If you are a movie fan who loves watching action movies that feature wushu, you're probably already familiar with this actor. Known as his stage name Jet Li, the actor whose full name is Li Lianjie, was born on April 26, 1963 in Beijing. He began his career as an international wushu champion. Not only representing his country through wushu, he also managed to popularize the traditional martial arts through several films that he starred in. His movies usually end up becoming a hit, making him one of Hong Kong's most successful action actors. Thanks to his works, he managed to quickly capture the hearts of film fans and become one of the most renowned wushu actors. Here are some of the best films starring Jet Li that you should not miss. Without further ado, let's get into it.

1. Shaolin Temple (1982)

Jet Li made his debut in this movie, which also helped rise him into popularity as well as Hong Kong-produced movies. Shaolin Temple became the first successful film to be allowed to shoot in China. This film introduces a lot about shaolin martial arts, from the training methods to the shaolin moves. The film also propelled Jet Li's name in the movie industry, which was followed by the release of many subsequent shaolin movies.

2. Swordsman II (1992)

In this film, Jet Li plays Linghu Chong, one of the most senior members of the Mount Hua sect. This time, Jet Li managed to play his role as well as show off his wushu skills using a sword as his main self-defense tool. Despite this being Jet Li's second film, this movie won Best Costume Make-Up Design at the Hong Kong Film Awards. The film is an adaptation of Louis Cha's novel The Smiling, Proud Wanderer. This film also has a trilogy that begins with The Swordsman (1990) and ends with The East Is Red (1993).

3. Once Upon a Time in China II (1992)

The sequel to the first film, which was quite successful in 1991, managed to win many awards at the Hong Kong Film Awards. In Indonesia, this film is better known as Kung Fu Master. The film features Jet Li as a folk hero named Wong Fei Hung in his effort of fighting against injustice during the Qing Dynasty. Thanks to this film, the character Wong Fei Hung became so attached to him, and helped popularize him even more. The fight scenes in this film are also very well-coreographed.

4. The Legend (1993)

Besides playing the hero Wong Fei Hung, Jet Li has also played another hero, Fong Sai Yuk. This film is also known as King of Kung Fu in Indonesia. Even though the movie emphasizes more on the comedic elements, Jet Li's martial arts abilities still managed to become the main appeal. The film also won awards at the Hong Kong Film Awards and the Golden Horse Awards for Best Action Choreography.

5. Tai Chi Master (1993)

In this film, Jet Li collaborated with Michelle Yeoh. This legendary martial arts movie focuses on betrayal and how to regain one's lost confidence. Because of his talent in wushu, Jet Li managed to play his role well in this film through his moves and stunts in this action movie. He took the role of Zhang Sanfeng, a legendary Taoist figure who is said to have lived up to 307 years, and became the one who witnessed many changes of dynastic leaders in China.

6. Fist of Legend (1994)

This film is a remake of the classic 1972 film, Fist of Fury. This movie tells the story of a Chinese character, Master Fok Yue Gap, the founder of the Jing Wu martial arts school who is considered a threat to the Japanese. Jet Li plays Chen Zhen, a martial arts student who wants to take revenge on the Japanese invaders for the death of his teacher. In this film, the martial arts scene is directed by Yuen Woo Ping and features the use of kung fu moves that were the typical of Bruce Lee.

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7. Lethal Weapon 4 (1998)

This film is one of the films that made Jet Li's name in Hollywood. It follows the chaos that arises when the chairman of the Chinese mafia, Wah Sing Ku (Jet Li) demands revenge against the two of the main characters. Wah Sing Ku does not target them directly, but targets their families. The film is directed by Jackie Chan and stars Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, and Jet Li.

8. Hero (2002)

After playing in several Hollywood and French films, Jet Li returned with another martial arts movie. This martial arts film focuses on an attempted assassination of King Qin in 227 BC by legendary warriors who seek revenge for conquering their country. Interestingly, in this movie, Jet Li is given an unnamed role. So, in the credits, you can see that he plays a Nameless character. This film is also known for its high production costs as well as its success in the history of Chinese cinema.

9. Unleashed (2005)

This movie is a product of a collaboration between England and France, and was directed by Louis Leterrier. It tells a fairly dark story. In this film, Jet Li plays Danny, a young man who lives on the streets until he gets adopted by Bart. But as he grows up, he becomes more of a guard dog who wears a chain, becoming the slave of a mafia boss. You can watch how Danny escapes from slavery in this 1 hour 43 minute film.

10. Fearless (2006)

This film is a biopic starring Jet Li. It's based on the life story of Huo Yuanjia, a legendary Chinese martial artist who dares to challenge foreign fighters in public matches in front of hundreds of people. The film, which was directed by Ronny Yu, allowed Jet Li to play a figure that he highly-respected, which he claims to be his biggest achievement. Jet Li even said he intended to retire from classic martial arts films after playing this role.

11. The Warlords (2007)

This film successfully brought together Jet Li, Andy Lau and Takeshi Kaneshiro, set in the era of the end of the Qing Dynasty. This film is about the struggle of three brothers during the Taiping rebellion. The three of them take a blood oath, which, unfortunately, ends tragically for all three of them. The success of this film also managed to bring home several awards, such as at the Hong Kong Film Awards, this film won Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor for Jet Li, Best Cinematography, Best Art Director, Best Costume and Make-up. Up Design, Best Sound Design and Best Visual Effects.

12. The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008)

This film, starring Jet Li, tells the story of a Chinese emperor who is obsessed with immortality. Instead, he's inflicted with a curse. Once he rises from the curse, he tries to enslave the world. In this film, Jet Li plays the main character, Emperor Han. The film, directed by Rob Cohen, has a duration of 112 minutes and was released in 2008.

13. Ocean Heaven (2010)

An unlikely movie for Jet Li, in this one, you will not see him displaying his martial arts skills. This film is dedicated to people with autism with a touching drama and it conveys a positive moral message. Jet Li plays a father of an autistic boy who works at an aquarium. The film is a poignant one. It shows a father-son relationship, which Jet Li himself does not know much about since his father passed away when he was 2 years old.

14. The Expendables (2010)

Directed by Sylvester Stallone, this movie is a sequel to the 2010 film. It follows a group of elite mercenaries sent to the Gulf of Eden to complete a rescue mission to save hostages from Somali Pirates. The shootout scenes between elite soldiers and Somali pirates are very entertaining to watch. But unfortunately, these elite soldiers do not get along really well as some of them even underestimated Yang the martial artist.

15. Mulan (2020)

Directed by Niki Caro, this movie was quite successful in 2020. It tells the story of Hua Mulan, a woman who has a strong fascination towards martial arts. One day, she secretly replaces her father to fight with the royal army. In this film, Jet Li plays the emperor. Apart from Jet Li, this movie also stars other well-known actors such as Liu Yifei, Donnie Yen, Yoson An, Jason Scott Lee, Ron Yuan, Tzi Ma, Doua Moua, Jimmy Wong, and Gong Li.

So, those were the 15 best and most popular Jet Li movies that you should watch if you’re a fan of the legendary action movie star. Stick around for more anime and gaming info, and make sure to follow Dunia Games on Facebook and Instagram for the latest updates. You can also buy vouchers for various games, such as Mobile Legends, Free Fire, and Call of Duty Mobile, at lower prices by making your top-ups at Dunia Games!

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