When I think of Jackie Chan there are many movies that come to mind, but I have watched none as many times as the 1994 Comedy Fu classic Drunken Master 2 (the American title was later changed to The Legend of Drunken Master).  In it Chan returns to play the role of Wong Fei-Hong, an expert at drunken boxing. The plot is pretty basic, but the overall combination of slap-stick comedy and incredible fight choreography leave me in awe every time I watch this movie.

Where to find Drunken Master 2 online:

The 2003 movie Oldboy is the second in a trilogy known as The Vengeance Trilogy. While not my favorite of all three movies it is probably the most well know. This is the story of Oh Dae-Su, who is imprisoned in a hotel room for 15 years and then released with no explanation as to why he was confined and released. When he is released falls for a young chef, but then must learn who his captor is and figure out why he was imprisoned or his new love interest will be killed.

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The 2003 movie Azumi is an extremely violent movie based off of a popular Japanese manga series. Orphaned because of the war Azumi is raised with a group of other orphans by a master assassin with just one purpose: to kill upon command, anytime, anywhere, without question. In a bid to restore peace to a war-torn nation, the master assassin orders Azumi and her fellow orphans to eliminate several rival warlords. As she carries out her assignment, Azumi begins to question her task and her fate.

This movie is awesome fun and has some fantastic fight scenes. The acting is good and overall it is a very watchable movie, but be forewarned this movie is long! like 2 1/2 hours long… So invite some friends over, make some popcorn and enjoy a totally kick ass movie!

Where to find Azumi online:

The 2002 film The Twilight Samurai (also known as Tasogare Seibei) is a Japanese film that takes place in mid-19th century Japan (a few years before the Meiji Restoration). It follows the life of Seibei Iguchi, a low-ranking samurai employed as a bureaucrat. While he is poor, he is also very content. He comes to realize true happiness in life with his daughters, senile mother and an old childhood friend. While the film is based on a samurai, it severely lacks action scenes and instead chooses to focus on the emotions of a samurai.

The movie was directed by Yoji Yamada and won many Japanese film awards. It even received a nomination for the 2002 Academy Awards for best Foreign Language Film (although it did not win).

Where to find The Twilight Samurai online:

Ip Man was released by Mandarin Films in 2008. The movie is about the legendary Wing Chun Grand Master Ip Man (aka Yip Man). Ip Man is famous as being one of Bruce Lee’s Grand Masters as well as training many others. The movie takes place during the second Sino-Japanese War. If you are a fan of a well told story and good martial arts you’ll love this film!

The official movie website is available at http://www.ipman-movie.com

Where to find Ip Man online: