How do Jet Li‘s English-language movies rank, worst to best? Beginning as a competitive Wushu champion in his native China, Jet Li made the leap to movies with 1982’s landmark martial arts film The Shaolin Temple. As Bruce Lee had once done, Li would go onto become one of the biggest action stars in Hong Kong cinema after his portrayal of Wong Fei-hung in the Once Upon A Time In China films. He would later anchor martial arts flicks like Tai Chi Master and the Fong Sai-yuk movies, while Fist of Legend would become one of the most beloved martial arts films ever made.
Li eventually made the leap from Hong Kong to Hollywood in 1998’s Lethal Weapon 4, and helped raise the bar for Western action movies throughout his stateside (and occasionally European) career. In the last few years, Li’s entered semi-retirement from moviemaking, partially due to health issues stemming from hyperthyroidism, though he’s reportedly recovered from the condition. After stepping back from movies, Li has primarily focused on humanitarian and philanthropic work, though he occasionally dips back into the business, such as his appearance in 2020’s Mulan, alongside other martial arts icons.
RELATED: Jet Li / Jason Statham Collaborations Ranked Worst To Best
While Jet Li’s English-language work didn’t always hit the same high marks as his Hong Kong films, he nonetheless was part of some great and enduring action movies in the West, some of which are among the best he’s ever done. Here are Jet Li’s English-language movies, from weakest to strongest.
13. Mulan
Few of Disney’s live-action remakes have made the same cultural impact as the original animated films they’ve derived from, and sadly, 2020’s Mulan was no exception to that rule. Liu Yifei portrays the titular heroine Hua Mulan, who disguises herself as a man in order to take her ailing father’s place in China’s army against a coming invasion. The movie makes some changes from the original Mulan, such as changing the villains to warlord Bori Khan (played by the show-stealing Jason Scott Lee) and sorceress Xianniang (Gong Li), along with Mulan herself being a formidable warrior since she was a child. Unfortunately, the script is flat and the action scenes register little impact. Jet Li’s portrayal of China’s Emperor is inexplicably dubbed, and he’s decidedly underutilized, while the more prominent Donnie Yen isn’t given much to work with either as Commander Tung. In the end, Mulan is one of the least memorable Disney live-action remakes.
12. The Expendables 3
In the third chapter in The Expendables franchise, Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone) and co. are back to take on Expendables co-founder Conrad Stonebanks (Mel Gibson). The Expendables 3 shifted the series to PG-13, moving away from the R-ratings of the previous two films, and paid the price for it with the film’s box office downturn, with years passing before The Expendables 4 finally got in front of cameras. While it’s far from the fall off a cliff that it’s often regarded as, The Expendables 3 is certainly the weakest of the series, and grows overstuffed as Ross recruits a new generation of younger mercenaries. Still, the action sequences are fun and Antonio Banderas makes the movie as the energetic Galgo, which makes The Expendables 3 at least worth a look for fans of the series. Jet Li’s presence as Yin Yang is so minor, The Expendables 3 is barely worth ranking among his English-language movies, but viewers at least get filled in on Yang’s activities since The Expendables 2, having jumped ship from Barney’s team to that of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Trench Mauser.
11. The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor
The third installment of the Brendan Fraser-led Mummy franchise is the goofiest of the bunch, but the series always wore its silliness as a badge of honor, and was also much more straightforward than the 2017 Dark Universe non-starter Mummy reboot. Rick and Evelyn O’Connell (Fraser and Maria Bello) join their now grown son Alex (Liam Cunningham) on an adventure to stop the resurrected Dragon Emperor Han (Jet Li) from conquering the world. Like The Mummy Returns, Tomb of the Dragon Emperor is an exercise of bringing the rules of a video game to an Indiana Jones-style adventure movie, and if nothing else, the threequel’s CGI effects are a big improvement of the horrendous PS2-worthy graphics on the Scorpion King. Li and Michelle Yeoh bring some human-level action to the fantasy-heavy film, and while 1999’s The Mummy is still the peak of the series, Tomb of the Dragon Emperor is a decent if undemanding way to kill two hours, if one can get on board with its silly tone.
10. Cradle 2 The Grave
2003’s Cradle 2 the Grave was part of a mini-wave of rap-heavy martial arts films in the early 21st century, but despite bringing MMA into play even before Donnie Yen, it doesn’t hit the mark like it could’ve. The late DMX plays jewel thief Tony Fait, whose daughter is kidnapped after a botched heist, leaving him in possession of a collection of black diamonds and forcing him to team up with Taiwanese intelligence agent Su (Jet Li). As Su, Li spends much of the film slapping opponents around with one hand in his pocket, which is impressive at first but starts to get tiresome in how limiting his movements become. Su’s cage fight midway through the film is the highlight, and features Chuck Liddell, Tito Ortiz, and Randy Couture just before MMA had gone mainstream. Unfortunately, the climactic showdown with the villainous Mark Dacascos is too truncated and simplified to be the all-timer worthy of both performers. Cradle 2 the Grave is a passable action crime caper, but it could’ve been much more.
RELATED: Expendables 4: Every Character Who Could Return
9. The One
With DC diving headfirst into their Multiverse and Marvel now opening up theirs, The One is a bit more of a fascinating watch today with multiple Jet Li’s zipping from one universe to another. Li plays former Multiverse Agent Gabriel Yulaw, now on a mission to eliminate all 124 of his parallel selves from other worlds to absorb their energy and gain the potentially God-like power of The One. L.A.P.D. cop Gabe Law is the last one left, with he and Yulaw having risen to superhuman levels of strength and speed. The Jet Li vs Jet Li gimmick (which was originally intended as an early action vehicle for The Rock) makes it a milestone in action movies. Martial arts fans will also dig Gabe and Yulaw respectively utilizing Baquazhang and Xingyiquan, distinctly different forms of kung fu that reflect their personalities. Jason Statham is also on hand to flex his tough guy chops a year before The Transporter, though his gravelly cockney voice trumps his use of an American accent in The One any day of the week.
8. War
War doesn’t tend to rank high on the lists of many Jet Li fans, and Li himself was famously dissatisfied with the film, but War is a better action thriller than it gets credit for. Jason Statham plays FBI agent John Crawford, out for revenge against a mysterious underworld assassin known as Rogue (Jet Li), who killed Crawford’s partner Tom Lone (Terry Chen) three years earlier. The action scenes are mostly as short and fast as those of the Jason Bourne series and can get a little on the choppy side, save for Rogue’s climactic sword duel with Yakuza boss Shiro Yanagawa (Ryo Ishibashi) and Rogue and Crawford’s final confrontation. War is probably the darkest movie both Li and Statham have ever made, and the real ace up its sleeve is its twist ending that flips the movie completely upside down, forcing both Crawford and the audience to swallow a very bitter pill. That and the movie’s final moments definitely make War much more of an acquired taste, and if one is able to get past that, it’s fun to see Li take on a more morally ambiguous character along with adapting his skill in Chinese swordsmanship to a katana battle with a Yakuza leader.
7. The Expendables
Jet Li was a natural for the action hero ensemble The Expendables, spearheaded by Sylvester Stallone and which also brought aboard Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, Gary Daniels, Randy Couture, Terry Crews, with cameos from Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis. Led by Stallone’s Barney Ross, the Expendables take on a mission to bring down Central American dictator General Garza (David Zayas) and his American CIA ally Munroe (Eric Roberts). As Yin Yang, Li snags the movie’s best fight scenes, though there’s a bit of homework involved to get their full effect. The editing got excessively fast and choppy in the theatrical version, and this is greatly fixed by Stallone’s unrated director’s cut. Li’s presence in The Expendables franchise progressively shrank as the series went on, so the first film is where he makes the greatest impact alongside the team, though his best moment in the franchise would arrive two years later.
6. The Expendables 2
The gang is back for their latest mission in The Expendables 2, this time with Belgium’s legendary kicking machine Jean-Claude Van Damme, Scott Adkins, Liam Hemsworth, and Chuck Norris joining in. For the second film, Barney Ross now leads the team against underworld arms dealer Jean Vilain (Jean-Claude Van Damme) to avenge the killing of their newest member and stop Vilain from getting his hands on a mine full of plutonium. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis return in expanded roles from their earlier cameos in The Expendables, coyly referencing their trademark Terminator and Die Hard catchphrases. Jean-Claude Van Damme also made a return to big-screen blockbusters as Vilain, and Scott Adkins continued his rise to the mainstream action star he’s become today. Jet Li had some scheduling conflicts, but despite his brief presence, he still got in one great martial arts fight that’s the highlight of the movie’s explosive opening set piece. It stands as Li’s finest hour in The Expendables franchise, while The Expendables 2 stands as the series’ champ.
RELATED: Ip Man: The Martial Arts Movie Series Ranked Worst To Best
5. Lethal Weapon 4
Jet Li made his Hollywood debut in 1998’s Lethal Weapon 4, and gave Riggs and Murtaugh quite the run for their money. For the fourth film, Riggs and Murtaugh are back in action again against Li’s Triad heavy-hitter Wah Sing Ku. Lethal Weapon 4 brought the biggest and best ensemble to the series with Li as its villain and Chris Rock on board to add some more cheerful humor as Detective Lee Butters alongside the always entertaining Joe Pesci. Li speaks only a single line in English in the film, while Wah Sing Ku stands apart from other Lethal Weapon villains as a more poised adversary than Riggs and Murtaugh have ever faced. Li’s action scenes are relatively swift and short, save for the final smackdown on a rainy dock with Riggs and Murtaugh, but as Li’s Western debut, Lethal Weapon 4 is perhaps the only movie in the whole franchise where the bad guy stole the show.
4. Romeo Must Die
Jet Li’s first English-language leading role came in 2000’s Romeo Must Die, pairing him alongside the late Aaliyah as star-crossed lovers in an urban gang war. After his brother is murdered, Han (Jet Li) breaks out of prison in Hong Kong to avenge him, bumping into Trish O’Day (Aaliyah) on his arrival. Han and Trish are both the children of the crime families warring over territory in San Francisco, but in this Romeo & Juliet-inspired story, it’s action first and romance whenever it feels like getting around to it. The action scenes, orchestrated by Li’s frequent fight choreographer Corey Yuen, make a bit too much use of wire-fu for such a gritty urban crime drama, but it’s still a blast to see Li sailing through battle after battle, which also implement an X-ray gimmick a la Sonny Chiba’s The Street Fighter. Of all the rap-driven martial arts flicks that were a brief trend at the turn of the century, Romeo Must Die is the most fun.
3. The Forbidden Kingdom
The Forbidden Kingdom was the one fans had been dying to see for decades – the first big-screen team-up of Jet Li and his fellow kung fu legend Jackie Chan, and in 2008, the world finally got it wrapped in screenwriter John Fusco’s ode to Wu Cheng’en’s classic novel Journey to the West. Kung fu-obsessed American teenager Jason Tripitikas (Michael Angarano) finds himself transported back to Ancient China by a golden staff, belonging to the mythical warrior the Monkey King (Jet Li). With the help of wandering immortal Lu Yan (Jackie Chan), Golden Sparrow (Liu Yifei), and Silent Monk (also Jet Li), Jason embarks on a mission to free the Monkey King to defeat the Jade Warlord (Collin Chou). The opening credits of The Forbidden Kingdom set the tone of the film as essentially a Shaw Brothers movie for modern times, and Yuen Woo-ping’s fight choreography is stunning as ever. Of course, the big-ticket item was seeing Li and Chan do battle before joining forces, and The Forbidden Kingdom does not disappoint here. Chan commented on the remarkable ease he felt shooting his fight with Li, and like The Forbidden Kingdom as a whole, it’s a joy to see Li and Chan in a kung fu duel and becoming heroic allies for the first time.
2. Kiss of the Dragon
Jet Li’s second English-language lead took him to France for one of his most kinetic Western action movies, Kiss of the Dragon, which was also the first big on-camera break for District 13‘s Cyril Raffaelli. Li plays Chinese cop Liu Jian, arriving in Paris to help take down drug lord Mr. Big (Ric Young), only to be framed for his murder by the crime boss’ French associate, Parisian cop Richard (Tcheky Karyo). As Liu goes on the lam with a tape proving his innocence, he crosses paths with Jessica (Bridget Fonda), an American woman Richard has forced into prostitution, with Liu agreeing to help rescue her kidnapped daughter. For Kiss of the Dragon, Li sought to downplay the wire-fu seen in Romeo Must Die for more gravity-based action scenes, and the film’s martial arts fights, like those of Tony Jaa, are balletic, punishing, and blindingly fast – literally so in at least one case. For the final showdown between Liu and Richard’s henchman twins, played by Didier Azoulay and Cyril Raffaelli, director Chris Nahon had to have Li and Raffaelli slow down in order to be clearly seen on camera, which paid off beautifully in one of the best final fights of Li’s career. As for the Kiss of the Dragon itself? Let’s just say Liu’s expertise with acupuncture needles can be weaponized to quite deadly effect.
RELATED: Best of the Best: The Martial Arts Movie Series Ranked Worst To Best
1. Unleashed
Originally titled Danny the Dog, Unleashed is not only Jet Li’s best English-language movie, but one of the best of his whole career with action scenes comparable to the battles in The Raid movies well in advance. Li plays Danny, a young man enslaved since childhood by Glasgow loan shark Bart, trained to lash out like a wild animal once his collar is removed by the snarling gangster, played by the late Bob Hoskins. When Danny believes Bart to have been killed, he is taken in by blind American piano tuner Sam (Morgan Freeman) and his niece Victoria (Kerry Condon). However, the returning Bart isn’t going to give Danny up without a fight. Unleashed is a moving human drama as much as it is a martial arts film, Li effectively playing a man involuntarily frozen in childhood who experiences love for the first time.
Unleashed puts a very different spin on Li’s usual fighting style, with far more feral battles than Li’s done before or since, but no less breathtaking. The introductory smackdown, the swimming pool fight (which also features none other than Scott Adkins before his rise to stardom) and a heart-racing showdown with Michael Lambert’s sword-wielding assassin are the standouts, while the movie’s dramatic side sees Li give perhaps the best performance of his career as a killing machine who gradually regains the humanity that was stolen from him with his new family. Jet Li‘s as much of a martial arts movie legend in the West as in the East, and when it comes to his filmography in the former, Unleashed takes a very well-deserved first place.
NEXT: John Wick 4: How Donnie Yen Can Elevate The Martial Arts
