Jet Li is among the hottest cinematic martial arts actors that has graced the screens because the ’80s. He debuted as a Chinese actor within the movie Shaolin Temple (1982) after which starred as a villain within the film Lethal Weapon 4 (1998). If you could have been a moviegoer for a very long time, you should be aware of his superlative martial artwork expertise by now.
Updated December thirteenth, 2022: If you are a fan of the celebrated martial artist and his performances, you may be completely satisfied to know this text has been up to date with extra content material and movies.
At age 59, Jet Li is dedicated to charity work by means of his One Foundation, which offers counseling companies to pure catastrophe victims and youth battling psychological well being points. Over the years, Jet Li has featured in an extended record of flicks; allow us to now solid a look at a few of his finest gems.
11/11 Kiss of the Dragon (2001)
In Kiss of the Dragon, Jet Li grabs the eye of his viewers along with his practically impassive face. Throughout the movie, he serves his combating expertise to dozens of unhealthy guys in a Stoic trend. You can hardly discover him breaking a sweat, as he punches his means by means of folks’s faces, radiating that cool vibe. Chris Nahon, the director, delivers a slick and satisfying movie by including hip-hop music to match the tempo of the motion scenes.
The movie is about Liu Jian (Li), a Chinese undercover agent, who travels to Paris to help within the arrest of a drug kingpin. Armored with good intentions, a corrupt detective, Jean-Pierre Richard, betrays him by setting him up for killing the drug lord. The film then focuses the story on Liu Jian working with an American girl, who’s pressured into intercourse work, to strike again, and cease Richard’s prison endeavors and clear his title.
10/11 The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008)
Jet Li is a flexible actor who each acts as a villain and hero in convincing methods. In The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, he performs the function of a ruthless emperor, commanding a big military of fearless warriors. If you want films with sorcery, historic stones with immortal powers, tombs, mummies, and evil warlords, this iteration of The Mummy franchise is true up your alley.
The story begins with an extended historical past of a mythic battle between good and evil in historic China. Emperor Han, a power-hungry chief, vanquished each kingdom on his path, killing anybody who dared to withstand his conquest. He was an emperor who had all of it, however he nonetheless needed extra. What extra might he need? The energy to cheat dying. Cursed by a devious and exquisite sorceress, the emperor and his military had been buried in clay. Imagine a mad emperor, mummified for millennia making an attempt to return again and enslave mankind; you do not need to be alive at the moment.
9/11 Mulan (2020)
Jet Li has a factor for being an emperor in films. In Mulan, he additionally performs a regal emperor, who calls upon each household to supply one man to struggle towards the invaders – the Rouran military. Many followers who watched Mulan acknowledged that Jet Li appeared frail within the movie, elevating issues about his well being. Ironically, that’s removed from the reality. He appeared robust, sensible, and resolute in his function.
According to USA Today, Steven Chasman, Li’s supervisor, despatched a press release, “We respect everybody’s concern. But Jet is totally fantastic. There’s nothing unsuitable with him. There’s no life-threatening sickness. He’s in nice form.” Mulan is a live-action remake of the animated model. The solely cause why Li took on the function within the movie is as a result of his daughters cherished the unique film.
8/11 Romeo Must Die (2000)
Just by studying the heading, you instantly tune into Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. In Romeo Must Die, Romeo is performed by Jet Li, and Juliet is performed by the late hip-hop sensation, Aaliyah, whose dying was a giant blow to the leisure trade. In this film, Li performs an ex-cop investigating the homicide of his brother, who was in mattress with the Chinese mafia. Aaliyah, then again, is the daughter of a Black American mob boss.
The pressure that erupts when each camps cross paths brings about thrilling fights in golf equipment, explosions in barbershops, and within the midst of all of it, love between Romeo and Juliet, as they each work collectively to search out his brother’s assassin. If you’re a fan of Aaliyah, her musical soundtrack within the film will deliver again nice recollections of her performances.
7/11 War (2007)
If you’re searching for a movie that deserves a beer at hand, try War. Any film that stars Jason Statham and Jet Li oozes fights and aggression. Li and Statham have appeared in different films like The Expendables and The One.
In War, each stars are on opposing sides, the place Jet Li is a contract killer and Statham an FBI agent. Fans of Li might be in awe of his fluid combating expertise with swords and weapons at age 47, and everyone knows Statham by no means disappoints. The film has a storyline that creates intrigue and suspense, together with a pleasant plot twist.
6/11 The Forbidden Kingdom (2008)
How cool would it not be to find an historic golden workers in a pawn store? In The Forbidden Kingdom, Jason discovers a workers that magically transports him to historic China. As destiny would inform, the one means he would journey again to his time is after efficiently releasing the legendary warrior, the Monkey King (Jet Li). Guess who co-stars alongside Jet Li on this film? Jackie Chan.
The excellent combo of the 2 martial arts masters is an leisure success that strikes sparks all through the movie; no surprise the film carried out effectively in theaters. Although some followers desire to have watched the 2 skills of their prime, the film nonetheless delivers one of the best of each actors.
5/11 Once Upon a Time in China (1991)
Jet Li helped launch a profitable and critically-acclaimed movie franchise with the Hong Kong hit Once Upon a Time in China, during which he portrayed folks hero and legendary martial artist Wong Fei-hung as he fights to guard his native militia and college from invading forces in nineteenth century China. The thrilling collection incorporates a excellent efficiency by Li, who brilliantly embodies the hallowed grasp Fei-hung and expertly shows his bodily prowess as he squares off towards harmful outsiders for the sake of his nation. Once Upon a Time in China went on revitalize the interval martial arts subgenre that was well-liked within the ’90s and was the primary of six action-packed movies, with Li starring in 4.
4/11 Hero (2002)
Chronicling the difficult historical past surrounding the Warring States interval that ran rampant in historic China and the assassination try on the nation’s first emperor the King of Qin, 2002’s Hero facilities on the expert murderer despatched to remove the chief proper earlier than China’s unification. Jet Li stars as Nameless, a Qin prefect who initially conspires to take out the emperor however in the end realizes peace inside his nation is extra vital; Nameless then fights to guard the King of Qin from deadly hitmen.
Hero was a essential and business success, incomes each an Academy Award and Golden Globe nomination and successful seven Hong Kong Film Awards. In his glowing assessment of the gorgeous image, Roger Ebert raved that it “demonstrates how the martial arts style transcends motion and violence and strikes into poetry, ballet and philosophy.”
3/11 Fearless (2006)
The story within the film Fearless is concerning the act of instilling virtues in a younger soul. We are aware of the assertion, “delight comes earlier than a fall;” that is one thing that Huo Yuanjia (Jet Li) experiences as soon as his household is murdered on account of his silly actions. As he wallows over his loss, Huo is showered with love, compassion, and different essential philosophical virtues that steer him to reform his methods and return to his hometown to be of service to others. The film tilts on violence for probably the most half, but it surely wraps up with a robust ethical lesson.
2/11 The Bodyguard from Beijing (1994)
Originally christened Bodyguard from Beijing, the movie was later renamed The Defender for the American market. Jet Li performs Allan Hui Ching-Yeung, an elite safety knowledgeable employed by a rich Hong Kong businessman to guard his stunning maiden Michelle Leung, the one dwelling witness to a homicide dedicated by Triad gangsters. Michelle, who begins adamant concerning the 24/7 safety from the bodyguard, grows keen on him, they usually turn out to be attracted to at least one one other. The clear however harmful love curiosity isn’t quenched, and the story ends on a sensible however ambiguous observe. The viewers is left to surprise, “What if he stayed?”
1/11 Fist of Legend (1994)
Fist of Legend is a basic martial arts movie with neck-breaking struggle scenes and the infusion of an emotional story. The fictional character Chen Zhen was first portrayed by Bruce Lee in The Chinese Connection. Since then, many movies and TV collection have adopted this character. Although nobody can outperform Bruce Lee, Jet Li comes shut. As a tribute to the legendary Bruce Lee, the fights are pure on this movie, the place the star incapacitates the opponent in probably the most environment friendly means. The fist of legend is a narrative about Chen Zhen, who learns about his grasp’s dying in a combating match. After realizing that his grasp was poisoned, he goes after the Japanese and the aftermath brings about dynamic combating scenes.
When the Wachowskis watched Fist of Legend, they needed to contact Yuen Woo-Ping, the film’s martial arts choreographer, to work on all of the martial arts combating scenes in The Matrix.