If we are to be truthful, the 2000s were the best time for martial arts films. Both the East and the West were engaged in a pyrotechnic-style clash that went on for the entire decade, with the old wire-fu-vintage fights’ elegance merging perfectly with the hard-bodied, bone-shattering reality. Not only were stars like Jet Li, Donnie Yen, Michelle Yeoh, and Tony Jaa ruling the Asian cinema-scape, but they were also revolutionizing global action. The 2000s were your era if you were either admiring magnificent wuxia epics or indulging yourself in the gritty fight scenes. Of course, this is a very late decade-end countdown of the best martial arts movies—their own way of changing the game.
10. The Transporting (2002)
With The Transporter, a classy combination of martial arts precision and the frenetic car chase, Jason Statham literally entrance-bottled his way into celebrity. As the ex–special forces delivery man Frank Martin, Statham brought a fresh Western action hero that was not only stylistically cool but downright effective too. Working with fight choreographer Corey Yuen, this film set the standard for the slick, innovative fight sequences that keep getting noticed years on.
9. Fearless (2006)
In his bravest move, Jet Li’s Fearless was his goodbye statement to conventional kung fu flicks. It is a biopic of Huo Yuanjia, a Chinese martial artist who turns legend through feats of both strength and humility. Director Ronny Yu and choreographer Yuen Woo-ping made the world their stage for martial arts that looked as good as they felt. A love letter not just to the martial arts genre but to the philosophy that lies at its core, made by Jet Li.
8. Kung Fu Hustle (2004)
The Kung Fu Hustle by Stephen Chow represents the most delightful chaos of the cinema world. It is an imperfect but hilarious martial arts film that made one laugh at the same time it seemed to fascinate by its absurdity. Chow’s crazy imagination, coupled with perfect choreography, makes for a film that teases the genre even as it adores it. The Axe Gang fight scene on its own is one of the most delirious and entertaining set pieces of the decade.
7. The Protector (2005)
Tony Jaa solidified his legend with The Protector (Tom-Yum-Goong), demonstrating the unbridled, bone-crunching strength of Muay Thai. Its stairwell brawl, which takes place in one unbroken take and involves Jaa fighting dozens of foes without a single cut, is one of the most astounding action sequences ever captured on film. With little CGI and no double, Jaa demonstrated that realism could once again tantalize contemporary audiences.
6. Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003)
Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill: Volume 1 literally is a shout-out to the kung fu pictures of the past—all a little over-the-top and all a little gory. “The Bride,” as Uma Thurman’s character was called, killed no less than a dozen assassins, with a sort of surgical yet balletic precision, hence, the combination of stylized violence and living up to her movie star mother quality. Thanks to Yuen Woo-ping’s choreography, the incident scene from the movie Kill Bill: Volume 1, House of Blue Leaves fight instantly turned into one of the best, both aesthetically and technically.
5. Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior (2003)
That was before The Protecto, when Tony Jaa became internationally known with Ong-Bak. Instead of wires and CGI, the film committed to pure, unfiltered violence where every punch, kick, and somersault was real. Jaa’s death-defying stunt work completely changed the action movie formula, giving the audience a raw, brutal, but realistic experience that Hollywood hadn’t done for years. Ong-Bak put a spotlight again on the authenticity of martial arts all over the world.
4. Ip Man (2008)
Donnie Yen as Wing Chun master Ip Man, who started the whole Ip Man series saga and flew straight to worldwide recognition. The plot is both historical and a showcase for awe-inspiring fight choreography directed by Sammo Hung and Tony Leung Siu-hung, telling of Japan’s cruel invasion of China. The scene of Ip Man fighting ten opponents at once is still considered one of the most impressive action scenes of the decade is the moment the filmmaker decides to show it.
3. House of Flying Daggers (2004)
Zhang Yimou’s House of Flying Daggers is a moisturized, romantic wuxia classic. Each shot gives the impression of a paintingcharacters are wearing flowing silks, engaging in eye-catching fights, and crying because they love or hate. Even the bamboo forest battle staves off the poetic and the violent aspects of the film to form the ideal symbiosis of the two, the hallmark of the finest martial arts films. A story where love and fight are perfect allies.
2. Hero (2002)
Before The House of Flying Daggers, Zhang Yimou came out with Hero, a visually awe-inspiring piece about honor, sacrifice, and truth versus lies. Along with Jet Li, the movie features various martial arts legends and uses color and camera shots as a way of differentiating the narratives. The fight between Jet Li and Donnie Yen is still considered to be one of the most amazing and haunting fights ever captured on camera.
1. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
Nothing really separates Lee Ang’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon from the category of martial arts films, yet the film is indeed a landmark one. The traditionally sentimental storytelling was combined with mind-blowing wire-fu choreography, and the film was able to bridge style, race, and culture as a result, gaining worldwide recognition and firmly establishing the new face of wuxia in the international spotlight.
The 2000s weren’t merely a heavily fortified period in martial arts—they represented a change of guard. These movies were not how action used to be—effortless, tear-jerking, and memorable— Tony Jaa and his raw energy on one side and Zhang Yimou and his aesthetically pleasing visuals on the other. So if you want to experience again the cinema that revolutionized fights, this top ten list is just the perfect starting point.