: A more recent film that showcases his acting range in a comedy-drama setting.
Jackie Chan is frequently cited as the greatest action stunt performer in cinema history. Yet conventional ranking systems—IMDb user scores (favoring Rush Hour , 7.0) or critics’ lists (favoring Police Story , 94% on RT)—produce conflicting "best of" lists. The problem is one of categorical alignment: what makes a Jackie Chan movie "better" is not the same as what makes a general film good. This paper argues for a genre-specific index.
If you are looking for the movies that made him a household name in the West:
This guide will help you look through his film catalog. You will find his absolute best work by era and style. Why You Need an Index for Jackie Chan Movies index of jackie chan movies better
| Tier | Movies | |------|--------| | | Police Story, Drunken Master II, Project A, Dragons Forever, Supercop | | Great | Armour of God, Wheels on Meals, Crime Story, Rush Hour 1&2, The Foreigner | | Good | Shanghai Noon, First Strike, Little Big Soldier, Ride On | | Skippable | The Tuxedo, The Medallion, Around the World in 80 Days |
Finding a definitive is easy, but identifying which ones are truly "better" requires sorting through over 150 films spanning five decades. While his early work established the kung fu comedy genre, his mid-career "Golden Era" produced stunts that remain unmatched in cinema history.
Jackie Chan continues to act and produce, and for families, his voice work in animated films has been a huge success. The Kung Fu Panda series features his voice as Master Monkey, introducing his personality to a new generation. His most recent film as of this writing is Karate Kid: Legends (2025), released to positive reactions and now streaming on Netflix. : A more recent film that showcases his
The 1980s and 1990s were Jackie's best years. He formed a famous stunt team. They jumped from buildings and wrecked cars for real.
These films are widely considered the pinnacle of Jackie's career, consistently topping critic and fan lists.
| Year | Title (Alternative Title) | Why It's Essential | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | Police Story | The gold standard of action cinema, featuring a jaw-dropping shopping mall finale that redefined stunt work. | | 1994 | Drunken Master II (The Legend of Drunken Master) | Often hailed as the greatest martial arts film ever made, showcasing Jackie at his physical peak, "literally dancing on hot coals to beat the bad guy". | | 1992 | Supercop (Police Story 3) | Jackie teams with a legendary Michelle Yeoh in a non-stop thrill ride packed with breathtaking stunts, including a helicopter rope ladder sequence above Kuala Lumpur. | | 1983 | Project A | A perfect blend of comedy and action, paying homage to silent film star Buster Keaton with its famous 60-foot clock tower fall performed without safety wires. | | 1978 | Drunken Master | The film that defined Jackie's signature blend of slapstick humor and martial arts, revitalizing the genre. | | 1984 | Wheels on Meals | A delightful collaboration with the "Three Brothers" (Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao), featuring one of the greatest on-screen fights of all time. | | 1995 | Rumble in the Bronx | The movie that launched Jackie into mainstream American stardom, featuring his inventive combat with everyday objects against street gangs. | | 1998 | Rush Hour | The East-meets-West buddy cop movie that became a global phenomenon, thanks to the incredible chemistry between Chan and co-star Chris Tucker. | | 1998 | Who Am I? | Legendary for its final stunt: sliding down the 21-story, steeply angled glass facade of the Willemswerf building in Rotterdam. | | 1991 | Operation Condor (Armour of God 2) | Jackie's epic take on a James Bond-style globe-trotting adventure, highlighted by a climactic battle in a massive wind tunnel. | | 1978 | Snake in the Eagle's Shadow | Jackie's first major breakthrough, a classic kung fu comedy showcasing his comedic timing and impressive fight choreography. | | 1988 | Dragons Forever | A beloved team-up with fellow martial arts stars Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao, beloved by fans and critics alike. | | 2017 | The Foreigner | A darker, more serious Jackie Chan, playing a quiet, vengeful father in a thriller that showcases his dramatic depth. | The problem is one of categorical alignment: what
US cuts often trim comedic scenes to speed up the action.
Peak kung fu comedy & death-defying stunts
: He plays a folk hero learning a strange fighting style.