Best movies like The Thundering Mantis
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
Ah Chi (Ka-Yan Leung) is obsessed with the martial arts and, more often than not, his kung-fu clowning gets him into trouble. Ending up facing Hsia (Eddie Ko) of the notorious Jade Brotherhood is inevitable. As a result, Hsia forces Chi's martial arts master to expel him. Masterless and working for a fish vendor, Chi meets a crafty kid (Yat Lung Wong), whose uncle Chow Tung (Chin Yuet Sang) is a master of the Insane Mantis style. The Jade Brotherhood aims for control of the small town but Chi is training with a new Master and will not accept bullies in the neighbourhood.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 290
Genere: Action, Comedy
Country: Hong Kong, Taiwan
Duration: 89 min
Plot tags: slapstick comedy, slapstick
Best tv shows and movies like The Thundering Mantis (1980):
Similar in 83%
Kung Fu Kids Break Away (1980)
Plot Summary:
The evil Mr. Chu's control of a village is challenged by a Korean wanderer named Eagle and the three Kung Fu Kids.
IMDB Rating: 5.3
IMDB Votes: 86
Genere: Action, Comedy
Country: Taiwan
Duration: 88 min
Plot tags: cult film
Similar in 79%
Emergency Police Lady (1989)
Plot Summary:
A group of police women keep the city safe. A normal day day includes everything from battling robbers to going undercover to break up a arms deal that threatens the city.
IMDB Rating: 4.6
IMDB Votes: 7
Genere: Action, Comedy
Country: Taiwan
Duration: 101 min
Plot tags: slapstick comedy, slapstick
Similar in 80%
The Miracle Fighters (1982)
Plot Summary:
Two elderly Taoist priests, Chi Men (Leung Kar Yan) and Dun Jai (Yuen Cheung Yan), who learn their magic from the same teacher always quarrel with each other. They provide mirth and expert kung fu tuition to young man (Yuen Yat Chor) who is mistakenly presumed to be the crown prince of the Imperial Court, missing since childhood. The emperor dispatches an eunuch with the magic powers to apprehend the young man. But he must first deal with Chi Men and Dun Jia who are the young man's protector.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 547
Genere: Action, Comedy, Fantasy, Horror
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: cult classic, weird, cult film
Similar in 81%
Lucky Seven (1986)
Plot Summary:
Seven child martial arts experts try to return a stolen diamond to its rightful owner.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 307
Genere: Action, Comedy
Country: Taiwan
Duration: 80 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 81%
Female Reporter (1989)
Plot Summary:
While celebrating the smashing of a big New York counterfeit ring, the G-men find out that the top funny money man, Wong, has slipped away. Blackbelt Cynthia Rothrock is ordered to Hong Kong to get Wong. In Hong Kong, Wong goes into the printing business. Ostensibly, he publishes a newspaper. But his real business is still the forging of bank notes.
IMDB Rating: 6.0
IMDB Votes: 500
Genere: Action, Comedy
Country: USA, Hong Kong
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: sitcom, independent film, slapstick comedy, slapstick
Similar in 87%
Licence To Steal (1990)
Plot Summary:
Godenzi plays an acrobatic thief who, after taking part in an elaborate burglary, is double-crossed by her partner (Aurelio) and is captured by the police. On her release from prison, Godenzi discovers that her betrayer is now a highly influential criminal in the area and commands a posse of hired thugs. With a new partner by her side, Godenzi looks to avenge her imprisonment and steal the valuables her former partner had double-crossed her for.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 130
Genere: Action, Comedy
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: detective, slapstick comedy, slapstick
Similar in 85%
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 87%
Enter the Fat Dragon (1978)
Plot Summary:
Ah Lung is a pig farmer and a devoted Bruce Lee fan who is anxious to follow in Lee's footsteps, but only ridiculed for his attempts. He is sent to the city to earn a living working at his uncle's restaurant, but when he arrives, he finds a gang of thugs causing trouble in the restaurant. He takes the chance to prove himself and attacks the thugs, defeating them and saving the restaurant. Soon, he becomes a waiter, and discovers a plot by the same thugs to kidnap a woman he works with. Eventually, he defeats the thugs once again and saves the day.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 969
Genere: Action, Comedy
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 92 min
Plot tags: parody, spoof, slapstick comedy, cult film
Similar in 86%
The Odd Couple (1979)
Plot Summary:
Hailed as possibly the greatest classical weapons movie ever made and starring world-renowned martial arts master, director and action-choreographer, Sammo Hung. This film showcases some of the most spectacular and intricate weapons duels ever committed to film. Sammo Hung and Lau Kar Wing play dual roles as both masters and students of the sword and spear styles of kung fu. Comic mayhem ensues when the students get kidnapped and the masters must rescue them.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 601
Genere: Action, Adventure
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 97 min
Plot tags: slapstick comedy, slapstick, cult film
Similar in 77%
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 89%
7 Grandmasters (1977)
Plot Summary:
An aged Kung Fu practitioner travels across China, challenging the best Grandmaster from each province to prove his mastery of martial arts. Meanwhile is a plot developing behind his back.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 977
Genere: Action, Comedy, Drama
Country: Taiwan
Duration: 89 min
Plot tags: action adventure, road movie, exciting, rough, serious, suspenseful, stylized, independent film, cult film
Similar in 78%
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 84%
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 76%
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 85%
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 79%
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 80%
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 79%
The Paper Tigers (2020)
Plot Summary:
Three Kung Fu prodigies have grown into washed-up, middle-aged men, now one kick away from pulling their hamstrings. But when their master is murdered, they must juggle their dead-end jobs, dad duties, and old grudges to avenge his death.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Action, Comedy
Country: USA
Duration: 108 min
Plot tags: funny, humorous, exciting, parody, entertaining, buddy comedy
Similar in 81%
Fist of Fury 2 (1977)
Plot Summary:
After Chen Zhen's execution in Shanghai, the Japanese feared that his death would unite all Chinese kung fu schools against them. Fearing this, the Japanese gave orders to the head of the Hong Ku School, Miyamoto (Lo Lieh) to surpass all Chinese schools including the Ching Wu School. When they refuse, the Japanese beat up the students and destroys the school. Meanwhile, one Chinese learns about the destruction of the Ching Wu School when he goes to Shanghai to visit Chen Zhen's grave. This Chinese is the only one who has the guts to fight the Japanese, this Chinese is known as Chen Shen (Bruce Li) who is the brother of Chen Zhen and he vows to avenge his brother's death and end the terror of the Japanese once and for all.
IMDB Rating: 5.7
IMDB Votes: 580
Genere: Action, Drama
Country: Taiwan, Hong Kong
Duration: 104 min
Plot tags: fast paced, independent film
Similar in 85%
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 87%
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 82%
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 85%
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 90%
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 79%
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 75%
Princess and Seven Kung Fu Masters (2013)
Plot Summary:
During the early years of the Republic era, in the North-East region of China, the people are suffering from the power struggle among the local Warlords, bandits, and Japanese invaders. Warlord Lam (Sammo Hung), is not a leader of great vision, but stands firm in his own beliefs. The only paradise within the region is 'Lucky Town', the one place where no one dared to attack as it was protected by the seven kung fu masters who have resided there. When young patriots, Yan Fang (Rose Chan) who disguised herself as a man, and Howard Luo (Dennis To), infiltrate Tiger's Den at night trying to steal the code book fail in their mission and tries to run, only Yan survives and is rescued by Cheryl. Mistaking Yan as a man, Cheryl falls for Yan. She then brings Yan to Lucky Town and begs the Seven Masters to cure Yan. Cheryl and the Seven Masters are then told of the secret plan by the Japanese, and together, they resolve to fight against Tiger Den and save Warlord Lam.
IMDB Rating: 4.8
IMDB Votes: 193
Genere: Action, Comedy
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: feel good, captivating, entertaining, satirical, semi serious
Similar in 89%
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 89%
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 79%
Drunken Monkey (2003)
Plot Summary:
China, the early 1930's: martial arts master Wen Biao discovers that his brother has been using their security company for illegal activities. A confrontation between the brothers leaves Web Biao missing and presumed dead.
IMDB Rating: 5.9
IMDB Votes: 619
Genere: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Crime
Country: China, Hong Kong
Duration: 97 min
Plot tags: exciting, tense, humorous, captivating