He was the fastest. Honestly, if you grew up watching martial arts cinema in the nineties or early 2000s, nobody else moved quite like him. Jackie Chan had the slapstick and the death-defying stunts, but Jet Li movies brought a different kind of energy—clinical, graceful, and terrifyingly efficient.
Then he just... stopped.
Well, he didn't stop entirely, but the trajectory changed. One minute he’s the high-octane villain in Lethal Weapon 4, and the next, he’s doing smaller roles or focusing almost entirely on his charity, the One Foundation. People often wonder what happened to the man who redefined the "Wong Fei-hung" character for a new generation. Was it the hyper-thyroidism? Was it a lack of interest in Western scripts? Or was he just tired of the "action star" label?
From Wushu Prodigy to the Face of Hong Kong
To understand why a Jet Li movie feels different, you have to look at his roots in Wushu. Li Lianjie wasn't just a gym rat who learned to kick for the cameras. He was a national treasure in China before he even hit puberty. He won the national championship five times. That’s five years of being the absolute best in a country of over a billion people.
When he moved into film, that discipline followed him.
Once Upon a Time in China (1991) is arguably the peak of the genre. Directed by Tsui Hark, it transformed the historical figure Wong Fei-hung into a symbol of Chinese pride during a time of Western colonial encroachment. The choreography wasn't just fighting; it was storytelling. The famous umbrella fight scene? That’s pure cinema. It showed that Jet Li could be stoic and fierce simultaneously. He didn't need to say a word to command the frame.
The Hollywood Transition: A Mixed Bag
Then came the late nineties. Hollywood was looking for the next big thing from the East.
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1998’s Lethal Weapon 4 was a weird debut. He played a villain, Wah Sing Ku. He spoke very little English. But he moved so fast the editors actually had to slow down the footage because the cameras couldn't capture the strikes clearly. It’s a recurring story with Jet. Most actors try to look faster; Jet had to try to look slower.
Then came Romeo Must Die.
It was a strange cultural fusion—Aaliyah and Jet Li. It worked, though. It was cool. It felt modern. But looking back, Hollywood never really knew what to do with him. They kept trying to put him in "urban" action flicks or weird sci-fi projects like The One. Honestly, The One is a bit of a cult classic now, but at the time, it felt like a waste of his actual martial arts prowess. You don’t hire a five-time Wushu champion just to wrap him in early-2000s CGI.
Why Jet Li Movies Are Getting Harder to Find
If you look at his filmography post-2010, the gaps get wider. The roles get smaller.
Hyperthyroidism is the big one people talk about. He was diagnosed in 2010. It’s a condition that affects your heart rate and metabolism. For a guy whose entire career is built on explosive physical movement, a racing heart is a death sentence for his craft. He famously said that he could still do the moves, but his body couldn't handle the strain of a full-scale production.
There was also that scary photo that went viral a few years back. He looked decades older than he was. Fans panicked.
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It turned out to be just a bad angle and some poor lighting, but it highlighted a truth: Jet Li is human. He’s been beaten up by decades of stunt work. Unlike Tom Cruise, who seems determined to age in reverse by jumping off planes, Jet chose a different path. He pivoted toward Buddhism and philanthropy.
The Impact of Hero (2002)
If you only watch one Jet Li movie in your life, make it Hero.
Directed by Zhang Yimou, this film was a masterpiece of color and movement. It wasn't just a "fight movie." It was a philosophical debate about the cost of peace. It remains one of the highest-grossing foreign-language films in U.S. history.
Why does it matter? Because it proved that Jet Li didn't need a gun or a Hollywood budget to be a global superstar. He was at his best when he was playing characters with deep internal conflicts. The Nameless protagonist in Hero is a man who understands that his skills are a burden, not just a tool. That seems to mirror Jet’s own life in a weird way.
Ranking the Best of the Best
If you're looking to dive into his catalog, don't just stick to the American stuff. You’ll miss the soul of his work.
- Fist of Legend (1994): This is a remake of Bruce Lee’s Fist of Fury. Many critics—including the legendary Quentin Tarantino—consider this one of the best-choreographed films ever made. The fight with the Japanese master in the field? It’s a masterclass in rhythm.
- Tai Chi Master (1993): He stars alongside Michelle Yeoh. It’s vibrant, funny, and shows a lighter side of his personality that we rarely saw in his English-language roles.
- The Enforcer (aka My Father is a Hero): A gritty, emotional crime drama. It’s less "wuxia" and more modern-day grit.
- Unleashed (2005): Probably his best Western performance. Bob Hoskins and Morgan Freeman bring out a vulnerability in Jet that was usually buried under stoicism. He plays a man raised like a dog, and the emotional payoff is surprisingly heavy.
The Reality of His Modern Career
He did Mulan recently. He played the Emperor. He didn't fight much. He looked regal, but it wasn't the Jet Li we remember from the nineties. And that’s okay.
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He has spent a huge chunk of the last decade working on the "One Foundation," which he started after he and his family were nearly killed in the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. That experience changed him. It shifted his focus from "how do I look on screen" to "how do I help people on the ground." It’s hard to get excited about a choreographed sword fight when you’ve stared down a real-life natural disaster.
How to Experience Jet Li Movies Today
If you want to appreciate his legacy, stop watching the dubbed versions. Seriously.
The dubbing in those old Hong Kong flicks is charming in a nostalgic way, but it strips the performance of its nuance. Watch them in the original Cantonese or Mandarin with subtitles. You’ll hear the grit in his voice. You’ll understand the pacing better.
Also, look for the "pre-CGI" era. The beauty of a Jet Li movie from the mid-nineties is the lack of wires. Sure, they used some wirework (it's Hong Kong, after all), but the speed and the impact were real. There’s a certain weight to his movement that modern Marvel movies just can't replicate with green screens and digital doubles.
Actionable Next Steps for Fans
- Watch 'Fist of Legend' first: If you want to see pure athleticism, this is the gold standard. It’s the closest thing to a perfect martial arts movie.
- Track down the 'Once Upon a Time in China' Trilogy: Specifically the first three. They define the "folk hero" archetype in Asian cinema.
- Support the One Foundation: If you’re a fan of the man himself, look into his charity work. It’s what he actually cares about these days.
- Don't ignore 'Unleashed': It’s the rare Western movie that actually treats him like an actor rather than just a weapon.
Jet Li might not be headlining $200 million blockbusters anymore, but his influence is everywhere. Every time you see a character move with that specific blend of speed and "cool" efficiency, you’re seeing a bit of his DNA. He changed the rhythm of action cinema. He taught us that a hero doesn't have to be the biggest guy in the room—just the fastest.