Best movies like Born to Defense
Last updated March 2024
Looking for movies related to Born to Defense? Offer your insights to steer others to films and tv series you've previously watched that may also fascinate them. Help widen the community of people alluding videos to one another. We welcome your input!
Plot Summary:
Jet, a young soldier at the end of the second world war must overcome some abusive Americans who are bullying him as well as the Chinese people.
IMDB Rating: 5.7
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Action, War
Country: Hong Kong, China
Duration: 92 min
Plot tags: exciting, rough, serious, realistic, suspenseful, disturbing, cult classic, bleak, fast, cult film
Best tv shows and movies like Born to Defense (1988):
Similar in 83%
Marines (2003)
Plot Summary:
The cold war is over. East and West are fighting together against illegal secretly heavily armed terrorists, criminals and resistance fighters. During one of these missions, four soldiers are kidnapped and seems like a great international crisis to emerge. The highest military bosses in America and Russia are in panic. The well-known cover-up must offer a solution. But ... Marines are not just aside and decisions without official support to do everything to liberate their comrades. Additional help comes from an unexpected angle, but whether this will be enough.
IMDB Rating: 3.6
IMDB Votes: 404
Genere: Action, War
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: exciting, rough, suspenseful, serious, realistic
![blank](http://wpfc.ml/b.gif)
Similar in 88%
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
![blank](http://wpfc.ml/b.gif)
Similar in 76%
Last Hero in China (1993)
Plot Summary:
Jet Li stars in this comic spectacle as a Chinese "Robin Hood" who stumbles upon a kidnapping scheme after unwittingly opening a martial arts school next to a brothel!.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Action, Comedy, History
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 111 min
Plot tags: romantic, scenic, cult classic, humorous, epic, semi serious, cult film
Similar in 81%
The Master (1992)
Plot Summary:
Uncle Tak is famous for using Chinese herbal medicines to cure diseases. A martial arts expert, he also teaches the young how to defend themselves. One of his students, Johnny, dreams of monopolizing the teaching of kung fu throughout the United States. To accomplish this, he tries to kill Uncle Tak. Chuck, Uncle Tak's best student from Hong Kong, comes to Los Angeles to find his master. Chuck is willing to let Johnny have his way, and tries to take Uncle Tak back to Hong Kong. But Johnny and his men will not leave Chuck alone. Chuck, on his way back to Hong Kong, returns for the showdown.
IMDB Rating: 5.7
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Action, Comedy, Crime
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 92 min
Plot tags: romantic, scenic, rough, serious, realistic, suspenseful, fast, cult film
Similar in 80%
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 85%
Fist of Anger (1973)
Plot Summary:
Historical movie set during the Japanese occupation of China during WWII. Jackie Chan is one of the good guys but has nothing much more than a supporting role.
IMDB Rating: 4.3
IMDB Votes: 740
Genere: Action, Drama, War
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 87 min
Plot tags: fast paced, serious, realistic
Similar in 77%
Once Upon a Time in China IV (1993)
Plot Summary:
Wong Fei Hung must deal with both foreign threats and the nationalist Red Lantern Society in this continuation of the popular kung fu series.
IMDB Rating: 5.9
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Action
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 101 min
Plot tags: anamorphic, cult classic, cult film
![blank](http://wpfc.ml/b.gif)
Similar in 75%
Bloodfist 2050 (2005)
Plot Summary:
Alex Danko descends into the ultra-violent underworld of extreme martial-arts to find his brother's killer with the help of hardened Detective Ramirez and his brother's alluring ex-lover in this post-apocalyptic allegory of greed and revenge set in in 2050 Los Angeles.
IMDB Rating: 3.2
IMDB Votes: 193
Genere: Action
Country: Philippines
Duration: 78 min
Plot tags: exciting, tense, serious, suspense, suspenseful, erotic, psychotronic, detective
![blank](http://wpfc.ml/b.gif)
Similar in 79%
The Executioner (1974)
Plot Summary:
Three street toughs are hired to take down a Tokyo drug dealer in this hard-hitting Toei karate action film.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 646
Genere: Action
Country: Japan
Duration: 87 min
Plot tags: exciting, rough, serious, realistic, suspenseful
Similar in 84%
Once Upon a Time in China and America (1997)
Plot Summary:
So goes to the U.S. to open a martial arts school. Around this time, many Chinese people were sold off to U.S. railroad companies, and were brutally treated by the Americans under the harsh working conditions. Thus, the American workers' hatred towards the Chinese immigrants is high. As a result, So gets into trouble with the Americans and the mob, and calls Master Wong for help.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Action, Adventure, History, Western
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 102 min
Plot tags: serious, exciting, rough, captivating, suspenseful, tense, touching, cult classic, stylized, fast
Similar in 76%
Eastern Condors (1987)
Plot Summary:
A motley group of Asian prisoners held in the US are given one chance for freedom. They are to go deep into Vietnam and destroy a secret depot of missles that the US left behind during the pull-out. The group, led by Lt. Lam and convict Tung, hook up with a trio of female freedom fighters and a happy go lucky martial artist named 'Rat'. The entire group is captured by the VC because one of them is a double agent, but they escape, cross an un-crossable bridge, and get to the secret base just ahead of the VC. By this point nearly all of the original group is dead, and it's up to Tung and Rat to fight the VC's leader, a bizarre giggling man who's lightning fast with martial arts.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Action, Adventure, War
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 98 min
Plot tags: realistic, suspenseful, exciting, rough, serious, captivating, grindhouse, bleak, fast, eighties
Similar in 77%
Dragon Attack (1983)
Plot Summary:
Similar to "The Dirty Dozen" or one of that nature. Japan is trying to take over the world and the generals of the allied forces trying to stop the Japanese have been taken prisoner. A force of loners and fighters is put together to try and rescue the generals and save the war effort with the promise of gold and/or pardons of past crimes.
IMDB Rating: 4.5
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Crime, Thriller, War
Country: Taiwan, Hong Kong
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: cult classic, action adventure, serious, realistic, suspenseful, fast, slapstick comedy, weird, cult film
Similar in 83%
Martial Arts of Shaolin (1986)
Plot Summary:
Jet Li weasels out of the north Shaolin temple to assassinate a despotic ruler at the ruler's extravagant public birthday celebration. Two other men from the south Shaolin temple also set out to assassinate the ruler, but all three fail and are chased all over by soldiers. Meanwhile, one of the southerners turns out to be a cross-dressed woman, who is also discovered to wear a footbell to match Jet Li's, meaning they are somehow slated for an arranged marriage.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Action, Comedy, Drama
Country: Hong Kong, China
Duration: 94 min
Plot tags: serious, realistic, suspenseful, exciting, cult classic, cult film
Similar in 88%
Tai-Chi Master (1993)
Plot Summary:
Falsely accused for cheating in a martial arts competition, two boyhood friends are banished from their Shaolin Temple and go their separate ways. As adults, they join opposing sides in a civil war. When one betrays the other, they settle their differences mano-a-mano.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 11000
Genere: Action, Comedy, Drama, Thriller
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 96 min
Plot tags: cult classic, exciting, serious, stylized, fast
![blank](http://wpfc.ml/b.gif)
Similar in 88%
Black Mask (1996)
Plot Summary:
Chui Chik tries to lead a quiet life as a librarian. However, he is really a former test subject for a highly secretive supersoldier project and the instructor of a special commando unit dubbed "701." The 701 squad is used for many government missions, but after one of the agents kills a team of policemen in an uncontrollable rage, the government decides to abort the project and eliminate all the subjects. Chui Chik helped the surviving 701 agents flee the extermination attempt. Having escaped, Chui Chik went separate ways from his team. Later, he discovers that the rest of the team were responsible for a violent crime spree that was beyond the capability of the local police. He sets out to stop them, donning a disguise and using the superhero alias of "Black Mask". Having lost the ability to feel pain due to the surgery performed on the super-soldiers by the military, Black Mask is almost invulnerable.
IMDB Rating: 6.0
IMDB Votes: 12000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Crime, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 99 min
Plot tags: exciting, serious, suspenseful, bloody, stylized, crime drama, cult classic, colorful, rough, fast
Similar in 90%
The Avenging Fist (2001)
Plot Summary:
In the not too distant future, scientists begin to conduct research on the Power Glove, a device that will yield unimaginable power. But the gloves... In the not too distant future, scientists begin to conduct research on the Power Glove, a device that will yield unimaginable power. But the gloves were stolen by the ambitious special agent War 21, who subsequently disappears. Twenty years later, Combat 21 re-emerges to rule the world, calling himself the God of Fists. Now a new generation of special agents must come together and defeat the omnipotent enemy.
IMDB Rating: 4.3
IMDB Votes: 710
Genere: Action, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 92 min
Plot tags: exciting, rough, serious, futuristic, suspenseful, stylized, non stop action, fast, manga, cult film
Similar in 85%
New Fists of Fury (1976)
Plot Summary:
A brother and sister escape from Japanese-occupied Shanghai to Japanese-occupied Taiwan, to stay with their grandfather who runs a Kung-Fu school there. However, the master of a Japanese Kung-Fu school in Taiwan has designs on bringing all other schools on the island under his domination, and part of his plan involves the murder of the siblings' grandfather.
IMDB Rating: 5.5
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Action, Drama
Country: Hong Kong, Taiwan
Duration: 120 min
Plot tags: cult classic, action adventure, rough, serious, realistic, suspenseful, fast, cult film
Similar in 83%
Ong Bak 3 (2010)
Plot Summary:
Ong Bak 3 picks up where Ong Bak 2 had left off. Tien is captured and almost beaten to death before he is saved and brought back to the Kana Khone villagers. There he is taught meditation and how to deal with his Karma, but very soon his arch rival returns challenging Tien for a final duel.
IMDB Rating: 4.9
IMDB Votes: 15000
Genere: Action
Country: Thailand
Duration: 99 min
Plot tags: exciting, rough, serious, captivating, suspenseful, cult classic, sentimental
Similar in 79%
Once Upon a Time in China III (1992)
Plot Summary:
Master Wong and his disciples enroll in the 'Dancing Lion Competition' to stop an assassination plot and to battle an arrogant, deceitful opponent.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 8000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Biography, Drama, History
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 125 min
Plot tags: stylized, serious, cult classic, harsh, anamorphic, exciting, epic, silent, light, thought provoking
Similar in 90%
The Human Shield (1991)
Plot Summary:
The Human Shield is a 1991 film directed by Ted Post. It stars Michael Dudikoff and Tommy Hinkley. It is about a former government agent who must save his diabetic brother from Iraqi abductors.
IMDB Rating: 4.5
IMDB Votes: 537
Genere: Action, Drama, War
Country: USA
Duration: 88 min
Plot tags: realistic, rough, suspenseful, exciting, suspense, grindhouse, independent film, bleak, serious, cult film
Similar in 76%
The Shaolin Temple (1982)
Plot Summary:
The Tang emperor is betrayed by one of his generals, who installs himself as emperor in the East Capital. The son of one of his slave workers escapes to the Shaolin Temple, learns kung fu, and sets out to kill the traitor who killed his father. Based on a true story from Shaolin folklore, but highly fictionalized.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Action, Comedy, Drama
Country: China, Hong Kong
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: exciting, serious, stylized, captivating, tense, touching, cult classic, cult film
Similar in 84%
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
Similar in 83%
Special Forces (2003)
Plot Summary:
When the crazed commander (Eli Danker) of a sadistic army in Moldavia kidnaps an American photojournalist (Daniella Deutscher) and holds her hostage, his misguided actions ignite a targeted response from Maj. Don Harding (Marshall R. Teague) and his trained squad of special forces soldiers. With help from a local schoolteacher (Scott Adkins) who's trained in martial arts, Maj. Harding readies his troops for an all-out offensive.
IMDB Rating: 5.0
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Action, Thriller, War
Country: USA
Duration: 93 min
Plot tags: rough, realistic, serious, suspenseful, action packed, fast
![blank](http://wpfc.ml/b.gif)
Similar in 90%
Ong Bak 2 (2008)
Plot Summary:
Moments from death a young man is rescued by a renowned warrior. Realizing unsurpassed physical potential in the young boy he trains him into the most dangerous man alive. As he becomes a young man he goes on a lone mission of vengeance against the vicious slave traders who enslaved him as a youth and the treacherous warlord who killed his father.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 32000
Genere: Action
Country: Thailand
Duration: 98 min
Plot tags: stylized, serious, harsh, epic, cult classic, action thriller, exciting, sentimental, sincere, rough
Similar in 84%
The Dirty Dozen: Next Mission (1985)
Plot Summary:
Major Reisman is "volunteered" to lead another mission using convicted army soldiers, sentenced to either death or long prison terms. This time their mission is to kill a Nazi general who plans to assassinate Hitler.
IMDB Rating: 5.0
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Action, War
Country: USA
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags: realistic, suspenseful, exciting, rough, serious
Similar in 81%
The Warlords (2007)
Plot Summary:
A heroic tale of three blood brothers and their struggle in the midst of war and political upheaval. It is based on "The Assassination of Ma," a Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) story about the killing of general Ma Xinyi.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 28000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Drama, History, Romance, War
Country: Hong Kong, China
Duration: 126 min
Plot tags: sincere, suspenseful, epic, rough, serious, cult classic, exciting, realistic
Similar in 77%
The Warrior (2001)
Plot Summary:
In 1375, China was in chaos between Yuan Dynasty and Ming Dynasty. Coryo (an ancient kingdom of Korea then) sent a delegation of many diplomats, soldiers and a silent slave to make peace with the new Chinese government. However, this delegation got charged as spies and sent in exile to a remote desert.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 11000
Genere: Action, Drama, History, War
Country: South Korea, China
Duration: 158 min
Plot tags: exciting, rough, suspenseful, stylized, epic, captivating, intense, serious, tense, sentimental
Similar in 78%
Battle of the Warriors (2006)
Plot Summary:
In 370 B.C, China was separated as seven nations and several other small tribes, one of these being the city state of Liang. The nation of Zhao is led by the terrifying Xiang Yangzhong who orders his troops to conquer the small city. Leaping to the defense of the people of Liang is 'Ge Li' from the Mo-Tsu tribe, their last hope from the terrors of Yangzhong's troops.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Action, Drama, War
Country: China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong
Duration: 133 min
Plot tags: exciting, rough, stylized, serious, realistic, epic
![blank](http://wpfc.ml/b.gif)
Similar in 87%
The Hard Corps (2006)
Plot Summary:
An Army veteran assembles a team of bodyguards to protect a former boxer. Complications arise when the boxer suspects his sister may be romantically involved with the bodyguard.
IMDB Rating: 5.2
IMDB Votes: 7000
Genere: Action, Thriller
Country: UK, Germany, USA
Duration: 110 min
Plot tags: serious, exciting, realistic, suspenseful, cult classic, action packed, rough, fast, cult film
Similar in 76%
Second in Command (2006)
Plot Summary:
Armed insurgents attempt a coup d'etat in a troubled Eastern European country, and the president flees to the U.S. embassy for protection. When the U.S. ambassador is murdered by the ruthless and gun-happy rebels, it comes down to the second-in-command of the embassy, Sam Keenan, played by Belgian kickboxer Jean-Claude Van Damme, to use his amazing martial arts technique to defend the besieged.
IMDB Rating: 4.9
IMDB Votes: 7000
Genere: Action, Thriller, War
Country: UK, Romania
Duration: 92 min
Plot tags: exciting, rough, serious, suspenseful, cult classic, fast