Every Sci-Fi and Fantasy Movie Starring Jackie Chan, Ranked Against Each Other

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It’s actually quite challenging to follow the career of Jackie Chan, as he’s been in more than 200 movies and shows. However, dedicated fans have often created lists of his best work, usually around 75 titles, that they feel represent his most important films. Even with such a large body of work, Jackie Chan has mostly stayed within the action genre throughout his career.

Although Jackie Chan generally stays away from genres like horror, he’s occasionally explored fantasy and sci-fi. However, even these films still heavily feature his signature personality and action skills, blending genres together. Below is a ranking of Jackie Chan’s sci-fi and fantasy movies (excluding those where he only provides a voice) compared to each other.

7
‘Fantasy Mission Force’ (1983)

Taking place during World War II, Fantasy Mission Force centers around mercenary Don Wen (Jackie Chan) who gathers a quirky team of experts. Their goal: to rescue four Allied soldiers captured by Japanese troops and earn a large reward. During their mission, they face numerous strange dangers, such as man-eating amazons, Japanese Nazis driving fast cars, and vampires that can jump. However, these odd occurrences are actually part of a scheme by someone within the team who intends to steal the reward for themselves.

Throw all the Genres at the Wall

On the surface,Fantasy Mission Force seems like a wildly unusual combination of genres that would excite fans of cult films, but unfortunately, the movie doesn’t quite live up to the hype. It’s not a particularly good film, suffering from a confusing and illogical story, a disappointing lack of exciting martial arts action, and the surprising absence of Jackie Chan, even though he’s prominently featured in the credits. Fantasy Mission Force does offer some amusing ideas and silly moments that prevent it from being completely boring, but if you’re looking for a standout Jackie Chan film from his prime, this one doesn’t quite measure up to his other work.

6
‘The Knight of Shadows: Between Yin and Yang’ (2019)

Combining comedy and fantastical elements, the Chinese movie The Knight of Shadows: Between Yin and Yang features Jackie Chan as Pu Songling, a famous hunter of demons. He’s assigned to look into strange disappearances happening in a quiet village. Along with his student, Yan Fei (Austin Lin), and a quirky team of friendly monsters, Pu Songling’s investigation reveals a dangerous demon controlling both monsters and humans.

Jackie Chan: Demon Hunter

Films featuring Jackie Chan always have a certain draw, and his engaging performance in this family-friendly movie makes The Knight of Shadows: Between Yin and Yang enjoyable enough for dedicated fans. The action scenes involving demons add a lively, action-packed fantasy element that’s quite appealing. However, Jackie Chan doesn’t appear on screen as much as he should, even though he’s the main character, and the computer-generated imagery varies in quality, much like the story which awkwardly introduces and abandons different plot threads.

5
‘Bleeding Steel’ (2017)

Hong Kong agent Lin Dong (Jackie Chan) is tasked with protecting Dr. James (Kim Gyngell), a gifted scientist who is a target for the dangerous Andre (Callan Mulvey). When an attack claims the doctor’s life, Lin is devastated. Adding to his grief, he also loses his daughter around the same time, leading him to resign from the police force.

Thirteen years later, Lin discovers his daughter is actually alive. This revelation is made possible by the groundbreaking technology Dr. James was developing – technology that gave her improved blood and caused some memory loss. Simultaneously, Andre finds out about the young girl’s existence. Now enhanced with cyborg technology himself, Andre attempts to kidnap her, hoping to understand her special abilities.

Chan Goes Cyberpunk

Okay, I get it, the plot is a mess! Honestly, the biggest problem with Bleeding Steel is that it tries to jam way too many ridiculous storylines together and just doesn’t pull it off. It feels really inconsistent – sometimes the effects look great, sometimes they don’t, and the acting is all over the place. But, I still think Bleeding Steel is a decent place to start if you’re looking for Jackie Chan sci-fi and fantasy films worth checking out. Even with its flaws, it’s got some seriously impressive stunts and action, and the whole thing has a really cool cyberpunk vibe. Plus, Bleeding Steel manages to be funny at times, throwing in little references to Chan’s older movies – fun Easter eggs if you’ve been a fan for a while!

4
‘The Tuxedo’ (2002)

In The Tuxedo, Jackie Chan stars as Jimmy Tong, a taxi driver who unexpectedly becomes a hero. He takes a job as the chauffeur for a spy named Clark Devlin (Jason Isaacs). When Devlin gets hurt, Jimmy discovers his suit is incredibly advanced – it lets the wearer do amazing acrobatic moves, fight expertly, and even become charming and attractive. Now tasked with finishing Devlin’s mission, Jimmy joins forces with new agent Del Blaine (Jennifer Love Hewitt) to prevent the evil Detrich Banning (Ritchie Coster) from polluting the planet’s water supply.

Girls Go Crazy for a Sharp-Dressed Chan

Compared to the more intense action in Jackie Chan’s earlier Hong Kong films, The Tuxedo really showcased his talent for comedy and his likable personality. It’s also one of his most enjoyable films for families, with the idea of a suit giving someone skills and confidence being a great fit for Chan’s brilliant physical comedy. However, the movie relies on some jokes that don’t quite land, and the suit is used a little too much, which sometimes overshadows Chan’s natural abilities. It’s a consistently entertaining movie without any major problems, but there are definitely better action-comedies featuring Jackie Chan.

3
‘The Medallion’ (2003)

The Medallion centers around detective Eddie Yang, portrayed by Jackie Chan, as he investigates a dangerous criminal boss known as Snakehead (Julian Sands). During his investigation, Eddie discovers Snakehead is after an old medallion. After being killed while on a mission, Eddie is brought back to life by the medallion, granting him the ability to overcome death and incredible superpowers. He then joins forces with Interpol agents Arthur Watson (Lee Evans) and Nicole James (Claire Forlani) in a race against time to prevent Snakehead from gaining the same abilities.

A Super Powered Up Jackie Chan

The Medallion has both strengths and weaknesses. It’s fun to see Jackie Chan with superpowers, but the movie relies too heavily on computer effects and wirework, which overshadows his natural martial arts skills. Even though the action isn’t always consistent, this film is a classic, family-friendly Jackie Chan movie. The Medallion is an enjoyable fantasy action film, even if it doesn’t quite hit the mark, and it’s fondly remembered by many fans because of its connection to the popular animated series Jackie Chan Adventures, even though the movie came out three years after the show first aired.

2
‘The Myth’ (2005)

Archaeologist Jack (Jackie Chan) begins having realistic dreams where he’s General Meng Yi, a devoted soldier during China’s Qin Dynasty. Meng Yi’s job was to safeguard Princess Ok-Soo (Kim Hee-sun). Jack, along with his colleague and scientist friend William (Tony Leung Ka-fai), travels to India hoping to find objects connected to these dreams. Once there, Jack discovers his visions are actually based on a real past life, and he’s pulled into an adventure rooted in his previous existence. It’s a journey of rediscovery and action! He must unravel the mysteries of his past.

Jackie Chan Becomes a Hero of Both the Past and Present

The Myth doesn’t quite stick the landing when it tries to connect the past and present, leaving a few storylines feeling unfinished. However, despite some problems with the rhythm of the story, the movie is a large and impressive fantasy adventure, and Jackie Chan’s personality makes it a memorable experience. Although Chan’s talents aren’t showcased as much as they could be, the film delivers on epic battles, which suits the kind of fantasy it’s trying to tell – though this focus might not appeal to everyone.

1
‘The Forbidden Kingdom’ (2008)

Jason Tripitikas (Michael Angarano) is a teenager from Boston who loves kung fu films. He becomes fixated on an old warrior’s staff he finds at a pawn shop. Soon after getting it, he’s unexpectedly transported back to ancient China and discovers the staff actually belongs to the famous Monkey King, portrayed by Jet Li, who is currently imprisoned. Jason is seen as the one who’s meant to help, and he takes on the mission of freeing the Monkey King. He gathers a team of fighters, including kung fu master Lu Yan (Jackie Chan), a quiet monk (also played by Jet Li), and Golden Sparrow (Liu Yifei), a young woman driven by a desire for revenge, to assist him.

Two Legends Appear on Screen Together for the First Time

Even though The Forbidden Kingdom doesn’t star Jackie Chan as the sole lead – he shares the spotlight with other actors – it’s still easily the best fantasy movie he’s been involved with. Importantly, seeing Jackie Chan and Jet Li together on screen was a dream come true for fans, and the film delivered on that expectation. Plus, the movie captured the traditional wuxia fantasy style but gave it a fresh, updated look that appealed to both new and longtime viewers. Having the story focus on an American teenager isn’t ideal when fans really wanted more of Chan and Li, but it’s a small issue in an otherwise amazing film where these two talents battle both mythical beasts and skilled warriors.

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2025-10-05 20:06