The 11 Greatest Shaw Brothers Martial Arts Movies of All Time (2024)

If you’re a fan – even just a casual or occasional one – of kung fu or martial arts movies, chances are you’ve seen one from the legendary and prolific Hong Kong film company Shaw Brothers Studio. Shaw Brothers Studio was once the preeminent film production company in all of Hong Kong, and specialized in films in the “wuxia” genre, which blends martial arts action with Chinese historical drama and elements of fantasy. Although many studios have made wuxia films throughout history, Shaw Brothers’ wuxia movies of the middle-1960s revolutionized the genre with sophisticated action and death-defying stunt work.

Shaw Brothers Studio put out hundreds of fantastic wuxia and martial arts movies throughout its nearly 9-decade-long existence, so it can be difficult to pin down the best ones. That said, the 11 films featured in the following list are generally considered to be some of the studio’s very best, and serve as an excellent jumping off point for newcomers to the Shaw Brothers filmography and the greater wuxia genre.

11 Crippled Avengers (1978)

An underrated kung fu classic, Crippled Avengers is an action-packed beat ‘em up about a band of expert but badly-wounded fighters who assemble to take down a sadistic father-son duo of warlords. Loads of exhilarating violence and incredibly inventive martial arts magic ensue in this cult favorite.

The movie is also known as The Return of the 5 Deadly Venoms, as it stars members of the “Venom Mob,” a group of martial arts actors who were first assembled by director Chang Cheh for his sensational Five Deadly Venoms (see: the next entry on this list), though it bears no relation plot-wise to any other Venoms film.

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10 Five Deadly Venoms (1978)

One of the finest martial arts flicks of the ‘70s, Five Deadly Venoms (also known as The Five Venoms) is a beloved cult classic and well-documented Wu-Tang Clan favorite about the murderous exploits of five martial artists who are each skilled in a unique, animal-inspired style of kung fu.

The movie was a massive success, both in Hong Kong and abroad, and introduced moviegoers all over the world to the wuxia genre. The titular Five Venoms (the Snake, the Centipede, the Lizard, the Toad, and the Scorpion) became cult icons, and the actors who portray them – Wai Pak, Lu Feng, Philip Kwok, Lo Mang and Sun Chien – became known collectively as the Venom Mob, and made a number of films together in the years after. Although the action in Five Deadly Venoms pales in comparison to some of director Chang Cheh’s later, more bombastic kung fu flicks, we would be remiss not to include this influential favorite on this list.

9 Five Elements Ninjas (1982)

Speaking of Chang Cheh, here’s another of his incredible wuxias – Five Elements Ninjas, a thrilling kung fu adventure about a young fighter who goes after the ninja who killed his friends in cold blood. It stars only one member of the aforementioned Venom Mob – Lo Mang – though it's very similar to the director’s other Venoms films.

According to Collider, “Five Element Ninjas' main strength is its pacing: it feels like half the movie is pure action, and there's very little downtime. Perhaps some of the fight sequences bleed together a little, but it's also hard to complain about too much action.” Indeed, Five Elements Ninjas is a ravishing example of Hong Kong action spectacle distilled and concentrated, and easily one of the finest films from Shaw Brothers Studio.

8 Golden Swallow (1968)

Also known as The Girl with the Thunderbolt Kick, Golden Swallow is yet another film by the prolific Chang Cheh (the guy is known as “The Godfather of Hong Kong cinema” for a reason), which follows the titular kung fu expert on a mission to stop a violent ex-lover from impersonating her. Featuring Cheng Pei-pei – one of cinema’s first female action stars – in the role that she first made famous in King Hu’s 1966 masterpiece Come Drink With Me (more on that later), Golden Swallow is an ultra-violent and immensely satisfying wuxia that’s chock-full of spectacle.

7 Legendary Weapons of China (1982)

Legendary Weapons of China is a thrilling wuxia from venerated director, actor, and fight choreographer Lau Kar-Leung. It’s about different warring clans during the Qing Dynasty sending assassins after a dastardly martial arts master. Light on plot and heavy on inventive action, the film strikes the perfect balance between impressive, genuine martial arts choreography and mind-blowing mystical mayhem. It’s nothing but fun all the way through!

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6 Killer Constable (1980)

Killer Constable is an exciting and surprisingly dark wuxia set in the 19th century about a Qing Dynasty official hunting down a band of robbers who ransacked the royal treasury. Despite its period setting, Killer Constable operates much more like a kung fu-flavored Dirty Harry movie than anything else, following a troubled hero who questions the morality of his role in society. Though cynical and downbeat, the movie never gets too caught up in its dreariness, and makes plenty of time for outrageously fun martial arts mayhem.

5 The Flying Guillotine (1975)

The Flying Guillotine is a bloody wuxia flick about an irrationally anxious emperor who commissions a new weapon – the titular flying guillotine – to make his massacre of suspected enemies of the state go more smoothly. Scene after scene of instantaneous and graphic beheadings ensue.

Although its Golden Harvest-produced (unofficial) successor Master of the Flying Guillotine is much better known, the Shaw Brothers original hits just as hard. Directed by prolific action and horror director Ho Meng-Hua, this unhinged and underrated martial arts gem has a foot in both the exploitation and kung fu movie camps, and is sure to satisfy fans of both.

4 The Eight Diagram Pole Fighter (1984)

Another one directed by Lau Kar-Leung (Legendary Weapons of China), The Eight Diagram Pole Fighter is a stunning martial arts masterwork about a family massacre that leaves just two brothers left to either wallow in desperation or exact revenge on the killers. Shockingly brutal and unflinching, with a revenge plot so intense that it’s guaranteed to get anyone fired up, The Eight Diagram Pole Fighter is a rip-roaring good time based on ancient Chinese legend. What's more, the bloodletting is made memorable by a terrific lead performance from Shaw Brothers regular Gordon Liu.

3 The One-Armed Swordsman (1967)

The One-Armed Swordsman is an undisputed classic of martial arts cinema, and one of Shaw Brothers Studio’s greatest triumphs. It stars the amazing Jimmy Wang Yu as the titular swordsman, who loses his arm when he’s jumped by a gang of jealous fellow students.

The film is credited with redefining the wuxia genre, which from then on would feature anti-heroes and considerably bloodier violence. It also made a superstar out of Wang Yu, who went on to star in multiple sequels, as well as an unrelated pair of amputee action classics produced by Golden Harvest – kicked off by 1971’s One-Armed Boxer.

2 The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978)

The 36th Chamber of Shaolin is one of the greatest kung fu flicks ever made, and follows a young student who escapes the Manchu massacre by fleeing to a Shaolin Temple. While there, he begins to train and become a master in their martial arts.

Gordon Liu stars in perhaps his most iconic role, and does an incredible job portraying the hero’s transformation from terrified student to formidable avenger. The movie follows his rigorous training for most of its runtime before switching to a bloody revenge plot in its final act, and both parts of the movie are deftly directed and thrilling to watch.

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1 Come Drink With Me (1966)

Heralded by many as one of (if not the) greatest and most influential wuxia films ever made, Come Drink With Me follows a female warrior who uses her unparalleled abilities in both martial arts and disguise to save her brother from a sadistic outlaw gang.

Directed by the legendary King Hu, Come Drink With Me is the first (and only to be produced by the Shaw Brothers) in a string of wuxia movies that Hu would use to revolutionize the genre. The movie also launched the action career of Cheng Pei-pei, who is now considered to be one of the world’s first and best female action icons.

The movie is simply transcendent, and a true masterpiece that blends together many disparate ideas and tones into one perfect, standard-setting package. In the words of Den of Geek, “It’s perhaps as much of a Chinese opera as it is a kung fu film (and there are even a couple of songs in it, courtesy of a mysterious beggar known as Drunken Cat). The dialogue is poetic and the choreography graceful, with Pei Pei (who’d trained as a dancer, not a martial artist) dominating throughout.” Its influence can be seen in Ang Lee’s masterpiece Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, as well as countless others.