“The Raid” Japanese Theatrical Poster
Thousands of movies get released every year in Asia, but only a few dozens of them get the popularity and recognition they deserve. Today we look back and honour some of the most influential Asian movies in order to shine a spotlight on the best movies that come from the East.
Action Movies:
Asian action and crime movies differ from Western-made movies. Asian action movies have a real and gritty feel to them, relying more on story and characters than on special effects. Action and crime movies became widely popular in Asia during the 80’s.
- The Ip Man – The Ip Man franchise is regarded as one of the best action movie franchises not only in Japan but in the entire world. It is an action movie that you just can’t see from a Hollywood studio. Rich in character and overwhelmingly exciting, The Ip Man is one of the best in the game.
- The Man from Nowhere – Coming from South Korea, this fast-paced, well choreographed and the convincing movie is a perfect crime-action movie example and one you should definitely have in your movie library.
- The Raid – No self-respecting action movie lover should pass on this Indonesian masterpiece. The movie follows Rama, a rookie commando on a team tasked with bringing down a brutal mob boss. This movie will keep you on the edge of your seat and draw you in with bloody and relentless action fro the moment it gets going.
War Movies:
War movies that have come out of Asian cinematography all have a heavy cultural tone. Although western cinematography has produced some exquisite war movies, the Asian movie scene also has a few equally heavy, important and tragic movies that are considered masterpieces of the seventh art.
- For Those We Love – seen by many as a controversial and propaganda oriented movie, For Those We Love is a tragic war movie telling the story of a group of kamikaze pilots on their journey from the moment their recruitment begins up to their final moments
- Yamato – The Yamato battleship is the biggest Japanese battleship from World War II. The movie of the same name talks about the technological and military achievement of the ship through a story of sacrifice, camaraderie and emotion.
- Tae Guk Gi – Set in the events of the Korean War, it is a powerful movie about the horrors and tragedies this senseless conflict brought.
Gambling Movies:
The countries of Asia, especially from the Honk Kong cinema scene, have a knack for making action-packed and entertaining gambling movies. No matter if you’re a fan of gambling action movies, the combination of these two genres make Asian gambling movies a must-watch for every movie enthusiast.
- God of Gamblers – This Hong Kong gambling movie not only does the action parts excellently but also combines elements of comedy and drama to create the ultimate big-screen adventure. It is one of the most popular gambling movies in the entire world and a movie that spawned a franchise that numbers six different spin-offs and sequels.
- The Connan – Ridding the popularity of gambling movies, The Conan is an action-comedy that follows a simple movie pattern while introducing a number of colourful an in-depth characters.
- From Vegas to Macau – This movie is sort of a reboot and a homage of the God of Gamblers original. Starring acclaimed Hollywood actors like Chow Yun-fat, it explores some interesting topics that were left open by the original.
