Chinese-American actor Donnie Yen holds a special place in global cinema as an action star. Proficient in a number of different martial art styles, he is counted among the top action heroes of Asia — in the same league as Jet Li and Jackie Chan. Inspired during childhood by Bruce Lee, per Yahoo, Yen has followed in the same footsteps and become a revered actor and action choreographer both in Hollywood and Asian cinema. He has firmly cemented his name in Hollywood and global cinema playing the role of martial arts legend Ip Man across four movies in the eponymous franchise. His films have had a far-reaching impact in the martial arts culture of China, popularizing MMA and the Wing Chun style.
Expert knowledge in diverse martial arts combined with commendable acting skills have made him a valuable commodity for the hottest titles in Hollywood, where he has portrayed varied roles from hero to villain. Some of his most notable Hollywood roles include in the Star Wars film Rogue One as well as the live-action Mulan. His appearance in the upcoming John Wick 4 has also been highly anticipated by fans. While we await its release, here are the eight best Donnie Yen movies, ranked.
8 Asian Cop: High Voltage
Asian Cop: High Voltage features Yen as the leading character Chiang Ho-Wah, an unhinged cop with a serious disregard for rules. During an assignment to recover a witness from the Philippines, he realizes that the criminal witness is in fact his wife’s killer. High Voltage isn’t a movie to be watched for the story, and is ripe with clichés, but its breakneck pace and relentless action sequences make for an entertaining watch. This film is completely held up by the charm and confidence of Yen, making for an entertaining watch despite all its shortcomings.
7 Iron Monkey
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Iron Monkey is a classic kung fu film from the year 1993, and features a rare masked hero in the kung fu cinema of the time. Yen stars as the historic Chinese martial artist and physician Wong Fei-hung. He appears in the film alongside Yu Rongguang as the titular Iron Monkey, China’s equivalent of Robin Hood. Upon its release in the United States, the film earned widespread praise for its superior action sequences. In 2010, Iron Monkey made it to #99 in Empire magazine’s 100 Best Films Of World Cinema list.
6 Flash Point
Yen has played quite a few cop roles over the course of his 35-year career, and Flash Point is one of his most memorable. He appears in the role of touch Detective Sergeant Ma Jun in pursuit of a dangerous gang led by three brothers. The movie was directed by Yen’s longtime collaborator Wilson Yip, while Yen himself was producer and fight director. He applied an elaborate form of mixed martial arts for the action choreography, resulting in some memorable action sequences.
5 New Dragon Gate Inn
New Dragon Gate Inn is a remake of the 1967 film Dragon Gate Inn. Set in a period era with picturesque landscapes and elaborate sword fights, this movie is a good example of a classic wuxia film. Yen is the chief antagonist, Tsao Siu-yan, a ruthless Ming administrator who relentlessly pursues and kills his opposition. A majority of the film’s runtime takes place in the titular Dragon Gate, where leading characters played by Tony Leung, Brigitte Lin, and Maggie Cheung defend themselves against a seige. Although Yen has a relatively short screen-time in his role as Tsao Siu-yan, he slips into the character of the brutal tyrant with surprising ease.
4 Once Upon a Time in China II
Once Upon a Time in China II is considered Yen's breakthrough role, winning him the Hong King Film Award for Best Supporting Actor. He plays the chief antagonist in the movie, a government official named Nap-lan. Yen stars opposite Jet Li, who plays folk hero Wong Fei-hung. The film places Li’s character as the savior to a group of government revolutionaries, while Yen’s character seeks them out at every turn. The duo of Yen and Li is quite striking, and they have offered some amazing fight sequences in this movie.
3 Ip Man
Ip Man may well be considered the definitive Yen movie for international audiences. The very first movie in the series won the Hong Kong Film Awards for Best Film and Best Action Choreography. The movie is set during the Second Sino-Japanese War, where Yen’s titular Ip Man is pulled into a rivalry with General Miura, a Japanese militaryman and martial artist. The movie also features a brief look at Ip Man’s protégé Bruce Lee, played by Stephen Chow.
2 Hero
The 2002 film Hero is among the most respected wuxia films. It combines stunning visuals and an awe-inspiring soundtrack, and was nominated for the Academy Award for the Best Foreign-Language Film. Robert Ebert even wrote that the film “transcends the martial arts genre”. Yen appears in this film as Long Sky, one of three different master assassins killed by Jet Li’s nameless character. Li is said to have specially requested Yen for this role after working together with him in Once Upon A Time In China II.
1 Raging Fire
Raging Fire is a much more recent film, directed by renowned action filmmaker Benny Chan. Yen stars in the film as Cheung Sung-bong, a righteous cop. This movie is centered around two arch-rivals, Cheung and his former protege-turned-criminal Yau, who is played by Nicholas Tse. The film features intense, adrenaline-pumping action scenes set in exciting locations. One amazing scene follows Cheung as he enters a gangsters’ den alone to capture one man. The tension and thrill is almost palpable in many scenes such as this.