The Karate Kid
America ’s fascination with martial art films began with the monumental success of Bruce Lee and audiences raven the dotty action andkung - fuacrobatics . Lee ’s cinema started the boom in the U.S. and the films got wilder and wilder as the old age went on .
The eighty really took hold of the soldierly arts furore and America begin to farm more homegrown films in the genre . Jackie Chan and Chuck Norris became stars in the eighties , throughAmerican - made martial arts action films . These motion-picture show raise the tournament films , the revenge films , and so on , give a unfeigned 80s lustre to the soldierly arts genre .
Best Of The Best (1989)
A strange but undeniably exciting martial arts film , serious of the Besttells the tale of an American taekwondo team who has to overtake inner - rivalry to vie against the superior Korean squad .
While the soldierly art scenes are exciting and naturalistic , player Phillip Rhe is the only one of the master mold who was actually a martial artist . Eric Roberts and Chris Penn check hard and studied twenty-four hours and night to serve their aspect feel more authentic . Not a hitting in theater of operations but an instant smash on menage video , the picture became one of the most democratic stand - up - and - cheer sport films of its day .
Wheels On Meals (1984)
A woman is harassed by a street gang in Brazil . Three friends ( Jackie Chan , Sammo Kam - Bo Hung , and Biao Yuen ) , who run a food truck , band together to help her .
The motion picture is a mixing of raging kung - fu and luxuriant clowning . Hung directed the film and both he and Chan designed the fights and stunt . With nod to both Sam Peckinpah and Buster Keaton , this film isa waste and enormously entertaining ridethat is truly considered one of the classics of the genre .
Bloodfist (1989)
Overshadowed by 1988’sBloodsport , Terence H. Winkless’Bloodfistis a higher-ranking martial art plastic film that takes the well - used normal of a mankind entering a tournament to find a murderer .
Winkless smartly stays clean of improbable stunts and let his thespian do realistic kickboxing where you’re able to sense every punch . Don " The Dragon " Wilson starred as the primary character seek the Orcinus orca of his buddy and was the domain kickboxing champion at the time . The reality of his fight scene elevates the film to granular glory . Wilson claims this photographic film as the good he has ever done .
An Eye For An Eye (1981)
Chuck Norriswas already a big star in the world of soldierlike humanities . Thanks to a few private road - in hit , he was becoming a big movie star , as well . Steve Carver’sAn Eye for an Eyewas a openhanded hit for Norris and became an LXXX action film classic .
Norris is a copper whose partner and best booster is mangle , so he live after a drug mathematical process to uncover his killers . The greatChristopher Lee is the film ’s primary villainand Norris is allowed some exciting fighting scenes where he displays his skills , including his famous roundhouse kicking . Action fans made the plastic film a financial success and some critic enjoyed the slickness of the production and the competitiveness choreography .
The Last Dragon (1985)
In Harlem , NYC , a young martial creative person is seek to attain the final spirit level of kung - fu while running afoul of the self - proclaimed " Shogun of Harlem , " call " Sho ' Nuff , " who becameone of the most popular villain of the 80 . The film is a mixed bag of medicine , terpsichore , and some amazing fight stage dancing that pays homage to the warriorlike arts films of the 1970s .
The Last Dragonwas a with child hit in 1985 and gave audiences the kind of natural process picture that used to be made by Hong Kong ’s Shaw Brothers studio . Both critically and commercially , the film becameone of the most respected action films of the 1980s .
The Octagon (1980)
Chuck Norris had his boastful hit yet withThe Octagon . He play a martial creative person who take on a private ninja training camp that , for him , view as a mortal secret from the past . Norris helped design the fight scenes and ninja - train martial artists control authenticity to the action mechanism , creating many exciting sequences .
The picture was a massive drive - in / grindhouse theatre of operations murder and wreak the enigma fervor of the ninja warrior to American audience for the first time since Sam Peckinpah’sThe Killer Eliteof 1975 .
Above The Law (1988)
Above the Lawwas the film that brought Steven Seagal to instant stardom . Segal play Nico , a Chicago cop who survive up against The Mob and crooked authorities agents .
Seagal ’s unique mixture of warlike arts styles was on full displayas he kicked , punched , and slice his mode into activity picture show superstardom . The winner of the film led director Andrew Davis to become one of the important action filmmakers of his day , culminate with his world-wide hitThe Fugitivein 1993 . The photographic film isconsidered one of Steven Seagal ’s top filmsby both fan and critics .
Police Story (1985)
One of the most popular and well-thought-of films of both LXXX kung fu cinema and of Jackie Chan ’s career , Police Storyfinds Chan as a Hong Kong fuzz who is framed for murder by a vicious drug kingpin .
Some of Chan ’s most jaw - drop stuntwork takes place in this film making this the one that would endear Chan to American action audiences . Throughbone - breaking fight scenesand infused with an inherent sweet in Chan ’s character , Police Storyis a classic Hong Kong military action film that recreate to American hearing , further beam Jackie Chan ’s rise as an legal action ikon .
The Karate Kid (1984)
While not chock - full of action scene , John G. Avildsen explored the theme he previously examined in his 1976 Oscar succeeder , Rocky . The Karate Kidwas the fib of a unfeigned underdog . Daniel was a skinny teen who gets bullied and bloodied by local teenage warriorlike artists who study under a brutal sensei at a school calledCobra Kai . Daniel finds a martial humanities master who teaches him to defend himself , the wise and soulful Mr. Myagi .
Ralph Macchio became an fourscore film picture and Noriyuki " Pat " Morita take in a well - deserved Oscar nomination for his beautiful portrayal of Mr. Myagi . Roger Ebert gave the film his famous 4 - star rating , calling it one of 1984 ’s best . The film was pure ticker , and while the fight scenes were exciting and cheer - inducing , audience and critic flow in sexual love with the passion of the characters and the screenplay ’s instructions on the philosophy of warriorlike arts .
Big Trouble In Little China (1986)
John Carpenter is a scholar of the martial Arts films of the 1970s . Being a music genre movie maker , Carpenter blended a bit of horror , sci - fi , and kung fu action withBig Trouble in Little China . Starring Kurt Russell as Jack Burton , a truck driver who gets involved in dark magic trick and a war between Chinatown gangs in San Francisco , this was Carpenter ’s ode to the moving picture of John Wayne and the idle kung fu films of the 70s .
The action mechanism was absolutely wild , with men pilot through the air while wizards press each other as freak roamed the underbelly of the city . A dud when first released , the film became a cult attain and is now regarded as one of Carpenter ’s top plastic film andone of the hoarded wealth of 80 fantasy - action films .
NEXT : Everybody Relax , I ’m Here : 10 Behind - The - Scenes Facts About Big Trouble In Little China
