Movies like Karate vs. Mafia (1981)
The best movies like Karate vs. Mafia (1981) are No Retreat, No Surrender 2: Raging Thunder (1987), Pimpinero: Blood and Oil (2024) and Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist The Movie (2014). If Karate vs. Mafia hooked you with its action and adventure, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedBeast (2026)7.5/10 from 227 votes
- NewestBeast (2026)Released 2026
- In SpanishPimpinero: Blood and Oil (2024)Also in Spanish
No Retreat, No Surrender 2: Raging Thunder (1987)
In this sequel, Scott Wylde, an American kickboxer, must go to Cambodia to rescue his Vietnamese girlfriend from Russian and Vietnamese troops.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPimpinero: Blood and Oil (2024)
When Juan, a young gasoline smuggler, is forced to work for a mysterious organization in the desert bordering Colombia and Venezuela, his girlfriend Diana embarks on a journey to uncover the secrets that inhabit this no-man’s-land.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & adventure
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 adventure & action
Worth the HypeMovies like thisFalcon Rising (2014)
Chapman is an ex-marine in Brazil's slums, battling the yakuza outfit who attacked his sister and left her for dead.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisJack Hunter and the Quest for Akhenaten's Tomb (2008)
Adventurer Jack Hunter sets off in pursuit of a legendary tomb, meeting dangerous old adversaries, and even more dangerous old flames, along the way.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisInterceptor (2022)
A U.S. Army Captain uses her years of tactical training to save humanity from sixteen nuclear missiles launched at the U.S. as a violent attack threatens her remote missile interceptor station.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBest of the Best 4: Without Warning (1998)
A group of Russian mobsters have stolen a huge supply of paper for printing U.S. currency, and are now flooding the market with conterfeit bills. When one of the mobsters decides to give herself in and hand over a data CD to the DA, she is shot and killed, but not before handing the disc to an unsuspecting Tommy Lee. Despite working with the police as a martial arts instructor, Lee doesn't go to the cops with the disc, but instead goes on the run, giving the mafia time to kidnap his daughter and hold as a hostage in exchange for return of the disc. Will Tommy ever see his daughter again?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & adventure
SnoozefestMovies 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 adventure & action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Lost Princess (2025)
After an Ayahuasca vision transports him to a haunted castle, Alec meets Hanna who tales him the story of her mother's forced marriage and how the forbidden passion with her father was in danger when the princess pregnancy became obvious
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBirth of the Dragon (2017)
Set against the backdrop of San Francisco’s Chinatown, this cross-cultural biopic chronicles Bruce Lee’s emergence as a martial-arts superstar after his legendary secret showdown with fellow martial artist Wong Jack Man.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe 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 thisBeast (2026)
MMA legend Patton James, now a commercial fisherman, is pulled back into the cage when his brother is in danger. Reuniting with his old coach Sammy, he commits to one final fight in one championship against the brutal champion Xavier Grau.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Marine 3: Homefront (2013)
A Marine must do whatever it takes to save his kidnapped sister and stop a terrorist attack masterminded by a radical militia group.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFemale Fight Squad (2017)
A former fighter reluctantly returns to the life she abandoned in order to help her sister survive the sadistic world of illegal fighting and the maniac who runs it.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLet's Get Harry (1986)
Harry Burck has been kidnapped by South American terrorists, and when the US Government refuses to intervene, Harry's friends decide to take matters into their own hands!
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Shipment (2021)
A former U.S. Navy Seal is forced to become the international criminal he once fought against when a powerful and violent drug cartel kidnaps his wife and daughter.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAmerican Shaolin (1991)
After facing brutal humiliation in the ring, a young karateka travels to China in order to study the ancient art of Shaolin Kung Fu, becoming the first American Shaolin.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRedeemer (2014)
A former hit-man for a drug cartel becomes a vigilante to pay for his sins and find redemption.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisIn the Blood (2014)
When her husband goes missing during their Caribbean vacation, a woman sets off on her own to take down the men she thinks are responsible.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
SnoozefestMovies like thisNo Retreat, No Surrender 3: Blood Brothers (1990)
Two feuding brothers of differing political views, one a policeman, the other a martial artist, join forces to avenge the death of their father, a retired agent who was brutally murdered by the mafia.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisA Force of One (1979)
Karate champion Matt Logan is enlisted by the police to train officers in self-defense after narcotics agents are killed by an assailant using the martial arts.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action & adventure
SnoozefestMovies like thisDOA: Dead or Alive (2006)
Four beautiful rivals at an invitation-only martial-arts tournament join forces against a sinister threat. Princess Kasumi is an aristocratic warrior trained by martial-arts masters. Tina Armstrong is a wrestling superstar. Helena Douglas is an athlete with a tragic past. Christie Allen earns her keep as a thief and an assassin-for-hire.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure & action
SnoozefestMovies like thisHigh Kick Girl! (2009)
High schooler Kei Tsuchiya joins The Destroyers when she decides that her longtime karate master is holding her back. She realizes her mistake but it's too late.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action & adventure
Gladiator Cop (1995)
Andrew Garret is a cop trying to reveal the background of secret killing fights named "Game". He takes part in the fights under the nickname Gladiator. One of the Game bosses, Parmenion, wants him to fight with the ancient sword that once belonged to Alexander the Great against his own fighter Mongol to recall the 2000 years old duel between Alexander and his enemy whose re-incarnations he believes to be Andrew Garrett and himself.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action & adventure
Golgo 13: Assignment Kowloon (1977)
Duke Togo (codename: Golgo 13) is a ruthless assassin who's accepted a tricky assignment from an American drug syndicate. His mission is to "rub out" Hong Kong's underworld kingpin. His main obstacle is the relentless Detective 'Smitty' Smith, determined to stop Togo no matter the cost. The result is an explosive adventure through the seamy, violent streets of Hong Kong.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action & adventure
The Dragon Gate (1994)
Enter The Dragon Gate and prepare for a pulse pounding journey into the nether regions of the mind and soul. When his girlfriend is kidnapped, a sword wielding warrior, Ken, willingly thrusts himself into an alternate dimension to rescue her. The action is fast and furious as our hero battles legions of blood-thirsty assassins. Seduced by an evil temptress, redeemed by the Sword Goddess of the lake. Ken can escape only if he can answer the riddle of 23 questions!
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure
Last Hit (2026)
A pair of criminals seeking a fresh start are intervened by their boss, who takes one of them hostage to force a final job. Vincent and Maya decide to escape their gang and settle for a peaceful life, but they are trapped into one last hit with hidden agendas, betrayals, and unexpected alliances. Last Hit is a high-stakes, action-packed thriller about redemption, betrayal, and the ultimate cost of freedom. Vincent and Maya decide to escape from their life of crime when their boss, Dante starts blurring the lines between heists and hits. During their last job they realize they've walked into a setup orchestrated by Dante himself. This trap pushed Vincent and Maya to the firm decision to walk away from the gang.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
The Master (1992)
When old martial arts master Master Tak disappears, his best student, Jet, steps in to find him. However, when he learns that Tak's life is in danger, he decides to protect him at all costs.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisKarate by the Sea (2020)
Two rival martial artists meet up after years apart.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
Lightning Karate Blow (1956)
Ken Takakura's screen debut, following his admission into Toei ranks via the studio's annual New Faces program, came surprisingly enough in this pair of Okinawa karate films. The two-parter was released on Jan. 29, 1956 as two thirds of a triple feature. Both halves run just under one hour. The fighting is actually pretty good for the time, and it's fun to see Takakura as an impatient, bearded karate rascal.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Karate vs. Mafia?
The closest matches to Karate vs. Mafia are No Retreat, No Surrender 2: Raging Thunder (1987), Pimpinero: Blood and Oil (2024) and Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist The Movie (2014). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Karate vs. Mafia?
Start with No Retreat, No Surrender 2: Raging Thunder (1987), the closest match to Karate vs. Mafia.
What is the highest-rated movie like Karate vs. Mafia?
Beast (2026), rated 7.5/10 by 227 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Karate vs. Mafia?
Beast (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Spanish movies like Karate vs. Mafia?
Yes: Pimpinero: Blood and Oil (2024) and Redeemer (2014).
How are movies similar to Karate vs. Mafia chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Karate vs. Mafia, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.