'WHEN YUEN WOO-PING CHOREOGRAPHED JACKIE CHAN'S BRAWLS' DOUBLE FEATURE! 138.- TWIN DRAGONS (HONG KONG/USA, 1992/1999, AMAZON PRIME). Also streaming on TUBI, PLEX, ROKU CHANNEL.
Two legendary Hong Kong action directors, Ringo Lam ("City on Fire") and Tsui Hark ("Once Upon a Time in China"), worked together in this action comedy in which Jackie Chan plays the dual roles of twin brothers separated at birth. Now grown men unaware of each other's existence (except when the script finds it convenient to have one twin feel what the other one is doing), the one in HK, Boomer, is a formidable fighter who's deep in debt with the criminal underground alongside friend Tyson (Teddy Robin, annoying as f*ck). The one who grew up in America, John Ma, is a musical composer and piano prodigy with no fighting skills whatsoever. Wackiness ensues when John Ma visits HK for an important concert, intersecting with Boomer at a hotel where both brothers mix it up with each other's lady friends (Maggie Cheung and Nina Li Chi) before accidentally being forced into assignments (driving a getaway car to free an imprisoned crime boss for Ma, conducting an orchestra for Boomer) neither brother is equipped for. Comedic action doesn't get any nuttier (aka cool as hell) than dozens of police/mob cars crashing/exploding near a dock while Ma listens on the radio as Boomer waves around Ma's conductor baton to create musical magic like a Looney Tunes-trained maestro. 😎😋
Special effects when both Jackie Chans are on-screen simultaneously look a little ropey (expected for a low-budget Asian film in the early 90's), but the acting/comedy hijinks are handled by the dual directors like pros. There are only a handful of actual brawls (one inside a Mitsubishi vehicle testing facility) where Yue Woo-ping's fight choreography, along with the star's willingness to put his neck on the line, delivers the action goods. It also gives Jackie a chance to showcase his comedic timing by playing Ma as a coward with no fighting skills, which makes it easier to tell when Boomer delivers the ass-kicking. Now, if there was a way to remove Tyson from "Twin Dragons" entirely... 🤔😓3.85 EXPLODING BARRELS BURNING BAD GUYS' CLOTHES (out of five).
139.- THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM (USA/CHINA, 2008, SYFY CHANNEL). Also streaming on PLEX, FAWESOME, HOWDY, TUBI.
Jackie Chan and Jet Li (their names arranged in such a way both are THE leading man) headline this $55 million USA/Chinese martial arts fantasy epic (from the director of the animated "Lion King") that was clearly influenced by 2000's "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" (one of many masterpieces whose fighting was also choreographed by Yuen Woo-ping). An American teenage kung fu movie fanatic (Michael Angarano, "Sky High") is transported back to ancient Chinese times carrying a magical staff that will awaken the Monkey King from a centuries-old curse keeping him locked in stone. Though he knows his martial arts movies, young Jason isn't skilled or good at fighting... so a group of warriors trying to fulfill the staff's destiny help train him for the dangerous mission ahead. Though Chan and Li are in a bulk of the narrative and star in its most memorable action set-piece (a fighting duel between the two action megastars that is more for show than important to the plot), this is Jason's story and he's too much of a dopey cipher for audiences (foreign or American) to relate to. Yifei Liu (as Golden Sparrow) and Li Bingbing (as White-Haired Witch) add some much-needed female presence, though the story doesn't do either of them any favors. 🫤'It's fine,' but even when it's at its best (Jackie's drunken teacher reacting to a life-giving potion) you can feel this is punching below everybody's (in front and behind the camera) much higher standards. 3.15 CHINATOWN MOM & POP STORES WITH BOOTLEG SHAW BROS. MOVIE DVD'S IN CANTONESE WITHOUT SUBTITLES (out of five).
BONUS: 30 DAYS OF PINK PANTHER & FRIENDS, DAY 25! 140.- PINK PANTHER AND SONS: SPINNING WHEELS, PINKY AT THE BAT (9/8/1984, YOUTUBE)
The last original 'Pink Panther' cartoon of the 1980's, courtesy of the Hanna-Barbera cartoon assembly-line (with Friz Freleng credited as 'creative producer'), "Pink Panther and Sons" passes the baton to the Panther's two offspring (pre-teen Pinky and toddler Panky, whose diaper is constantly dragging) and their 'Rainbow Panthers' crew of friends. It's basically a test-run for 1986's "The Flintstone Kids" with talking cartoon felines, or an attempt to latch onto the "Muppet Babies'" popularity.
Every 10 min. episode (two per show, plus the OG PP doing silent wrap-around 1 min. segments) the Rainbow Panthers have to defeat the gang of Howl Angels (troublemaking teen lions) led by colored-mohawk leader Finko (Frank Welker) from whatever competition they're challenged for. For 'Spinning Wheels' is winning a bike race fair and square to earn the right to a free bike and sponsorship money; the Panthers are honorable, the Angels are cheating d!cks. For 'Pinky at The Bat' it's who gets to play in the neighborhood baseball field after winning a winner-take-all match; L.A. Dodgers' coach Tommy Lasorda guest-stars as himself, coaching the Panthers at first and eventually deciding the game's final call at the plate. It's all as Saturday morning dopey as it sounds, but I've seen worse from H-B. 2.65 CONSTRUCTION SITE PHONY DETOUR SIGNS (out of five).
141.- PINK PANTHER AND SONS: ARABIAN FRIGHTS, BROTHERS ARE SPECIAL (11/25/1984, YOUTUBE)
After 13 half-hour episodes the "Pink Panther and Sons" show was cancelled by NBC, though it came back in 1986 on ABC as re-packaged repeats. The next-to-last episode (couldn't find the final one online, so these will have to do) starts with 'Arabian Frights,' in which a sleepy Panky being read the 'Arabian Nights' story by brother Pinky. The Howl Angels are the 40 thieves equivalent, complete with remote controlled 'Open Sesame' cave where the lion gang hide all the candy they steal, which drives Panky sugar crazy. In 'Brothers Are Special' Finko wants to win a talent show at all costs, even if he and pals Howl and Liona have to cheat to win the top prize. Pinky has rehearsed hard for his solo act, but that's forgotten when Panky goes missing in the carnival's most dangerous area. Looks like this was a consistent Hanna-Barbera cartoon from start to near-the-end... consistently bad-to-mediocre compared with the Panther shorts that came before it. 2.60 DEFECTIVE MAGIC CARPETS WITH ENGINE TROUBLE (out of five).
Armour of God II: Operation Condor (1991, dir. Jackie Chan)
Adventurer and treasure hunter Jackie a.k.a. "Condor" is hired by a Spanish count working for the UN to find a massive stash of gold the nazis buried somewhere in the Sahara desert in the last days of World War II. On the way, he teams up with Ada, an expert in the region, and Elsa, the granddaughter of one of the nazi officers who buried the treasure.
Expertly crafter fight scenes and stunts, unfunny comedy, and a plot that's incidental at best. It's a Jackie Chan movie is what I'm saying. Plays like a mixtape of 70% Indiana Jones, 30% Roger Moore-era James Bond.
Jackie Chan tries to do some Bond stuff. Is the spy stuff or plot interesting? Not really. But there's a couple all-time action set pieces here. Ladder fight? Climactic fight in the aquarium, including an EXTENDED underwater sequence?
Jackie really is a miracle of a physical actor, never missing an opportunity for a comedic beat even while freezing in the snow or fighting underwater.
Heroes and Villains! seems pretty wide open to interpretation. Anything from a 007 movie to Oscar winners like "Spotlight" (hero journalists bring down villainous church covering for known crimes), "Heat" (good cops versus bad robbers, but you get to know everyone as individuals) and "L.A. Confidential" (grey area of the law has hero cops and villain ones pretending to be good... or not) to WWII war movies or Indiana Jones vs. Nazis/Russians fairytales. World's your movie oyster. 🙃🙂
PM Entertainment is a crapshoot in that you choose a movie from a studio notorious for DTV production values that was the 90's equivalent of the Cannon Group. As in most things in life, Wikipedia is your friend: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PM_Entertainment 🙂 And if l may be so bold, Day 1 of this year's Junesploitation! (90's Action!) include a couple of PM Ent. flicks l review and strongly endorse: https://www.fthismovie.com/2026/06/junesploitation-2026-day-1-90s-action.html 😎
I'm not very familiar with PM Entrtainment, so I'm scrolling through this list, and thinking "that sounds amazing", and then I scroll some more and my jaw drops. Not sure I can settle on only one.
The other day I started fiddling with Letterboxd themes and nanogenres to cross reference against my various lists. Can be handy if you use that website.
For Heroes and Villains, I started by finding an example movie (such a Mission Impossible installment) and then looked at its themes. There I saw the "Explosive and action-packed heroes vs. villains" theme, which uses the URL fragment mini-theme/action-packed-villain-hero-adrenaline-explosives... You can add that on to your watchlist or other list URL like below, and then filter further if you want:
(Editors Note: Jackie Chan is 100% one of my personal heroes. I dont use that term lightly. I was fortunate enough to discover his work in the early 90s (a smidge before the release of Rumble in the Bronx...see Patricks great repost on that one!) and quickly tried to consume as much of his portfolio as possible. His skillset in cinema is unmatched as he is prolific across departments: stunt man, stunt team lead, action choreographer, director, comedy filmmaker, above/beyond risk taker, driver of evolution of action cinema, and so so much more)
(Editors note 2: There is a newly released 4k Chan box set that ill have to wait and get as its $$ BUT it contains a 4k of my all time fav chan flick and all time fav action movie: Drunken Master II. If i had that in hand, it would be my watch today.)
Jackie Chan: My Stunts (1999)
As Chan has a HUGE list of incredible movies to choose from, i just couldnt decide what to watch for today! Therefore i defaulted to this reallllllllllllllllllllly great documentary made, in my opinion, at a perfect point in Chans career (The era of his films i love most starts in the late 70s and goes to mid 90s). This documentary does a phenomenal job showing his approach to creating stunts and action scenes. It also shows that even in the late 90s, the hong kong stunt teams STILL relied on very low tech options for dangerous stunts (ie: stacks of "apple boxes" (cardboard boxes) and flimsy mattresses are STILL used for incredibly dangerous high falls).
DRAGON FIST (1979) Jackie plays a martial arts student who seeks revenge for the death of his teacher. But not all is as it appears. They play it straight in this one. It’s an action/drama, a serious historic epic with none of Jackie’s trademark slapstick fighting. It deals with themes of penance, forgiveness, sacrifice, and so on. The good news is there are plenty of fights along the way. Rather than big stunts, it’s all lightning-fast close-quarters combat, and skillfully choreographed throughout. The internet alleges that Jackie went with some other production company for this movie, rather than his usual collaborators, and it shows. I enjoyed it just fine, but it’s a real outlier in his filmography.
30 days of fan films, day 25: SPAWN THE CURSED (2024) A troubled young man named Richard is possessed by an evil spell book, putting him in the path of both Spawn and Violator. On the plus side, the Spawn costume looks terrific, and it’s one that doesn’t translate easily to live action. On the other hand, the movie spends way too much time with this Richard guy and not enough on the McFarlane characters you came here to see. But it’s only twelve minutes long, so no complaints. You’re in, you get some Spawn, you’re out.
Believe it or not, Junesploitationers, I have never seen a Jackie Chan film (not counting several flicks in which he played a bit part or was uncredited). Chan’s blend of comedy and kung fu just didn’t strongly appeal to me.
Thus, I hesitatingly waded into today with his signature Hong Kong flick, and for the most part, POLICE STORY did not disappoint. While it was a little wacky for my tastes, much of the humor was endearing and often as physically impressive as the fighting. And oh, the fighting! The lengthy shootout and chase that kicks (literally) off the film, the achingly hard falls that had my bones actually hurting, and the incredible ending assault at the mall—incredible sh!t! If there was pane of glass in the vicinity, someone was going through it! Oh, to be a glazier in Hong Kong in 1985! I also enjoyed the end credits/outtakes, they really made me reflect on all the work that went into choreographing both the combat and the comedy.
As mentioned, the mix of action and comedy isn’t always my jam, hence my reluctance to watch Jackie Chan’s efforts. It still isn’t my jam, but I’m happy I checked this out, as it held many spectacular thrills and spills. The next time Jackie’s name gets called for the Junesploitation! category sweepstakes, I’ll be wholeheartedly ready for more!
You don't like Jackie Chan's action/comedy template? 🥵😳 Dude, you must lead a charmed existence to not need Jackie Chan in your entertainment life. He's like my "hot coffee": once you go black, you never go back.😉😁
The goofy comedy mixed with the action is very common in Hong Kong cinema. It took me several years to learn how to not let annoying comedy bits derail a viewing experience. Seems like you are on your way toward that, Zillagord.
Vintage slapstick kung fu of the highest order. Jackie (credited as "Jacky Chan") is living in seclusion with his grandfather who teaches him crazy fighting techniques. He's strictly forbidden from showing off his special brand of kung fu around other folks, though, because, unbeknownst to Jackie, his grandfather is being hunted by some bad guys. Of course that goes about as well as you expect. Jackie wrote, directed and choreographed this banger himself. Almost every scene is him fighting or training, and it's glorious. At one point he dresses up in drag like Bugs Bunny to confuse his opponent. It's a non-stop ballet of insane physical feats and fighting choreography that makes you shake your head and wonder how on earth is it possible for a human being to do all this stuff.
Not even the most god awful dubbing on Tubi could ruin this movie. Chan is half Mikhail Baryshnikov, half Charlie Chaplin, and half brick shit house. His character is a full on spoiled jackass and that almost ruins the movie. But the creativity, beauty, and sheer impressiveness of the kung fu won me over in the end.
Jackie Chan is partnered with a streetwise cop to go from New York to Hong Kong on the trail of a kidnap victim. No, it’s not a Rush Hour sequel, it’s an early attempt to get Jackie to break out in the states. It didn’t work, and that’s probably for the best.
There’s some cool action here, but nothing as inventive as Jackie’s best. It’s weird hearing Jackie curse and seeing him use guns to do most of the crime fighting, but that’s an ‘80s cop movie for you. Good stuff: an awesome chase that has him jumping from boat to boat in a busy harbor, Danny Aiello as his partner, and a handful of deeply satisfying squibs. Less good stuff: pretty much everything else. His actual US breakout hit, Rumble in the Bronx, is also not great but it’s way more fun and lets him show off his unique personality rather than try to just stuff him into the generic cop movie box like this one does.
'WHEN YUEN WOO-PING CHOREOGRAPHED JACKIE CHAN'S BRAWLS' DOUBLE FEATURE!
ReplyDelete138.- TWIN DRAGONS (HONG KONG/USA, 1992/1999, AMAZON PRIME). Also streaming on TUBI, PLEX, ROKU CHANNEL.
Two legendary Hong Kong action directors, Ringo Lam ("City on Fire") and Tsui Hark ("Once Upon a Time in China"), worked together in this action comedy in which Jackie Chan plays the dual roles of twin brothers separated at birth. Now grown men unaware of each other's existence (except when the script finds it convenient to have one twin feel what the other one is doing), the one in HK, Boomer, is a formidable fighter who's deep in debt with the criminal underground alongside friend Tyson (Teddy Robin, annoying as f*ck). The one who grew up in America, John Ma, is a musical composer and piano prodigy with no fighting skills whatsoever. Wackiness ensues when John Ma visits HK for an important concert, intersecting with Boomer at a hotel where both brothers mix it up with each other's lady friends (Maggie Cheung and Nina Li Chi) before accidentally being forced into assignments (driving a getaway car to free an imprisoned crime boss for Ma, conducting an orchestra for Boomer) neither brother is equipped for. Comedic action doesn't get any nuttier (aka cool as hell) than dozens of police/mob cars crashing/exploding near a dock while Ma listens on the radio as Boomer waves around Ma's conductor baton to create musical magic like a Looney Tunes-trained maestro. 😎😋
Special effects when both Jackie Chans are on-screen simultaneously look a little ropey (expected for a low-budget Asian film in the early 90's), but the acting/comedy hijinks are handled by the dual directors like pros. There are only a handful of actual brawls (one inside a Mitsubishi vehicle testing facility) where Yue Woo-ping's fight choreography, along with the star's willingness to put his neck on the line, delivers the action goods. It also gives Jackie a chance to showcase his comedic timing by playing Ma as a coward with no fighting skills, which makes it easier to tell when Boomer delivers the ass-kicking. Now, if there was a way to remove Tyson from "Twin Dragons" entirely... 🤔😓3.85 EXPLODING BARRELS BURNING BAD GUYS' CLOTHES (out of five).
139.- THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM (USA/CHINA, 2008, SYFY CHANNEL). Also streaming on PLEX, FAWESOME, HOWDY, TUBI.
ReplyDeleteJackie Chan and Jet Li (their names arranged in such a way both are THE leading man) headline this $55 million USA/Chinese martial arts fantasy epic (from the director of the animated "Lion King") that was clearly influenced by 2000's "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" (one of many masterpieces whose fighting was also choreographed by Yuen Woo-ping). An American teenage kung fu movie fanatic (Michael Angarano, "Sky High") is transported back to ancient Chinese times carrying a magical staff that will awaken the Monkey King from a centuries-old curse keeping him locked in stone. Though he knows his martial arts movies, young Jason isn't skilled or good at fighting... so a group of warriors trying to fulfill the staff's destiny help train him for the dangerous mission ahead. Though Chan and Li are in a bulk of the narrative and star in its most memorable action set-piece (a fighting duel between the two action megastars that is more for show than important to the plot), this is Jason's story and he's too much of a dopey cipher for audiences (foreign or American) to relate to. Yifei Liu (as Golden Sparrow) and Li Bingbing (as White-Haired Witch) add some much-needed female presence, though the story doesn't do either of them any favors. 🫤'It's fine,' but even when it's at its best (Jackie's drunken teacher reacting to a life-giving potion) you can feel this is punching below everybody's (in front and behind the camera) much higher standards. 3.15 CHINATOWN MOM & POP STORES WITH BOOTLEG SHAW BROS. MOVIE DVD'S IN CANTONESE WITHOUT SUBTITLES (out of five).
BONUS: 30 DAYS OF PINK PANTHER & FRIENDS, DAY 25!
ReplyDelete140.- PINK PANTHER AND SONS: SPINNING WHEELS, PINKY AT THE BAT (9/8/1984, YOUTUBE)
The last original 'Pink Panther' cartoon of the 1980's, courtesy of the Hanna-Barbera cartoon assembly-line (with Friz Freleng credited as 'creative producer'), "Pink Panther and Sons" passes the baton to the Panther's two offspring (pre-teen Pinky and toddler Panky, whose diaper is constantly dragging) and their 'Rainbow Panthers' crew of friends. It's basically a test-run for 1986's "The Flintstone Kids" with talking cartoon felines, or an attempt to latch onto the "Muppet Babies'" popularity.
Every 10 min. episode (two per show, plus the OG PP doing silent wrap-around 1 min. segments) the Rainbow Panthers have to defeat the gang of Howl Angels (troublemaking teen lions) led by colored-mohawk leader Finko (Frank Welker) from whatever competition they're challenged for. For 'Spinning Wheels' is winning a bike race fair and square to earn the right to a free bike and sponsorship money; the Panthers are honorable, the Angels are cheating d!cks. For 'Pinky at The Bat' it's who gets to play in the neighborhood baseball field after winning a winner-take-all match; L.A. Dodgers' coach Tommy Lasorda guest-stars as himself, coaching the Panthers at first and eventually deciding the game's final call at the plate. It's all as Saturday morning dopey as it sounds, but I've seen worse from H-B. 2.65 CONSTRUCTION SITE PHONY DETOUR SIGNS (out of five).
141.- PINK PANTHER AND SONS: ARABIAN FRIGHTS, BROTHERS ARE SPECIAL (11/25/1984, YOUTUBE)
DeleteAfter 13 half-hour episodes the "Pink Panther and Sons" show was cancelled by NBC, though it came back in 1986 on ABC as re-packaged repeats. The next-to-last episode (couldn't find the final one online, so these will have to do) starts with 'Arabian Frights,' in which a sleepy Panky being read the 'Arabian Nights' story by brother Pinky. The Howl Angels are the 40 thieves equivalent, complete with remote controlled 'Open Sesame' cave where the lion gang hide all the candy they steal, which drives Panky sugar crazy. In 'Brothers Are Special' Finko wants to win a talent show at all costs, even if he and pals Howl and Liona have to cheat to win the top prize. Pinky has rehearsed hard for his solo act, but that's forgotten when Panky goes missing in the carnival's most dangerous area. Looks like this was a consistent Hanna-Barbera cartoon from start to near-the-end... consistently bad-to-mediocre compared with the Panther shorts that came before it. 2.60 DEFECTIVE MAGIC CARPETS WITH ENGINE TROUBLE (out of five).
Armour of God II: Operation Condor (1991, dir. Jackie Chan)
ReplyDeleteAdventurer and treasure hunter Jackie a.k.a. "Condor" is hired by a Spanish count working for the UN to find a massive stash of gold the nazis buried somewhere in the Sahara desert in the last days of World War II. On the way, he teams up with Ada, an expert in the region, and Elsa, the granddaughter of one of the nazi officers who buried the treasure.
Expertly crafter fight scenes and stunts, unfunny comedy, and a plot that's incidental at best. It's a Jackie Chan movie is what I'm saying. Plays like a mixtape of 70% Indiana Jones, 30% Roger Moore-era James Bond.
First Strike (1996)
ReplyDeleteJackie Chan tries to do some Bond stuff. Is the spy stuff or plot interesting? Not really. But there's a couple all-time action set pieces here. Ladder fight? Climactic fight in the aquarium, including an EXTENDED underwater sequence?
Jackie really is a miracle of a physical actor, never missing an opportunity for a comedic beat even while freezing in the snow or fighting underwater.
Unrelated - but does anyone have direction on Heroes and Villains or PM Entertainment? Both seem super vague.
DeleteHere's the list of every movie PM Entertainment made.
DeleteHeroes and Villains! seems pretty wide open to interpretation. Anything from a 007 movie to Oscar winners like "Spotlight" (hero journalists bring down villainous church covering for known crimes), "Heat" (good cops versus bad robbers, but you get to know everyone as individuals) and "L.A. Confidential" (grey area of the law has hero cops and villain ones pretending to be good... or not) to WWII war movies or Indiana Jones vs. Nazis/Russians fairytales. World's your movie oyster. 🙃🙂
DeletePM Entertainment is a crapshoot in that you choose a movie from a studio notorious for DTV production values that was the 90's equivalent of the Cannon Group. As in most things in life, Wikipedia is your friend: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PM_Entertainment 🙂 And if l may be so bold, Day 1 of this year's Junesploitation! (90's Action!) include a couple of PM Ent. flicks l review and strongly endorse: https://www.fthismovie.com/2026/06/junesploitation-2026-day-1-90s-action.html 😎
I'm not very familiar with PM Entrtainment, so I'm scrolling through this list, and thinking "that sounds amazing", and then I scroll some more and my jaw drops. Not sure I can settle on only one.
DeleteOne could probably construct an entire Junesploitation! watch list of PM Entertainment flicks!
DeleteThe other day I started fiddling with Letterboxd themes and nanogenres to cross reference against my various lists. Can be handy if you use that website.
DeleteFor Heroes and Villains, I started by finding an example movie (such a Mission Impossible installment) and then looked at its themes. There I saw the "Explosive and action-packed heroes vs. villains" theme, which uses the URL fragment mini-theme/action-packed-villain-hero-adrenaline-explosives... You can add that on to your watchlist or other list URL like below, and then filter further if you want:
https://letterboxd.com/asymmetricblaze/list/maybes-and-other-scary-sploitation/mini-theme/action-packed-villain-hero-adrenaline-explosives/
wooo hooo! Jackie Chan Day!!!!!!
ReplyDelete(Editors Note: Jackie Chan is 100% one of my personal heroes. I dont use that term lightly. I was fortunate enough to discover his work in the early 90s (a smidge before the release of Rumble in the Bronx...see Patricks great repost on that one!) and quickly tried to consume as much of his portfolio as possible. His skillset in cinema is unmatched as he is prolific across departments: stunt man, stunt team lead, action choreographer, director, comedy filmmaker, above/beyond risk taker, driver of evolution of action cinema, and so so much more)
(Editors note 2: There is a newly released 4k Chan box set that ill have to wait and get as its $$ BUT it contains a 4k of my all time fav chan flick and all time fav action movie: Drunken Master II. If i had that in hand, it would be my watch today.)
Jackie Chan: My Stunts (1999)
As Chan has a HUGE list of incredible movies to choose from, i just couldnt decide what to watch for today! Therefore i defaulted to this reallllllllllllllllllllly great documentary made, in my opinion, at a perfect point in Chans career (The era of his films i love most starts in the late 70s and goes to mid 90s). This documentary does a phenomenal job showing his approach to creating stunts and action scenes. It also shows that even in the late 90s, the hong kong stunt teams STILL relied on very low tech options for dangerous stunts (ie: stacks of "apple boxes" (cardboard boxes) and flimsy mattresses are STILL used for incredibly dangerous high falls).
DRAGON FIST (1979)
ReplyDeleteJackie plays a martial arts student who seeks revenge for the death of his teacher. But not all is as it appears. They play it straight in this one. It’s an action/drama, a serious historic epic with none of Jackie’s trademark slapstick fighting. It deals with themes of penance, forgiveness, sacrifice, and so on. The good news is there are plenty of fights along the way. Rather than big stunts, it’s all lightning-fast close-quarters combat, and skillfully choreographed throughout. The internet alleges that Jackie went with some other production company for this movie, rather than his usual collaborators, and it shows. I enjoyed it just fine, but it’s a real outlier in his filmography.
30 days of fan films, day 25: SPAWN THE CURSED (2024)
A troubled young man named Richard is possessed by an evil spell book, putting him in the path of both Spawn and Violator. On the plus side, the Spawn costume looks terrific, and it’s one that doesn’t translate easily to live action. On the other hand, the movie spends way too much time with this Richard guy and not enough on the McFarlane characters you came here to see. But it’s only twelve minutes long, so no complaints. You’re in, you get some Spawn, you’re out.
POLICE STORY (1985, Jackie Chan, HK)
ReplyDeleteBelieve it or not, Junesploitationers, I have never seen a Jackie Chan film (not counting several flicks in which he played a bit part or was uncredited). Chan’s blend of comedy and kung fu just didn’t strongly appeal to me.
Thus, I hesitatingly waded into today with his signature Hong Kong flick, and for the most part, POLICE STORY did not disappoint. While it was a little wacky for my tastes, much of the humor was endearing and often as physically impressive as the fighting. And oh, the fighting! The lengthy shootout and chase that kicks (literally) off the film, the achingly hard falls that had my bones actually hurting, and the incredible ending assault at the mall—incredible sh!t! If there was pane of glass in the vicinity, someone was going through it! Oh, to be a glazier in Hong Kong in 1985! I also enjoyed the end credits/outtakes, they really made me reflect on all the work that went into choreographing both the combat and the comedy.
As mentioned, the mix of action and comedy isn’t always my jam, hence my reluctance to watch Jackie Chan’s efforts. It still isn’t my jam, but I’m happy I checked this out, as it held many spectacular thrills and spills. The next time Jackie’s name gets called for the Junesploitation! category sweepstakes, I’ll be wholeheartedly ready for more!
You don't like Jackie Chan's action/comedy template? 🥵😳 Dude, you must lead a charmed existence to not need Jackie Chan in your entertainment life. He's like my "hot coffee": once you go black, you never go back.😉😁
DeleteJ.M.: My brand is just too INTENSE for Jackie's high jinks hahaha. That being said, I really enjoyed this.
DeleteI'm in the same boat, zillagord. I love JC's kung fu skills and stunts, but his comedy has never appealed to me.
DeleteThe stunts are beyond crazy in Police Story.
DeleteThe goofy comedy mixed with the action is very common in Hong Kong cinema. It took me several years to learn how to not let annoying comedy bits derail a viewing experience. Seems like you are on your way toward that, Zillagord.
Fearless Hyena (1979)
ReplyDeleteVintage slapstick kung fu of the highest order. Jackie (credited as "Jacky Chan") is living in seclusion with his grandfather who teaches him crazy fighting techniques. He's strictly forbidden from showing off his special brand of kung fu around other folks, though, because, unbeknownst to Jackie, his grandfather is being hunted by some bad guys. Of course that goes about as well as you expect. Jackie wrote, directed and choreographed this banger himself. Almost every scene is him fighting or training, and it's glorious. At one point he dresses up in drag like Bugs Bunny to confuse his opponent. It's a non-stop ballet of insane physical feats and fighting choreography that makes you shake your head and wonder how on earth is it possible for a human being to do all this stuff.
#JUneSPLOItaTION Day 25: Jackie Chan!
ReplyDeleteDRUNKEN MASTER (1978) dir. Yuen Woo-ping
Not even the most god awful dubbing on Tubi could ruin this movie. Chan is half Mikhail Baryshnikov, half Charlie Chaplin, and half brick shit house. His character is a full on spoiled jackass and that almost ruins the movie. But the creativity, beauty, and sheer impressiveness of the kung fu won me over in the end.
First Strike (1996, dir. Stanley Tong Gwai-Lai)
ReplyDeleteEntertaining fights, but the movie didn't stand out for me among Jackie's filmography.
The Protector
ReplyDeleteJackie Chan is partnered with a streetwise cop to go from New York to Hong Kong on the trail of a kidnap victim. No, it’s not a Rush Hour sequel, it’s an early attempt to get Jackie to break out in the states. It didn’t work, and that’s probably for the best.
There’s some cool action here, but nothing as inventive as Jackie’s best. It’s weird hearing Jackie curse and seeing him use guns to do most of the crime fighting, but that’s an ‘80s cop movie for you. Good stuff: an awesome chase that has him jumping from boat to boat in a busy harbor, Danny Aiello as his partner, and a handful of deeply satisfying squibs. Less good stuff: pretty much everything else. His actual US breakout hit, Rumble in the Bronx, is also not great but it’s way more fun and lets him show off his unique personality rather than try to just stuff him into the generic cop movie box like this one does.