Jet Li has spearheaded a wide variety of martial arts movie series over the course of his distinguished career, though some fare better than others in a critical eye.Born Li Lianjie, Jet Li has become known as one of the most iconic martial arts movie stars of all time thanks to his impressive career spanning a whopping 40 years of distinguished hand-to-hand combat in cinema. Proficient in a variety of traditional kung fu weaponry as well as his bare fists, Li’s mastery of a wide variety of martial arts forms has made him a formidable focal point for many films.
Many of Jet Li’s most prolific films are one-offs, from the semi-biographical Fearless to the pulse-pounding The Bodyguard in Beijing, known in the United States as The Defender. However, he’s particularly great as the spearhead of a franchise, as has been seen many times throughout his career. Sadly, Li is often included in only a single entry of multiple film series, but his roles are easily the best part of many of them, making it safe to note them as “Jet Li” franchises even if he’s only in one third of a trilogy.
5
The Tai Chi Master Duology
Started Strong, But Switched Up Too Dramatically
It says a lot that even the weakest of the Jet Li-led series still have so much to enjoy about them. Tai Chi Master utilizes just how versatile Jet Li’s arsenal of martial arts forms is by positing him as Zoeng Gwanbou, a famous Toaist and the supposed creator of tai chi. The film examines the martial arts origins as Gwanbou enters a tragic best-friends-to-enemies arc with his close comrade Tienbou, an aggressive and power-hungry martial artist eager to ascend the ranks of the military by any means necessary.
The original Tai Chi Master is a solid enough entry in Jet Li’s catalog. While tai chi may be better known as a gentle, graceful form of exercise used by senior citizens in parks, Li makes it look like the most powerful fighting style ever conceived. Sadly, the sequel, Tai Chi Boxer, loses a lot by switching Jet Li for Jacky Wu, angling itself as more of a romantic comedy. Tai Chi Boxer isn’t terrible by any means, but nonessential enough to drag down the weighted average of the Tai Chi Master duology far below the standard for Li’s best.
4
The Shaolin Temple Trilogy
A Disconnected Handful Of Different Tales
Often cited as one of Jet Li’s finest accomplishments, 1982’s Shaolin Temple was groundbreaking in many ways, being one of the first major co-productions between Hong Kong and China as well as the first of many shaolin kung fu films to actually be shot on-location in a real shaolin monastery. However, arguably the film’s most important “first” is the fact that it was actually Jet Li’s debut role, starring him as a former rebel who becomes a shaolin monk, struggling to balance his sense of morality with his newfound vows.
The original Shaolin Temple is still one of Li’s best, though his greenness as a performer (though certainly not as a martial artist) does shine through in a few places. Li returned for the sequel, Shaolin Temple 2: Kids from Shaolin, though confusingly as a new character. The film is a sequel in name only, having nothing in common with its predecessor save for also taking place in a shaolin temple. The simple, more playful and kid-oriented tale weaves a more generic yarn about rival families banding together against bandits.
Yet another name-only sequel starring Li as a new character released in 1986 with Martial Art of Shaolin, officially making for a trilogy. This film offers a far more compelling plot starring Li as a rebellious monk who secretly plots to assassinate a tyrannical magistrate responsible for killing his family. Each installment of the trilogy works on its own, but as a cohesive whole, they truly don’t feel like a proper series. As great of a star as Shaolin Temple made out of Li, it’s still rough around the edges.
3
The Fist Of Legend “Series”
If It Can Even Be Called One
Remaking the beloved 1972 Bruce Lee film Fist of Fury is a daunting task for even the most confident of martial arts stars, but Jet Li was somehow able to pull it off in Fist of Legend. Here, Li takes up the mantle of Bruce Lee’s famous character Chen Zhen, a ferocious fighter embodying Lee’s philosophy and skills. Once again, Zhen sets out for revenge after his master is murdered by a Japanese karateka. Fist of Legend is a worthy adaptation of such an iconic story, offering enough of its own style to stand out as one of Li’s best.
Fist of Legend does actually have an unofficial sequel in Fist of Legend 2: Iron Bodyguard, a bizarre cash-grab using the brand recognition of the title to rake in some quick cash. Hilariously enough, the film features a Jet Li imitator (hilariously named “Jet Le” in some credits) fighting a Jean-Claude Van Damme imitator. The sorry excuse for a kung fu film is mostly recycled footage from 1974’s The Bodyguard, single-handedly dragging down the esteemed value of the Fist of Legend name to plop the “series” square in the center of Jet Li’s legacy.
2
The Fong Sai-yuk Duology
Lovably Chaotic And Sprawling
Another of Jet Li’s better-known star vehicles, Fong Sai-yuk is an award-winning masterpiece that proved Jet Li’s relevance would endure into the next decade and beyond. Li stars as the titular folk hero, a popular icon in Chinese martial arts history said to be the legendary progenitor of the powerful kung fu style Hung Ga. Fong Sai-yuk has some of the best comedy of Jet Li’s career, with hilarious beats of dramatic irony and mistaken identity blended into the breathtaking choreography, only to switch gears in the final act and become a political thriller.
Fong Sai-yuk II expands on this sub-plot, seeing Fong and his mother officially join the ranks of the Red Flower Society in hopes of overthrowing the Qing Dynasty. The sequel doubles down on complex political intrigue while almost outdoing its predecessor at points with its action, having Jet Li fight off a mysterious wandering Japanese ronin and hordes of bad guys. Both Fong Sai-yuk films are perhaps a bit messy and bloated, but have a distinct charm to them, not to mention arguably some of Jet Li’s best fight scenes ever.
1
The Once Upon A Time In China Series
Perhaps The Pinnacle Of Jet Li’s Career
The only Jet Li-led series to expand beyond three films, the first Once Upon A Time in China is still auded as one of Li’s biggest triumphs for a good reason. Yet again, Li portrays a popular Chinese martial arts folk hero as Wong Fei-hung, also portrayed in many other significant movies such as Jackie Chan’s Drunken Master duology. In Once Upon a Time in China, Wong Fei-hung is tasked with protecting his school and clinic from gangsters while sorting out his feelings for the daughter of his father’s sworn brother.
Between its heartfelt human storyline and the sheer magic of its breathtaking stunts, Once Upon A Time in China isn’t just one of Jet Li’s best, but also one of the most important kung fu movies ever made. The franchise spawned from the first movie somehow never fails to exceed expectations, even if Li himself doesn’t return for the fourth and fifth entries. With such a strong start followed by an enduring legacy of five additional films, the Once Upon A Time in China series is handily Jet Li’s best.
