Movies like The Return of the Great Fighter (1981)
The best movies like The Return of the Great Fighter (1981) are The Paper Tigers (2020), Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story (1993) and Fighter in the Wind (2004). If The Return of the Great Fighter hooked you with its action, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
The Return of the Great Fighter
Quick picks
- Highest ratedKiller Bean Forever (2008)7.2/10 from 201 votes
- NewestGladiator Underground (2025)Released 2025
- In KoreanFighter in the Wind (2004)Also in Korean
The Paper Tigers (2020)
Three middle aged men polish their martial arts skills to avenge their fallen master.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDragon: The Bruce Lee Story (1993)
This film is a glimpse into the life, love and the unconquerable spirit of the legendary Bruce Lee. From a childhood of rigorous martial arts training, Lee realizes his dream of opening his own kung-fu school in America. Before long, he is discovered by a Hollywood producer and begins a meteoric rise to fame and an all too short reign as one the most charismatic action heroes in cinema history.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFighter in the Wind (2004)
An account of karate competitor Choi Yeung-Eui who went to Japan after World War II to become a fighter pilot but found a very different path instead. He changed his name to Masutatsu Oyama and went across the country, defeating martial artists one after another. This film concentrates on the period when he is still young, and developing his famous karate style, Kyokushin.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBorn to Race: Fast Track (2014)
Danny Krueger is a twenty-year old drag racer who plays by his own rules. After winning a scholarship to the prestigious Fast Lane Racing Academy, Danny finds himself competing against some of the fiercest young drivers in the world. Tension soars on and off the track, and a terrible incident leaves Danny without a racing partner. Facing dismissal from the academy, Danny is forced to team up with an old rival. The pair must learn to set aside their differences as they vie for rookie spots on a professional racing team.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGladiator Underground (2025)
Two brothers compete in the world's deadliest underground fighting tournament, where they must decide whether to play by the rules or to cast their honor aside and team up to bring down the dark syndicate running the tournament.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Art of Fighting (2006)
Byung-tae is the kid who is always on the receiving end of beatings from the school bullies—that is, until he meets Pan-su, a martial arts expert who takes him under his wing.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisKiller Bean Forever (2008)
When things go bad in Beantown, top assassin Killer Bean is called to clean-up the mess. Detective Cromwell finds himself in the middle between Killer Bean and mob boss Cappuccino.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Worth the HypeMovies like thisVolcano High (2001)
Kim is expelled from his eighth school and finds himself at Volcano High where students fight to possess a treasured ancient document. Kim, who must resist from using his Chi, is caught in the middle.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHow to Rob a Bank (2007)
Caught in the middle of a bank robbery, a slacker and a bank employee become the ones who arbitrate the intense situation.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
SnoozefestMovies like thisHostile Takeover (2025)
Follows Pete, a professional hitman, as he faces a group of assassins after the boss of a crime syndicate suspects disloyalty due to his attendance at Workaholics Anonymous meetings.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPhantom Detective (2016)
Hong Gil-dong is an infallible private detective with an exceptional memory and quirky personality. While chasing the only target he failed to find, he gets entangled in a much bigger conspiracy than he bargained for.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisStreet Fighter: Assassin's Fist The Movie (2014)
If one man changes his path, will he be able to change his destiny...or will he only delay the inevitable? Ryu and Ken are two traditional warriors who find themselves isolated in some corner of Japan to carry out their training as fighters, trying to master an ancient style of fighting, known as "Ansatsuken" (The Killing Fist). There they will begin to learn about the mysterious past of their trainer, Goken, and the tragic and dark legacy that the Ansatsuken style hides. Will they be able to choose their destiny or will history repeat itself once again?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Worth the HypeMovies like thisOverdrive (2017)
Master car thieves square off against French gangsters in the South of France with money, women and lives all on the line.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHero at Large (1980)
An idealistic but struggling actor finds his life unexpectedly complicated when he stops a robbery while wearing the costume of Captain Avenger, a superhero character of a film he is hired to promote. He decides to dabble at being a superhero only to find that it is more difficult and dangerous than he ever imagined.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Show Must Go On (2007)
A middle-aged gangster's lifetime of mistakes catch up with him as his personal and professional life is destroyed.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCrying Fist (2005)
Tae-sik, a troubled middle aged man and Sang-hwan, a troubled youth will meet in the ring with their respective mission. To change their life.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe 355 (2022)
A group of top female agents from American, British, Chinese, Colombian, and German government agencies are drawn together to try and stop an organization from acquiring a deadly weapon to send the world into chaos.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisKillers (2010)
When an elite assassin marries a beautiful computer whiz after a whirlwind romance, he gives up the gun and settles down with his new bride. That is, until he learns that someone from his past has put a contract out on his life.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisJack Hunter and the Lost Treasure of Ugarit (2010)
Jack Hunter, an adventurous treasure seeker, goes to Syria after his mentor and father figure Professor Fredrick Shaffer is killed. Professor Frederick Shaffer believed that the people of Ugarit, a town in Syria that existed during the Pharoah’s reign, had buried a treasure before they were wiped out by the Pharoahs. Jack Hunter is one of the few archaeologists in the world who can interpret Ugarit writings
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHostage: Missing Celebrity (2021)
A box office star has to prove his action credentials in the real world when he's held for ransom by a gang of demented thugs.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like this
Like The Return of the Great Fighter and something else?
Blend two favourites and we’ll find the films in between.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Return of the Great Fighter?
The closest matches to The Return of the Great Fighter are The Paper Tigers (2020), Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story (1993) and Fighter in the Wind (2004). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Return of the Great Fighter?
Start with The Paper Tigers (2020), the closest match to The Return of the Great Fighter.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Return of the Great Fighter?
Killer Bean Forever (2008), rated 7.2/10 by 201 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Return of the Great Fighter?
Gladiator Underground (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Korean movies like The Return of the Great Fighter?
Yes: Fighter in the Wind (2004), The Art of Fighting (2006) and Volcano High (2001).
How are movies similar to The Return of the Great Fighter chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Return of the Great Fighter, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.