Favorite fight films (boxing not included)
Indeed, I excluded only the extremely awful movies. There are a few bad films which I also included in this list.
I excluded movies about boxing here, because they are too many! I also made a whole list only for boxing movies.
I'd like to add Brazilian documentary "Fábio Leão: do crime ao ringue" to this list; I'd give it a 6/10.
I excluded movies about boxing here, because they are too many! I also made a whole list only for boxing movies.
I'd like to add Brazilian documentary "Fábio Leão: do crime ao ringue" to this list; I'd give it a 6/10.
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- DirectorJoão Daniel TikhomiroffStarsAílton CarmoJéssica BarbosaFlávio RochaBased on the life of a legendary capoeira fighter from Bahia, "Besouro" spins a fantastic tale of a young Brazilian man of African descent in search of his mission.
- DirectorJohn G. AvildsenStarsRalph MacchioPat MoritaElisabeth ShueA martial arts master agrees to teach karate to a bullied teenager.
- DirectorDavid FincherStarsBrad PittEdward NortonMeat LoafAn insomniac office worker and a devil-may-care soap maker form an underground fight club that evolves into much more.
- DirectorChristopher NolanStarsChristian BaleMichael CaineKen WatanabeAfter witnessing his parents' death, Bruce learns the art of fighting to confront injustice. When he returns to Gotham as Batman, he must stop a secret society that intends to destroy the city.
- DirectorGeorges MélièsStarsJehanne d'AlcyGeorges MélièsRight in front of our very eyes, two attractive and feminine women metamorphose into two professional wrestlers who begin a no-holds-barred wrestling match.Absolutely brilliant, the very best of genius Méliès. Watch it here: https://youtu.be/S6GtYNEdYfQ
- DirectorNelson Pereira dos SantosStarsGrande OteloJulien GuiomarCharles BaianoJubiabá is a French-Brazilian film based on the homonym novel by Jorge Amado. The film tells the story of the interracial love between the daughter of a rich Commander and Antonio Balduíno, a rascal, fighter and famous lover from Salvador.Besides boxing, there are both capoeira and circus stage combat.
- DirectorMariam JobraniThe Fighting Cholitas is a documentary short about a group of bold and fierce female Bolivian wrestlers. These indigenous Indian women jump into the ring every Sunday in their traditional vibrant mulitlayered skirts and perform the acrobatic maneuvers of Lucha Libre (a blend of Mexican and American professional wrestling). The Fighting Cholitas documents this weekly fight and goes behind the scenes to find out who these women are and what draws them to this unusual sport.
- DirectorMark OsborneJohn StevensonStarsJack BlackIan McShaneAngelina JolieTo everyone's surprise, including his own, Po, an overweight, clumsy panda, is chosen as protector of the Valley of Peace. His suitability will soon be tested as the valley's arch-enemy is on his way.
- DirectorJack KinneyStarsJohn McLeishClarence NashGoofy takes a lighthearted look at self defense through the ages: cavemen, knights, the age of chivalry, and finally boxing.Half is about boxing, half is about other fights.
- DirectorDarren AronofskyStarsMickey RourkeMarisa TomeiEvan Rachel WoodA faded professional wrestler must retire, but finds his quest for a new life outside the ring a dispiriting struggle.
- DirectorEdward ZwickStarsTom CruiseKen WatanabeBilly ConnollyIn 19th century Japan, Nathan Algren, a US army captain, is hired by the Japanese emperor to train his army in the modern warfare techniques. Captain Algren finds himself trapped in a struggle between two eras and two worlds.
- DirectorLexi AlexanderStarsElijah WoodCharlie HunnamClaire ForlaniA wrongfully expelled Harvard undergrad moves to London, where he is introduced to the violent underworld of football hooliganism.
- DirectorNewt ArnoldStarsJean-Claude Van DammeDonald GibbLeah Ayres"Bloodsport" follows Frank Dux, an American martial artist serving in the military, who decides to leave the army to compete in a martial arts tournament in Hong Kong where fights to the death can occur.It is by far the best of Van Damme's films.
- DirectorDavid SandbergStarsDavid SandbergJorma TacconeSteven ChewIn 1985, Kung Fury, the toughest martial artist cop in Miami, goes back in time to kill the worst criminal of all time - Kung Führer, a.k.a. Adolf Hitler.
- DirectorÁlvaro BrechnerStarsGary PiquerJouko AholaAntonella CostaA flamboyant impresario and an ageing ex-wrestling champion arrive in a small town, offering a hefty award to the local challenger. In fact, the promoter wants to rinse the spectators for every penny. But, is this a good day to go fishing?
- DirectorOlivia NewmanStarsElvire EmanuelleYahya Abdul-Mateen IIColman DomingoHardened by years in foster care, a teenage girl from Brooklyn's Brownsville neighborhood decides that joining the boys' wrestling team is the only way back to her estranged father.
- DirectorHakan YonatStarsBelçim BilginIbrahim CelikkolKerem CanA former boxer falls in love with a blind woman and starts to build a new life, but his dark past returns to endanger them both.The main male character is a boxer. However, the fight that takes place is not boxing, but an illegal one in which every blow is allowed and that only ends after a knock-out or a death.
- DirectorJason HehirStarsArnold SchwarzeneggerCary ElwesRobin WrightA look at the life and career of professional wrestler André Roussimoff, who gained notoriety in the 1980s as Andre the Giant.
- DirectorYoon Jong-binStarsHa Jung-wooGang Dong-wonLee Sung-minA period action film centered on a militia group who turn against an unjust nobility.
- DirectorJohn G. AvildsenStarsRalph MacchioPat MoritaRobyn LivelyOstracised villain John Kreese attempts to gain revenge on Daniel and Miyagi, with the help of a Vietnam War comrade, the wealthy owner of a toxic waste disposal business.
- DirectorJohn G. AvildsenStarsPat MoritaRalph MacchioPat E. JohnsonDaniel accompanies his mentor, Mr. Miyagi, to Miyagi's childhood home in Okinawa. Miyagi visits his dying father and confronts his old rival, while Daniel falls in love and inadvertently makes a new rival of his own.
- CreatorSam ReichHarunobu ImagawaHiyashi KuramotoStarsMike FassSean T. KrishnanLuis de AmechazurraTen years after the second Street Fighter tournament, the Street Fighters decide to reorganize and fight once more.
- DirectorPaulin VieyraStarsOusmane SembeneA documentary that captures the sport of traditional wrestling, called 'lamb' in Wolof, popular in Senegal.
- DirectorBrett HarveyStarsJay BaruchelChris CheliosBrett HullOn-ice enforcers struggle to rise through the professional ranks of the world's most prestigious hockey league, only to be confronted with a new found fight for the existence of the role itself.
- DirectorKarim AïnouzStarsLázaro RamosMarcelia CartaxoFlavio BauraquiLoose portrait of João Francisco dos Santos, also known as Madame Satã, a sometime chef, transvestite, lover, father, hero and convict from Rio de Janeiro.
- 2018– 41m7.1 (68)TV EpisodeDirectorPadraic McKinleyStarsFrank GrilloGrillo - along with countless passionate fans - gets caught up in the pageantry as two highly respected Senegalese wrestlers prepare to battle.In spite of not showing how the main fight finished (what is indeed an anti-climax), it was a nice documentary, the best episode of quite irregular Fightworld series. As a matter of fact, the least the arrogant and full of prejudices host Frank Grillo appears, makes stupid analisys and disturbs the documentary, the better it is. Cinematography, as in all episodes, has high quality.
By the way, the end of the main fight may be watched here: https://youtu.be/A5sZyv8_qE8 - DirectorBao NguyenStarsKareem Abdul-JabbarMuhammad AliLinda Lee CadwellRejected by Hollywood, Bruce Lee returned to Hong Kong to complete four films. Charting his struggles in two worlds, Be Water explores questions of identity and representation through rare archive, intimate interviews, and his writings.
- StarsTogo IgawaChristian HowardMike MohStreet Fighter: Assassin's Fist takes us back to the formative years of the iconic characters, Ryu and Ken, as they live a traditional warrior's life in the secluded mountain wilderness of Japan.
- DirectorKevin DonovanStarsJackie ChanJennifer Love HewittJason IsaacsA hapless chauffeur must take a comatose Secret Agent's place using his special gadget-laden tuxedo.
- DirectorErnesto Díaz EspinozaStarsMarko ZarorMaría Elena SwettAriel MatelunaA club bouncer with a dark past and great fighting skills decides to become a superhero.
- DirectorJoey AnsahOwen TrevorStarsJoey AnsahJon FooChristian HowardRyu fights his old sparring partner Ken Masters.A Picture here: http://www.imdb.com/media/rm1546232320/nm2038226?ref_=nm_phs_md_5
- DirectorGeorge NolfiStarsBilly MagnussenYu XiaPhilip NgSet against the backdrop of 1960s San Francisco, BIRTH OF THE DRAGON is a modern take on the classic movies that Bruce Lee was known for. It takes its inspiration from the epic and still controversial showdown between an up-and-coming Bruce Lee and kung fu master Wong Jack Man - a battle that gave birth to a legend.
- DirectorMarc DourdinThe documentary tells the story of telecatch -or wrestling- in Brazil. With archive material, the movie rescues stories and characters from the sport's glory days, such as Achilles, Belo and Mr. Argentina. It also portrays the current scenario, with the top three teams: Gigantes do Ringue, Trupe do Trovão and BWF.
- DirectorFrank CoraciStarsKevin JamesSalma HayekHenry WinklerA high-school biology teacher looks to become a successful mixed martial arts fighter in an effort to raise money to prevent extracurricular activities from being axed at his cash-strapped school.
- DirectorStephen ChowStarsStephen ChowWah YuenQiu YuenIn Shanghai, China in the 1940s, a wannabe gangster aspires to join the notorious "Axe Gang" while residents of a housing complex exhibit extraordinary powers in defending their turf.
- DirectorFrank MillerStarsGabriel MachtSamuel L. JacksonScarlett JohanssonRookie cop Denny Colt returns from the beyond as The Spirit, a hero whose mission is to fight against the bad forces in Central City.Ultraviolent fights.
- DirectorSoi CheangStarsDonnie YenChow Yun-FatAaron KwokA monkey born from heavenly stone acquires supernatural powers and must battle the armies of both gods and demons to find his place in the heavens.Great part of the special effects are ridiculous (not all of them: you can see a nice Chinese dragon in the beginning!), but the major character, the monkey king Sun Wukong, is surprisingly nice, both in the makeup and in the convincing way Donnie Ken plays him.
- DirectorAndrew LauStarsDonnie YenAlex AhlstromShu QiThe year is 1917 and Chen Zhen, believed to be dead, returns to Shanghai under a false name. He joins a mob boss for info on the Japanese incl. a long kill list and at night fights the Japanese masked.
- DirectorFernando AlleStarsClemente SantosBruno SilvaFernando MiguelAfter bullies steal his son's lunch-box, a retired wrestler goes on a violent rampage to avenge him and bring justice to the school.Veeery dark humor! Watch it here: https://youtu.be/xPZMmjRceqM
- DirectorAnthony BellStarsJoe Anoa'iEric BauzaJeff BergmanA snowstorm freezes Big Show solid for decades and after he finally thaws out, Elroy and George help him build wrestle-bots. When Big Show uses them to take over the city, the Jetsons go back in time to enlist help from the WWE Superstars.
- DirectorKeanu ReevesStarsTiger Hu ChenKeanu ReevesKaren MokA young martial artist's unparalleled Tai Chi skills land him in a highly lucrative underworld fight club.
- DirectorPrachya PinkaewStarsTony JaaPhetthai VongkumlaoPumwaree YodkamolWhen the head of a statue sacred to a village is stolen, a young martial artist goes to the big city and finds himself taking on the underworld to retrieve it.
- DirectorPark Chan-wookStarsChoi Min-sikYoo Ji-taeKang Hye-jeongAfter being kidnapped and imprisoned for fifteen years, Oh Dae-Su is released, only to find that he must track down his captor in five days.
- DirectorPadraic McKinleyStarsBuakaw BanchamekKru DamFrank GrilloIn Thailand, Grillo sees firsthand why muay thai is known as "the art of eight limbs." Later, he visits a true titan of the sport.This short film is the second episode of Fightworld series, by far better than the bad first one. However, this is still not a very inspired documentary, although the issue is very interesting itself. Fightworld is an excellent idea but seems to be a waiste of good opportunities to make good documentaries about interesting issues.
- DirectorNgai Choi LamStarsSiu-Wong FanMei Sheng FanKa-Kui HoRiki-Oh, a young man who has superhuman strength, is incarcerated in a private prison, where inmates are treated like slaves. He is forced to use his unstoppable form of martial arts to destroy the corrupt officials and their lackeys.Do you know those films which are so bad, but so increadibly bizarre, that we like them and them become good? That is the case of "Riki-Oh: the story of Riki", presented to me by a friend who is a fan of Z-movies.
- DirectorEdgar WrightStarsMichael CeraMary Elizabeth WinsteadKieran CulkinIn a magically realistic version of Toronto, a young man must defeat his new girlfriend's seven evil exes one by one in order to win her heart.
- DirectorGareth EvansStarsIko UwaisSisca JessicaChristine HakimA young man from the countryside uses his skills in silat martial arts to survive the slave trade.
- DirectorGeorges MélièsAt a carnival several comic wrestling matches are displayed, ending with one match where an inexperienced man surprisingly beats a stronger wrestler.https://youtu.be/fZwJcBCXzR8
- DirectorPadraic McKinleyStarsFrank GrilloIn Israel, Grillo receives a lesson on Krav Maga, a unique style of hand-to-hand combat used by citizens and military forces alike.The whole TV series is quite irregular, with bad and superficial text. I was quite worried about what I would see in this one about Iasaeli krav-maga, particularly after a glimpse of conivence on a "victim" speeches from some of the interviewed people in the beginning and a lack of convern about the oddness of that "police state". However, although without a solid narrative, it moved to a more documentary Promisses-like approach and dealt well with fighting techniques discussion.
- DirectorAaron SchoenkeStarsMarisha RayBryan MortonTatiana NevaStreet Figher extraordinaire Ryu is challenged by the Green Ranger to determine who is the best brawler.https://youtu.be/QVmKVE3NYMI
- DirectorEmil SkladanowskyMax SkladanowskyStarsGreinerEugen SandowThe eighth sequence of the "Wintergartenprogramm (1895)" by the Skladanowsky Brothers. In it, two men in white leotards and tights, and black slips over it, wrestle on a theatre stage.Early German film showing a wrestling footage with famous strongman Eugen Sandow. Watch it here: https://youtu.be/aC7YJFlfl7g
- DirectorCorey YuenStarsJaime PresslyDevon AokiSarah CarterThe world's best fighters are invited to DOA, an invitational martial arts contest. There, four female rival fighters will have to work together to uncover the secret that the organizer of the tournament is trying to hide.
- DirectorRafael Romero MarchentStarsSantoCarlos Romero MarchentHelga LinéMexican Wrestler "El Santo" works with Interpol to stop a clever gang of art thieves in Madrid, Spain, lead by the genius Dr. Death.
- DirectorSteven E. de SouzaStarsJean-Claude Van DammeRaul JuliaMing-Na WenIn the midst of a civil war in South East Asia, a general intensifies the climate of violence by kidnapping 63 UN delegates. To free the hostages, a colonel leads a group of fighters, who will have to use all their skills to be successful.OK, it's bad. But no thaaaat bad. It looks like a spoof of Street Fighter, not an official movie.
- DirectorCíntia Domit BittarAmong punches and jumps, the fighters of the "Golden Arrow" wrestling club return to the ring after 50 years to revive the glorious era of wrestling in Southern Brazil.
- DirectorAnselmo DuarteStarsAnselmo DuarteDercy GonçalvesOdete LaraA man who's memorized his town's telephone directory tries his luck on a TV Show. But a small group of people who control the bettings in town try to get advantage of his simple-mindedness.
- DirectorCedric Nicolas-TroyanStarsMary Elizabeth WinsteadWoody HarrelsonMiku MartineauA jaded assassin assigned to target a yakuza clan has 24 hours to find out who poisoned her and get vengeance before she dies.
- DirectorEduardo Hunter MouraTenório, blind and four-time Paralympic champion, travels to Japan, cradle of judo. In pursuit of his seventh medal, the athlete embarks with the Brazilian Paralympic Team to train with the Japanese National Team and master Endo - an encounter between cultures and fantastic characters. Through this new challenge, in a Japan full of beauty and mystery, the film reflects on the Tenório's champion longevity - who, like Judo, continues to evolve.
- DirectorYûji AsadaStarsKappei YamaguchiKaneto ShiozawaKazumi TanakaBaki Hanma is a expert martial artist who enters a martial arts tournament and can never be defeated, until he goes up against Kosho Shinogi, a man who wins his matches by ripping out his opponent's jugular veins.
- DirectorS. Craig ZahlerStarsVince VaughnJennifer CarpenterDon JohnsonA former boxer-turned-drug runner lands in a prison battleground after a deal gets deadly.
- DirectorAfonso PoyartStarsJosé LoretoCleoJackson AntunesThe Story of longtime UFC Featherweight champion and the struggles facing him on the road to the top.
- DirectorPaul W.S. AndersonStarsChristopher LambertRobin ShouLinden AshbyThree unknowing martial artists are summoned to a mysterious island to compete in a tournament whose outcome will decide the fate of the world.
- DirectorJean-François RichetStarsVincent CasselPatrick ChesnaisAugust DiehlVidocq escapes captivity in 1805; years later he's a fabric merchant in Paris under an alias. He makes a deal of amnesty for catching criminals. He builds an efficient team of ex-cons to catch or kill them.
- DirectorDaniel KwanDaniel ScheinertStarsMichelle YeohStephanie HsuJamie Lee CurtisA middle-aged Chinese immigrant is swept up into an insane adventure in which she alone can save existence by exploring other universes and connecting with the lives she could have led.
- DirectorRoger Ross WilliamsStarsGael García BernalRoberta ColindrezPerla De La RosaFollows the true story of Cassandro, the ''exotico'' character created by Saúl Armendáriz, gay amateur wrestler from El Paso who rose to international stardom.
- DirectorClément MauriceStarsSarah BernhardtPierre MagnierSuzanne SeylorThe final duel in 'Hamlet', in the first film of the play.