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The Best 80’s and 90’s Karate Movies Ever
Posted on August 7th, 2008
I was talking with a bunch of co-workers about classic 80’s and 90’s karate movie this morning and it inspired me to write this post. All the karate movies below kicked ass and wow their original trailers are freaken hilarious. I’m renting all these movies this weekend and running a karate movie marathon.SideKicks
Director: Aaron Norris
Release Date: 9 April 1993 (USA)
Tagline: A dreamer and a champion. An unbeatable team…Until his hero stepped out of his fantasies to fight at his side.Best Of The Best
Director: Robert Radler
Release Date: 10 November 1989 (USA)
Tagline: There’s a kind of inner strength you never know you have…until it’s ALL you have.American Ninja
Director: Sam Firstenberg
Release Date: 30 August 1985 (USA)
Tagline: The Orient created the world’s deadliest art.Now there’s an American master!Bloodsport
Director: Newt Arnold
Release Date: 26 February 1988 (USA)
Tagline: The secret contest where the world’s greatest warriors fight in a battle to the death.Big Trouble in Little China Trailer
I know it’s not a true karate movie, but it rocks!
Director: John Carpenter
Release Date: 2 July 1986 (USA)
Tagline: Adventure doesn’t come any bigger!Karate Kid
Director: John G. Avildsen
Release Date: 22 June 1984 (USA)
Tagline:Only the ‘Old One’ could teach him the secrets of the masters.Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Director: Steve Barron
Release Date: 30 March 1990 (USA)
Tagline: Lean, Green And On The Screen.
56 responses to “The Best 80’s and 90’s Karate Movies Ever”
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Dude, I’m dissapointed that you did not include ‘The Last Dragon’.
There has never been a karate villian as badass as Sho Nuff.
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Those are all amazing but don’t forget these 80’s classic treats below:
They Call me Bruce
Director: Elliott Hong
Release Date: 12 November 1982
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUwjF6LkXuEThe Golden Child
Directed by Michael Ritchie
12 December 1986
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPLmYcQaVVE -
Nice, I am glad that you included American Ninja! But what about I’m Gonna Get You Sucka? Does that qualify as a karate movie?
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Yeah, The Last Dragon gets the double-whammy of cheesy kung fu flick and blaxpoitation film grossing a ton of money despite critic reviews… Plus, it features one of the best examples of 80s breakdancing ever:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MUNixy8Jxg
And Miguel, I concur with “I’m Gonna Get You Sucka.”
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Excellent list. It’s tough to satisfy everybody… now I gotta to rewatch “Big trouble in Little China”.
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Awsome
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Really think you should add no retreat no surrender to that list aswell, a true classic.
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Mark firmin October 18th, 2008 at 07:37
Hi wondered if you could tell me the name of an 80`s karate movie where the fighters get the GLOW! when the reach their peak? i remember seeing it as a kid and i`d love to see it again to see if its as good as i remember it
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I`m lokking for an old karate movie that I saw when I was a kid, but I can`t remember the name of it! All I remember from the movie is that it`s about 2 young guys,possible brothers how gets trained by someone and the training includes sitting with there knees against bricks for endurance…and thar a guy does an awsome front kick in the face of a guy holding him from behind…
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The name of the film is Blood Fight.
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Mark!
I think the movie your looking for is The Last Dragon! The bad guy on the movie is the very funny looking Sho Nuff and the hero catches a bullit with his mouth in the end.. -
I would really wanna know the name of that movie to.Maxen`s question nr 9.I checked the movie under the name blood fight,but I think that`s not it.As I remember they are brothers,but the corean guy is adopted son and the guy next to him is the real son of that guy who is also the main villain of the movie.That movie kicks ass.So?Is it blood fight?
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what was the movie where the kid saw the future on his sega? does anyone remember?
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Uh, my favorite karate movie of all times is Most definitely Barry Gordy’s The Last Dragon. Bruce Leroy catches bullets with his teeth and delivers the pizza from daddy greens pizza… Most ridiculous and awesome, i found that on DVD at the local Kroger the Other week, i couldn’t believe it and bought two copies.
Two other movies from the 80’s that people musn’t forget: No Retreat No Surrender (Van Damme’s first movie ever) and last but not least, Gymkata!!!!!
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Thanks for al the answers! The movie I’m looking for is not The Last Dragon, I’ve got that one. Blood Fight sounds right but I can’t find it anywhere!
Igor,yeah,your right!That is the movie I’m looking for!
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Does anyone know what movie Maxen and Igor are taliking about? That was one of my favorite movies, I wish I knew the name of it.
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Maxen!
The movie you’re lookin for is Breathing Fire.
The title Bloodfight was used in Europe it seems, can’t find any info on it by that name.
Awesome movie, it’s so bad… cracks me up. Fighting’s pretty good thou. -
Maxen April 7th, 2009 at 20:20
Dude!!
I searched for Braethign Fire ( P-Bay)and that’s it! That’s the movie I’m looking for!! Thank you so much!!
Over and out.
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Maxen April 7th, 2009 at 20:20
That’s Breathing Fire….
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Micki need help . :D April 13th, 2009 at 15:05
I`m looking for Karate movie, i dont remember the name. but in the start of the movie, a black cop, kills a man. And then hi dont, wanna be a cop any more. an he becomes a janitor. And he teach the new kids at the school karate, Because hi like`s a girl, and her boyfriend kick hi`s ass. ! ? Any one , how know`s that ?
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karate fan April 27th, 2009 at 14:34
Im looking for a old karate movie. it is about the best karate fighters held prisoners in a camp so that they will fight Hitlers men in a karate tournament..
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a black cop, kills a man. And then he dont, wanna be a cop any more. an he becomes a janitor. the movie is called showdown with billy blanks
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jerry July 20th, 2009 at 21:35
im looking for a movie,
all i remember is this kid was on the track team doing a pole vault and some guys were messing with him and he kicks and kill hims and gets kick out of school
then he grows up and he fights with some short sticks that it can any body help me -
The pole vaulting movie you’re talking about is “The Perfect Weapon” with Jeff Speakman.
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Hey Guys, I am looking for a movie or series where the small asian kid from the last dragon comes out in. I remember liking this series or movie as a kid. The small asian kid from the last dragon is the star of the show i think. Email me or my wife here please with info.. eptcouple@yahoo.com
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I’ve been trying to find a movie for a few years now, it was probably made in the 80s or 90s. The only scene I can remember is a blonde guy with a ponytail in a locker room doing the splits/stretching before his fight and getting killed. I know that’s not much….any ideas?
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I’m looking for a movie that I remember when I was younger about a kid who does karate and goes to California to stay with his uncle and his sister goes with him and he gets into a bunch of fights . Please email me jmbono30@gmail.com
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the movie with the “GLOW” is called the last dragon..the best movie ever
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man.. you completely forgot Remo.
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I’m looking for a martial arts movie that has a scene where the star has to pass a test by getting through a two lines of people (one line on each side of him) all wielding escrimas. The two guys that go before him get owned, so he throws his escrimas out in the middle of the floor and then runs and flips to them and owns everybody else. The movie ends with him side kicking a huge blonde guy out of a window and the head boss is female. Any ideas? You can also email brentdavis1@gmail.com
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yo does anyone now the name of movie with a kid that found ring and gave him the ability to fight with an old man that tolled him that there where two ring if he put both ring to together he will have the power off a god and there is and evil dude that is looking for the rings an kidnapped hes girlfriend from school if you do email the name of the movie at gentoheartless@yahoo.com thanks
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I’m looking for a movie. There is this guy, ninja I believe, that enters a tournament to fight his way up to get revenge on one of the fighters. The scene I remember shows this fat guy with a big knife (Rambo kind of knife) wearing a plaid shirt fighting another guy with a sword. When the fat guy starts passing the knife from hand to hand, the guy with the sword just slashes the guy with the knife from his head down. It was a short fight. Has anyone scene this movie?
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Samantha November 6th, 2009 at 11:23
i’m looking for a movie.. all i can remember is that it’s about three brothers, kids. last time i saw it was when i was 4-5 years old. so I cant remember anything else than this.. XD i guess one of them was 6-8 and the others between 10-13 or something..
anybody who knows which movie im talking about?? =S
thanks. Samantha -
Lucian November 25th, 2009 at 09:19
Pleaseeeeee help me,i need to know the name of a great movie that i saw when i was a kid.
The action is in Thailand or Manilla i dont really know but there is a asian girl and she can fight so great.There also 2 guys,friends maybe brothers and they fight in ring,kik boxing…There is a scene in the movie where they have greenades in pineaples…It’s the great movie i seen when i was a kid..i realy need the name of this.
At the end of the movie the 2 guys fly with jetpacks and from trucks are coming a lot of bad guys.If u know please help! -
Lucian November 25th, 2009 at 09:22
Samantha the name of the movie u search i think is KARATE KID,i think there are tree parts of this movie.
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Gareth November 30th, 2009 at 03:44
samantha the film ur looking for is 3 ninjas
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nhownee December 3rd, 2009 at 09:28
can u help me out with a movie about a group of teenagers who wears a red jacket call themselves as tiger(sumthin), and then they battle this gang of punks….much appreciated…if you can help…thanks!
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I’m looking for a movie that I remember when I was younger about a kid who does karate and goes to California to stay with his uncle and his sister goes with him and he gets into a bunch of fights . I remember him training with his sensai in a gym, then when he’s walking along the street, a bunch of guys start fighting him, the sensai see’s it, comes out and helps his student.. Don’t remember the main story of the movie, was years ago when i saw it, please if you know what it is, email me @ micky.johnson@live.com or reply here! - thanks in advance, Michael.
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I’m looking for 2 karate/Ninja movies. The first one starts with that a little asian boy wanna touch some valuable swords on a exhibit or something like that. when he is about to toch them a man takes the sword and cut him in the back so he becomes paralyced. Then the movie is about this american guy “Rick” i think is name is? He is beeing trained from a great old asian man how learns him to cut down trees with ninjaswords? any one know the name of this movie?
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And the second movie im looking for are about this 5 or 6 ninjas/soldiers, don’t remember so mutch but they wearing black ninjamasks and black sweaters and militarypants.. then they have ninjaswords.
Remember that one off them getting killed when he is runing forward to some enimes soldiers and starting shooting! Thes ninjasoldiers wear like a family, all the others getting real down in sorrow when he dies! Please can anyone tell me the names of thes two movies?? can Mail me solo_jonas87@hotmail.com -
i forgot this movie im looking for. I’t about this asian shaolin gut how is getting stuck and lose his hand in a beartrap when he’s village under attack! He starts to learn martial arts, and he become really good. And the thing is that instead of a hand he has this half sword in a chain that he can swing around and throw at his enemies. in this movie they jump and doing allot off vaults and in the end he fighting the man how was attacking hes village in the begining. Anyone know the name? Solo_jonas87@hotmail.com
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Geneto the name of the movie is The Power Within it feature Ted Roberts as the kid who wear the ring
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Joe I think the name of movie is Magic kid 2
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Nick I think the movie is called surf ninjas
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Amanda August 31st, 2010 at 17:34
YA’LL DOES ANYONE REMEMBER A MOVIE IN THE LATE EIGHTIES OR 90′S ABOUT A KID FROM CAMBODIA COMING TO AMERICA TO LIVE WITH HIS DAD AND HIS DAD HAS A FAMILY ALREADY. WELL THE STEP BROTHER AND HIM. THE BOY HAS A JEWEL AND PEOPLE ARE AFTER THEM SO THE PEOPLE KILL THE FAMILY AND THE INSTRUCTOR AND KIDNAP THEIR FRIEND GIRL. WELL THE TWO BROTHERS TRAIN AND FIGHT THE KILLERS I LOVED THAT MOVIE BUT NOW I CAN’T REMEMBER THE NAME I THOUGHT IT WAS BREATHING FIRE BUT I CAN’T FIND THE ONE IT IS IF THAT’S IT BUT IT HAS EITHER FIRE, STREET, OR BLOOD IN THE TITLE… PLEASE EMAIL ME ARBLAIR19@YAHOO.COM LOWER CASE THANKS
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hey lucian,if ur still looking for that movie(grenades in pineapple), i think it’s called iron eagles..but then, it comes in parts,maybe till part 4,5 or 6..don’t remember which one..all are great though
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Hi all!I’m looking for a movie whith one kid.He has moved to another town and start training karate in their garage.Please, if you have any ideas, write me to levski_front@abv.bg
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Hey Nick -
Just to let you know the movie you are looking for is Surf Ninjas if you hadn’t already figured that out. The movie with the boy who sees the future on his sega.
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Hi everyone,
first, thanks so much for all the information you’re providing here!
Since I see that you know so many movies, I’d like to ask you for the title of one.
The story is focused on an American teenager, and I’m pretty sure is on holidays in an Asian country, or simply moves there.
He gets bullied by a bunch of guys, the leader always wearing a black leather jacket, and has black hair.
He’s so beaten up that he wakes up a few days later and he’s being taken care of by an old ermit, who teaches him martial arts. We see him train, and at some point he manages to master a specific move (with the palm of his hand he can put a cow down by putting it on the animal’s forehead; we’re supposed to imagine the energy field going from his hand to the animal to get the power of that move). He discovers that his bully was the former student of the ermit, and he has to fight him in a competition at the end, with his eyes closed (he wears a bandana and doesn’t see anything at the end of the fight, but he does the same move he did on the cow on his bully).
I’m sure it’s an 80’s/90’s movie. There’s a girl somewhere in there as well.Thanks SO much for any help you can provide…
You guys rock! -
btw: agnes.obj@hotmail.fr if anyone has the answer to my question. Thanks!
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Hi everyone,
I’m looking for an 80’s/90’s movie. An american teenager is bullied by someone, and at some point is being taken care of by an older asian man. The man teaches him martial arts, and especially a move where he puts his hand forward against his opponent’s forehead.
At some point during his training, we see the teenager put a cow down with this move. At the end of the movie, he ends up fighting his bully on a ring (who turns out to be the old man’s former student) and he does it without seeing, as he wears a scarf over his eyes.
The whole point of his training is about feeling and energy: he can feel his opponent, thus he doesn’t need to see them.Anyone here knows the title? you guys seem to know all those movies!
Thanks! agnes.obj@hotmail.fr -
Hi
Im looking the name of a Film, In it the guy wears a jacket where the logo or emblem on the back lights up. Its not “The Last Dragon”. I thought it had Ernie Reyes Jr in it but I have checked all his movies and think I must be wrong.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks
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Hello, I am looking for the name of karate movies I seen in the 80’s. it has a bunch of guys that get back together to defeat like a dictator. one of he characters name is HOTDOG. Can anyone help
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i’m looking for a movie about a guy who was held hostage and in order for him to get free he had to fight in this tournament on a ranch
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kevin June 12th, 2011 at 11:05
im looking for this movie were this karate gang breaks into this house for one of their initiations and they turn on him and breaks his neck then the dead kids brother takes revenge i know horrible description but if anyone knows it i would appreciate it
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Justin July 5th, 2011 at 17:27
I’ve noticed that none of the messages posted this year have been answered. But I’m really keen to find out the name of this movie so I’ll post one anyway. Do any of you remember a movie (I think there may have been a sequel or two) about this dude who must have been 17 or 18 and he drove this red Mustang. My memory’s really crappy but I remember at one point in the movie his friend is driving the car and he’s sitting at the back with this blonde chick and they kiss. Also he goes to this house party, where this blonde chick is, and he gets into a fight with some douche who ends up in the pool. It wasn’t a phenomenal martial arts movie but it brings back fond memories of when I was a kid.
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