While some of the kicks in the sequences were accelerated, there was no doubt that Donnie Yen was extremely fast. The fight with the Shaolin Monks is an absolute blast, and it needs to be seen.
Hero – Donnie Yen vs. Jet Li
While this isn’t the first time that Donnie Yen went up against Jet Li, it’s probably the best known of the two films they did together, the first being Once Upon a Time in China II. This fight sequence is truly unique in many respects. The most interesting part of it is how the fight plays out in the minds of the characters, presented in total black and white with music playing. The way the sequence was shot and choreographed makes it one of the most beautiful fight sequences I’ve seen in a movie. While there is wire-work and slow-motion, it’s part of what makes the fight so damned interesting. Hero was one of a small handful of authentic Kung Fu movies that I saw in theaters and it was worth it.
Wu Xia(Dragon) – Donnie Yen Vs. Assassins
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gbFCXpJq_4
Wu Xia was a very interesting film that not only combined the Kung Fu film, but also police procedural and elements of CSI. It actually worked very well. We got to see some fights from two different angles, and they end up being very different. But the best fight sequence, bar none, has to be the fight between Donnie Yen’s character Liu Jinxi and the two assassins that were sent after him. This is an awesome not just in terms of choreography and stunt-work, but also character development as well. The assassins force Liu Jinxi to reveal his true identity and that sets up the drama for the rest of the film. It’s one of best-realized sequences in any Kung Fu movie.
The Lost Bladesman – Donnie Yen vs. Andy On
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HExlBHxQ_60
General Guan Yu was one of the most legendary generals during the The Three Kingdoms period. Said to have stood at least 6’5″, Guan Yu was apparently an intimidating presence to his enemies. While Donnie Yen is nowhere near as tall as Guan Yu was reported to be, Yen still manages to be all kinds of awesome. The guan dau weapon that he wields is a hefty weapon, but it doesn’t seem to phase Donnie Yen at all. The fight between him and General Kong Xiu, played by Andy On, is short, but it is still very impressive. While I can’t say for sure that the film is historically accurate, the level of detail and the authenticity of what we see on the screen appears to be genuine. Still, it’s definitely worth checking out.
At 54 years old, Donnie Yen shows no sign of slowing down. Even at his age, he’s still faster than most. I really like the fact that his acting has gotten a lot better, but honestly, Mr. Yen is an absolute phenomenon. He’s got some more movies coming down the pipe including a fourth Ip Man film as well as the film adaptation of the video game Sleeping Dogs. Donnie Yen has had an amazing career and continues to impress. I will continue to pay attention to almost everything that he does.
It’s been a little while since I’ve done a series like this for The Best. What I’m going to do with this series is go through the number of actors who have some of the best fight scenes. As you can imagine, this is not going to be a short series, as there is a large number of actors who do their own on-screen fighting. This is going to take a little while. My intent with this series is to not only put certain movies and fight scenes in the spotlight, but the actors as well. If you don’t have the actors, you won’t have the fights. Am I going to have any rules for this series? Not strictly speaking. I’m going to try and limit the number of fight scenes to one or two per film, unless the actor in question doesn’t have a whole lot, in which case, I can make an exception. Other than that, it’s fair game.
The first actor I’m featuring in this series of The Best Fighters is British martial arts actor Scott Adkins. An expert in Tae Kwon Do and kickboxing, Scott Adkins made a huge name for himself when he starred in Undisputed II as the angry Russian, Yuri Boyka. From there, he’s been featured in a number of low-budget direct-to-video action films as well as some pretty high-profile flicks like Doctor Strange. While I would not consider the man to be a great actor, he’s definitely got some serious screen presence and pummels the living daylights out of his opponents like it’s nobody’s business. He tends to do most of his own stunts which includes backflips, butterfly twists, and occasionally getting thrown through a wall. There’s no doubt in my mind that Scott has become a heavy-weight action star in his own right, even if most of his films are direct-to-video. Some of them are not to be missed by anybody who considers themselves an action movie buff.
Ninja II: Shadow of a Tear – Scott Adkins Vs. Tim Man
Ninja II: Shadow of a Tear is what I would call a serious throwback to the hard-hitting action films of the mid-to-late 80s. Not only is the fight choreography fast, furious and brutal, it’s also done completely without wires. This fight scene between Scott Adkins and Tim Man(also the fight choreographer) is a perfect showcase for the talent on display in the entire movie. The story is a simple revenge tale that wastes little time in getting to the good stuff. While the first film was alright, it suffered from having some pretty silly visual effects and some wire-work. Ninja II: Shadow of a Tear is the real deal, and it comes highly recommended.
Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning – Scott Adkins Vs. Andrei Arlovski(Warning: This one does get very violent, especially at the end)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GE1M3mS77W4
While the Scott Adkins-led Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning doesn’t feature a lot of Scott’s traditional acrobatics, we get to see him in of the most brutal fight scenes I’ve seen in years. Going up against MMA legend Andrei Arlovski, Scott not only gets tackled threw a window, but gets the snot beat out of him before he unleashes his own brand of fury. Utilizing bats, weights and bowling balls, this fight against Arlovski has to be one of the most vicious and brutal fight scenes in the entire Universal Soldier franchise. It’s not the only fight, either, but it is definitely one of the best.
Undisputed III – Scott Adkins Vs. Lateef Crowder
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7knd_kJfMI
While Undisputed II was Scott Adkins first appearance as Yuri Boyka, this is the first time that he plays the character in a lead role. There’s a reason for that, Scott is awesome as Boyka. Whenever the guy slips into a Russian accent, you know some shit’s gonna go down. Undisputed III has a lot of great fights, and a lot of them involve Scott, but this one with the Capoeira expert Lateef Crowder has to be one of the biggest highlights of the film. It’s astounding, not only because Scott has a flair for acrobatics, but his opponent is just as good. The difference in fighting styles allows for some amount of unpredictability which has one of the most satisfying conclusions to any fight that I’ve seen.
Accident Man: Scott Adkins Vs. Amy Johnston
A personal project for Scott Adkins, Accident Man is based on a comic book of the same name which debuted in Britain some years ago. Scott plays a man who is a part of a secret group of assassins. Scott’s specialty is making his assassinations look like accidents. This is actually a pretty good movie. Usually, Scott Adkins plays folks who don’t say a whole lot, but in Accident Man, his character rarely shuts up, which leads to some pretty hilarious, yet awesome moments. While the film definitely has some really awesome fight scenes, especially between him and Michael Jai White and Ray Park, it’s this fight scene with Amy Johnston’s character that really steals the show. It’s awesome, because Amy Johnston pretty much gives Scott a run for his money in this scene. It’s well-staged and it’s really awesome to see Amy Johnston give as good she gets. This fight is definitely a high-light of the film.
Special Forces: Scott Adkins Vs. Vladislavas Jacukevicius
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G76SgY946zM
Special Forces was one of Scott’s earlier roles as a supporting cast member. To be fair, the film itself is rather flawed and very weak in terms of the narrative and overall action. However, it’s this fight sequence between Scott and the character of Zaman that elevates what is other-wise a very ho-hum film. The fight choreography has a distinct Hong Kong flair to it and it hits pretty hard. Zaman puts up a pretty good fight, but Scott’s character ultimately triumphs. I don’t think it was intended for Scott Adkins to steal the show in Special Forces, but he did. I don’t think Special Forces was an awful film, but it’s definitely one of the weaker efforts from director Isaac Florentine.
Boyka: Undisputed – Scott Adkins Vs. Tim Man and Andreas Nguyen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nV26KazCAE
In his third Undisputed film, Scott Adkins once again takes on the role of Yuri Boyka, this time on a quest for redemption after accidentally killing a man in the ring. Learning that the fighter had a wife, Boyka attempts to seek her forgiveness, but realizes that she is in the “employ” of a notorious Russian gangster. Striking a deal to free her from her debt, Boyka has to participate in another series of underground fights. Of the Undisputed films, this one is the best, I think. Not only does it have some amazing fight sequences, it also has a pretty good story and gives Boyka a shot at real redemption. Scott Adkins knocks it out of the park with this one. Of all the fights in this film, this one with the brothers is incredibly wild. Tim Man, once again, is the fight choreographer, but he also plays one of the brothers in one of the coolest fight scenes ever.
Savage Dog – Scott Adkins Vs. Cung Le
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6YrBDl2XTs
A very different kind of action film, Savage Dog forgoes any of Scott’s acrobatics for a more grounded and realistic fighting style. Scott Adkins plays Martin Tillman, a former Irish soldier on the run from the British while hiding in Vietnam. While I think that Savage Dog has issues in terms of pacing and the over-use of narration and slow-motion, there’s no denying that this film is definitely gritty, brutal and absolutely fantastic to watch. The action sequences are incredibly well-staged and the fights are vicious. The fight between Scott and former MMA champion Cung Le is awesome. While the fight’s conclusion is anti-climactic, the fight between these two is phenomenal. Cung Le’s character clearly has the upper-hand in most of the fight. It’s a hard-hitting movie, but Savage Dog is absolutely worth your time if you love action movies.
Scott Adkins is one of the best direct-to-video action stars ever. While I wouldn’t say he has the charisma of some like say…Jean-Claude Van Damme, Adkins more than holds his own. He’s taken on some of the biggest names in the industry including Jackie Chan. While he’s had some bit parts on some pretty big productions like Doctor Strange and Zero Dark Thirty, his best stuff will most likely be found on home video releases like the Undisputed sequels, Savage Dog, Hard Target 2, and Accident Man. Whenever this guy puts out a movie, I tend to pay attention. Anyone who is a fan of action films should pay attention to this guy.
