Jet Li is one of the most popular cinematic martial arts actors to hit the screens since the 1980s. He debuted as a Chinese actor in the movie Shaolin Temple (1982) and then starred as a villain in the film Deadly weapon 4 (1998). If you’ve been a long-time moviegoer, you must be familiar by now with his superlative martial arts skills.
Updated December 13, 2022: If you are a fan of the celebrated martial artist and his performances, you will be pleased to know that this article has been updated with additional content and movies.
At the age of 59, Jet Li is committed to charity work its One Foundation, which provides counseling services to victims of natural disasters and young people experiencing mental health problems. Over the years, Jet Li has featured in a long list of movies; now let’s take a look at some of his best gems.
11/11 Kiss of the Dragon (2001)
In Kiss of the Dragon, Jet Li attracts the attention of his audience with his almost emotionless face. Throughout the film, he stoically serves his fighting skills to dozens of bad guys. You barely notice him working up a sweat as he works his way through people’s faces and exudes that cool vibe. Chris Nahon, the director, delivers a slick and enjoyable movie by adding hip-hop music to match the pace of the action sequences.
The film is about Liu Jian (Li), a Chinese secret agent, who travels to Paris to help arrest a drug lord. Armored with good intentions, a corrupt detective, Jean-Pierre Richard, betrays him by framing him for the drug lord’s murder. The film then focuses on the story of Liu Jian who works with an American woman, who is forced into sex work, to strike back, stop Richard’s criminal efforts and clear his name.
10/11 The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008)
Jet Li is a versatile actor who performs convincingly as both villain and hero. In The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, he plays the role of a ruthless emperor who commands a vast army of fearless warriors. If you like movies with sorcery, ancient stones with immortal powers, tombs, mummies and evil warlords then this iteration of The mummy franchise is totally your thing.
The story begins with a long history of a mythical battle between good and evil in ancient China. Emperor Han, a power-hungry leader, conquered every kingdom in his path, slaying all who dared to resist his conquest. He was an emperor who had everything, but he still wanted more. What more does he want? The power to cheat death. Cursed by a cunning and beautiful sorceress, the emperor and his army were buried in clay. Imagine a mad emperor, mummified for millennia, trying to come back and enslave humanity; you don’t want to live at that moment.
9/11 Mulan (2020)
Jet Li has a thing for being an emperor in movies. In Mulan, he also plays a royal emperor, calling on each family to provide one man to fight the invaders – the Rouran army. Lots of fans watching Mulan stated that Jet Li looked frail in the film, raising concerns about his health. Ironically, that’s far from the truth. He seemed strong, wise and resolute in his role.
According to USA todaySteven Chasman, Li’s manager, sent out a statement: “We appreciate everyone’s concern. But Jet is completely fine. There is nothing wrong with him. There is no life-threatening illness. He is in excellent shape.” Mulan is a live-action remake of the animated version. The only reason Li took the role in the movie is because his daughters loved the original movie.
8/11 Romeo Must Die (2000)
Just reading the headline instantly tunes you into Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. In Romeo must die, Romeo is played by Jet Li and Juliet is played by the late hip-hop sensation Aaliyah, whose death was a major blow to the entertainment industry. In this film, Li plays an ex-cop who investigates the murder of his brother, who was in bed with the Chinese mafia. Aaliyah, on the other hand, is the daughter of a black American mafia boss.
The tension that erupts when both camps intersect creates thrilling fights in clubs, explosions in barbershops and, in the midst of it all, love between Romeo and Juliet as they both work together to find his brother’s killer. If you are a fan of Aaliyah, her musical soundtrack in the film will bring back great memories of her performances.
7/11 War (2007)
If you’re looking for a movie that deserves a beer, check it out War. Every movie starring Jason Statham and Jet Li exudes argument and aggression. Li and Statham have appeared in other movies such as The expendables and The one.
In War, both stars are on opposite sides, where Jet Li is an assassin and Statham is an FBI agent. Fans of Li will be in awe at age 47 with his fluid fighting skills with swords and guns, and we all know that Statham never disappoints. The film has a storyline that creates intrigue and suspense along with a delightful plot twist.
6/11 The Forbidden Kingdom (2008)
How cool would it be to discover an ancient golden staff in a pawn shop? In The Forbidden Kingdom, Jason discovers a staff that magically takes him to ancient China. As fate would tell, the only way he would travel back to his time would be after successfully freeing the legendary warrior, the Monkey King (Jet Li). Guess who stars in this movie alongside Jet Li? Jackie Chan.
The perfect combination of the two martial arts masters is an entertainment success that sparks throughout the film; no wonder the movie performed well in theaters. While some fans would have preferred to see the two talents in their prime, the film still delivers the best of both actors.
5/11 Once upon a time in China (1991)
Jet Li helped launch a lucrative and critically acclaimed film franchise featuring the Hong Kong hit Long ago in China, in which he portrayed folk hero and legendary martial artist Wong Fei-hung as he fights to protect his local militia and school from invading forces in 19th century China. The thrilling series features an excellent performance by Li, who brilliantly embodies the holy master Fei-hung and skillfully demonstrates his physical prowess as he takes on dangerous outsiders for the sake of his country. Long ago in China went on to revive the period martial arts subgenre popular in the ’90s and was the first of six action-packed films, starring Li in four leads.
4/11 Hero (2002)
The complicated history surrounding the Warring States period that was rampant in ancient China and the 2002 assassination attempt on the country’s first emperor, the King of Qin Hero revolves around the skilled assassin sent to take out the leader just before the unification of China. Jet Li stars as Nameless, a Qin prefect who initially conspires to eliminate the emperor, but eventually realizes that peace in his land is more important; Nameless then battles to protect the King of Qin from deadly assassins.
Hero was a critical and commercial success, earning both an Academy Award and a Golden Globe nomination and winning seven Hong Kong Film Awards. In his glowing review of the stunning photo, Roger Ebert was delighted that it “demonstrates how the martial arts genre transcends action and violence and transitions into poetry, ballet and philosophy.”
3/11 Fearless (2006)
The story in the movie Fearless is about instilling virtues in a young soul. We are familiar with the saying, “Pride comes before a fall”; this is something that Huo Yuanjia (Jet Li) experiences once his family is killed as a result of his foolish actions. As he wallows over his loss, Huo is showered with love, compassion, and other essential philosophical virtues that prompt him to reform his ways and return to his hometown to serve others. The film revolves largely on violence, but closes with a strong moral lesson.
2/11 The Bodyguard from Beijing (1994)
Originally baptized Bodyguard from Beijingthe film was later renamed The defender for the US market. Jet Li plays Allan Hui Ching-Yeung, an elite security expert hired by a wealthy Hong Kong businessman to protect his beautiful maid Michelle Leung, the only living witness to a murder committed by Triad gangsters. Michelle, who is adamant about the 24/7 protection of the bodyguard, grows fond of him and they are attracted to each other. The obvious but dangerous love interest is never extinguished and the story ends on a clever but ambiguous note. The audience wonders, “What if he stayed?”
1/11 Fist of Legend (1994)
Fist of legend is a classic martial arts movie with neck-breaking fight scenes and the infusion of an emotional story. The fictional character Chen Zhen was first played by Bruce Lee in The Chinese connection. Since then, many movies and TV series have adopted this character. While no one can top Bruce Lee, Jet Li comes close. Paying homage to the legendary Bruce Lee, the fighting is pure in this movie, with the star taking down the opponent in the most efficient way possible. The fist of legend is a story about Chen Zhen, who learns about his master’s death in a brawl. After realizing his master was poisoned, he goes after the Japanese and the aftermath creates dynamic battle scenes.
When the Wachowskis watched Fist of legendthey had to contact Yuen Woo-Ping, the film’s martial arts choreographer, to get all the martial arts fight scenes in The Matrix.