Probably one of the best years for action/martial arts cinema lately, 2021 saw a number of truly impressive titles coming out, as China's blockbusters seem to be getting better, followed by the Korean ones, Japanese manga adaptations continue to be on a very high-level, at least production level-wise and ASEAN countries keep on producing some of the most interesting in the category through the combination of social commentary and exploitation elements. Furthermore, a number of movies that do not fall in any of the aforementioned groups but are of equal quality, rounded up a truly great year for Asian genre.
Without further ado, here are the best Asian martial arts/action films of 2021, in reverse order. Some films may have premiered in 2019, but since they mostly circulated in 2021, we decided to include them.
15. Rurouni Kenshin: The Final (Keishi Ohtomo)
On the other hand, the action element is top notch, with Kenji Tanigaki's action direction taking full advantage of both the protagonists and the group of stuntmen, in order to present a series of impressive and occasionally rather brutal sequences. Starting with the initial scene in the train, the cold-blooded, cool and sinister approach to the lives of others Takuma Otoo exhibits as Wu Heishin, benefits these scenes the most, also because his style of fighting is pretty similar to Kenshin's. The fact that both of them are presented as lightning fast benefits the action significantly, which finds its apogee in their utterly brutal battle. Takuro Ishizaka's cinematography and Tsuyoshi Imai's editing help the most in that regard, as much as the SFX during the explosion scenes, in an overall, great effort, in audiovisual terms. (Panos Kotzathanasis)
Buy This Title
on Amazon
14. The Yingyang Master (Li Wei Ran, China)
Top it off with music from composer Shigeru Umebayashi, this is an entertaining fantasy movie with high production values and spectacular scenery. It's a remarkable achievement of CGI shots, real sets, adorable and vivid digital demons. Just enjoy the ride and get lost in this magical world. (David Chew)
13. Preman (Randolph Zaini, Indonesia)
Although the basis of the movie, of an unlawful man going against his former gang, is anything but original, Randolph Zaini has included enough elements here to make his work stand out. Starting with the concept of the deaf mute main hero, and the way he presents the hollow sounds that reach his ears and continuing by having him be a single father, he manages to induce the narrative with an intense dramatic element, which is intensified by the troubles Pandu has in school and the story of how Sandi came to be deaf, after a terrible accident in school. (Panos Kotzathanasis)
12. Gatao The Last Stray (Chiang Jui-chich, Taiwan)
The action scenes are as impressive and brutal as usual, with the one where the two gangs clash and the one in the drugs lab standing out particularly, even if the latter is a bit excessive. The one however, that will remain on the mind of the viewer is another one that takes place during a night walk, whose dramatic consequences make it the most significant scene in the film. (Panos Kotzathanasis)
11. A Beast in Love (Koji Shiraishi, Japan)
The action follows another combination, that of exploitation with manga-esque aesthetics, with the finale in particular leaning heavily towards the second, but even including splatter notions. In that regard, the mixture of cinematography, VFX and editing result in a number of scenes that are brutal as they are impressive, with the comedic/ironic elements being always present. (Panos Kotzathanasis)
10. Space Sweepers (Jo Sung-hee, S. Korea)
Space Sweepers” gets its best aspect in its concepts and its visuals. The CGI in the film is very impressive for its budget, but also in general does genuinely well. Despite there probably not being enough set-pieces, the few we do get are entertaining and quite creative. In addition to that, the production boasts really interesting designs for some of its futuristic concepts, like its space soldiers, some of the cities, and the general universe. (Reinier Brands)
Buy This Title
on Amazon
9. The Swordsman (Choi Jae-hoon)
Apart from these points, “The Swordsman” features many great performances, with Joe Taslim as the main villain and Jang Hyuk as Tae-yul being the most notable. As the confrontation between these two men becomes inevitable, Son Won-ho's cinematography, among other features, highlights the growing tension. However, it is the action choreography where “The Swordsman” truly shines, making each fight a visual feast of speed and elegance, reminiscent of similar confrontations in, for example, the “Rurouni Kenshin” saga.
Buy This Title
on Amazon
8. The Yin-Yang Master: Dream of Eternity (Guo Jingming, China)
“The Ying Yang Master” is impressive to look at. The combination of SFX with CGI is one of the best we have seen in the latest years, the coloring is exceptional, including the antithesis between the blacks and whites that dominate the characters' equally imposing costumes, the actions scenes are majestic, particularly the ones involving the snake, and the sets are a joy to look at. Furthermore, the exceptional make-up and the SFX involved in the protagonists' face also make them appear gorgeous, with the casting also helping the most in that regard, since Mark Chao, Allen Deng, Jessie Li and Duo Wang are all rather good-looking. Randy Che's cinematography captures all the aforementioned in the best fashion, intensifying the fantasy element in all its aspects, while the combination with Kenji Kawai's music (which shares many similarities with the soundtrack of “Ghost in the Shell”) results in an audiovisual extravaganza. (Panos Kotzathanasis)
Buy This Title
on Amazon
7. Tokyo Revengers (Tsutomu Hanabusa, Japan)
As the story unfolds however, it becomes clear that the focus here is on action, which in this case, is particularly brutal, since the majority of fights seem rather imbalanced, with the difference in power between the ones fighting being quite evident, an element that is intensified by the fact that Takemichi is a genuine weakling, constantly getting beaten. Both the choreography and Tomo Ezaki's cinematography during those scenes are top-notch, although the scene where both elements find their apogee is the gang feud, where, additionally, Hanabusa's ability of directing many actors simultaneously on screen comes to the fore in the most impressive way.
Buy This Title
on YesAsia
6. A Writer's Odyssey (Lu Wang, China)
Where the movie truly thrives though, is the action, which, essentially, is the main focus here. The combination of having a “real-life” storyline where people with superpowers fight each other, and a fantasy one which seems to have jumped straight from a J-RPG, works exceptionally well for the movie, as it allows for completely different styles of action. Granted, the fantasy one is the most impressive, but the combination of martial arts/superpowers of the main one, is also quite entertaining. (Panos Kotzathanasis)
Buy This Title
on Amazon
The article continues on the next page
Trying to remember title to an asian action movie few years old. Opening scene shows a hitman in a nightclub about to shoot a bunch of monsters in a room but first he sees a little girl sitting alone at a table so he makes a paper armoni of a dragon so she laughs but a stray bullet kills her and he can’t handle the guilt
“No Tears for the Dead,”