feelsalike.com

Movies that feel like Shaolin (2011)

If you loved Shaolin, the closest films we have are Once Upon a Time in China (1991), Invisible Target (2007) and The Legend Is Born: Ip Man (2010). All three share Shaolin's kinetic feel, which is what we rank on before quality. 9 of the 12 picks below are included with a subscription right now on HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video and Hulu and others, checked against today's data.

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.

πŸ… 73% Rotten Tomatoesβ˜… 6.8 IMDb β†—TMDB β†—dir. Benny Chankineticcontemplative
See it on the map

When is Shaolin streaming? β†’

If Shaolin hit the spot, these will too

Once Upon a Time in China poster
Once Upon a Time in China
1991 Β· dir. Tsui Hark
πŸ… 90%β˜… 7.2action Β· drama

The same two preoccupations: martial arts, and kung fu

The difference: Made in the 1990s, in a different era of the craft

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?

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

Both are Benny Chan's work, and they rhyme

The difference: Not nearly as contemplative as Shaolin

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.

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

Common ground: martial arts

The difference: Leans harder into history than Shaolin does

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.

Feels alike?
Flash Point poster
Flash Point
2007 Β· dir. Wilson Yip
πŸ… 41%β˜… 6.7action

One thread runs through both: mixed martial arts (mma)

The difference: Critics were much harder on this one

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!

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

Kinetic where it counts, contemplative underneath

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

Feels alike?
Ip Man: The Final Fight poster
Ip Man: The Final Fight
2013 Β· dir. Herman Yau
πŸ… 67%β˜… 6.1action Β· drama

Kinetic action, and it commits to that

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.

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

Drama 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.

Feels alike?
Rob-B-Hood poster
Rob-B-Hood
2006 Β· dir. Benny Chan
β˜… 6.6drama Β· action Β· comedy

Benny Chan working the same nerve twice

The difference: Sits closer to comedy than Shaolin does

For never-do-well compulsive gambler Fong, there's only one thing more fearsome than debtors at his doorstep - having to coax a crying baby. But what if the baby becomes his golden goose to fend off his debtors? Can he overcome his phobia of diapers, milk bottles, and cloying lullabies?

Feels alike?
Fist of Legend poster
Fist of Legend
1994 Β· dir. Gordon Chan
πŸ… 100%β˜… 7.5action

Both keep coming back to the same thing: kung fu

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.

Feels alike?
Master Z: Ip Man Legacy poster
Master Z: Ip Man Legacy
2018 Β· dir. Yuen Woo-ping
β˜… 6.5action Β· crime Β· drama

Contemplative action in both cases

Following his defeat by Master Ip, Cheung Tin Chi tries to make a life with his young son in Hong Kong, waiting tables at a bar that caters to expats. But it's not long before the mix of foreigners, money, and triad leaders draw him once again to the fight.

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

Both are built on the same subject: mixed martial arts (mma)

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

Feels alike?
The Grandmaster poster
The Grandmaster
2013 Β· dir. Wong Kar-Wai
πŸ… 78%β˜… 6.6action Β· drama Β· history

Both lean on stillness more than on drama

The fall of China's last dynasty, a time of chaos, division and war, is the golden age of Chinese martial arts. Legendary kung fu master Ip Man, who will eventually train Bruce Lee, finds his peaceful life interrupted by vengeance.

Feels alike?

In the mood for more kinetic?

all kinetic movies β†’

The best-reviewed films that share Shaolin’s defining feeling.