Best movies like The Prodigal Son
Last updated March 2024
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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
Best tv shows and movies like The Prodigal Son (1981):
Similar in 81%
Pedicab Driver (1989)
Plot Summary:
Lo Tung and his friend Malted Candy, pedicab drivers working the streets of Macao, have both fallen in love. The problem is that both their objects of affection - one a baker, the other a prostitute - are working under cruel and lecherous bosses. Somehow, the pair must find a way to win the ladies' hearts and free them from their unpleasant jobs.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Action, Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags: slapstick comedy, slapstick, eighties
Similar in 75%
Knockabout (1979)
Plot Summary:
Yuen Baio and Ka-Yan Leung play brothers Yipao and Taipao, lovable rogues who convince a martial arts expert to take them on as students. When Yipao discovers that their teacher is actually a wanted criminal, Silver Fox (Chia Yung Liu), he is attacked by his master. Taipao jumps in to protect his sibling but is killed; Yipao barely escape with his life. Seeking revenge, Yipao enlists the help of a beggar (Sammo Hung) who is a master of monkey-style kung fu, and together they take on Silver Fox in a breath-taking fight to the death.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Action, Comedy, Drama
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 92 min
Plot tags: humorous, semi serious, slapstick comedy, slapstick
Similar in 77%
Dreadnaught (1981)
Plot Summary:
A short-tempered, violent criminal named "White Tiger" is on the run from the police and joins a theater troupe for disguise, killing anyone who angers him or who suspects his identity. One person he unsuccessfully tries to kill several times is a cowardly laundry man named "Mousy" who manages to escape mostly by running and hiding. When a very close friend of Mousy's is killed by the White Tiger, Mousy overcomes his cowardliness enough to seek revenge. Spectacular martial arts and acrobatics highlight the film, including a well choreographed fight between two pairs of men in dragon costume.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 992
Genere: Action, Comedy, Horror
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags: scary, exciting, rough, serious, suspenseful, stylized, slapstick comedy, slapstick
Similar in 76%
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 79%
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 78%
My Lucky Stars 2: Twinkle Twinkle Lucky Stars (1985)
Plot Summary:
The third installment in the Lucky Stars series, following Winners and Sinners (1983) and My Lucky Stars (1985)... The team are released from prison to play detective in order to stop a ruthless gang from ruining their reputations, taking their lives, and that of a key witness in an upcoming trial. They must battle their way through and with the help of Muscles, take down the bad guys.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Action, Comedy
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 105 min
Plot tags: cult classic, action adventure, exciting, humorous, realistic, suspenseful, semi serious, slapstick, detective
Similar in 81%
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 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 82%
Shanghai Express (1986)
Plot Summary:
What happens when a glamorous express, with high government officials, wealthy merchants, concubines and a gang of brigands on board, speeds towards the small town of Hanshui, where escaping bank robbers, corrupt officials, and gamblers await? Well, let's just say the Titanic had a smoother maiden voyage.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Action, Comedy, Western
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 108 min
Plot tags: funny, slapstick, humorous, realistic, stylized, semi serious, fast, spaghetti western, spoof, slapstick comedy
Similar in 90%
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 89%
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
Similar in 86%
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 75%
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 80%
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 83%
Winners & Sinners (1983)
Plot Summary:
Five friends are released from prison and do their best to stay out trouble. While trying to mind their own business (and run their 5-Star Cleaning Service), they are caught up in a war between rival Triad gangs fighting for control of the counterfeit currency market.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Action, Comedy, Crime
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 108 min
Plot tags: action comedy, cult classic, exciting, humorous, realistic, semi serious, fast, slapstick comedy, slapstick
Similar in 83%
Heart of a Dragon (1985)
Plot Summary:
Story of a cop who forsakes his dreams of sailing around the world so that he can care for his mentally retarded brother. Innocently caught up in a gangland fight, the brother is kidnapped to force the cop to turn over a police informant.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Action, Comedy, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: Hong Kong, Japan
Duration: 98 min
Plot tags: perverse, cult classic, humorous, semi serious, dark comedy
Similar in 81%
My Lucky Stars (1985)
Plot Summary:
Two Hong-Kong cops are sent to Tokyo to catch an ex-cop who stole a large amount of money in diamonds. After one is captured by the Ninja-gang protecting the rogue cop, the other one gets his old Orphanage gang, dubbed the "Five Lucky Stars," to help him. They don't like this much, but they do it.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Action, Comedy, Crime
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 99 min
Plot tags: cult classic, exciting, rough, humorous, realistic, semi serious, fast
Similar in 86%
Dragons Forever (1988)
Plot Summary:
Jackie Chan stars as a hot-shot lawyer hired by a Hong Kong chemical plant to dispose of opposition to their polluting ways. But when he falls for a beautiful woman out to stop the plant, Jackie is torn in a conflict of interest and asks his trusty friends Samo and Biao to help out at least until they discover the true purpose of the plant.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 9000
Genere: Action, Comedy, Romance
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 93 min
Plot tags: neurotic, exciting, humorous, semi serious, slapstick, cult classic, slapstick comedy, cult film
Similar in 85%
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%
Fight the Fight (2011)
Plot Summary:
Having taken his father's advice, one man decides to return home in pursuit of a fresh start. While training at his father's martial arts school, he learns that his father has given consent to sell the school to a rival martial arts school.
IMDB Rating: 4.3
IMDB Votes: 530
Genere: Action, Comedy, Drama
Country: China, Hong Kong
Duration: 93 min
Plot tags: exciting, rough, serious, realistic
Similar in 87%
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 75%
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 79%
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 76%
The Young Master (1980)
Plot Summary:
Youthful martial arts master Lung is searching for his missing brother, when he is mistaken for a criminal on the run. He must prove his innocence by solving the case himself, while local lawmen and merciless mercenaries are hot on his trail.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 8000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Comedy
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 105 min
Plot tags: humorous, stylized, tense, light, exciting, semi serious, cult classic, funny, sexy, thought provoking
Similar in 82%
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 83%
Project A (1983)
Plot Summary:
In late 19th Century Hong Kong the British may rule the land, but the pirates rule the waters. One Coast Guard officer is Dragon Ma, who is determined that his beloved Coast Guard will not be made a fool of.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 18000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Comedy
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 105 min
Plot tags: perverse, cult classic, slapstick comedy, exciting, feel good, humorous, realistic, semi serious, fast, slapstick
Similar in 79%
Half a Loaf of Kung Fu (1978)
Plot Summary:
A young daydreamer assumes the identity of a dead martial arts hero and quickly finds himself caught up in a plot by several clans to steal famous martial arts artifacts being transported by an escort company.
IMDB Rating: 5.6
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Action, Comedy
Country: Taiwan, Hong Kong
Duration: 97 min
Plot tags: humorous, stylized, semi serious, fast, slapstick comedy
Similar in 90%
Return to the 36th Chamber (1980)
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
Similar in 81%
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
Similar in 89%
Once Upon a Time in Shanghai (2014)
Plot Summary:
A laborer moves to Shanghai in the hope of becoming rich. But ends up using his kung fu skills to survive. Remake of The Boxer From Shantung.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Action, Crime
Country: China, Hong Kong
Duration: 96 min
Plot tags: exciting, serious, realistic, captivating, tense, suspense, rough, suspenseful, fast