Whether looking at the stylish animations from Japan, a weird and crazy Japanese splatter flick, a moody Hong Kong crime thriller, a majestic Chinese wuxia film, a poetic Korean drama, a historic epic with bloody ninja and samurai warfare, a Thai comedy, or anything else, I’m usually entertained really well. There are some trashy films that come out now and then, but most of what I’ve seen has been work of quality. Some of them have a tremendous heart or craftsmanship, which many times can’t be found anywhere else.
From these few countries, and perhaps a few others, I’ve compiled a list of personal favorites: 100 films from the east that have impacted me the most and have found a special place in my heart. A lot of them should stand as must-sees for all audiences; others are more like curiosities and novelties. They all have captivated me, and thus stand as their own set of unique favorites. This is Al’s Top 100 Asian films!
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100: 964 Pinocchio (Screams of Blasphemy)
Japan
I stumbled across this film as part of a cyberpunk double-feature set, both films from director Shozin Fukui. The other film was Rubber’s Lover, which was something strange in the same manner as a David Lynch film. 964 Pinocchio is like what you’d get if David Lynch was on crack. It starts off somewhat sanely, but by the halfway point, everything suddenly explodes in a furious eruption of insanity, yelling, and grotesqueries. A woman pukes up a huge mound of goo, no reason is given. The title character runs across Tokyo dragging a concrete block, and no reason is given. Everybody yells, for no real reason. It’s a crazy oddity of a film, rendered all the crazier with its unusual and extreme camera angles and intense acting. It’s actually an annoying film with no real good plot involved. However, as one of the strangest films I’ve seen, it has earned its place at the bottom of this list.
Entertainment: Good | Story: Poor | Film: Average | Resonance: Very High
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99: Paprika
Japan
Entertainment: Pretty Good | Story: Good | Film: Good | Resonance: Average
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98: Kung Fu Hustle
China
Entertainment: Good | Story: Average | Film: Pretty Good | Resonance: High
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97: Wicked City (Yôjû Toshi)
Japan
This is a fairly old and fairly short anime feature with some really wicked stuff in it. There’s plenty of demon-slaying action, as there is generous amounts of sex and nudity; one of many anime films that brazenly crosses the threshold of decency that’s often associated with cartoons, using the fullest potential of animated violence to present something that’s all-around gnarly and badass. Wicked City is a satisfying R-rated adventure, with a decent enough story and an endearing group of characters.
Entertainment: Good | Story: Average | Film: Pretty Good | Resonance: High
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96: Brothers Five (Wu Hu Tu Long)
China
Having seen a number of Shaw Bros films now, I’ve found their productions to be rather cheap and silly. Brothers Five is one of the few I consider exceptional; it’s still a bit on the cheap side, but it does present a decent enough story, and has a decent and endearing cast. There is plenty of fighting and action to satisfy. If you enjoy the old-school kung fu pictures, this one should satisfy.
Entertainment: Good | Story: Pretty Good | Film: Pretty Good | Resonance: Pretty High
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95: The Machine Girl (Kataude Mashin Gâru)
Japan
Of all the crazy splatter films Japan has produced over the past decade or so, The Machine Girl stands as one of the most perennial in its niche. It can be a nerve-wracking experience, given the unusual camera angles, the frequent camera shake, and the endless blood, gore, and noise on screen. It is still an enjoyably zany and weird picture, with violence and situations so extreme and silly, it’s actually quite amusing. How can a person not laugh when the final villain comes out with a drill bra, threatening to drill the main character to death with her chest?
Entertainment: Good | Story: Good | Film: Average | Resonance: Pretty Good
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94: Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within
Japan and the US
Not exactly a film for diehard Final Fantasy game fans, but the film is a pleasing work of fantastic science fiction. It features some of the most beautifully-rendered CGI animations of its time, and they still hold up. It’s especially notable for bringing human characters to life really well; there are times when they almost look real. The story is touching, the characters are at least halfway endearing, and it has enough action and peril to satisfy.
Entertainment: Pretty Good | Story: Pretty Good | Film: Good | Resonance: Pretty High
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93: The Hidden Fortress (Kakushi-Toride no San-Akunin)
Japan
You may or may not have heard of this classic film, from director Akira Kurosawa, but chances are that you’ve seen the remake directed by George Lucas. That’s right, The Hidden Fortress is the progenitor of Star Wars. Both films share the same plot – the struggle for certain characters to smuggle something important across enemy borders – and they both share similar characters – one badass princess, one awesome general, and two lowly peasants. Kurosawa’s original film is a bit on the slow side, but it has remarkable photography, some really cool battle scenes, and some top-notch acting from its cast. It is a fine quality adventure flick, and is definitely worth a look.
Entertainment: Pretty Good | Story: Good | Film: Good | Resonance: Pretty High
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92: Vampire Hunter D (Kyûketsuki Hantâ D)
Japan
Although I initially found this film gaudy, I learned to appreciate the film’s dark and foreboding art style and appreciate the story and action more. It’s a pretty cool post-apocalyptic adventure, full of gnarly monsters and moody settings. The story’s not particularly long or deep, but it is populated with decent characters, whose interactions provide the best redeeming depth to the film.
Entertainment: Good | Story: Good | Film: Pretty Good | Resonance: Pretty High
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91: GI Samurai (Time Slip) (Sengoku Jieitai)
Japan
A rather cheap and pedestrian-looking film, but it does offer one unique premise: the film takes a group of modern-day GIs and warps them back in time, so they can do battle with samurai clans. You’d think that modern guns and vehicles could rule feudal Japan with an iron fist, but the samurai warfare becomes so brutal and intense that the combat becomes a struggle. It’s a pretty bloody affair, but it is certainly a unique and entertaining experience, and Sonny Chiba offers as cool of a performance as ever.
Entertainment: Good | Story: Pretty Good | Film: Pretty Good | Resonance: High
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90: Ichi the Killer (Koroshiya 1)
Japan
From Takashi Miike, one of the most prominent directors in Japan, this feature stands as one of the most prominently brutal films I’ve seen. Half of the violence is quite gnarly and disgusting, while the other half is flat-out brutal and painful. At the core of it, the film exposes a certain psychosis at its heart that drives the characters and story to its thrilling conclusion. If it’s extreme and hardcore violence you crave, this film will satisfy.
Experience: Good | Story: Pretty Good | Film: Pretty Good | Resonance: High
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89: The Host (Gwoemul)
South Korea
When improperly-disposed chemicals turns a fish into a monster, the terror and thrills begin. It’s pretty cool to watch the monster running amok on land. It’s even more intense and suspenseful to watch the military move in and quarantine the place, further endangering the characters. The film is broken up a little with its odd sense of comedy, but it is a satisfying creature thriller.
Entertainment: Good | Story: Pretty Good | Film: Good | Resonance: Pretty High
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88: Enter the Dragon
China and the US
Chances are that, even if you’ve never seen or heard of every other movie on this list, you must have surely heard of this perennial Bruce Lee classic. It has been, and remains, a favorite among martial arts connoisseurs. It is a pretty fun flick, with plenty of macho fights. The story is a little cheesy, and it reminds me a lot of an older James Bond film, but with Bruce Lee’s epic screen presence and some impressive fight moves on display, it is essential viewing for martial arts fans.
Entertainment: Good | Story: Pretty Good | Film: Pretty Good | Resonance: High
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87: Karate-Robo Zaborgar (Denjin Zaboga)
Japan
This silly picture is based on an older TV show from the 70s, which likely explains the groovy 70s music that plays throughout the movie. Karate-Robo Zaborgar is a film so cheesy, so silly, so ridiculous that it is quite hilarious. The dialogue, the fights, and the wild acting are exaggerated to such a degree that they induce laughter. It does have its share of action and fighting, but it is best viewed as a low-budget B-movie spoof, and it is good for a laugh.
Entertainment: Very Good | Story: Average | Film: Pretty Good | Resonance: High
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86: Bodyguard (2004)
Thailand
Although this film has quite a bit of action and excitement to it, it’s a comedy primarily. It is a rather strange brand of comedy, on a similar level to Kung Fu Hustle, but it does have a simple and easy story to follow with decent enough characters. This film likely won’t appeal to everybody, but I did find it enjoyable.
Entertainment: Good | Story: Pretty Good | Film: Pretty Good | Resonance: Average
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85: The Legend (Fong Sai Yuk)
China
This film is surprisingly light-hearted and goofy, but not without spirit. It does have a wealth of great fight scenes, and there is a bit of violence to this film, but it is a light and fun adventure at its heart. Jet Li fills the title character with serious skill and life. The story in this film is rather dense, but still solid and enjoyable. It comes heartily recommended to any kung fu fan.
Entertainment: Good | Story: Pretty Good | Film: Good | Resonance: Pretty High
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84: Tai Chi Master (Tai ji: Zhang San Feng)
China
Another fine kung-fu flick starring Jet Li, this time with Michelle Yeoh in the mix; this film is a little more serious, a little more lavish, and a little more ambitious than Fong Sai Yuk, but it’s still pretty light and spirited. Fight scenes are fantastic, skillful, and still fun to watch. This film features a decent story with a decent cast of characters. Once again, it comes recommended to martial arts fans.
Entertainment: Good | Story: Pretty Good | Film: Good | Resonance: Pretty High
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83: Princess Mononoke (Mononoke-Hime)
Japan
This anime from director Hayao Miyazaki is one of the most revered and most popular of the medium. Princess Mononoke tells a touching and adventurous man-vs-nature story, full of action and peril, plus some cute and fantastic imagery. It gets a bit heavy-handed with its anti-war pro-nature themes, but it does so with heart and style, and it continues to captivate audiences worldwide.
Entertainment: Good | Story: Good | Film: Good | Resonance: Average
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82: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Wo Hu Cang Long)
China, Taiwan, and the US
I remember in 2000, this film was one of the most popular and talked-about films, most striking for its fantastic wuxia fight scenes, where characters float on air and run up trees. This was actually the first real foreign film I’ve seen; it took a while for me to warm up to its plot, but I always did enjoy its fight scenes, which are indeed a thing of beauty. At its core, the film features a fine and nuanced cast of characters, who provide the deepest and most invoking dynamics to the story. It remains one of the most essential martial arts movies to date.
Entertainment: Pretty Good | Story: Good | Film: Good | Resonance: Pretty High
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81: The Shinjuku Incident (San Suk Si Gin)
China
Even though Jackie Chan stars in this film, this is not a comedy by any means. He actually puts on a very serious and dramatic portrayal of a man struggling to make ends meet as an immigrant in Japan. It’s a pretty dark and somewhat emotional story; it has its share of action and bloodshed, but as a drama that focuses on the plight of refugees and the suffering imposed by the Yakuza gangs, it’s quite thrilling and gripping, and it really does make you feel for the characters.
Entertainment: Good | Story: Good | Film: Good | Resonance: Pretty High
To be continued...
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