As expected, Jackie Chan is hardly in Jackie Chan’s Crime Force. But it doesn’t matter — the movie succeeds in being entertaining in its own plotless, over-the-top manner without him. Known in some public-domain circles as Golden Queen’s Commando, it’s a crazy-Asian female version of The Dirty Dozen, minus five protagonists. The opening sequence introduces … Continue reading Jackie Chan’s Crime Force (1983)
One-Percent Warrior — you just know Warren Buffett favors that nickname in krav maga class at the club — isn’t your ordinary martial-arts movie. It’s meta meta meta. And fortunately in a fun way. Played by Tak Sakaguchi, Toshiro is a has-been action hero whose trademark of “assassination jitsu” has aged out of audiences’ favor. … Continue reading One-Percent Warrior (2023)
The murder of a 15-year-old boy at the center of Alpha Dog is rendered all the more tragic because it is so totally, utterly senseless. While the teenagers who populate the story fancy themselves as street-smart, they appear to be engaging in make-believe until it is too late – a bunch of self-styled tough guys … Continue reading Alpha Dog (2006)
Also known as The Big Brawl, the not-set-at-Kellogg’s-HQ Battle Creek Brawl represents Jackie Chan’s first — and ill-fated — attempt to break into American cinema. Although it shows signs of his trademark humor and acrobatics, it’s not a fitting vehicle for his talents. In 1930s Chicago, which looks every bit 1980, Chan’s Jerry Kwan protects … Continue reading Battle Creek Brawl (1980)
At the height of Jackie Chan’s U.S. box-office bonanza, he was set to star in an update of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, but with the little people swapped for shaolin monks. Two decades later, the project has yet to start — a shame, if not for the existence of Thrilling Bloody Sword. From … Continue reading Thrilling Bloody Sword (1981)