Chan mastered physical comedy over the years, but he has also displayed some impressive dramatic chops, so just focusing on the fighting and the funny doesn't do him justice. Here, we've put together what we feel is a wide-ranging ranking of Jackie Chan movies that takes all of those things into consideration. This is a mix of his best work in action, comedy, and drama, a list that blends his deeper and more challenging works with the movies that lean light and crowd-pleasing.
The 15 Best Jackie Chan Movies, Ranked
Published 10 hours ago• 14 minute read
. However, what makes Chan stand out from a crowded group of martial arts actor peers is the way he blends comedy with action. In fact, you'll also find some of his films on lists of the best action-comedy movies ever. The Hong Kong native took inspiration from silent movie era stars Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, ignoring calls from those in the industry for him to copy the style of Bruce Lee.
Golden Harvest
You'd be forgiven for assuming that "Crime Story" is an entry in Jackie Chan's long-running "Police Story" franchise. In fact, it isn't connected to the "Police Story" franchise at all, although it can definitely be described as a "Police Story" movie without the comedy. And while he'd get a lot better over the years, his dramatic acting chops were definitely strong enough here to carry the weight of the story.
"Crime Story" sees Chan play an inspector who has been hired to find a kidnapped businessman. Unlike Chan's "Police Story" character, Eddie Chen doesn't let himself get distracted by women or sitcom-esque buffoonery. However, don't let yourself think that this means a lack of exciting action, because there is plenty of that here. With "Crime Story," you come for the compelling drama and stay for the action situation rather than the other way around.
Jackie Chan, Kent Cheng, Law Kar-ying
Kirk Wong, Jackie Chan, Bruce Law
1993
R
107 minutes
Golden Harvest
The unusual name of "Wheels on Meals" reportedly comes from the fact that producers at Golden Harvest had become superstitious about movie titles beginning with the letter M due to the critical and commercial failure of 1982's "Megaforce." The intended title of this one was "Meals on Wheels," which was picked because the film is about two cousins (played by Jackie Chan and Yuen Biao) who run a fast food van together. Thomas and David get drawn into a complex family feud after an encounter with a pickpocket named Sylvia (Lola Forner), who is actually the illegitimate daughter of a Count.
The film also features Sammo Hung, who directs. It's Chan's best collaboration with Hung and Biao, whose history attending school together is evident in their effortless chemistry. It boasts what many have called one of Chan's greatest fights: He goes up against fellow martial arts movie legend Benny Urquidez in an epic scrap with no gimmicks, just two icons giving an absolute masterclass.
Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao
Sammo Hung
1984
PG-13
104 minutes
STX Entertainment
There are a few reasons that Jackie Chan stopped doing American movies after a certain point, chief among them his feeling that his Hollywood output was all very samey. So when he has shown up as the lead in an English language release in recent years, you know it's something which he felt was going to help him prove himself as an actor. And "The Foreigner" — a British-American-Chinese co-production — most certainly does that.
Chan plays Ngoc Minh Quan, a Chinese-Vietnamese restaurant owner living in London. He's a man with a lot of violence and tragedy in his past who is trying to put all that behind him as a widower father to his last living child. But when that child is killed in an IRA terrorist attack, Quan goes on a mission of brutal revenge that ultimately gets aimed at political leader Liam Hennessy (Pierce Brosnan). In addition to impressive fight scenes that proved the 63-year-old Chan still had it, he and Brosnan both do stellar work in against-type performances.
Jackie Chan, Pierce Brosnan, Orla Brady
Martin Campbell
2017
R
114 minutes
Golden Harvest
Jackie Chan's Hollywood movies were not his first English-language productions. Both "Mr. Nice Guy" and "Who Am I?" were scripted and shot in English despite being produced in China, presumably an attempt to continue his penetration of the North American market. As a result, "Who Am I?" does have some awkwardness in its story, pacing, and dialogue, a by-product of non-native and fairly-recent speakers of a language trying to make a movie in said language. That being said, the story and action here are still solid.
"Who Am I?" follows Chan as a special agent with amnesia who is trying to discover who he is and why he's so awesome at fighting. But the real stars here are the action set pieces. This often overlooked film contains some of the best car chases in Chan's entire filmography and an incredible rooftop fight scene that ends in one of Chan's most mind-blowing stunts: He slides down the angled windows of a skyscraper onto a safety mat the size of a mattress.
Jackie Chan, Michelle Ferre, Mirai Yamamoto
Jackie Chan, Benny Chan
1998
PG-13
103 minutes
Available on DVD and Blu-ray through Amazon and other retailers
Golden Harvest
Jackie Chan wouldn't fully come into his own as a true martial arts superstar until the mid-1980s, but that's not to say there aren't a few gems in his earlier output. Among the films that established him as a talent to keep an eye on is "The Young Master," in which he stars as a student named Sheng Lung. It was also his first movie for legendary Hong Kong studio Golden Harvest, a partnership that would prove extremely lucrative for both parties for many years to come.
"The Young Master" is about a fierce rivalry between two schools. What helps it to stand out from Chan's typical fare is that it opens not with a fight scene or a big action set piece, but a gorgeous paper lion dance that lets Chan show off his little-demonstrated background in that discipline. The two schools compete against each other in a lion dance contest, with Sheng Lung's school needing the prize money to remain open. Chan also does some impressive fan work in a fight scene that took over 120 takes to achieve.
Jackie Chan, Shih Kien, Yuen Biao
Jackie Chan
1980
PG-13
106 minutes
Getty Images/Getty Images
This pick probably wouldn't please Jackie Chan himself, as he has famously stated that he doesn't find "Rush Hour" funny and doesn't understand why anyone else does, either. But there's no denying how much affection there is out there for the buddy action comedy, and what it did to make Chan a household name in the States. Chan plays a detective from Hong Kong who finds himself reluctantly partnered with Chris Tucker's wise-cracking L.A.P.D. officer as he attempts to rescue the kidnapped daughter of a Chinese consul.
This would already be a huge clashing of cultures, but the vastly different personality types of Chan and Tucker made it that much more of a hilariously mismatched duo. Chan may have been limited by what Hollywood would let him do stunt-wise, though he still managed to pull off some impressive stuff while having great chemistry with Tucker. They would go on to reunite in 2001's "Rush Hour 2" and 2007's "Rush Hour 3," which also made big bucks at the box office.
Jackie Chan, Chris Tucker, Tom Wilkinson
Brett Ratner
1998
PG-13
98 minutes
Golden Harvest
The first sequel in Jackie Chan's long-running "Police Story" franchise might be the weakest of the pre-reboot run, but it more than earns its place in the top ten Jackie Chan films due to the engrossing story and inventive fight scenes. What "Police Story 2" also has in its favor is that it picks up where the original left off rather than feeling like a standalone adventure like later installments do.
In the first film, Chan's police detective character took down a crime boss by bending the rules. This didn't go down well with his superiors, so he's been demoted to a highway patrol role by the time we catch up with him in the sequel. The action kicks off when the crime boss he put behind bars gets released early due to a terminal illness — he vows to use the time he has left to make Chan's life miserable. There's memorable action galore, including a (literally) explosive scene in a fireworks factory.
Jackie Chan, Maggie Cheung, Bill Tung
Jackie Chan
1988
PG-13
105 minutes
Seasonal Film Corporation
Considering that "Drunken Master" is among the works that inspired Akira Toriyama to create "Dragon Ball," one of the most popular and influential manga and anime properties of all time, it's safe to say the movie had a pretty big impact on pop culture. In essence, everything that "Dragon Ball" subsequently inspired was inspired by "Drunken Master" by proxy.
As the title implies, "Drunken Master" is about a version of Chinese folk hero Wong Fei-hung (Jackie Chan) who comes to learn the unorthodox titular fighting style. What better method of fighting for a mischievous young man who can't stay out of trouble than one that requires drinking alcohol? Chan puts on a great show as the entertaining discipline here, while also beginning to perfect the mugging and goofiness that would soon become his trademark.
Jackie Chan, Yuen Siu-Tin, Hwang Jang-lee
Yuen Woo-ping
1978
PG-13
110 minutes
Golden Harvest
"Police Story 4: First Strike" works so well as a standalone film that it was released in the U.S. as just "Jackie Chan's First Strike" and American audiences were none the wiser. Of course, even if the story — Chan plays a CIA agent who finds himself embroiled in a geopolitical war between the Ukrainian government and the Russian mob — is hard to follow, all of that is overshadowed by the awesome action set pieces.
The star of "First Strike" in that regard is Chan using a full-sized ladder as a weapon as he takes on a gang of opponents, a scene that featured prominently in the movie's marketing. But there are also two very fun, very 007-esque sequences, one involving a snowmobile pursuit down a snowy mountain and the other an underwater battle amongst live sharks. Mick LaSalle said it best in his review for the San Francisco Chronicle, writing: "One of the pleasures of being alive at this period of history is Jackie Chan."
Jackie Chan, Jackson Lou, Annie Wu
Stanley Tong
1996
PG-13
110 minutes
Golden Harvest
Jackie Chan spent many years chasing that elusive crossover appeal that would make him a star in the United States. Why "Rumble in the Bronx" became the movie that did it is tough to definitively nail down, but it helps that it's both one of his best movies and also one that lends itself really well to exciting clips for TV commercials. That, and the fact that it takes place in New York City (even if it wasn't filmed there).
It was a great introduction to Chan and the types of characters he plays so well, initially an underdog who takes a pretty severe beating before a training montage or two has him ready to come back and take on an entire criminal organization with little more than punches, kicks, and the occasional pool cue. As a nice bonus, it also introduced American audiences to Anita Mui, a frequent Chan collaborator who lit up the screen every time she was on it and died far too soon in 2003 aged just 40.
Jackie Chan, Anita Mui, Françoise Yip
Stanley Tong
1995
R
89 minutes
Golden Harvest
"Supercop" might sound like some cheesy action B-movie about a cybernetic law enforcement officer from the future, but it's actually the third installment of the "Police Story" series. It sees Jackie Chan team with the amazing Michelle Yeoh, allowing her to be his equal rather than just a romantic foil or a source of comic relief like the female leads in the first two "Police Story" films. Together, Chan and Yeoh (an elite policewoman) set about taking down a dangerous Chinese drug cartel.
In fact, given that Yeoh would then star in the spin-off "Supercop 2," the argument can be made that it was actually her who was the super cop rather than Chan. "Tomorrow Never Dies" and "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" would prove to be her breakthrough films in the U.S., but those in the know saw what a superstar she already was in "Supercop." It's a fantastic film topped off by a mind-blowing finale that includes multiple forms of transportation and explosions aplenty.
Jackie Chan, Michelle Yeoh, Maggie Cheung
Stanley Tong
1992
R
91 minutes
Rent or purchase through Fandango At Home
Golden Harvest
Most actors go their entire careers without ever coming close to dying on a film set, but there is an entire list of movie scenes that nearly killed Jackie Chan, including one from "Project A." The scene in question sees Chan paying tribute to the great Harold Lloyd by hanging off a clock 60 feet high and falling from it, crashing through two awnings on the way. Despite almost landing on his head in one take, he did the stunt three times in order to get it right.
Chan stars alongside Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao as coast guard cadets in late 19th century Hong Kong who find themselves taking on pirates. Chan has hyphenated action comedy with just about every genre there is, and this is where he did so with swashbuckling adventure. This period piece is more about stunt work than fights, but boy does "Project A" deliver on the stunt work.
Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao
Jackie Chan
1983
PG-13
105 minutes
Rent or purchase through Apple TV+
Golden Harvest
It's impossible to discuss "Armour of God" without mentioning the scene that almost put an end to Jackie Chan's stunt career: After hitting his head on a rock during a fall, a bone fragment from his skull entered his brain, leading to emergency life-saving surgery. That isn't just a footnote in an otherwise forgettable Jackie Chan movie — "Armour of God" is an excellent film that's essentially his answer to Indiana Jones.
Here, Chan plays a globe-trotting spelunker looking for ancient treasures. The titular armor consists of five different pieces that are all wanted by a dangerous cult. They force Chan's character into tracking down the armor after kidnapping the girlfriend of a former associate. We get dangerous heists, exciting set pieces, and incredible fight scenes, all of which come together to form a film that sees Chan at the height of his powers.
Jackie Chan, Alan Tam, Lola Forner
Jackie Chan, Eric Tsang
1986
R
98 minutes
Golden Harvest
Most action stars wouldn't have had the nerve to try and top a movie as unique and groundbreaking as "Drunken Master." Jackie Chan isn't most action stars — although it did take him a whopping 16 years to work up the ambition to tackle "Drunken Master II," later released in the U.S. as "Legend of Drunken Master." In those 16 years he released the first four "Police Story" movies and was just beginning to prep the franchise's first major reboot.
Essentially, "Drunken Master II" is "Drunken Master" but bigger, better, funnier, and most importantly, more polished. It's the only martial arts movie to make Time Magazine's 100 best movies of all time list, and the only one on the BFI's list of the 10 greatest action movies. The story involves a missing Imperial Seal that the British consul is trying to smuggle out of China.
Jackie Chan, Anita Mui, Ti Lung
Lau Kar-Leung
1994
R
102 minutes
Rent or purchase through Apple TV+
Golden Harvest
In Jackie Chan's career, one movie stands above the rest — the first installment of the franchise that has already been heavily represented throughout this list. "Police Story" announced that Chan was finally ready for the big leagues, not just as a martial arts actor but as a big time action hero, period. It showcased everything that would become staples of Chan's work, with the funny and the serious coming in at nearly equal measure, and ditto for the small scale fight scenes with large scale stunt work.
It also kicked off the tradition of "one big stunt" that Chan would do for every movie after this. Here, he slides down a pole of lights at a shopping mall (suffering serious burns in the process). Sure, he's had bigger fights, more dangerous stunts, tighter scripts, and more polished acting, but none of it has ever quite come together in the way it did on "Police Story."
Jackie Chan, Brigitte Lin, Maggie Cheung
Jackie Chan
1985
PG-13
Runtime: 100 minutes
Where to watch: HBO Max
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