Rating: 3.5/5
Cult Movie Challenge 2017 | 32/52 | Jackie Chan
Old Hong Kong, 19th century
At Victoria Police Court, the HK Marine Police has had a difficult time combating raiding pirates. The Police Force resents the amount of funding the Marine Police receive for how little they’ve accomplished—meanwhile, the Police Force’s pay raises and other funding remain on hold. The Marine Police see their work as a suicide mission, drinking away their miseries at the bar. But one of them believes they may have a shot, a Sergeant named Dragon Ma. The pirates have already destroyed two of their five ships. As they head to the remaining ships, another two blow up.
Chiang and Chou Wing Ling, two gangsters, look to flee to Vietnam. Once Chou leaves, Chiang meets with two pirates, whom Chiang helped to sabotage the Marine Police ships. The pirates tell Chiang of their boss, San Pao, and his need for 100 police rifles. Chiang believes he can count on Captain Chi’s assistance. Admiral Shih appeals to the British Admiral with a new plan to take out the pirates, called Project A. However, the admiral is uninterested, and Captain Chi forces the Marine Police to become street cops. Chi has a particular assignment for them—to undergo extensive training under Inspector Hong, the captain’s nephew, so that they can become part of a special police force.
Their first operation is to arrest Chou. But things aren’t as they appear, and Dragon Ma quits the police force. Is there corruption in the police force? If so, will Dragon Ma be able to do anything about it? Things look up when double agent Fei comes to assist. Or do they??
The movie’s title is intentionally vague so that it wouldn’t give away aspects of the film and inspire copycats, as had happened with Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow and Drunken Master.
The plot is convoluted if you can’t tell from my roundabout summary. I had to cut several details just to make it coherent. But that’s not why you watch a Jackie Chan movie—you watch it for the stunts. Like most Golden Harvest comedies, the humor is silly, but the deft stuntwork helps offset the silliness. The cinematography is excellent during the fight scenes, capturing the marvel of the stuntwork while keeping the editing tight.
It’s also fun to see Chan acting with fellow Seven Little Fortunes Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao. This film was the first of six movies that the three did together in the 80s as the “Three Dragons.” Hung and Chan get the most screen time together, including a synchronized fight in which they both perform the same moves in tandem.
This film was Chan’s first nomination for Best Actor and won Best Action Choreography at the HK Film Awards. At the same time, Jackie Chan’s stunt team received a Best Action Choreography nomination for the Sammo Hung-directed Three Dragon flick, Wheels on Meals. Chan had attempted to break through in Hollywood with The Cannonball Run and Battle Creek Brawl, but neither did much for his career. Thank God, because his HK work was his peak.
Jackie Chan made the film before he became aware of Buster Keaton. Chan only learned about Keaton when Western critics kept comparing the two. Once Chan saw Keaton, he readily acknowledged and agreed with the comparisons. The stunt where Chan hangs from a clock hand is also reminiscent of Harold Lloyd in Safety Last, with one notable exception: it’s painful to watch, especially knowing Chan injured his neck in the process.
This film may not be Chan’s best, but it set the template for his blend of martial arts, action, and comedy, which would rocket him to stardom.