There’s a reason that Jackie Chan is considered to be one of the premiere movie martial artists of all time, as the final battles in some of his most famous films will testify. Getting his start in the Hong Kong martial arts films of the late 70s, Jackie Chan quickly rose to prominence as a beloved figure in both the East and West that weaponized a unique combination combat sports, stunt work, acting, and comedy. Across Jackie Chan’s best films, some of the best-choreographed fights he took part in were the final battles of his movies.
It’s just as often that Jackie Chan’s films would end in some other climactic action setpiece like a chase sequence or a shootout, rather than a straightforward fight. However, many of these climactic final fights managed to show off Jackie Chan’s dangerous stunt work by taking place in unique environments, allowing the performer to make use of his signature improvised attacks with random objects. Other times, the last confrontations faced by Jackie Chan’s characters are more raw displays of martial arts prowess, going one-on-one with a single powerful opponent.
10
Ni Chang Vs Lu Yan
The Forbidden Kingdom (2008)
A largely forgotten entry in Jackie Chan’s filmography, The Forbidden Kingdom managed to garner a lot of hype for its released with the promised showdown of Jackie Chan and Jet Li’s characters, pitting two iconic martial arts movie icons against each other for the first time. Sure enough, the battle between Chan’s Lu Yan and Li’s Sparrow is perhaps the single greatest fight scene of the film. That being said, the final villainess, the witch Ni Chang, puts up a great show in Lu Yan’s last fight of the movie.
Taking advantage of the fantasy setting, The Forbidden Kingdom takes advantage of some high-flying wire work reminiscent of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Ni Chang’s ability to control her long, silver hair and use it as a weapon makes for a unique challenge for Lu Yan to contend with, but his combat IQ and raw power more than make up for his lack of reach. In the end, Ni Chang’s hair winds up being her downfall as Lu Yan holds her over a cliff by her scalp and lops it off, sending her plummeting into the dark valley below.
9
The Underwater Fight
First Strike (1996)
Better known as the fourth entry in the Police Story franchise, First Strike continued the saga of the everyman Hong Kong supercop, Inspector Chan Ka-Kui. This time around, Ka-Kui finds himself at the center of a conspiracy revolving around a Russian intelligence agency and a nuclear warhead running loose around his home country. The final battle of the film is one of the most unique fights in Jackie Chan’s entire career, and that’s truly saying something.
Set in an aquarium shark tank, the final martial arts showdown between Chan’s character and the Russian goons takes place entirely underwater. Not only does Chan have to take limited gulps of air through a respirator in between bouts, but he has to adapt to the slow gravity of the aquatic environment, not so easily able to sweep his opponents off his feet. The breathtaking choreography of this utterly unique final fight leads into a hectic chase sequence, making the fourth mainline entry in the Police Story franchise one to remember.
8
Jackie Chan Vs Brad Allen
Gorgeous (1999)
Unlike most Jackie Chan movies, the crux of Gorgeous‘ plot revolves around romance. Hoping to embarrass Chan’s character in front of his newfound love, his business rival hires an Australian martial arts expert played by none other than Brad Allen, a real-life combat sports professional who takes full advantage of his chance to shine against the famed movie star. Both fighters done gloves and circle each other menacingly to kick off this brutal, yet comedic confrontation.
While most Jackie Chan fights rely on unique locations, gimmicks, or novelty weapons, his battle with Brad Allen in Gorgeous is an extremely simple contest of fisticuffs in a barren warehouse. That’s not to say the fight isn’t entertaining, however, as Chan pits his comedy wiles against the no-holds-barred opponent, unleashing some genuinely impressive flurries of blows and feats of athleticism in the process. The comedy of the battle borders on the absurd, with both fighters walking away cross-eyed from their ultimately matched martial arts abilities.
7
The Biker Bar Fight
Rumble in the Bronx (1997)
A standalone martial arts comedy slugfest arguably responsible for Jackie Chan’s popularity in North America, Rumble in the Bronx brought one of Jackie Chan’s characters to an American setting for the first time. Yet again playing a Hong Kong cop, Chan finds himself facing off against a dangerous motorcycle gang this time around, eventually following them back to their hideout in a seedy biker bar. The final confrontation that takes place here is among the greatest action spectacles of Jackie Chan’s career.
Quickly being singled out among the patrons of the bar, Jackie Chan hops up on a pool table for a one-on-one duel that quickly devolves into an all-out brawl between nearly the bar’s entire customer base. The eclectic objects scattered about the bar makes for a playground of improvised weaponry for Chan to utilize, including lamps, laundry carts, and swinging cabinet doors. In one unbelievable blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment, Chan flings open a refrigerator door only to find a goon hiding inside, only to immediately wallop them in the face, taking no chances with his safety in the dangerous environment.
6
Wong Fei-hung Vs Thunderfoot
Drunken Master (1978)
The film that truly propelled Jackie Chan’s career intro greatness, the performer owes much of his slapstick martial arts fame to the character of Wong Fei-hung. Better known as Freddy Wong in the West, the gutsy hero is a sort of reincarnation of a classic figure in Chinese folklore, learning a utilizing the unique art of drunken boxing to overwhelm evildoers. In the climax of his first film appearance, Freddy Wong is forced to summon all of his training to take on the devious Thunderfoot.
Living up to his name, Thunderfoot’s earth-shattering kicks shave years off of Wong’s life as he summons all seven of his drunken boxing styles to keep up. Each of these styles homages one of the eight drunken immortals of Chinese mythology, with Jackie Chan impersonating each of their personalities to great comedic effect. This fight is an incredible bit of character growth for Wong, as it’s only when he’s able to combine what he’s learned into a unique eighth style of his own creation that he’s able to finally overpower Thunderfoot.
5
The Museum Fight
Rush Hour (1998)
The Rush Hour film series may be among Jackie Chan’s most famous works in the West, and for good reason. The combined comedic tour-de-force of Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan’s personalities make for an endlessly entertaining odd couple duo, and the typical buddy cop fun means the two get to take down plenty of bad guys along the way. The series never utilizes Jackie Chan’s slapstick physical talents quite as well as the climax of the first film.
After surviving a shootout in a museum full of priceless artifacts from ancient China, the tense standoff between Jackie Chan, Christ Tucker, and a deadly bomb devolves into a frantic martial arts scramble. Watching Jackie Chan haplessly trying to make sure the valuable vases on display in the museum don’t shatter in the chaos is half the fun, and the literal ticking time bomb keeps things tense as an explosive vest is used as a literal shield. When one of the artifacts does wind up biting the dust, the disbelief on Jackie Chan’s face alone makes the scene worth watching.
4
Jackie Chan Vs Benny “The Jet” Urquidez
Wheels on Meals (1984)
Forbidden Kingdom wasn’t the first time Jackie Chan faced off against a Jet, as the famed performer crossed fists with real-life martial arts champion Benny “The Jet” Urquidez in the comically-named Wheels on Meals. Playing a bumbling restaurant that gets caught up in a criminal conspiracy (as Jackie Chan’s characters are wont to do), the final task of Chan’s Thomas is to face off against a nameless thug. Even if he isn’t a named character, Urquidez’s henchman winds up being a fierce combatant.
Relatively light on comedy for a Jackie Chan fight, this battle has Thomas truly fighting for his life just to keep up with the ferocious Urquidez. The setting of the fancy dining room enhances the action with some beautiful set dressing, as Urquidez’s kicks are seemingly powerful enough to extinguish candles from sheer recoil. Urquidez might not be the most character-rich actor, but his raw talent in this incredibly-choreographed scene speaks for itself.
3
Jackie Chan And Benny “The Jet” Urquidez’ Rematch
Dragons Forever (1988)
Wheels on Meals wouldn’t be the last time Jackie Chan and Benny Urquidez encountered each other on screen, as Dragons Forever re-creates the former’s final duel in a new setting. Unrelated to the plot of Wheels on Meals, Jackie Chan plays a lawyer this time around who finds himself in dangerous territory investigating the wanton pollution of a chemical company. The climax of the film sees Jackie Chan coming face to face with Benny Urquidez yet again, astoundingly playing yet another nameless minion with inexplicably powerful martial arts skills.
Despite these characters having technically never met before, there’s a clear look of recognition in the eyes of Chan as he enters the re-match against one of his toughest opponents. Once again, “The Jet” gives it his all, taking advantage of the larger environment of the chemical processing plant while holding off both Chan and Sammo Hung’s characters at the same time. Jackie Chan’s very real Kung Fu skills are on full display as he’s forced to ditch comedic moves just to tread water with pure defense against Urquidez, having not missed a beat since Wheels on Meals.
2
The Mall Fight
Police Story (1985)
Combining martial arts with some of Jackie Chan’s most breathtaking stunt work yet, the adrenaline-fueled battle through a crowded mall in Police Story makes for one of the most unforgettable final fights in the actor’s filmography. Hunted down by an entire squad of criminals, it’s up to Jackie Chan’s Inspector Chan Ka-Kui to divide and conquer. Leading each opponent into an isolated corner of the mall, Ka-Kui manages to make it out of Police Story‘s climactic mall fight by the skin of his teeth.
Every avenue offered by the possibility of a fight in a mall is explored here. Bodies get painfully thrown through a shattering LEGO display, slammed into glass fixtures, and tossed off of escalators in this no-holds-barred one-man-war between Chan’s character and the relentless villains. Inspector Chan Ka-Kui sliding down the length of a pole adorned with strings of lightbulbs wound up being one of the most dangerous stunts of Jackie Chan’s career, proving his commitment to delivering audiences with stellar action spectacle.
1
The Factory Fight
Drunken Master II (1994)
Billed as Legend of the Drunken Master in the West, this sequel to Jackie Chan’s original breakout hit may have given the United States a later start on one of Jackie Chan’s best characters, but rewarded the patience of Western audiences with one of the best final showdowns ever. Finally standing up to the callous factory owners terrorizing the workers of his town, Wong Fei-hung finds himself facing off against yet another opponent with fearsome kicks. It’s taekwondo against drunken boxing in the fiery scenery of an active factory in the climax of Drunken Master II.
Astoundingly, Jackie Chan spends most of this fight getting rocked, the relentless enforcer of the factory’s owners giving him no quarter and literally raking him against the burning coals of the work site. It isn’t until Fei-hung gets his hands on some industrial-strength alcohol that the tables are able to turn, breaking his vow to never drink again in exchange for a tremendous increase in physical power. This final duel proves why Jackie Chan is one of the best to ever do it in the world of martial arts cinema.
