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Whether you’re into his movies or not, Jackie Chan is a name that is well-known around the world. With over 100 Jackie Chan movies and knowing that the crazy stunts performed are real, it’s no wonder he has gained a cult-like following. Jackie Chan grew up in Hong Kong where he began acting, singing, acrobatics, martial arts, and even mime skills. Although he started his stunting career in Hong Kong, his movies and enticing action scenes made their way to the United States in the early 1990s.
If you are looking for new films to watch, we have compiled a list of the best Jackie Chan movies. We recommend starting with the following seven movies out of the top Jackie Chan movies this weekend. If you’re not a kung fu fan already, you will be by the end! These seven are not in a must-see ranking order, but instead ranked by year (oldest to newest). However, you can start anywhere on the list!
1.) Drunken Master (1978)
In this film, Jackie Chan (Wong Fei-Hung) plays a young ‘punk’ kid who is supposed to be spending his time learning kung fu but instead has other rebellious plans. When the deviant behavior of the character in this Jackie Chan movie leads to injuring the son of a prominent local, Chan’s father has his uncle help to teach some discipline. However, how his uncle decides to teach him is a little controversial.
2.) Police Story (1985)
This climactic story falls under top 10 Jackie chan movies and has arguably some of the best fight scenes of Chan’s career. The memorable scene takes place in a mall where Chan jumps on a pole (with light bulbs) and slides down through a glass ceiling to catch the bad guys. The plot blends drama and comedy all centered around Chan trying to clear his name and catch a drug lord.
3.) Dragons Forever (1988)
If you are searching for top jackie chan films, Dragons Forever blends comedy and action seamlessly (as well as a little bit of romance). Chan is a lawyer hired by a chemical plant to sort of sweep their not-so-ethical polluting behaviors under the rug. Chan’s ethics become entangled when he falls for a woman who’s in opposition to the plant…until he discovers what’s really going on.
4.) Rumble in the Bronx (1995)
Out of the other Jackie Chan most popular movies, this is the movie that gained Jackie Chan his popularity in the US. Chan, known as Keong in this movie, travels to New York for a family wedding. Chan decides to hang out in New York to help his uncle watch over his market while his uncle is honeymooning. Making friends with a local kid, Chan finds himself in hot water with the kid, a gang, and the rest of the neighborhood.
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5.) Rush Hour (1998)
One core plot element is similar here to Shanghai Noon: Chan’s task is to rescue a damsel (well, sort of). In this comedy, Chan is a Detective Inspector who is tasked with bringing a diplomat’s daughter back home. He ends up assigned to work with Detective Carter (played by Chris Tucker) and it is another moment of two characters who initially despise each other becoming friends in the end. Both are keener toward one another once they realize the FBI and the police want nothing to do with them. This has been one of the best Jackie Chan movies.
6.) Shanghai Noon (2000)
Exploring two different cultures, this Jackie Chan movie is set in the wild west. The film also features another fan-favorite actor, Owen Wilson, who poses as an outlaw train robber. These two unlikely characters become friends who join together to fight crime. Oh, and did we mention there’s a horse that can sit on command? This is one of the greatest Jackie Chan movies.
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7.) The Foreigner (2017)
One of Chan’s more recent films, The Foreigner was a smash hit. This film is all about getting revenge centering around Chan’s (or Quan in this case) teenage daughter who dies, leaving nothing behind for Chan to care about. Chan spends the majority of the film searching for the killers, somewhat reminiscent of the movie Taken.
Featured Image Photo Credit: IMDB Website