Best movies like Return to the 36th Chamber
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
The workers of a dye factory have their pay cut by 20% when the factory owner brings in some Manchu thugs to try and increase production. Desperate to reclaim their full wages, the workers hire an actor to impersonate a priest and kung-fu expert from the temple of Shaolin. The factory owner proves the actor a fraud, and punishes all those involved. The young actor feels he has let the workers down, and promises to atone. He sets out for Shaolin, determined to be accepted as a kung-fu pupil at the elite temple.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Action, Comedy
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 99 min
Plot tags: grindhouse, exciting, humorous, realistic, semi serious, fast
Best tv shows and movies like Return to the 36th Chamber (1980):
Similar in 83%
Warriors Two (1978)
Plot Summary:
In an attempt to save his village from being taken over by brutes, Wah is beaten to a pulp and his mother brutally murdered. Determined to take revenge, Wah learns the art of Wing Chun and enters into a showdown with the nasty villains.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Action, Comedy, Drama
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 96 min
Plot tags: epic, serious, realistic, stylized, fast
Similar in 85%
Dirty Ho (1979)
Plot Summary:
Wang Chin-chin, who is both the 11th prince and an expert fighterm has fun secretly subverting a local con-man, the inept Ho Chi (Wong Yue), but blackmails the crook into becoming his student after making it look like a B-girl named Choi Hung (Kara Hui) has poisoned Ho and beaten him up in a nightclub.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Action, Comedy, Drama
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 103 min
Plot tags: grindhouse, action comedy
Similar in 88%
Iron Fingers of Death (1982)
Plot Summary:
Two princes are seperated by birth. One is raised by the Prime Minister. The other is raised by three mad Shaolin Monks. They both learn kung-fu. When they are 23, they meet and combine there forces to defeat the evil 9th Prince.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 418
Genere: Action, Comedy
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: exciting, tense, rough, humorous, realistic, semi serious
Similar in 76%
The Prodigal Son (1981)
Plot Summary:
A rich man's son (Yuen Biao) believes himself to be the best kung fu fighter in Canton. Unfortunately, his father, anxious for his son's safety, bribes all his opponents to lose. After a humiliating defeat at the hands of an actor in a traveling theatre company, the son resolves to find a better teacher. Furious kung fu battles and slapstick comedy.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Action, Comedy
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 104 min
Plot tags: cult classic, serious, cult film
Similar in 89%
The Master (1980)
Plot Summary:
Gao Jian is a lazy and arrogant student of the martial arts school ran by vain Si Fu Shi Chen-chung. One night after his punishment in his school a wounded man reaches his house. He is Jin Tien-yun, a legendary warrior fleeing from a fight in which he was stabbed in a sneak attack and now has to hide from his pursuers, the Three Devils. Gao helps him and in return, Jin decides to teach him some serious kicks. Gao has to live alone for a year after Shi believes that he is traitor of his school. Then he tries to kill him but Jin interferes in order to save Gao and as his wounds are not fixed yet, he gets into a final battle with the three Devils. So it is Gao's turn to seek for revenge.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 454
Genere: Action, Comedy
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 92 min
Plot tags: serious, slapstick comedy, slapstick, grindhouse
Similar in 78%
My Young Auntie (1981)
Plot Summary:
Cheng (Kara Hui Ying Hung), a beautiful martial arts ace, battles to keep her inheritance from the ruthless Yun Wei (Johnny Wang Lung Wei), but her efforts are sabotaged by Yu Tao (Hsaio Ho), her wayward and irrepressible great-nephew. Following a frenzy of spectacular comic mishaps, the hapless duo are setup and imprisoned and the deeds to Cheng's estate are stolen. She is held hostage after a doomed attempt to reclaim the papers back from Yu Wei's place, and the stage is set for a savage fight to the death.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 909
Genere: Action, Comedy
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 121 min
Plot tags: humorous, epic, semi serious
Similar in 87%
Legendary Weapons of China (1982)
Plot Summary:
Legendary Weapons of China is a martial arts fantasy film taking place during the late Qing Dynasty when Empress Dowager Cixi dispatches her agents to various factions of the Boxer Rebellion in order find supernatural martial artists that are invulnerable to western bullets. When one of the leaders of these groups disbands his forces, assassins from the remaining factions are sent out to kill him.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Action, Comedy, Drama
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 109 min
Plot tags: exciting, suspenseful, semi serious
Similar in 76%
Magnificent Butcher (1979)
Plot Summary:
A plump butcher student of 'Wong Fei Hung', Lam Sai-Wing (Sammo) gets into trouble with a rival kung-fu school known as 'Five Dragons'. He is accused of raping the Head of that school's goddaughter and killing his son. Now Ko, the Head of Five Dragons, wants revenge.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Action, Comedy, Drama
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 108 min
Plot tags: humorous, stylized, semi serious, black comedy, slapstick comedy, slapstick, dark comedy
Similar in 84%
Shaolin Soccer (2001)
Plot Summary:
A young Shaolin follower reunites with his discouraged brothers to form a soccer team using their martial art skills to their advantage.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 86000
Genere: Action, Comedy, Fantasy, Sport
Country: Hong Kong, China
Duration: 113 min
Plot tags: absurd, humorous, feel good, parody, witty, light, surreal, not serious, slapstick, hilarious
Similar in 78%
Shaolin Temple 2: Kids from Shaolin (1984)
Plot Summary:
Two rivaling families live on opposite sides of a river. One of them practices Shaolin kung fu and has only sons, while the other has only daughters and practices the Wu-Tang sword. The father of the Wu-Tang family is so paranoid about the Shaolin kids stealing his sword style (besides, he wants a son to teach it to, and the closest thing he has is a lesbian daughter) that he is taken off guard when some real bad guys come along to kill his family, but the Shaolin family helps them out. All the while, everyone is desperately trying to get the lesbian girl to marry Jet Li.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Action, Comedy
Country: Hong Kong, China
Duration: 103 min
Plot tags: cult classic, humorous, realistic, stylized, semi serious, fast, cult film
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Similar in 77%
The Legend (1993)
Plot Summary:
This Hong Kong martial-arts extravaganza tells of evil emperors and true love. The secret Red Lotus Flower Society is committed to the overthrow of the evil Manchu Emperor and his minions. One of his Governors is sent on a mission to retrieve a list of members of that secret society. Meanwhile, Canton kung fu practitioner Fong Sai-Yuk falls in love with the beautiful daughter of a rich merchant.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 8000
Genere: Action, Comedy, History
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: cult classic, humorous, stylized, exciting, realistic, semi serious, funny, sexy, breathtaking, entertaining
Similar in 89%
Shaolin Challenges Ninja (1978)
Plot Summary:
Gordon Liu stars as a Chinese martial arts student struggling to relate to his new Japanese wife. When a series of martial misunderstandings spirals into an international incident, he's forced to take on seven of Japan's most powerful martial arts masters, each an expert in a different discipline, ranging from karate to samurai to ninjitsu.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Action, Comedy
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 105 min
Plot tags: exciting, serious, realistic, stylized
Similar in 90%
Twins Mission (2007)
Plot Summary:
Twins Mission is a 2007 Hong Kong martial arts-action-comedy film directed by action choreographer Kong Tao-Hoi and staring Gillian Chung, Charlene Choi and Sammo Hung among others. The film is a bit of a spoof of the popularity and success of the Twins and leaves the audience with a cliffhanger ending.
IMDB Rating: 5.2
IMDB Votes: 738
Genere: Action, Comedy, Crime
Country: Hong Kong, China
Duration: 99 min
Plot tags: exciting, suspenseful, rough, humorous, realistic, semi serious, fast
Similar in 83%
Dance of the Drunken Mantis (1979)
Plot Summary:
A year after training young Jackie Chan in the Drunken Fist, Sam the Seed discovers he has a son, Foggy. He tries to train Foggy but to no avail. Foggy is then trained in Drunken Fist from his uncle as he must face his father's rival, Rubber Legs, another Drunken Fist master who combines it with Mantis Fist to create a deadly style.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 803
Genere: Action, Comedy
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 94 min
Plot tags: slapstick, exciting, offbeat, humorous, suspenseful, semi serious, slapstick comedy, cult film
Similar in 78%
Mad Monkey Kung Fu (1979)
Plot Summary:
A disgraced former Kung Fu expert makes a living as a merchant with the help of a hot headed friend. When the men are harassed by gangsters, the merchant decided to teach his friend monkey boxing so they can defend their business.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Action, Comedy
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 116 min
Plot tags: cult classic, grindhouse, cult film
Similar in 87%
Shaolin Temple (1976)
Plot Summary:
There is no place more hallowed in the martial art world than China's Shaolin Temple. This special place deserves a special epic, which is what the martial arts maestro delivers in this battle between a brave brand of Chinese boxers and literally thousands of Ching troops - complete with betrayals, intrigues, and such novel fighting machines as 108 wooden robots. The conflicts grow in complexity, intensity and even suspense as monks struggle to stay alive in the face of overwhelming odds.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Action
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 126 min
Plot tags: serious, realistic, exciting, cult film
Similar in 84%
Ninja in the Dragon's Den (1982)
Plot Summary:
Two rival warriors, a Japanese and a Chinese, are forced to work together after their master has been killed by a mighty enemy.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Action, Comedy
Country: Hong Kong, Japan
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags: scenic, exciting, humorous, suspenseful, semi serious, fast
Similar in 80%
Drunken Master (1978)
Plot Summary:
Jackie Chan stars as Wong Fei-Hung, whose mischievous antics land him in hot water. Having tolerated enough of his son's mishaps, Fei-Hung's dad enlists his sadistic uncle, who specializes in drunken-style kung fu, to teach the lad some discipline. This Hong Kong martial-arts comedy helped establish the slapstick fighting style that would become Chan's trademark.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 43000
Genere: Action, Comedy
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 111 min
Plot tags: humorous, funny, grindhouse, exciting, intense, fast paced, cult classic, slapstick, slapstick comedy, epic
Similar in 77%
The Fearless Hyena (1979)
Plot Summary:
Jackie Chan is a youngster, living in a remote vllage with his grandfather who teaches him Kong-Fu (naturally). He keeps getting into fights, even though his grandfather warns him not to show their Kong-Fu to others. Jackie, though, is tempted by some thugs he beat up to act as the master of a Kong-Fu school. This school's name apparently spreads far, as an old enemy of Jackie's grandfather (who t.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Comedy, Action
Country: Hong Kong, South Korea
Duration: 98 min
Plot tags: slapstick, cult classic, action adventure, serious, slapstick comedy
Similar in 90%
Challenge of the Masters (1976)
Plot Summary:
The Wong family kung fu school gets smacked around by a rival school. Wong Fei-hong gets fed up with the abuse and goes to learn from his fathers master. After one of the rival schools members kills some of the towns people Wong Fei-hong becomes enraged trains even more comes back and gets his revenge.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 796
Genere: Action, Drama
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 97 min
Plot tags: exciting, rough, serious, realistic, suspenseful, stylized, fast
Similar in 82%
The 8 Diagram Pole Fighter (1984)
Plot Summary:
The Yangs are betrayed by a government official conspiring with the Mongols. All of the Yang family males except the 4th, 5th, and 6th brothers are killed. Fu Sheng loses his mind after the death of his family, while the other brother, takes refuge in a temple. Liu's superb martial arts skill, impress the temple's senior monks. He learns that his sister has been captured by the conspirators.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Action, Drama
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 98 min
Plot tags: grindhouse, perverse, exciting, rough, serious, realistic, stylized
Similar in 81%
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 Legend of Drunken Master (1994)
Plot Summary:
Returning home with his father after a shopping expedition, Wong Fei-Hong is unwittingly caught up in the battle between foreigners who wish to export ancient Chinese artifacts and loyalists who don't want the pieces to leave the country. Fei-Hong must fight against the foreigners using his Drunken Boxing style, and overcome his father's antagonism as well.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 48000
Genere: Action, Comedy
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 102 min
Plot tags: humorous, entertaining, semi serious, cult classic, slapstick, action comedy, funny, slapstick comedy, anamorphic, relaxing
Similar in 88%
Snake in the Eagle's Shadow (1978)
Plot Summary:
Everyone abuses and humiliates a downtrodden orphan (Chan) until he befriends an old man, who turns out to be the last master of the "snake fist" fighting style. Jackie becomes the old man's student and finds himself in battle with the master of the "eagle's claw" style, who has vowed to destroy the snake fist clan.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 13000
Genere: Action, Comedy
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 97 min
Plot tags: humorous, semi serious, grindhouse, fast paced, cult classic, exciting, realistic, fast, slapstick comedy, funny
Similar in 83%
Executioners from Shaolin (1977)
Plot Summary:
A couple unite - she is fluent in the crane style of kung fu, he in tiger style. They have a son, but the boy's father is killed by the evil eunuch Pai Mei. Disguised as a girl, his mom trains him in crane style while he secretly learns tiger style from his father's training manual.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Action, Drama
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: exciting, tense, rough, serious, realistic, grindhouse
Similar in 83%
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 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978)
Plot Summary:
The anti-Ching patriots, under the guidance of Ho Kuang-han, have secretly set up their base in Canton, disguised as school masters. During a brutal Manchu attack, Lui manages to escape, and devotes himself to learning the martial arts in order to seek revenge.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 18000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Drama
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 116 min
Plot tags: grindhouse, stylized, inspirational, fast paced, exciting, rough, serious, suspenseful, tense, light
Similar in 84%
The Butcher, the Chef, and the Swordsman (2010)
Plot Summary:
A tale of revenge, honor and greed follows a group of misfits that gets involved with a kitchen cleaver made from the top five swords of the martial arts world in this wild and brash action comedy.
IMDB Rating: 5.6
IMDB Votes: 708
Genere: Action, Comedy
Country: China, Hong Kong, USA
Duration: 92 min
Plot tags: humorous, captivating, stylized, exciting, semi serious, epic, fast
Similar in 77%
Clan of the White Lotus (1980)
Plot Summary:
Shaolin practitioners and brothers Wu and Hung kill the merciless Pai Mei. However, Pai Mei's even more merciless brother White Lotus takes revenge; killing most of the Shaolin disciples, including Wu and Hung's girlfriend, leaving only Wu's pregnant wife and Hung as the only remaining practitioners of Shaolin left to avenge the deaths. But Hung's kung-fu will not be powerful enough so he must learn feminine kung-fu techniques to help him try and defeat White Lotus.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Action, Drama
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags: grindhouse, stylized, perverse, exciting, offbeat, serious, realistic, suspenseful, fast, cult film
Similar in 77%
House of Fury (2005)
Plot Summary:
Teddy Yu is a former secret agent turned chiropractor who thought he left his past behind. He teaches martial arts to his two kids. However, his past catches up to him as a rogue agent demands to know the whereabouts of an agent known as Dragon. Now, father and children must team up to stop the rogue agent and his goons.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Action, Comedy
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 102 min
Plot tags: exciting, humorous, semi serious, light, cult classic, realistic, suspenseful