Movies like Dance of the Drunk Mantis (1979)
The best movies like Dance of the Drunk Mantis (1979) are Drunken Tai Chi (1984), Return to the 36th Chamber (1980) and Snake in the Eagle's Shadow (1978). If Dance of the Drunk Mantis hooked you with its action and comedy, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedSnake in the Eagle's Shadow (1978)7.3/10 from 382 votes
- NewestForbidden City Cop (1996)Released 1996
Drunken Tai Chi (1984)
A spoiled young man - on the run from a ruthless killer - hooks up with a puppeteer and his wife who are masters of the art of tai chi; the only style that can defeat the killer.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both action & comedy
Return to the 36th Chamber (1980)
The workers of a dye factory have their pay cut by 20% when the factory owner brings in some Manchu thugs to try and increase production. Desperate to reclaim their full wages, the workers hire an actor to impersonate a priest and kung-fu expert from the temple of Shaolin. The factory owner proves the actor a fraud, and punishes all those involved. The young actor feels he has let the workers down, and promises to atone. He sets out for Shaolin, determined to be accepted as a kung-fu pupil at the elite temple.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both action & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSnake in the Eagle's Shadow (1978)
Everyone abuses and humiliates a downtrodden orphan until he befriends an old man, who turns out to be the last master of the snake fist fighting style. Jackie becomes the old man's student and finds himself in battle with the master of the eagle's claw style, who has vowed to destroy the snake fist clan.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both action & comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisFist of Fury 1991 (1991)
Lau Ching, a Mainlander with an incredibly powerful right arm, arrives in Hong Kong to find his cousin. He befriends with a drifter named Handsome, and a martial artist girl named Mandy. In order to woo her, Ching participates in a fighting competition in hopes of winning a $10 million prize, and must defeat his love rival, Wai, in the ring.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both action & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisOdd Couple (1979)
Two ageing masters of the spear and sword engage in an epic mountaintop battle every ten years, but the outcome invariably ends in a draw. Realising that neither one of them will ever outclass the other, they each agree to take on a younger student and train them to champion their cause, thus putting an end to their longstanding rivalry.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both action & comedy
The Magnificent Ruffians (1979)
Venom regulars Philip Kwok, Chiang Sheng, and Sun Chien star as a gang of unemployed martial artists who spend their days stuffing their faces at local restaurants and letting the staff beat them up instead of paying the bill. Their fortunes appear to improve when the head of a local security agency hires them to take out the competition, who their new employer insists is up to no good. But the boys are being played for fools, and after an unfortunate misunderstanding, they unite with their former adversary to take out the true villain.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both action
Pedicab Driver (1989)
Lo Tung and his friend Malted Candy, pedicab drivers working the streets of Macao, have both fallen in love. The problem is that both their objects of affection - one a baker, the other a prostitute - are working under cruel and lecherous bosses. Somehow, the pair must find a way to win the ladies' hearts and free them from their unpleasant jobs.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both action & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDisciples of the 36th Chamber (1985)
Monk San Te tries to support and protect Shaolin and her Fang Shih-yu who purposely attacks corrupt Ching officials.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both action & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Iron Monkey (1977)
Iron is the son of a rebel leader, but prefers to spend his days gambling and getting into fights. When his father's group is arrested and executed, Iron is forced to flee and hide in the woods as a beggar and thief. After being taken in by a Shaolin monastery and trained in the art of Monkey-Style Kung Fu, Iron vows to hunt down his father's killer and avenge his death.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both action
The Iron-Fisted Monk (1977)
Husker is a student of the Shaolin monks, learning kung fu so that he can avenge his uncle who was murdered by the Manchus who control the province. He leaves his training early, desperate to teach the killers a lesson, and teams up with a martial artist monk who is teaching a group of factory workers how to defend themselves. When the Manchus strike again, Husker and his Buddhist pal decide it's time to even the score.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both action & comedy
The Buddhist Fist (1980)
Two orphans raised by monks are taught divine secrets of kung fu. As adults, one chooses the path of the monks while the other opts for the outside world. Aspiring barber and experienced kung-fu fighter Shang learns that his childhood friend, Siu Ming, has been framed for murder by an unknown villain.When Shang begins looking into the crime, he soon finds himself the target of an assassination attempt. They reunite to find their missing godfather and seek vengeance on his kidnappers. Who is behind all these crimes, and can Shang stop them?
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both action
The Inspector Wears Skirts (1988)
The film revolves around a crack squad of female police officers who have to deal with harassment and a lack of respect from their male colleagues, personal issues, as well as some serious criminals.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both action & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisYes, Madam! (1985)
Two unlucky thieves break into a just murdered man's hotel room and steal his passport, with a hidden microfilm, wanted by a triad boss. Two ass-kicking women cops—one Chinese, one British—are on the case.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both action & comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisCrippled Avengers (1978)
A group of martial artists seek revenge after being crippled by Tu Tin-To, a martial arts master, and his son.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Brave Archer (1977)
Guo Jing and Yang Kang are the sons of two rebels. The rebels are killed by imperial soldiers and the boys are rescued by six pugilists later. The pugilists agree to separate the two boys, tutor them separately in martial arts, and let them meet again when they have grown up, to determine whose abilities are better. Guo becomes the student of the "Seven Freaks of Jiangnan" while Yang Kang becomes the foster son of a Jurchen prince inadvertently.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both action
The Magnificent Butcher (1979)
A plump butcher student of Wong Fei Hung, Lam Sai-Wing gets into trouble with a rival kung-fu school known as Five Dragons. He is accused of raping the Head of that school's goddaughter and killing his son. Now Ko, the Head of Five Dragons, wants revenge.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both action & comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Dragon and the Tiger Kids (1979)
Two young kung fu experts are terrorized by an evil warlord whose weapon is known as the Hell's Wind Staff. With the aid of an old rival of the warlord, they train in the Dragon Hands and the Rowing Oar to face off against the deadly Hell's Wind Staff.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both action
The Chinese Boxer (1970)
Lei Ming, a noble young martial arts student who doesn't know the meaning of giving up. He faces a treacherous, blood-thirsty Japanese karate expert, which leads to many memorable battles as well as several unforgettable training sequences.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSlaughter in San Francisco (1974)
A Chinese-American cop, skilled in martial arts, battles the most powerful criminal gang in San Francisco that is responsible for the death of his partner.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both action
Clan of the White Lotus (1980)
The Qing emperor releases all detained Shaolin disciples, but the vindictive White Lotus clan decides to exterminate all the disciples. One martial artist survives the onslaught, and constantly trains while in hiding for revenge.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSister Street Fighter (1974)
Li Mansei is a martial-arts champion turned undercover agent. When he is captured by a drug lord, his sister Li Koryu turns to his former martial-arts school, including the powerful Sonny Kawasaka, for help in the inevitable battle royale.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Prodigal Son (1981)
A rich man's son believes himself to be the best kung fu fighter in Canton. Unfortunately, his father, anxious for his son's safety, bribes all his opponents to lose. After a humiliating defeat at the hands of an actor in a traveling theatre company, the son resolves to find a better teacher.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both action & comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSleeping Fist (1979)
A plainclothes policeman, Chin Tai Ba, is seriously wounded in a fight with some ruffians but is helped to safety by a young wiseguy, Cub. Here he is taught the art of Sleeping Fist by Cub's master Chung Yiu, and the trio march to the Shang Wei martial arts school to take revenge on the thugs. However, in a last desperate attempt to get even, the gang call on Eagle Claw master Kao to sort out the snoozers.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both action & comedy
The Victim (1980)
Chung Yao, a martial arts expert, has long been on the run from his stepbrother, who he caught trying to rape his wife on their wedding night. His brother has never given up the chase however, and Chung Yao live in constant fear that the vengeful stepbrother will murder him and his wife.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both action & comedy
The World of Drunken Master (1979)
Chan Hui Lau stars in this vintage martial arts film as Chang, the owner of a winery and master of Drunken Boxing, a deadly kung fu technique that, as the name implies, requires its practitioner to be drunk. His relatively peaceful life is interrupted when he catches two boys (Li Yi Min and Jack Long) stealing grapes from his vineyards and puts them to work for him. Over time, he teaches them the art of Drunken Boxing. When the two boys get into a fight with some local toughs, they provoke the wrath of Yeh Hu (Lung Fei), Chang's enemy.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both action & comedy
Forbidden City Cop (1996)
An imperial agent gets ridiculed for his various inventions, until his supportive wife encourages him to attend a conference, which's actually a trap to kill all the doctors serving the emperor, where his crazy inventions come in handy.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both action & comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDragon Lord (1982)
Dragon and his madcap pal Cowboy spend their days getting into mischief, frustrating the elders, chasing girls, and competing in the village sport. When Dragon overhears a fiendish plot by smugglers to sell China's national treasures overseas, the pair leap into action. Also, Cowboy's wealthy father is kidnapped by the villainous and lethal Big Boss, and the scene is set for a furious martial arts showdown.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both action & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMy Lucky Stars (1985)
Two Hong Kong cops are sent to Tokyo to catch an ex-cop who stole a large amount of money in diamonds. After one is captured by the Ninja-gang protecting the rogue cop, the other one gets his old Orphanage gang, dubbed the "Five Lucky Stars," to help him. They don't like this much, but they do it.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both action & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisProject A (1983)
In late 19th century Hong Kong, the British may rule the land, but the pirates rule the waters. Coast Guard officer Dragon Ma is determined that his beloved Coast Guard will not be made a fool of.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both action & comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisKnockabout (1979)
After being cheated out of some money, two small time crooks convince a martial arts expert to take them on as students.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both action & comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Dance of the Drunk Mantis?
The closest matches to Dance of the Drunk Mantis are Drunken Tai Chi (1984), Return to the 36th Chamber (1980) and Snake in the Eagle's Shadow (1978). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Dance of the Drunk Mantis?
People who watched Dance of the Drunk Mantis most often go on to Drunken Tai Chi (1984), Return to the 36th Chamber (1980) and Snake in the Eagle's Shadow (1978).
What is the highest-rated movie like Dance of the Drunk Mantis?
Snake in the Eagle's Shadow (1978), rated 7.3/10 by 382 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Dance of the Drunk Mantis?
Forbidden City Cop (1996) is the most recent release on this list.
How are movies similar to Dance of the Drunk Mantis chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Dance of the Drunk Mantis, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.