5 1980s Martial Arts Movies You May Have Missed On Prime Video
Nicholas Raymond is an author and journalist based out of Alabama, where he proudly roots for the Alabama Crimson Tide football team. A graduate of the University of Montevallo, he has a degree in mass communication with a concentration in journalism.
Prime Video's movie library has no shortage of fun options for fans of martial arts movies, including some must-watch hidden gems from the 1980s. Its lineup covers multiple corners of the genre, from the old-school kung fu films of the 1970s to the modern favorites of the 21st century. The 1980s are well-represented too, and for good reason.
The 1980s mark an interesting era for the genre. Unfortunately, the kung fu craze of the 1970s had ended, but that's not to say interest in martial arts movies died completely. Jackie Chan's career was in full-swing, Shaw Brothers delivered some all-time great classics in the final years of its legendary run, and Hollywood contributed its fair share too, via The Karate Kid and the movies of Jean-Clade Van Damme.
Prime Video has samplings of this particular in the martial arts genre's storied history. Movies like Clan of the White Lotus, Crippled Avengers, the American Ninja franchise, and Wheals on Meals are all notable 1980s martial arts films found in the streamer's catalog. But these are also well-known favorites that many may have already seen, possibly multiple times. But there are others on Prime Video that fans of the genre might have overlooked.
5 Ambitious Kung Fu Girl
During the 1980s, Shaw Brothers hit its stride with films that would blend martial arts with comedy. One of the many products of this effort was Ambitious Kung Fu Girl, a project that starred one of the best old-school kung fu movie actors, Chen Kuan-tai. Despite what its title implies, Ambitious Kung Fu Girl isn't about a skilled female martial artist; rather, it tells the story of a young woman (Michelle Yim) fooled by her wealthy father into thinking she's a kung fu prodigy.
She sets off on her own to meet the man of her dreams (played by Chen Kuan-tai), and winds up as the target of many nefarious individuals interested in acquiring her father's vast fortune. As a result, the man she's arranged to marry - played by the very talented Yuen Tak - has to step up in her defense. Her attempts to fight are played for comic relief, forcing Yuen Tak and Chen Kuan-tai's character to handle the bulk of the action.
Ambitious Kung Fu Girl quickly evolves into a surprisingly unpredictable 1980s kung fu comedy that avoids the usual story beats of the genre. Multiple plot twists, great martial arts choreography, a funny dynamic between Yuen Tak and Michelle Yim's character, and an epic team-up in the final act between the two male main characters help make Ambitious Kung Fu Girl a rewarding ride.
4 Cyborg
A lesser-known outing from Jean-Claude Van Damme, Cyborg is a 1989 film that stars the Muscles from Brussels as a mercenary caught in a fight over a deadly plague in the post-apocalyptic United States. The search for a cure hands the movie a high-stakes feel, but as is often the case with martial arts movies, revenge is the primary motive of the hero, and Van Damme does indeed shine as the vengeance-obsessed Gibson Rickenbacker.
The movie possesses the trademark action style of the high-kicking Van Damme, but what really makes it stand out is its unique world, complete with its own lore and cyberpunk costumes. Ultimately, Cyborg is a surprising mix of 1980s martial arts spectacle and Mad Max that viewers will be hard-pressed to find anywhere else.
3 A Deadly Secret
Considering that revenge is one of the best premises of a martial arts film, it should perhaps come as no surprise that one of the greatest revenge stories of all time was once given the kung fu movie treatment. A Deadly Secret is a 1980 Shaw Brothers production that adapts the Jin Yong novel that shares its title. Watching the movie, it immediately becomes apparent that the source material is essentially the wuxia version of The Count of Monte Cristo, albeit with a few changes.
A Deadly Secret easily succeeds in proving the merits of giving the legendary Alexandre Dumas novel a kung fu makeover. A young man going to prison for a crime he didn't commit and learning new skills from his cellmate to take revenge is a concept that feels tailor-made for the martial arts genre.
One thing that separates this adaptation of A Deadly Secret and The Count of Monte Cristo is the heavy focus on the other characters in the story. Ng Yuen-chun may be the protagonist, but the real stars are Yuen Hua and Jason Piao Piao. Piao Piao plays the wronged martial arts master who shares a cell with the hero, whereas Yuen Hua portrays the man who put them both there, all so that he can get his hands on a supposed cache of treasure.
The heinous acts he's willing to perform to get what he wants - supported by Yuen Hua's stone-faced performance - hand A Deadly Secret a truly dastardly kung fu movie villain, a must for any great entry in the genre.
2 Revenge Of The Ninja
Revenge of the Ninja is an American-made martial arts B-movie that stars Sho Kosugi as a retired ninja and single father who moves to America to restart his life. Things go awry when he gets embroiled in a battle that involves gangsters and ninjas. The film is the second entry in a trilogy of Sho Kosugi-led ninja movies, but while they're technically all in the same series, they function as an anthology since each features its own cast of characters and self-contained story.
The first movie, Enter the Ninja, had a lot to do with the heightened interest in ninja movies in the West. The second movie, on the other hand, isn't quite as well-revered. The film was panned for having an over-the-top plot, unbelievable plot twists, and poor dialogue, but its wild approach to the movie's ninja battles and campy one-liners are actually a big part of its wider appeal, as they fit in well with what many expect of a fun martial arts flick that doesn't take itself too seriously.
All three installments in Sho Kosugi's Ninja trilogy (Enter the Ninja, Revenge of the Ninja, and Ninja 3: The Domination) are streaming on Prime Video.
1 Drunken Tai Chi
Also available on Prime Video is Drunken Tai Chi, a 1984 film about a young man on the run who finds himself in the company of a heavy-drinking puppeteer. The man and his wife teach the protagonist tai chi, transforming into a powerful fighter capable of taking on his enemies.
The plot on its own makes Drunken Tai Chi sound like a run-of-the-mill kung fu movie from the early 1980s, but it's a remarkable film for a number of reasons. Firstly, it served as the movie debut of Donnie Yen, and remains the martial arts icon's only true old-school kung fu movie. That style of choreography mixed with Donnie Yen's martial arts talents amounted to a worthwhile combination. And it didn't hurt that the director was the critically acclaimed Yuen Woo-ping, who is among the greatest martial arts filmmakers of all time.
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