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Once Upon a Time in China poster

Movies that feel likeOnce Upon a Time in China (1991)

In late 19th-century Canton, legendary hero Wong Fei-Hung battles foreign forces' (English, French and American) plundering of China. When Aunt Yee returns from America totally westernised, Wong assumes the role of protector. This proves difficult when his martial arts school and local militia become involved in fierce battles with foreign and local governments. As violence escalates, even Aunt Yee has to question her new western ideals, but is it possible to fight guns with Kung Fu?

If you loved Once Upon a Time in China, the closest films we have are Fist of Legend (1994), Shaolin (2011) and Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame (2010). All three share Once Upon a Time in China's kinetic feel, which is what we rank on before quality.

Seen the big three already? The under-the-radar pick below is Iron Monkey (1993).

πŸ… 90% Rotten Tomatoesβ˜… 7.2 IMDb β†—TMDB β†—dir. Tsui Harkkineticcontemplative
9 of 12 streaming nowAmazon Prime Video Β· Peacock Premium Β· Hi-YAH

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If Once Upon a Time in China hit the spot, these will too

Fist of Legend poster
Fist of Legend
1994 Β· dir. Gordon Chan
πŸ… 100%β˜… 7.5actionPrime VideoPeacock

Both are working the same pair: martial arts, kung fu

The difference: Less contemplative, more its own thing

Chen returns to his school when he finds out that his martial arts teacher has died. When he learns that his school students are harassed by some hooligans, he gears himself up to save them.

Shaolin poster
Shaolin
2011 Β· dir. Benny Chan
πŸ… 73%β˜… 6.8action Β· dramaPrime Video

Both keep coming back to the same thing: china

The difference: Made in the 2010s, in a different era of the craft

China is plunged into strife as feuding warlords try to expand their power by warring over neighboring lands. Fuelled by his success on the battlefield, young and arrogant Hao Jie sneers at Shaolin's masters when he beats one of them in a duel. But the pride comes before a fall. When his own family is wiped out by a rival warlord, Hao is forced to take refuge with the monks. As the civil unrest spreads and the people suffer, Hao and the Shaolin masters are forced to take a fiery stand against the evil warlords. They launch a daring plan or rescue and escape.

Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame poster
πŸ… 80%β˜… 6.6action Β· adventure Β· dramaPrime Video

Tsui Hark working the same nerve twice

The difference: Leans further into adventure

When the future empress Wu Zetian's two courtiers die in a mysterious fire, she gets Di Renjie, a former detective and rebel, released from prison to solve the mystery of the fire.

The Rebel poster
The Rebel
2007 Β· dir. Charlie Nguyen
β˜… 6.8action Β· drama

Both land momentum and stillness at once

In French ruled Vietnam in 1922, the French and Vietnamese officers plot to sniff out arch-rebel De Canh.

The Big Boss poster
The Big Boss
1971 Β· dir. Lo Wei
πŸ… 65%β˜… 6.9action

The same preoccupation in both: martial arts

The difference: The critics' underdog of the pair

Cheng is a young Chinese mainlander who moves in with his expatriate cousins to work at an ice factory in Thailand. He does this with a family promise never to get involved in any fights. However, when members of his family begin disappearing after meeting the management of the factory, the resulting mystery and pressures force him to break that vow and take on the villainy of the Big Boss.

The Legend Is Born: Ip Man poster
The Legend Is Born: Ip Man
2010 Β· dir. Herman Yau
β˜… 7drama Β· action Β· history

Both are built on the same subject: kung fu

The remarkable true story of the early life of Ip Man, the formidable kung fu genius who would become Bruce Lee's mentor; beginning at the start of his journey from his initial training through to the ultimate battle to become supreme master of the art of Wing Chun.

The Protector 2 poster
The Protector 2
2013 Β· dir. Prachya Pinkaew
πŸ… 18%β˜… 5.3action

Action with a pulse of momentum, in both cases

Kham finds himself in trouble when he is accused of killing a trader. While on the run from the trader's nieces who are martial artists, Kham meets a friend who warns him of a terrorist plot.

Flash Point poster
Flash Point
2007 Β· dir. Wilson Yip
πŸ… 41%β˜… 6.7actionPrime Video

Kinetic drama in both cases

Detective Sergeant Ma Jun, known for dispensing his own brand of justice during arrests, teams up with an undercover cop, Wilson, to try and bring down three merciless Vietnamese brothers running a smuggling ring in the months before mainland China's takeover of Hong Kong. Jun pursues the gang tirelessly, sometimes ignoring police protocols. A showdown is inevitable!

Iron Monkey poster
Iron Monkey
1993 Β· dir. Yuen Woo-ping
πŸ… 91%β˜… 7.5action Β· crime Β· drama

Action built on stillness, twice over

In this Hong Kong variation of Robin Hood, corrupt officials of a Chinese village are robbed by a masked bandit known as "Iron Monkey", named after a benevolent deity. When all else fails, the Governor forces a traveling physician into finding the bandit.

Invisible Target poster
Invisible Target
2007 Β· dir. Benny Chan
β˜… 6.7action

Cut from the same action cloth

When the Ronin Gang robs an armored car, three cops β€” Chan, Fong and Wai β€” go on the warpath. Each has a personal interest in bringing down Ronin leader Tien: he killed Chan's fiancΓ©e, humiliated Fong and kidnapped Wai's brother.

Bloodsport poster
Bloodsport
1988 Β· dir. Newt Arnold
πŸ… 48%β˜… 6.8action Β· drama

Contemplative drama, and it commits to that

An American Army Major goes AWOL to Hong Kong for an outlawed martial arts contest called the Kumite.

Ip Man: The Final Fight poster
Ip Man: The Final Fight
2013 Β· dir. Herman Yau
πŸ… 67%β˜… 6.1action Β· dramaPrime Video

Drama in the same key

Ip Man reluctantly begins a series of challenges from rival kung fu schools and is soon drawn into the dark and dangerous world of the Triads.

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The best-reviewed films that share Once Upon a Time in China’s defining feeling.