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If you love movies, then there is a certain action sub-genre that is immensely beloved, and if you read the title, you already know we are talking about martial arts films. The joy of watching a well-choreographed and well-acted martial arts hand-to-hand action sequence is immeasurable for any action fan, and that’s why we decided to compile a list of the best martial arts movies you can watch on Netflix right now, because this way, at least your Netflix subscription will come in some use.

Blood and Bone Credit – Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Blood and Bone is a martial arts film directed by Ben Ramsey from a screenplay by Michael Andrews. The 2009 film follows Isaiah Bone, a former convict and ex-marine, as he moves to Los Angeles and begins fighting in street fights, but things go wrong...

It’s not uncommon for even some of the most beloved movies to undergo extensive rewrites. Hey, Good Will Hunting was initially a thriller about a math genius working for the Nsa, and no, that’s not a joke. Sometimes, though, a movie gets exponentially worse with each rewrite, starting with a brilliant script and getting whittled down to box-office toothpicks.

5 Dragonball Evolution

If you want to see a Dragon Ball Z fan get mad, steal their lunch money, but you could also try mentioning the 2009 movie, which was both disowned by fans as barely resembling the series and lambasted by critics. Both lamented the movie that could have been, however, after the original script surfaced on the internet. It stuck much more closely to the original manga’s storyline, but it was deemed too expensive by the studio, who forced screenwriter Ben Ramsey into no fewer than five rewrites.

The Dragon Ball franchise, created by Akira Toriyama might be one of the greatest anime franchises in history and there is no doubt of that. The series was a pillar that helped the anime industry become a global success, and even after so long it continues to inspire fans and other creators with its enticing storyline and brilliantly written characters.

The Dragon Ball Franchise | Credit: Toei Animation

While almost every project by the franchise has been a worldwide success, there is one that the Dragon Ball community refuses to acknowledge as one of their own. This project was none other than the 2009 live-action adaptation of the Dragon Ball story, called Dragonball Evolution by 20th Century Studios which was an incredible failure.

Almost every aspect of the movie was rejected by the Dragon Ball fans and even the former editor of the Dragon Ball manga, Kazuhiko Torishima hated everything about it.

Quick LinksMark Wahlberg Leads a Team of Assassins in 'The Big Hit''The Big Hit' Mixes Action and Comedy'The Big Hit' Came a Little Too Late

A lot can be learned through Roger Ebert’s reviews. Some even consider his four-star system to be a cinematic bible of sorts. That could very well be the truth, considering the man is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize award and has examined over 10,000 films in his professional career, whether they were downright abysmal or perfect. While he tried his best to stray away from “terrible” movies, there were plenty more out there that he let float just above the waters of the theatrical abyss with a score of one.

You would never possibly imagine then that just after Mark Wahlberg’s perfectly scored Boogie Nights from 1997, the same actor would turn around the following year and be in a film...

Quick LinksDragonball: Evolution Is Considered To Be One of the Worst Anime Adaptations and Worst Movies Of All TimeWhat Was Akira Toriyama's Reaction to Dragonball: Evolution?Dragonball Evolution Inspired Akira Toriyama To Return to the Anime

For many Westerners, Dragon Ball was the very first introduction to all the wonder that anime had to offer. It's a franchise that remains incredibly popular and dear to people's hearts, and the impact it's had on pop culture is undeniable. Because of this, in the mid-2000s, it was only a matter of time before Hollywood came knocking at the door to produce a live-action film. The first and so far only attempt to bring the Dragon Ball franchise to the realm of live-action, Dragonball Evolution, has not only garnered a reputation as one of the worst anime adaptations ever made but as one of the worst films ever made in general.

Michael Jai White might be one of the most underrated action stars in the game, which is a shame considering his resume. Not only did White craft a modern-day cult classic in Black Dynamite, but he also is the first African American actor to headline a superhero movie in Spawn. White's best known for putting his martial arts skills to use in a majority of his projects, which is only eclipsed by his steely glare and often stoic presence. But the film where he really made an impression is 2009's Blood and Bone, directed by Ben Ramsey. Blood and Bone is unique in that it has a surprisingly deep story for an action movie not to mention the fact that it kickstarted the careers of several action movie directors. It also features what might be White's best performance to date.

"Dragonball Evolution" failed before it even began by getting the name of the series wrong. The film's creators didn't take the original anime seriously, leading to serious misinterpretations. The spelling error in the title hinted at the larger issues with the movie's disrespectful adaptation.

The live-action Dragon Ball movie Dragonball Evolution could not even get a simple thing right about the original anime. Attempting to riff on the worldwide success and everlasting popularity of the original Dragon Ball anime franchise, Dragonball Evolution premiered in 2009 with a budget of $30 million. However, the film was heavily panned by viewers and critics for its whitewashing and inability to recreate its source material's essence.

The film was so terribly received that its screenwriter, Ben Ramsey, even apologized for not approaching the film as a fan of the original franchise. Although many anime live-action adaptations have premiered since Dragonball Evolution, it is still considered one...

The Dragon Ball franchise has amassed a large fanbase over the years and Hollywood had its eye on adapting the popular franchise in live-action. There were a lot of expectations and with the negative track record of manga adaptations on the big screen, it was a big responsibility that 20th Century Fox and director James Wong took with the film.

Super Saiyan 3 Goku battles Majin Buu in Dragon Ball Z

Unfortunately, Dragonball Evolution was widely panned when it was released, with fans finding nothing redeeming about the project. Years later, the film’s writer Ben Ramsey apologized to fans for letting them down and acknowledged that he went onto the project for financial reasons and not as a fan of the franchise.

Ben Ramsey Apologizes to Dragon Ball Fans for Dragonball Evolution

Justin Chatwin & Emmy Rossum in Dragonball Evolution

Dragonball Evolution looked like a promising adaptation of the beloved Dragon Ball manga series.

Justin Chatwin felt compelled to apologize for his role in Dragonball Evolution after Akira Toriyama's passing. Toriyama's dislike for the live-action movie inspired him to create Dragon Ball Super in response to the adaptation. Screenwriter Ben Ramsey previously expressed his heartfelt apologies for Dragonball Evolution, taking full responsibility for the disappointment expressed by fans.

The death of Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama has instigated an apology from the star of Dragonball Evolution, the 2009 live-action movie often labeled as one of the worst movies of all time. While paying tribute to Toriyama, Justin Chatwin felt it necessary to add a small note apologizing for making such a terrible movie.

Dragonball Evolution PGActionAdventureFantasy Sci-FiThriller Release DateMarch 12, 2009DirectorJames WongCastJustin Chatwin, Chow Yun-Fat, Emmy Rossum, Jamie Chung, James Marsters, Joon ParkRuntime84WritersBen Ramsey, Akira ToriyamaTaglineThe legend comes to life.

In the last year, live-action adaptations of popular anime franchises have really hit their stride,...

Seven years after Dragonball Evolution was released in theaters, screenwriter Ben Ramsey wrote a sincere apology for how terrible the film was. Dragonball definitely deserved a better film. So why are fans just now getting an apology? Well, Dragonball fan and writer Derek Padula reached out to Ramsey to conduct an interview with him for a book he’s writing.

Padula ended up receiving an apology addressed to all the fans everywhere, and Padula published it on his website. Here is the apology:

I knew that it would eventually come down to this one day. Dragonball Evolution marked a very painful creative point in my life. To have something with my name on it as the writer be so globally reviled is gut wrenching. To receive hate mail from all over the world is heartbreaking. I spent so many years trying to deflect the blame, but at the end of...

While adaptations of comic books and other popular brands most often drum up big business at the box office, that isn't always the case. One of the most infamous flops over the past few years was 20th Century Fox's Dragonball Evolution, which earned just $9.3 million domestically and $57.4 million worldwide back in 2009, while posting a horrid 14% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Just over seven years after the movie hit theaters, the movie's screenwriter, Ben Ramsey is apologizing for such a bad attempt at making something worthwhile.

The screenwriter was contacted by Derek Padula, who runs the fan blog The Dao of Dragonball. Derek Padula had initially called the screenwriter to interview him for a book he's writing entitled USA Dbz, which will have a chapter devoted to telling the untold story of Dragonball Evolution. Ben Ramsey responded with a heartfelt apology to Dragonball Z fans everywhere, which you can check out below.

The Dragon Ball franchise has enjoyed a lot of success in manga, television, video games and animated movies for over three decades, but in 2009, it was officially brought to live action on the big screen for Dragonball Evolution. Unfortunately for fans who enjoy the adventures of Goku and his large supporting cast, the movie bombed both critically and commercially, and ranks at a measly 14% on Rotten Tomatoes. Seven years after its release, Dragonball Evolution writer Ben Ramsey is now apologizing for how the movie turned out. Using Dragon Ball super-fan Derek Padula’s website The Dao of Dragon Ball as a platform, Ramsey expressed how sorry he was to fans that his Dragonball Evolution script was such a dud, saying it “marked a very painful creative point” in his life. After years of deflecting the blame, he’s taking responsibility for how disappointing it was, admitting ...

Film adaptations of video games are notorious for being average at best, and appalling at worst with one of the latter said to be 2009's "Dragonball Evolution."

Ben Ramsey penned the script for that film and when one fan named Derek Padula got in contact with him recently in the hopes of interviewing him for a book he's writing, Ramsey sent back an apology addressed to all the fans, everywhere, which Padula has now published on his website. Here's the letter:

"I knew that it would eventually come down to this one day. Dragonball Evolution marked a very painful creative point in my life. To have something with my name on it as the writer be so globally reviled is gut wrenching. To receive hate mail from all over the world is heartbreaking.

I spent so many years trying to deflect the blame, but at the end of the day...

John Kreng is one of the most hard working actors/stuntman/fight and stunt corrdinators working in the industry today. Through his time working in the movie industry, John has worked with some of the very best which includes Jet Li, Yuen Wah, Tsui Hark, David Carradine, Steven Spielburg and many more outstanding talents.

John Kreng is also the author of the in depth book on screen fighting called Fight Choreography: The Art Of Non Verbal Dialogue, he was a cast member of The Jade Trader which went on to win the most outstanding cast performance award at the 10th Action on film, International film festival. John, also has years of Martial Arts experience behind him, dedicating his time learning many different styles and been taught by some of the very best masters from around the world (Which he will speak about in this interview).

John also worked on the...

November 8th marked the kickoff of the Urban Action Showcase weekend in New York City. It was presented by Mr. Demetrius Angelo of Asc Productions. The event was to be a celebration of action and martial arts film for all people of color, as well as a celebration of diversity in film-making, and it delivered. The main exhibition was hosted at the New York Hilton and peripheral events were at the HBO building, and AMC’s Times Square Theater.

In attendance were some of the best in the business. Most notably Michael Jai White, of “Spawn”, new wave cult classic “Black Dynamite”, and “Blood And Bone” along with Kelly Hu, the two currently star on the WB’s “Arrow” as Bronze Tiger and China White respectively. Ms. Hu is also well known for her role as Lady Deathstrike in X2. Also in attendance were Fred “The Hammer” Williamson and “The Black Dragon” Ron Van Cleef,...

While Marvel Studios are hard at work in adapting Thor, Captain America, and an eventual Avengers flick, there are several heroes, who though have been in production for years, have yet to make it to the big-screen. With Ant-Man, Black Panther, and Doctor Strange among others, I'm most anticipating Power Man, better known as Luke Cage. With Shaft director John Singleton attached since 2004, and Transformers' Tyrese Gibson signed on in '05, screenwriter Ben Ramsey has been involved since 2003. And in a recent interview with Scott's Section, Ramsey offers any current involvement. You're listed as one of the writers of the upcoming Luke Cage movie. Can you tell us a bit about that, or is that still under wraps at this point? "I can't tell you much about it, because I don't know anything about it (laughs). I wrote that thing over six years ago. It heated up for a minute.

So… instead of constantly anticipating the next studio produced and/or distributed “black film” to open at a theatre near you (and often being disappointed), why not start sifting through the myriad of straight-to-dvd “black film” releases, with the chance that you might find a few gems here and there (or just fairly decent films) that may have gone unnoticed, for one reason or another.

The phrase “straight-to-dvd” is akin to the scarlet letter for any film that wears it, and that’s unfair. I think we can all agree that not every film rejected for theatrical distribution is unworthy. Likewise, certainly not every film released in theatres deserves the luxury.

There are a wealth of films by and about black people produced and distributed annually, and the vast majority never see a single theatre screen (except maybe at film festivals). So, why not look there, the DVD market, for content,...

Michael Jai White’s had himself a pretty funky movie career. He started out pretty well in “Spawn”, but seems to have gone into the direct-to-video route in recent years, with roles in “Undisputed 2″ and “Universal Solder: The Return”. His latest is “Blood and Bone”, and from the looks of the trailer, it looks like a bone-crunching action movie and ol Michael Jai White seems to have boned up (no pun intended) on his moves. This thing looks good despite its Dtv pedigree, which is your usual “underground fighting” movie cliche. Produced by Nick SImunek, Matthew Binns and Michael Mailer, directed by Ben Ramsey, and Starring Michael Jai White, Blood & Bone is the story of a mysterious drifter named Isaiah Bone who falls into a mob controlled street fighting ring in the back alleys of Los Angeles. A post-modern Samurai movie, it blends the dangerous world of gangster controlled underground Mixed Martial Arts fighting,...

I got an email last night about a trailer starring Michael Jai White and Kimbo Slice, and immediately had to check this out. Those 2 dudes in the same movie had to of created some type of ripple effect in the time continuum. You can check out the Small role of Kimbo Slice, and the ultra ass kicking that Michael Jai White is handing out in this trailer! Lets also mention that it features a role from Dante Basco, aka Rufio!

Here is the synopsis for your reading pleasure:

Ex-con Isaiah Bone (Michael Jai White, Spawn & Black Dynamite) is the new force in La’s underground street fighting scene.  When he takes down the reigning champ, the local mob boss wants to enter Bone in a series of high-stakes international matches.   Bone’s refusal sets off an explosive showdown between two powerful enemies with everything at stake.

Blood and Bone is...

Dragonball Evolution Directed by: James Wong Written by: Ben Ramsey Starring: Justin Chatwin, Chow Yun-Fat, Emmy Rossum, Jamie Chung, James Marsters, Randall Duk Kim, Joon Park, Ernie Hudson Asian culture has had a massive influence on North America over the past decade and a half, to the point where nearly every popular children's animated series is now either being imported from Japan or created in the same art style, virtually every horror movie is required to have creepy children in it, and the majority of action movies made since The Matrix has tried to emulate the same slick martial arts choreography. Now the latest trend in Hollywood has producers trying to repackage some of the biggest Japanese animated series as live action films, and it seems only appropriate that Dragonball is one of the first to find its way to the big screen. Based on the manga by Akira Toriyama,...

Seen on: April 11, 2009

The players: Director: James Wong, Writer: Ben Ramsey, Cast: Justin Chatwin, Joon Park, James Marsters, Emmy Rossum

Facts of interest: Wong also directed "The One" and "Final Destination."

The plot: Goku must find the seven magical dragonballs before the ruthless villain Piccolo calls forth a badass demon who will destroy the world.

Our quick thoughts: James Wong’s “Dragonball Evolution” is certainly not the worst film I’ve seen so far this year, but it’s still a bad one. A very bad one, actually. I don’t really know much about the “Dragonball” franchise and I’ve never read the series or played any of the video games, but I like to think it doesn’t take an expert to realize this movie is pretty much a crappy big-screen adaptation.

Chicago – This 16-image slideshow contains the press images for Twentieth Century Fox’s “Dragonball Evolution,” starring Justin Chatwin, Emmy Rossum, Jamie Chung, James Marsters, and Chow Yun-Fat. Written by Ben Ramsey and directed by James Wong, the film opens on Wednesday, April 8th, 2009.

Synopsis: “Dragonball: Evolution” is the long-awaited, live-action motion picture based on the popular Japanese manga created by Akira Toriyama. Toriyama’s work spawned best selling graphic novels, videogames and a phenomenally successful television series.

The manga, series and games bring to the new film a rich mythology and exciting, complex characters - all of which have captivated millions of fans, of all ages, around the globe. One of the greatest manga franchises ever created, Dragonball has an enormous online fan base and is consistently one of the most frequently searched-for terms on Google and Yahoo!

Dragonball has exploded into a global phenomenon that has generated more than...

Flying SUVs, huge dragons, American actors - what more could you ask for in a Dragonball movie?! Oh right, how about a good story and good effects! Although we just posted a French trailer two days ago, another new Us trailer for Dragonball Evolution has arrived this morning. I've been emailed by numerous Dragonball fans who have been telling me that I need to run the new Japanese trailer that showed up online yesterday because it finally clears any doubts they had. Well, this is the full version of that Japanese trailer, and it's in English, so check it out. And let us know if you still have any doubts? Watch the new Us trailer for Dragonball Evolution: [flv:http://media2.firstshowing.net/firstshowing/dragonball-evolution-Feb5-low.flv http://media2.firstshowing.net/firstshowing/dragonball-evolution-Feb5-low.jpg 480 260] Dragonball Evolution is directed by James Wong, of Final Destination, Jet Li's The One, and Final Destination 3 previously, with a script written by Ben Ramsey, of The Big Hit and...

One movie we haven't really heard from in a while is Dragonball Evolution, probably for good reason. But then again, the more I see of this, the more I wonder if I'm wrong in thinking that it looks so bad, and curious whether it indeed might just be a fun movie. Maybe it'll turn out better for people who aren't big fans of the original anime? Either way, today we've got a new French trailer for Dragonball Evolution courtesy of ComingSoon that shows a few new scenes and overall is just flashier than anything before. This trailer alone doesn't exactly push me in one way or another, but it is just cool to watch. Enjoy! Watch the French trailer for Dragonball Evolution: [flv:http://media2.firstshowing.net/firstshowing/dragonball-french-trailer.flv http://media2.firstshowing.net/firstshowing/dragonball-french-trailer.jpg 420 236] Dragonball Evolution is directed by James Wong, of Final Destination, Jet Li's The One, and Final Destination 3 previously, with a script written by Ben Ramsey, of...

I'm almost reluctant to run this full teaser trailer for Dragonball today. It's like adding insult to injury with enough of a negative backlash already coming from the shorter leaked version of this teaser. It's still not officially out, but the guys over at dbthemovie.com got their hands on an early copy of the Dragonball teaser which can be seen in all of its glory (with audio) below. Although, it's not really a glorious trailer by any means, it's more of a shameful mess that will piss off every last Dragonball fan. I guess that's what you get when you throw the guy who directed the Final Destination movies on something like this. Watch the full teaser trailer for Dragonball: [flv:http://media2.firstshowing.net/firstshowing/dragonball-full-leak.flv http://media2.firstshowing.net/firstshowing/dragonball-full-leak.jpg 480 202] Dragonball is directed by James Wong, of Final Destination, Jet Li's The One, and Final Destination 3 previously, with a script written by Ben Ramsey, of The Big Hit...

A goof on those testosterone-charged, Hong Kong-style action pictures, "The Big Hit" nails the intended comic-book tone with a direct hit to the funny bone.

Executive produced by John Woo and directed by Che-Kirk Wong ("Crime Story") from a gonzo screenplay by Ben Ramsey, the shoot-'em-up boasts character-driven, kicky performances from a game cast headed by Mark Wahlberg and Lou Diamond Phillips.

With female-driven date movies crowding the boxoffice, there's ample opportunity for "The Big Hit" to become at least a moderate hit for TriStar.

Carrying over a little of that "Boogie Nights" gee-whiz innocence, Wahlberg is Mel, a nice-guy hit man who just wants to be loved. When not joining forces with fellow assassins Cisco (Phillips), Crunch (Bokeem Woodbine) and Vince (Antonio Sabato Jr.) or tidily disposing of fresh hits in the bathtub of his suburban home with a little help from his trusty saw, Maalox-chugging Mel attempts to juggle his messy love life.

Unable to choose between his demanding mistress Chantel (Lela Rochon) and his demanding, Jewish-American princess fiancee Pam (Christina Applegate) -- even though both seem to be more enamored of his earnings -- Mel struggles to remain in their good graces.

But things reach a crisis when greasy Cisco fingers Mel for his own botched kidnap job just as Mel is trying to impress his potential in-laws (Elliott Gould, Lainie Kazan) by cooking a kosher meal.

While Ramsey's script isn't overly concerned with plot points, he creates vivid characters that give the cast stuff to bite into, while Wong, in his first English-language outing, keeps up the runaway-train momentum.

Wahlberg delivers a pitch-perfect, comically straight performance, while Phillips is certifiably out there as his pumped-up, duplicitous mentor. Good, too, is Woodbine as the in-touch-with-himself Crunch.

Production values for this budget-conscious Toronto shoot are scrappy. The blue-screen effects are a little shaky, but with Taavo Soodor's lively production design, Margaret M. Mohr's playful costumes and Danny Nowak's hyper camerawork, they prove to be a minor distraction.

THE BIG HIT

Sony Pictures

TriStar Pictures

An Amen Ra Films/Zide-Perry/

Lion Rock production

Director: Che-Kirk Wong

Screenwriter: Ben Ramsey

Producers: Warren Zide, Wesley Snipes

Executive producers: John Woo,

Terence Chang, John M. Eckert

Director of photography: Danny Nowak

Production designer: Taavo Soodor

Editors: Robin Russell, Pietro Scalia

Costume designer: Margaret M. Mohr

Music: Graeme Revell

Music supervisor: Pilar McCurry

Casting: Roger Mussenden

Color/stereo

Cast:

Mel: Mark Wahlberg

Cisco: Lou Diamond Phillips

Pam: Christina Applegate

Paris: Avery Brooks

Crunch: Bokeem Woodbine

Vince: Antonio Sabato Jr.

Jeanne: Lainie Kazan

Mort: Elliott Gould

Jiro Nishi: Sab Shimono

Chantel: Lela Rochon

Running time -- 93 minutes

MPAA rating: R...