Best Taiwanese adventure movies

Seven Knights (1982)

DAN DA DAN: First Encounter (2024)

High schoolers Momo and Okarun, who debate about ghosts and aliens, investigate paranormal sites, encountering supernatural forces while awaking hidden powers to face the unknown. Theatrical event featuring the first three episodes of DAN DA DAN, and an exclusive interview with Yukinobu Tatsu and Shihei Lin, the author and editor of the original manga, Fuga Yamashiro (Director), and Shion Wakayama (voice of Momo) and Natsuki Hanae (voice of Okarun).

The Butterfly Lovers (2003)

An animated re-telling of the classical Chinese story of two lovers, Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai. Zhu Yingtai was a girl born into an upper-class family during China's Eastern Jin Dynasty. Since women were not allowed to attend school, she begged her family to let her go, and they consented as long as she pretended to be a young man. There she met a handsome young upper-class man named Liang Shanbo. They instantly became friends and vowed to be sworn brothers forever. Yingtai hid her real identity from "Brother Liang" through the three years they studied together at Hangzhou. Her love for him grew to consume her, and she thought of nothing else but spending all of her days with Brother Liang.

Out of Sight (2010)

The main character of little girl in the story confronts a robbery and strays from the road she is familiar with. After passing a hedge, she enters an unknown world and unfolds a magical adventure depending on senses other than vision and her imagination. With soft and cute colors as the main key, we used simple designs to depict the little girls' imaginary world.

Till We Meet Again (2021)

Ah Lun, who has a choice to make in the underworld, decides to be a god of love in Chinese mythology. As he advances with his tasks on Earth, his biggest challenge is to tie a red string with the woman he loves the most.

The Magnificent Chivalry (1971)

Hong Kong superstar Jimmy "One Arm Boxer" Wang Yu stars as the Bamboo blade, China's top swordsman. His services are rendered by the Imperial treasury who want him to infiltrate a powerful gang of Highwaymen and get back the stolen silver bullion. After numerous deadly encounters the gang are beaten by the bamboo sword and only the gang leader remains, however he is a lot tougher than was originally bargained for.

The Women Warriors of Kingmen (1983)

Action-war from Taiwan.

King of Snake (1984)

A research lab has developed "The Formula", a box that allows living organic material to grow hundreds of times its original size. Criminals invade the lab to steal it, but it's thrown off the side of the road. There it's found by a girl who decides it will be the perfect home for Mosler, the snake she has adopted. Mosler immediately outgrows the box, springing to the ground like a pile of novelty dog poo. Gang members see the girl and her huge snake frolicking outside and put two and two together. Mosler thwarts their first attempt to snatch her, but when they do succeed he goes on a rampage trying to find his friend

Port of Return (2009)

The heart is a battlefield where struggles between good and evil, light and darkness rage.Frostlight, a naive girl, disregards the fortuneteller's warnings, and tries too hard in keeping Westwind's heart. Her attempts catch the attention of Asura, and a war breaks out. Frostlight quickly boards a mysterious ship and departs on a perilous and fantastic journey. This strange ship carries a cast of helpless, tormented souls as it drifts through a mysterious space, unable to make port. The souls fear that Asura could strike at any moment and send them to the Asuran Realm, never to return.

A Foggy Tale (0)

Follows a young girl as she embarks on a perilous journey to earn funds to reclaim her family's remains.

Secret Agent Chungking 001 (1970)

Taiwanese spy thriller. Agent No 1, a super sleuth from Chungking, is sent to Nanjing to investigate the murder of a Japanese general, which leads to even more intrigue and skullduggery.

New Ali Baba (1988)

An evil wizard finds King Solomon's magic lantern, but Solomon's curse prevents him from taking it - only someone born the same month, same day and same hour as Solomon can take it. That someone is Ali Baba, a poor, kind-hearted lad who lives with his brother, Ali Mama (Eric Tsang). When Ali Baba sees the 40 thieves enter their hideout and learns the ritual needed for entrance, he steals some gold and jewels. The 40 find out and capture Ali Baba, but he is saved by the evil wizard and taken to retrieve the magic lantern. Ali Baba releases the genie...and you know the story. It all culminates in a chase, the wizard on a flying horse and Ali Baba on his flying carpet.

The Whirlwind Knight (1969)

Two halves of a treasure map owned by two brothers is the one thing that the Golden Dragon Gang wants to get, and they'll kill anyone who gets in their way. When the gang quickly dispenses with the two brothers in a blitz home invasion, their third brother, returning from ten years of wandering, arrives and teaches the gang a lesson they'll never forget--that is, if they survive at all! Henchman after henchman gets filleted like a brook trout as our hero literally cuts his way through a jungle of sword-wielding thugs, a trio of fancy-weapon gang leaders, and a masked ninja assassin that's killing people on both sides. Who will be left alive to claim the treasure? Find out in this high body-count wuxia classic.

King of the Children (1988)

The story begins when Tiarn Tiarn is about to be born. Her father was fighting the demon who has stolen lots of children. Her mother is killed and her father has taken up the fight. Years later, trying, now an adolescent, Tiarn Tiarn and her grandfather battle the demon and try to free her still, demon-possessed father.

B.T.S. (Better Than Sex) (2002)

A web of connected stories on crime, sex, and love in Taiwan, including a 17 y.o. boy with a porn obsession, three hoodlums, and a self-righteous police officer.

Chase Step By Step (1974)

Two circus performers are tasked with escorting relief in the form of gold bullion to a region hit by drought. On the way they are beset by countless bandits.

The Knight of the Dazzling Scimitar (1981)

A mysterious masked venom clan wreak havoc in the martial world as feuds erupt over a the coveted dazzling scimitar. Superb Taiwan swordplay action Venoms style.

Chu Liu Hsiang and Hu Tieh Hua (1980)

1980 Taiwanese action packed Wuxia film directed by Lin Ying; written, produced and co-directed by Gu Long. The title characters are based on Gu Long's Chu Liu Xiang novel series set during the Sung dynasty.

No One Can Touch Her (1979)

A blind martial arts practitioner is out to find her father's killers and hopefully regain her sight in this chop-and-kick-filled combat film.

The Devilish Killer (1971)

The Devilish Killer is the most dangerous fighter that ever lived...After defeating all of China’s martial art factions in a grand battle, he decides that his victory cannot be complete unless he possesses the two Thunderbolt Swords. The leader of the Thunderbolt Sword clan sends his two sons into hiding knowing that sooner or later the Devilish Killer will come for them and destroy his clan. After the two sons leave, taking the Thunderbolt Sword with them, fate leads them to meet a young swordswoman who owns the other Thunderbolt Sword and together they unite their swords and train for the ultimate showdown with the Devilish Killer.

The Eight Immortals (1969)

Fantasy adventure depicting the famous Eight Immortals of Taoist mythology.

Lethal Extortion (1993)

When a group of Russian Models are kidnapped, it causes a disturbance all across China involving the police, the mafia and gangs alike.

Big Land Flying Eagles (1978)

Big Land, Flying Eagles is a spaghetti western-sequel desert intrigue film set on the Mongolian-Chinese border. Xiao Fung, a notable swordsman, has killed the son of a local warlord, Lee San, and the 3,000,000 tael that Lee’s son was transporting, now seems to have gone missing. Xiao Fung is now marked for death by Lee San, but finds protection from “Killer Eagle” another swordsman of great repute, and a band of nomadic Mongolian traders. Nevertheless, Lee sends killers of unusual backgrounds, including Buddhist monks, to hunt Xiao Fung down, while Xiao Fung seems curiously preoccupied with a woman who’s embroiled in unstated conflicts with practically everybody.

Iron Man (1973)

During the Japanese occupation, Little Tiger, an honest cook in Shanghai, takes exception of two Chinese that pass from insult to sexual harassment against a beautiful and modest girl servant. During the fight, the pair of molesters receive help from a number of colleagues from the same martial arts school - who are in support of the Japanese - while Little Tiger is helped by young men from his own school. A major fight develops, and the cook accidentally kills one of the thugs. The Police comes to arrest Little Tiger and to close down his school, but they resist and the cook escapes. Little Tiger is now a fugitive, living in disguise. When a duel between the two rival schools is arranged in an open-air site, Little Tiger is watching disguised as an old man, but he can't resist. He takes off his false beard, declares his name, and demands to join in the competition - beating up all competitors.

The Fists of Vengeance (1974)

Chinese mine workers are being cruelly suppressed by the Japanese, and a Chinese officer is sent to the scene. In an effort to hide the evil truth, the East Asia society decides to hire a samurai to kill the diligent young Chinese investigator.

Wandering of Three Brother and Sisters (1962)

YU Pi-hsia, mother of three children asks for a favor from CHANG Nieh-tien to save her husband in jail. When YU’s husband is killed, she is forced to marry CHANG. The three children are raised by their uncle, who treats them as his own. Their aunt, however, treats them like slaves. When the uncle discovers she is having an affair, he kills his wife and her lover. Before turning himself in, he reveals to the three children their true identities and tells them to find Da Fu Temple and learn kung fu. The three children begin a journey of revenge and rescue.

The Knife of Devil's Roaring and Soul Missing (1976)

The movie is structured much like a murder mystery, albeit one that gives the viewer a fight scene every couple of minutes. There’s a murderer who goes by the moniker Devil Swordsman gallivanting around the countryside in an outfit that looks like a ninja cloak by way of a KKK robe who’s killing all of the major kung fu masters and clan leaders with a single swipe to the face. One of his first victims is the head of the White Dragon tribe, whose son, Shan, is played by Dorian Tan Tao-Liang. Shan naturally assumes the role of detective in order to avenge his father, since that’s what people do in these movies.

36 Super Kids (1982)

Young students of martial arts must prove themselves worthy to their overbearing Master.

Iron Mistress (1969)

Set during the Jin invasion of China in the Southern Song Dynasty, Iron Mistress tell the story of the eponymous heroine who rises up in this turbulent time to lead a rebellion against their tyrannical enemy with her upstanding character and masterful kung fu. Under the constant pursuit of Jin general SAN Ke-Ning, Iron Mistress hides out in the depths of the mountains with her subordinates, never imagining that the Jin would take advantage of her kind-heartedness by manipulating her emotions and creating distrust as part of a scheme to crack her inner circle. (From TFIA)

Heavenly Legend (1997)

Based loosely on the Monkey King legend, but set before he was sent to languish under a mountain for 500 years. The movie mainly focuses on two kids, a young Piggie (played by a fat kid with quite good makeup and a deadly fart weapon) and a young martial art master whose identity I didn't quite recognise. They get caught up in the affairs of The Dragon Princess Of The West Sea who rebels against her father by refusing to marry the Dragon Prince of The East Sea (or something like that!), and along with the Monkey King they have to fight various "fairies" (immortals) to ensure that justice is done.