We’re ranking the films of martial arts legend Donnie Yen! We start with Yen’s Certified Fresh films, including his first starring role in folk hero tale Iron Monkey from 1993, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (where he played blind Force disciple Chirrut Îmwe), and 2002’s Hero, which became the first Chinese-language film to top the American box office. Along with its packed cast featuring Tony Leung, Maggie Cheung, and Zhang Ziyi, Hero reunited Yen with Jet Li; the two had sparred in the epic Once Upon a Time in China II a decade earlier.
Critics Consensus:Raging Fire forsakes character development to go all in on action -- and fortunately, writer-director Benny Chan Chi-Shun and star Donnie Yen are more than capable of delivering the goods.
Synopsis: Bong (Donnie Yen) is a highly respected hardline cop with a long history of success on dangerous cases. However, his... [More]
Critics Consensus:Rogue One draws deep on Star Wars mythology while breaking new narrative and aesthetic ground -- and suggesting a bright blockbuster future for the franchise.
Synopsis: Former scientist Galen Erso lives on a farm with his wife and young daughter, Jyn. His peaceful existence comes crashing... [More]
Critics Consensus:Ip Man 3 isn't the most tightly plotted biopic a kung fu fan could ask for, but the fight scenes are fun to watch -- and at times, the drama is even genuinely poignant.
Synopsis: Martial-arts master Ip Man (Donnie Yen) takes on a crooked developer (Mike Tyson) and his gang of brutal thugs.... [More]
Critics Consensus: It could have told its classic story with greater depth, but the live-action Mulan is a visual marvel that serves as a stirring update to its animated predecessor.
Synopsis: To save her ailing father from serving in the Imperial Army, a fearless young woman disguises herself as a man... [More]
Critics Consensus: At once beholden to the established conventions of the genre and delightfully subversive of them, Ip Man is one of the most exciting -- and refreshingly character-driven -- martial arts films in years.
Synopsis: The life story of Yip Man, the first person to teach the Chinese martial art of Wing Chun.... [More]
Critics Consensus: Packed with action and featuring some of Donnie Yen's finest fighting, Ip Man 4: The Finale serves as a satisfying rebound -- and fitting finale -- for the franchise.
Synopsis: Ip Man and his son encounter racial discrimination after traveling to the United States to seek a better life.... [More]
Critics Consensus: Though Blade II offers more of what worked in the original, its plot and character development appear to have been left on the cutting room floor.
Synopsis: Exploding from the pages of Marvel Comics comes the thrilling follow-up to the blockbuster "Blade." Half Man ... half vampire,... [More]
Critics Consensus:xXx: Return of Xander Cage should satisfy fans of the first two installments, but its preponderance of set pieces can't quite make up for a tired storyline that fails to take the franchise -- or action fans -- anywhere new.
Synopsis: After coming out of self-imposed exile, daredevil operative Xander Cage (Vin Diesel) must race against time to recover a sinister... [More]
Critics Consensus: Paling in comparison to its predecessor in every conceivable way, Sword of Destiny is a lazy sequel that never justifies its own cynical existence.
Synopsis: A martial arts master (Michelle Yeoh) assembles a band of fighters to protect a legendary sword from a warlord (Jason... [More]
