Dubbed the Muscles from Brussels, Jean-Claude Van Damme was a renowned champion in karate and kickboxing during his younger days, before he took up acting jobs from the early 1980s onwards. He earned his breakthrough in Bloodsport, which became a box office hit in 1988. From the late ‘80s through the ‘90s era, Van Damme’s stardom saw the Belgian martial artist appear in action films such as Kickboxer, Universal Soldier, and Timecop.
Then, in 1996, he took a significant leap in trying his hand at directing for the first time in The Quest. While the 1990s action cinema saw the rise of Die Hard-style thrillers dominated by the likes of Speed and The Rock, along with grounded realism seen in The Fugitive and Heat, Van Damme’s directorial debut is more of a nostalgic callback to the glory era of the tournament-based action subgenre.
The Quest at 30: Jean-Claude Van Damme’s Underrated Martial Arts Epic Still Packs a Punch
As old-fashioned as it may seem, The Quest is particularly a treat for fans of Van Damme and anyone who’s been missing this type of action movie. Too bad it ended up underperforming at the box office, taking in $57.4 million on an estimated $30 million budget. Celebrating its 30th anniversary this month, it’s hard to deny the ambition that Van Damme is going for The Quest, as he approaches his movie beyond a mere story about a martial arts tournament.
The story is also doubled as a period piece and an old-school adventure, detailing the days of Christopher Dubois (Van Damme) as a street-smart criminal running from the law, before he ends up being enslaved by gun smugglers. It wasn’t until Lord Edgar Dobbs (Roger Moore, looking exceptionally debonair), who later used Dubois for his own personal gains by selling him into slavery on a remote Siamese island. From there, Dubois learns to master the art of Muay Thai under the supervision of Khao Prahan (Aki Aleong), and months later, Dobbs returns to buy Dubois’ freedom, allowing the latter to take part in the martial arts tournament held at the fabled Ghang-gheng in the Lost City of Tibet.
For the first half of the movie, the budget is put to good use, evidently in Steve Spence’s elaborate production design of capturing the 1920s era and David Gribble’s gorgeous cinematography for shooting predominantly on location in Thailand. The second half is where Dubois, representing the U.S., and the rest of the selected fighters from all over the world, compete against each other in the arena. The prize? A statue of pure solid gold in the shape of a dragon.
Each fight scene showcases different martial arts skills, ranging from Chinese kung fu to Japanese sumo wrestling and Brazilian Capoeira. Van Damme may have been the star of the show, but he equally allows his ensemble an opportunity to demonstrate their respective fighting prowess. As for Van Damme himself, he never forgets to give his fans what they want the most: plenty of his trademark spinning kick and a never-give-up attitude, notably during the martial arts star’s final fight against the imposingly brute Mongolian-based Khan, played by former boxer-turned-actor Abdel Qissi.
It’s far from Van Damme’s best action movies, as his similar tournament-based films, including Bloodsport and Kickboxer, fare better by comparison. But then again, The Quest still shows the star has some potential directing his first movie, despite a report that executive producer and second-unit director Peter MacDonald (Rambo III, Mo’ Money) served as an uncredited director heavily involved behind-the-scenes.
Van Damme isn’t the only well-known martial arts star who ventured into directing a feature film, as there are others, from Bruce Lee to Jackie Chan, Dolph Lundgren, and Iko Uwais, who had their respective experiences calling the shots for the first time.
BRUCE LEE – THE WAY OF THE DRAGON (1972)
The legendary Bruce Lee’s acting career may have been short-lived after his untimely death at the age of 32 in 1973. But his legacy lives on even today, and looking back at The Way of the Dragon, Lee shows excellent control both in front of and behind the camera in his directorial debut. He plays Tang Lung, a country bumpkin from Hong Kong, who arrives in Rome to help a family friend, where the latter’s restaurant is targeted by the local gangsters. Lee, who also wrote the screenplay, comes across as straightforward.
The story isn’t his strongest suit, even though he shows his acting versatility, seamlessly alternating between a fish-out-of-water type of individual (the earlier scene in an Italian restaurant comes to mind) and a no-nonsense martial artist capable of taking down a few opponents with his lightning-fast reflexes. The fight scenes are effectively shot in a combination of dynamic camerawork, a wide-angle lens, and crisp editing.
The Way of the Dragon is, of course, best remembered for the climactic third act between Lee and then-newcomer Chuck Norris within the historic Colosseum. More than just a fight, the Lee-Norris duel showcases everything from testing each other’s strength and ability to adapting to changes mid-fight. At one point, Lee begins to loosen up and starts rocking his feet back and forth. The fight itself is meticulously captured with minimal cuts, while the wide-angle framing allows the audience to immerse themselves in Lee and Norris’ movements.
What makes the fight particularly unforgettable is the way Lee chose to end the fight with a poignant finish as he honors his defeated opponent by covering the latter’s gi (martial arts uniform) body as a symbolic and respectful gesture. Made at HK$130,000, The Way of the Dragon made Hong Kong box-office history at the time, grossing over HK$5 million to the point it eclipsed Lee’s previous two movies, The Big Boss and Fist of Fury.
SAMMO HUNG – THE IRON-FISTED MONK (1977)
Sammo Hung’s illustrious filmography spans from his days as a child actor to a multihyphenate talent both on-screen and behind the scenes. He also played small roles in martial arts classics such as A Touch of Zen and Enter the Dragon in the early ‘70s, before he finally made his directorial debut in The Iron-Fisted Monk. Hung also leads the cast, playing the role of Hawker, who’s been training at the Shaolin temple under the senior guidance of an instructor (James Tien). Hawker’s motive is soon revealed to be about seeking vengeance against the Manchus responsible for killing his uncle.
The revenge angle is part of the storyline, as the movie mixes things up by introducing a dye worker (Lo Hoi-Pang), whose sister ends up being sexually assaulted by a notorious Manchu officer (Fung Hak-On). Hung’s earlier work as a director often leans into misogyny and pessimism that define his work from The Iron-Fisted Monk to most of his ‘80s and ‘90s outputs, such as Pedicab Driver and Pantyhose Hero.
As a first-time director, Hung shows tremendous clarity in the fight choreography, offering some of the best martial arts set pieces ever seen outside the Shaw Brothers production at the time (this movie was produced under the Golden Harvest banner). He doesn’t shy away from the matter-of-fact brutality when it comes to rape scenes, not once but twice in the movie, which remains hard to watch.
Interestingly, the title has nothing to do with Hung’s character but rather his co-star, Chan Sing, playing the eponymous monk, who saves Hawker in the first place and brings him back to the temple to undergo martial arts training.
JACKIE CHAN – THE FEARLESS HYENA (1979)
Like Sammo Hung, Jackie Chan’s film career began as a child actor and even appeared in small roles seen in Fist of Fury and Enter the Dragon. After finding success in Yuen Woo-Ping’s Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow and Drunken Master in the late ‘70s, he pulled multiple duties from starring in a lead role to co-writing, directing, and serving as the martial arts director in The Fearless Hyena.
The story is a typical Shaw Brothers kung fu movie, complete with Jackie playing the familiar archetype at the time – a young, reckless, and playful young man until a turning point changes everything. Chan was only 24 years old when he took such a huge responsibility, but he proved to be adept in his directorial prowess, showcasing his exhilarating mix of martial arts action and slapstick comedy.
As a leading actor, his youthful energy shines throughout his role, while his final fight against the formidable Yen Shi-Kwan easily ranks as one of the best martial arts choreographies ever seen in Chan’s decades-long filmography.
JET LI – BORN TO DEFENCE (1988)
It’s easy to forget that Jet Li used to direct a movie. That movie in question was Born to Defence, the only time he pulled double duties as an actor and director. Made before he became recognizable as Wong Fei Hung in the immensely popular Once Upon a Time in China movies, the story follows Jet, a soldier returning to his hometown after World War II. But his homecoming is plagued by the presence of bullies in the form of American Navy, played by Kurt Roland Petersson and Paulo Tocha.
Most of the fight scenes take place in the confines of a fighting ring inside a bar, highlighting Li’s martial art prowess with none of the intricate wirework that fans and audience have grown accustomed to seeing him in the likes of the Once Upon a Time in China, Fong Sai Yuk, and The Bodyguard from Beijing. Instead, Tsui Siu-Ming’s fight choreography is more grounded and visceral, making the impact palpable with every punch and kick landing on the bodies.
STEVEN SEAGAL – ON DEADLY GROUND (1994)
Steven Seagal may have been a subject of ridicule over the years, but back in his heyday from the late ‘80s to early ‘90s, he was a popular action star who appeared in numerous box-office hits. His then-unique aikido fighting style brought a fresh perspective to the Hollywood martial arts genre dominated by the likes of Van Damme and Chuck Norris. His first four movies – Above the Law, Hard to Kill, Marked for Death, and Out for Justice – were all commercially successful, mixing Seagal’s fluid aikido prowess with his trademark stoic, tough-guy persona. He finally peaked with Under Siege, still the biggest hit of his career.
By then, he was on top of the world, which led to his subsequent directorial debut, in addition to starring in On Deadly Ground. Unlike his earlier movies, Seagal unusually blends environmental messages about oil pollution and corporate greed with his usual on-screen persona that defines his career. Despite Seagal’s ambition for his passion project, On Deadly Ground ends up like a step-down effort from what he is known for in the past, with his incorporated themes coming across as heavy-handed.
He still plays the one-man army, this time as Forrest Taft, an environmental agent with a CIA background working for a shady oil company owned by Michael Jennings (Michael Caine, who does a good job playing a corrupt businessman, despite the veteran actor reportedly hating making it in the first place).
Forrest can single-handedly take down the bad guys with his aikido moves and tactical weaponry combat. The action is competently staged, while Ric Waite’s spectacular widescreen cinematography and Basil Poledouris’ majestic score deserve equal mention. On Deadly Ground didn’t exactly set the box office on fire, grossing $78.1 million worldwide on a $50 million budget.
DONNIE YEN – LEGEND OF THE WOLF A.K.A THE NEW BIG BOSS (1997)
Before Donnie Yen gained wider international recognition in the Ip Man film franchise, Rogue One, and John Wick: Chapter 4, the martial arts star had already established himself in Hong Kong action cinema. He famously appeared in Tiger Cage and Tiger Cage 2 in the early ‘90s before he earned a Best Supporting Actor nomination at the Hong Kong Film Awards for his corrupted high-ranking officer role in Once Upon a Time in China II.
Yen made his directorial debut in Legend of the Wolf, a low-budget action movie that follows Fung Man Hin, once a fearsome assassin who has since retired, until a young man (Edmond Leung) comes to him one night, leading the former to tell him a story. Told largely in flashbacks, the movie details how the young Fung wanders around a village and meets Wai (Dayo Wong), one of the residents who shows him the way to the temple. Apparently, it has something to do with meeting a woman (Carman Lee), but he vaguely remembers her, even though they used to be together as a couple.
Yen, who also co-wrote the screenplay, highlights how a murky past would return to haunt a person before everything slowly crumbles apart. This is especially true with the vengeful gang leader, played by Ben Lam, who arrives with a group of bandits determined to kill Fung and everyone he knows.
Unlike the grounded martial arts style seen in the two Tiger Cage movies or the wire-fu choreography in Once Upon a Time in China II, Yen’s action direction is more stylized as if the fight scenes come to life from the pages of a manhua comic. A flurry of fists and lightning-quick kicks is deliberately cranked up to capture the fast, almost-mythical style of Fung’s martial arts skill, focusing mainly on visceral hand-to-hand combat. The rapid-fire editing and constant whip pans may come across as visually distracting, making the action hard to decipher at times. And yet, it’s hard to deny Yen’s bold attempt to offer something radically new from the usual clean and methodical martial arts choreography.
DOLPH LUNDGREN – THE DEFENDER (2004)
The 6’ 5” tall Swedish martial arts star, Dolph Lundgren, has been a staple in tough-guy action movies since the mid-1980s, rising to prominence from playing the formidable Ivan Drago in Rocky IV before leading in movies like Masters of the Universe, Showdown in Little Tokyo, and co-starring alongside Van Damme in Universal Soldier.
Like his fellow martial arts star, he made his directorial debut in The Defender, even though it’s more of a replacement for Sidney J. Furie after the latter got sick during pre-production. With just $6 million at his disposal, this low-budget British-German action movie takes place predominantly within the confines of a secluded hotel, focusing on Lundgren’s Lance Rockford, in charge of leading the elite security team to protect the head of the National Security Agency.
The movie also incorporates the war on terror theme, even though it’s a fundamental basis, rather than delving deep into the subject. Given the limited budget, Lundgren does what he can here, keeping the action grounded with none of the flashy moves. He would go on to direct a few more movies ever since, from The Mechanik to Command Performance and Wanted Man.
TONY JAA – ONG BAK 2 (2008)
In 2003, Tony Jaa helped boost the Thai action movies with his death-defying blend of Muay Thai martial arts and stunt work straight out of a Jackie Chan-style choreography in Ong-Bak. That movie, which was released in 2003, instantly put him into stardom as the major martial arts star to look for.
Just five years after his groundbreaking Ong-Bak, Jaa made his directorial debut – despite sharing the co-directing credit with Panna Rittikrai — in Ong Bak 2, which serves as a standalone prequel set in the 15th-century Siam rather than the first movie’s contemporary era.
Unlike the first movie’s action-comedy vibe, Ong Bak 2 is significantly somber in its tone and style, complete with grainy visual aesthetics and symbolic storytelling that revolves around karma and destiny. The story follows Tien (Jaa), a warrior seeking vengeance against the tyrannical Lord Rajasena (Sarunyoo Wongkrachang), who is responsible for massacring the former’s parents.
The second Ong Bak movie may have been glum, but that doesn’t stop Jaa from showcasing some of his best martial arts moves. The fight scenes are intricately put together, notably the final third act against the enemy soldiers, before it ends with a cliffhanger to make way for Ong-Bak 3 two years later. Ong Bak 2 is notoriously plagued by troubled production, namely creative differences and budget issues, to the point that it caused months of delay after Jaa reportedly stepped away due to extreme stress and exhaustion. Despite the internal behind-the-scenes problem, Ong Bak 2 still managed to do fairly well in Thailand box office.
IKO UWAIS – TIMUR (2025)
Indonesian martial arts actor Iko Uwais, whose expertise in the art of pencak silat first garnered attention in Merantau in 2009 under the direction of Welsh filmmaker Gareth Evans. But it was The Raid duology that catapulted Uwais to stardom, and from there, he has since appeared in both local and international action movies. For the latter, he ventured into Hollywood, appearing in movies like Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Mile 22, and Expend4bles.
Then, in 2025, Uwais took the next step by not only starring but also making his directorial debut in Timur under his eponymous production label, Uwais Pictures, as the company’s first project. Inspired by the 1996 real-life Mapenduma hostage crisis, Timur in question refers to the elite soldier (Iko Uwais), who leads his team into the jungle on a rescue mission to save the researchers being held hostage by a group of terrorists.
Best described as The Raid in the jungle, Uwais’ direction reflects some of Gareth Evans’ filmmaking styles by highlighting the no-holds-barred, gritty action set pieces, while not shying away from graphic violence. Like The Raid movies, the action from the hand-to-hand combat to gunfights is framed in the same shaky camerawork to evoke a visceral sense of you-are-there visual urgency. While the propulsive camera style works well in The Raid duology, the action here can be indecipherable at times, with occasional dim lighting that tends to make it hard to see what’s really going on.
The movie’s attempt to incorporate emotional and dramatic weight through the added brotherhood angle, complete with recurring flashbacks of Timur’s childhood, doesn’t quite land as effectively as it wants to be. First released in Indonesia last December, before rolling out in selected Asian theatrical markets in early January, and on VOD internationally since April 7.
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