Best movies like Strife for Mastery
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
A feudal lord from China sends his son off to kill a criminal who has murdered thirteen of his men and has stolen a large sum of gold. The son, played by David Chiang, abandons his duty (without the will to live an assassin's life anymore) and leaves the Criminal with his life in exchange for his daughter to wed. David Chiang runs off with the criminal's daughter, and is then faced with rising conflict and more destruction to his family after he had abandoned his post. David Chiang must pull himself together and fight for his life.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 57
Genere: Action, Drama
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 85 min
Plot tags: surprise ending
Best tv shows and movies like Strife for Mastery (1978):
Similar in 81%
The 18 Bronzemen (1975)
Plot Summary:
During the Manchurian invasion of China, the son of the Ming Dynasty General takes refuge in the Shaolin Temple to learn martial arts, so that he may seek revenge for his dead father. But he must first endure the rigorous test of the temple's legendary 18 Bronzemen.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 467
Genere: Action, Drama, War
Country: Taiwan, Hong Kong
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags: grindhouse
Similar in 82%
Tiger Over Wall (1980)
Plot Summary:
Based on actual events that took place in Shanghai 1919, Hwang Jang Lee portrays a ruthless Police Captain, who will stop at nothing in his quest for power even framing an innocent man and sending him mad. The Man's family can not tolerate the injustice and fight back with some of the meanest Kung Fu techniques ever witnessed, without doubt one of the best films from the two kings of Kung Fu: Hwang Jang Lee & Phillip Ko.
IMDB Rating: 6.0
IMDB Votes: 82
Genere: Action, Drama
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 87 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 76%
Vengeance Is a Golden Blade (1969)
Plot Summary:
Li Zhishan is a rich man, but wealth cannot keep the loyalties of his wife, who has been visiting the bed of a rival. She helps plot against him, and the Vicious Long Brothers invade his home and steal the Golden Dragon Blade - a sword that makes its wielder unbeatable. Zhishan, crippled in the attack, and his young daughter are whisked away by a devoted servant, and the trio soon find shelter in the home of an herbalist. Years pass, the daughter grows up to be a lovely young woman and a powerful fighter, and the Long Brothers use the Golden Dragon Blade to gain power in the region. Zhishan's family of sorts has managed to stay well hidden, but a trip into the city - the daughter's first - sets off an old power struggle as Zhishan's wife discovers her daughter is quite alive.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 165
Genere: Action, Drama
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 98 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 76%
Muscle of the Dragon (1985)
Plot Summary:
Kim Man-sul who is released from prison after serving time for illegally smuggling and manufacturing methamphetamines turns up missing. Police investigator Pak Geo-ryong infiltrates the headquarters of a cult religious group called Baewon-gyo after learning that their general director, Pak Sang-gyu and Kim were associated. Geo-ryong exposes the secrets of Baewon-gyo with the help of Kyung-ah, the daughter of the high priest. He plans to escape and rescue Wu-ryong whose cover is blown as a cop. Geo-ryong and Wu-ryong are captured after trying to stop the Baewon-gyo from taking over the methamphetamine sweat house. But they make a narrow escape and take over the criminals in a mountain villa.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 27
Genere: Action, Drama
Country: Hong Kong, UK, USA
Duration: 88 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 75%
The Dragon's Showdown (1980)
Plot Summary:
Lee Lung witnessed the murder of his parents by the ruthless bandit Shek King who in turn abducted Lee's infant sister. Lee wanders the land and learns martial arts from a drunken master. Once his skills are perfected, Lee sets out in search of his long lost sister and the villain Shek King.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 77
Genere: Action, Drama
Country: Taiwan, South Korea
Duration: 85 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 80%
Golden Dragon, Silver Snake (1979)
Plot Summary:
Kung Fu star Dragon Lee appears as 'Golden Dragon', who teams up with 'Silver Snake' to take revenge on the men responsible for his brother's murder.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 96
Genere: Action, Drama
Country: Hong Kong, South Korea
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 88%
Dragon on Fire (1978)
Plot Summary:
Sammy is involved with gangsters to save his relative from a problem so he calls Dragon Hung from America to help him.
IMDB Rating: 5.5
IMDB Votes: 162
Genere: Action, Drama
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 87 min
Plot tags: grindhouse, cult film
Similar in 90%
Kung Fu Queen (1972)
Plot Summary:
Fan Kao-to is a worker who had enough of corruption in Shanghai. He tries to crush the organization alone. An attempt has been made before but ended up with the big Axe Gang, several of their brands in the man. The man's sister arrives in Shanghai at the same time as Fan Kao-to go out on one-man war, and she wants to do her in the fight, also, she takes the war personally.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 125
Genere: Action, Drama
Country: Taiwan, Hong Kong
Duration: 92 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 82%
Call Me Dragon (1974)
Plot Summary:
Golden Sand City is filled with brothels and casinos funded by drug lord Yim Kung Ho (evil Mr. Yem) and policed by the iron fist of his henchman Panther (Leopard Head). Vigilantes Inspector Big Dragon (Bruce Liang), Little Mouse, and Black Cat plan to bring Yum Kung Ho and his evil empire to its knees, but face fierce opposition in the deadly Panther, who has the stolen pearls sought after by Big Dragon and his new ally Mei Ling.
IMDB Rating: 5.9
IMDB Votes: 53
Genere: Action, Drama
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 91 min
Plot tags: independent film
Similar in 76%
The Brutal Boxer (1972)
Plot Summary:
The bloodiest Kung Fu battles ever fought. The subtitle says it all, as there is hardly any story, but all the more raw fighting.
IMDB Rating: 4.9
IMDB Votes: 174
Genere: Action, Drama
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 87 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 82%
One Armed Swordsman Against Nine Killers (1976)
Plot Summary:
Watch WANG YU as a one-armed savior battling the local goons in this martial arts classic. He has some rather amazing moves up his sleeve.
IMDB Rating: 5.2
IMDB Votes: 159
Genere: Action, Drama
Country: Taiwan
Duration: 76 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 82%
Masked Avengers (1981)
Plot Summary:
Philip Kwok plays a repentant killer who vows to destroy the masked gang of which he was a member. A young fighter and his martial arts brothers come to the town to catch the killers, but one of them is not to be trusted!.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 773
Genere: Action, Drama
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 92 min
Plot tags: bloody
Similar in 78%
The Magnificent Ruffians (1979)
Plot Summary:
Venom regulars Philip Kwok, Chiang Sheng, and Sun Chien star as a gang of unemployed martial artists who spend their days stuffing their faces at local restaurants and letting the staff beat them up instead of paying the bill. Their fortunes appear to improve when the head of a local security agency hires them to take out the competition, who their new employer insists is up to no good. But the boys are being played for fools, and after an unfortunate misunderstanding, they unite with their former adversary to take out the true villain.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 433
Genere: Action, Drama
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 82 min
Plot tags: grindhouse
Similar in 76%
Chinese Vengeance (1973)
Plot Summary:
Set in the waning years of the Ching Dyansty, this dramatic, tragic, romantic, blood-soaked martial arts tale of betrayal and revenge explores one of the most sensational scandals in Chinese history and marked the true ascension of its director and actors to superstar status. In fact, Ti Lung won Taiwan's Golden Horse Award for Outstanding Performance as the challenging role of a jealous provincial governor who kills his friend in order to steal the man's wife. The 11th Golden Horse Awards: Special Award for Outstanding Performance (Ti Lung).
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 833
Genere: Action, Drama
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 118 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 89%
The Savage Five (1974)
Plot Summary:
A pacifist village is beset by bandits in this martial arts thriller. "Savage Five" hands-down rivals the ornateness of "Kid With The Golden Arm" and the twist-heavy "Five Deadly Venoms". The always great David Chiang plays a lesser version of his Rover character from "Duel Of The Iron Fist", and Ti Lung, looking incredible here, is at his physical best. Accolades to Chen Kuan Tai and Wang Chung in great sympathetic roles, too. A kung fu classic where the actual martial arts display takes a back seat to the mesmerizing story.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 328
Genere: Action, Adventure, Drama
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 91 min
Plot tags: grindhouse
Similar in 90%
Duel of the Iron Fist (1971)
Plot Summary:
Tan Jen-chieh’s life spins out of control when he’s forced into exile to clear his name following the murder of his adopted father. He’s hunted in the streets. His lover, Butterfly, turns to prostitution. And his father’s likely killer – a smooth operator known as the Rambler – is always lingering nearby. But before Tan and the Rambler can slit each other’s throats, they learn they’ve been double-crossed and go two against everyone in a rage of double-edged vengeance.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 578
Genere: Action, Drama
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 113 min
Plot tags: bloody, exciting, rough, serious, realistic, suspenseful, fast
Similar in 80%
Bruce, King of Kung Fu (1980)
Plot Summary:
Bruce Le stars as Bruce Lee, a young teenager who is the leader of the Liu City gang, who gets into trouble and street fights every now and again. Bruce is a student in the style of Chinese boxing, but when his skills are not enough to fend off a rival kung fu gang, his father has him go to a man named Master Yen, who teaches him Wing Chun fist. Later, to avenge the death of a friend, Bruce learns the secret art of drunken snake fist boxing!.
IMDB Rating: 5.6
IMDB Votes: 124
Genere: Action, Drama
Country: Hong Kong, Malaysia
Duration: 86 min
Plot tags: independent film
Similar in 90%
Kung Fu Gold (1974)
Plot Summary:
A massive gold forture is hidden somewhere in the hills surrounding Hong Kong, and 12 kung fu masters are in pursuit of the loot. Through a series of head-to-head confrontations, the pool of treasure hunters dwindles until there's one left.
IMDB Rating: 4.9
IMDB Votes: 47
Genere: Action, Drama
Country: Taiwan
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 83%
The 18 Amazones (1979)
Plot Summary:
A ruthless Warlord from Manchuria builds a martial arts labyrinth that contains 18 martial art amazons, many try to enter but none leave, until Dragon Lee, seeking to avenge his father: his skills are good enough to defeat the 18 fighters and the warlord.
IMDB Rating: 4.9
IMDB Votes: 49
Genere: Action, Drama
Country: South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan
Duration: 87 min
Plot tags: grindhouse
Similar in 75%
Martial Club (1981)
Plot Summary:
Wong Fei Hung (Gordon Liu) and his friend are constantly having contests to see who has the better martial arts skill. After getting in trouble with their fathers, Wong Fei Hung settles down and starts to train seriously, while his friend still horses around. After his friend is hurt by a rival school, Wong goes to the school for retribution. Instead his skill is tested through a series of events which climax with him taking on a Northern martial artist (Wang Lung Wei). In an excellent battle of skill (and choreography), he earns the respect of the rival school. Also stars Mai Te Lo and Hui Ying Hung.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 604
Genere: Action, Drama
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 110 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 75%
Crippled Avengers (1978)
Plot Summary:
Crippled Avengers is a 1978 Shaw Brothers kung fu film directed by Chang Cheh and starring four members of the Venom Mob. It has been released in North America as Mortal Combat and Return of the 5 Deadly Venoms. The film follows a group of martial artists seeking revenge after being crippled by Tu Tin-To (Chen Kuan Tai), a martial arts master, and his son (Lu Feng).
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Action, Drama
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 104 min
Plot tags: cult classic, grindhouse, exciting, serious, suspenseful, weird, cult film
Similar in 82%
Deadly Strike (1978)
Plot Summary:
The new police chief (Bruce Li) arrives in a small provincial town. He's been charged with bringing a dangerous gang to justice. But within seconds, the chief provokes a showdown with his lazy deputies. Realizing that they are not up to the job, he enlists the help of some of his prisoners, offering pardons to those who survive the encounter with the gang. These include a widower (Wang Yung Sheng), imprisoned for killing the men who murdered his wife, a knife-throwing expert (Lung Fei) also doing time for the murder of a corrupt magistrate, a pickpocket, and a young orphan girl out to avenge her parents' death. The chief reveals his coldblooded dedication to the mission when he hangs one prisoner for trying to escape. The group - both prisoners and police - ultimately bond together and track down the gang's headquarters to find the leader (Chen Hsing). After a long and bloody melee, everyone lies dead except the chief.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 150
Genere: Action, Drama
Country: Taiwan, Hong Kong
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: surprise ending, independent film
Similar in 87%
The Avenging Eagle (1978)
Plot Summary:
Eagle Chief Yoh Xi-hung raises orphans to be his personal killers. One such is Chik Ming-sing who now wants to put his killer life behind him. When the Eagle Clan come after him, a stranger called Cheuk comes to his assistance It turns out that Cheuk is the son of a family who were robbed and murdered by the Eagles. Now they will team up to destroy the evil clan.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Drama
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: road movie
Similar in 81%
Shaolin Mantis (1978)
Plot Summary:
Skilled martial arts director Lau Ka Leung offers you another Kung Fu treat! this Asian classic introduces viewers to the Shaolin Mantis way of fighting! The tale takes you back to the Qing dynasty & Wei Feng, the son of a Qing official who tries to unveil facts about a revolt. The grand daughter of the farmer community where his investigation takes him, sacrifices her life to save him in the end. Managing to escape unscathed, he promises to hunt down the girl's killer and therefore creates the effective technique of Shaolin Mantis.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 726
Genere: Action, Drama
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 96 min
Plot tags: grindhouse, exciting, tense, touching, serious, realistic, surprise ending, cult film
Similar in 88%
The Deadly Duo (1971)
Plot Summary:
The plot involves patriots during the Sung Dynasty and their attempts to rescue a kidnapped prince from Ching troops who have invaded the north of China. The patriots are led by Ti Lung who recruits a mysterious but seemingly superhuman fighter played by David Chiang to find a way to cross a perilous bridge to enter an impregnable fortress to locate and rescue the imprisoned prince. The big confrontation at the end involves trickery on the part of the heroes and the self-sacrifice of one of their number as David, who is not known to the enemy, brings in Ti as his `prisoner' to turn over to the Chings, as a way of gaining entrance. Then he cuts Ti's bonds and all hell breaks loose.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 586
Genere: Action, Drama
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 94 min
Plot tags: exciting, serious, realistic, suspenseful, stylized, fast, cult film
Similar in 86%
Once Upon a Time in China V (1994)
Plot Summary:
Epic adventure set during a tumultuous time in China, when left without a leader, the cavalry is attacked by the powerful allies and pirate bands. A martial arts master, Wong Fei-Hong and Aunt Yee return to do battle against these evil forces.
IMDB Rating: 5.9
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Action, Drama
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 101 min
Plot tags: brutal, suspense, intense, cult film
Similar in 75%
5 Masters of Death (1974)
Plot Summary:
Hu Te et al. escape the burning Shaolin temple after the Qing soldiers destroyed it in Shaolin Temple. The group of 5 decide to develop secret codes to identify fellow patriots, enlist those patriots and eventually meet up again to escape to the south away from the Qings, and also identify the traitor who sold out Shaolin temple. Ma Fu Yi (the traitor, played by Wang Lung Wei), joins the Qing top fighters to eliminate the rebels but is exposed by Ma Chao-Tsing who gets captured by Ma Fu Yi. Hu meets up with a group of Shaolin men secretly posing as bandits to rescue Ma as their leader is killed in the process, thus the bandits join the rest of the Shaolin patriots.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Action, Drama
Country: Hong Kong, Taiwan
Duration: 109 min
Plot tags: exciting, tense, rough, serious, realistic
Similar in 77%
The New One-Armed Swordsman (1971)
Plot Summary:
Lei Li lost his right-arm in a sword duel with the master of a martial arts school, long ago. Now, he is able to defend himself well with just his left arm, and kung fu techniques. That he proves with just the help of his friend Chung-Chieng, when he crosses his path with a beautiful girl in need, Pao Chiao. Even against impossible odds, he will prove a great warrior.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Action, Drama
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 98 min
Plot tags: exciting, serious, realistic, stylized
Similar in 78%
The Kid with the Golden Arm (1979)
Plot Summary:
Jin bei tong opens with a group of escort/guards preparing to move a shipment of gold from the local government to an area stricken by famine... one of the very few Venom films where all six Venom actors are present within a single film.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Action, Drama
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 86 min
Plot tags: cult classic, exciting, serious, realistic, stylized, fast, cult film
Similar in 75%
Fist of Legend (1994)
Plot Summary:
Chen Zhen, a Chinese engineering student in Kyoto, who braves the insults and abuse of his Japanse fellow students for his local love Mitsuko Yamada, daughter of the director, returns in 1937 to his native Shangai, under Japanse protectorate -in fact military occupation- after reading about the death of his kung-fu master Hou Ting-An in a fight against the Japanese champion Ryuichi Akutagawa.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 25000
Genere: Action, Drama
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 103 min
Plot tags: harsh, intense, tense, rough, realistic, suspenseful, exciting, serious, cult classic, brutal