Jackie Chan's Movie Analysis

MASTER WITH CRACKED FINGERS (1971)
Have yet to see.. I'll keep you posted.
HAND OF DEATH (1975)
Much to my dismay this is the only movie in which Jackie has been in that John Woo has directed. Also I was very dissapointed with the film itself. This film was obviously made before John Woo was the capable director we all know and love. Hand of death doesn't have anyone at all as a main character, and the only people I recognized in the film was a young Jackie, Samo, and John Woo. The only thing I can truely remember in the film was a fight during a dragon dance, oh-- and I think Jackie dies at the end of it.
NEW FISTS OF FURY (1976)
This film is another attempt to make Jackie "the Next Bruce Lee" and is the only true sequel to a Bruce Lee movie. The plot is almost exactly the same as Bruce's film the Chinese Connection aka Fists of Fury (Not the Big Boss). Jackie's character is a bum who wants nothing to do with Kung-Fu until he gets beat up by Japanese trying to wipe out every martial arts school besides theirs in Taiwan. Jackie's character then learns the anchient Chinese arts and gets revenge against the Japanese.
SHAOLIN WOODEN MEN (1976)
This film is yet another film that just brought the name Jackie Chan as another Kung-Fu guy. The film's plot is pretty simple. Jackie is a Shaolin monk, there is some new style of Kung-Fu being missused and Jackie's master starts to kill people and Jackie has to fight his master..
TO KILL WITH INTRUIGE (1976)
This film is not very good at all. The director tried to make the film outstanding in someway by using odd camera angles and pans, but they don't work and end up making you dizzy and wanting to hurl. There's not much to the plot of the film. Jackie is suppossed to escort a pregnant woman through a mountain or something and has to Kung-Fu fight his way everywhere.
SNAKE AND CRANE ARTS OF SHAOLIN (1977)
Snake and Crane Arts of Shoalin is your basic revenge story, but a break from the norm from Jackie's previous films. There has been a murder mystery involving the eight steps of snake and crane book that had been stolen 30 years previously. Jackie has to use the monks new fighting art in order to get revenge for the murder and retrieve the book. I was happy to see that this film had a little more story and plot to it. The film wasn't actually that bad, but wasn't that outstanding either.
KILLER METEORS (1977)
Killer Meteors is the only film I have seen which depicts Jackie Chan as a bad guy. The film basically puts two Kung-Fu masters against eachother. The only other thing you need to know is that Jackie's hit by a meteor..
HALF A LOAF OF KUNG-FU (1977)
I don't care what anyone says about this film, it is a good laugh. This film truely depicts Jackie Chan's comical side. The antics and comedy make the film worth seeing if you are a Chan-fan. The story line is one that has to put a group of odd-balls together. Jackie has to put together a group of bodyguards in order to deliver a jade treasure in some not so far off land. As I said before... see this movie for a good laugh.
MAGNIFICENT BODY GUARDS (1978)
The only thing I have to say about this film is that it has a really good end fight scene--good action, good stunts. The main plot of the story is that a group of Kung-Fu fighters are brought together to escort some woman's dying brother somewhere. You have to understand that these films are hard to follow at times.
SPIRITUAL KUNG-FU (1978)
This particular film isn't all that bad... I found it to be pretty funny including the special "de-fects". Jackie's character is pretty much the same as his others so far. He's a shaolin monk, someone has stolen and is using the 7 fists manual and Jackie has to learn how to use the 5 deadly fists.. the only thing that can stop the 7 fists. The catch is no one knows how to use them. Jackie has to release these cheesy skeleton Kung-Fu spirits to teach him how to use the styles. The film is one of Jackie's older films that aren't half bad.
DRAGON FIST (1978) Well well... another Kung-Fu revenge story for the needless death of his master at the hands of another fighter. He's forced to work for a gang of thugs, because some friend of his is poisoned, against a gang of people in which his master's killer is involved with. He later find out who the real badguys are and has to kick all that booooteeeeeyyy.
SNAKE IN THE EAGLE'S SHADOW (1978)
This movie is one of the great genre of Wong Fei-hong films. Wong Fei-hong is one of the great Chinese heroes equivalent to America's Rocky. It pictured Wong Fei-hong as a teen-age rascal and scamp. The simple plot of this otherwise great Chan flick is that of an eagle claw kung-fu master seeking out to destroy all snake style fighters. It was this movie in which Jackie and his troop established those excruciating sequences of training which Jackie puts his character through. In this film Jackie tried to break away from the Bruce Lee style of kung-fu. The hero, Jackie's character, develops a new style of Kung-fu (cat claw) after watching a cat swipe away at a cobra-- allowing him to defeat the antagonist.
DRUNKEN MASTER (1978)
This film was yet another film where Jackie depicted the ever popular Wong Fei-hong. Due to Fei-hong's behavior, his dissaproving father sends him to "his uncle," a wine swilling, crooked toothed, and quite elderly sifu. The rude Wong Fei-hong must learn the eight drunken faeries style in order to defeat an assassin who has been contracted to kill Fei-hong's father. He refuses to learn angel ho because it is a style of "girl Kung-fu," which he later has to utilize in order to defeat the would be assassin.
FANTASY MISSION FORCE (1978)
This film is strange. It is not so much necessarily a Jackie Chan movie as it is an episode from a comically twisted Twilight Zone. There's a band of anything goes heroes who include a white garbed moustache man, a sexy leather garbed heroine, a bald comedy relief scottish-chinese general, and a drunken gay man. All of which fight Nazis, Amazon tribes (of Chinese), ghosts, aliens from outer space, foriegn armies--- all in the name of saving the allied forces generals. Jackie comes out on top to be the hero because he is the only one who lives.
FEARLESS HYENA (1979)
This was the last film Jackie had to do under contract of Lo Wei. With Lo Wei not being too impressed with Jackie's work Jackie had full reign on the film. This was his first attempt at directing, and the job was astoundingly great. The Fearless Hyena is the first Jackie movie I had the pleasure of owning. This was Jackie's version of Snake in Eagle's Shadow. This film is where Jackie's regular antics blow his grandfather's cover as being the great snake fist fighter. His grandfather didn't want him fighting for fear that someone would recognize his style. The long white haired master with his tribe of bell wearing kung-fu apprentices, track down Jackie Grandfather and kill him while Jackie is forced to watch because a mysterious man with a cane stops him... This man is the Legendary Unicorn. He teaches Jackie the Kung-Fu mastery he needs to defeat his Grandfather's killer. Needless to say he does. This film is a stupendous film of physical stunts and awesome Kung-Fu action, a must-see for any Chan fan.
FEARLESS HYENA II
Don't ever ever ever go see this movie. I saw this movie and after being tortured for almost two hours I decided theat I had just spent the most worthless three dollars in my life. The film is just a b-roll reproduction of the first film. I repeat do not ever get this movie unless you are lying on your death bed and it is the last thing you ever want to see to make your life a complete failure.
THE YOUNG MASTER (1980)
In the Young Master Jackie's character, Dragon, tries to save his pal, Tiger, from a life of crime. Though the plot is rather lame, Jackie's Kung-Fu sequences are amazing. The highlights of sword and fan juggling while fighting several foes, is unforgettable. At the end of the film, Jackie fights a Crime boss who has him way overmatched, but not outclassed. After injuring every body part, Jackie finally wins and is then bandaged up like a mummy and carried off.
THE BIG BRAWL (1980)
This is one of Jackie's projects in the states where the bull-headed American producers (the same producers for Enter the Dragon) wouldn't let Jackie pull his normal array of mind boggling action. He wasn't allowed to choreograph his own fight scenes or use his own team of stuntmen, and Clouse usually ignored his suggestions. Although Jackie did learn how to rollerskate, the only real interesting thing in the film is a training sequence with tennis balls and a side arial kick against the big burrly wrestler type dude. Other than that the film is rather boring and was a flop.
CANNONBALL RUN (1981)
Jackie played a minor role in this film all be it amusing. Although Burt Reynolds seemed to play the main character, Jackie's role is unforgettable. The two most memorable parts in the film that Jackie was featured in are: 1) Jackie's driving partner is sleeping and Jackie is driving and watching a porno and his partner wakes up (due to the swerving) and starts beating him like any uncle beats his nephew for teaching others his kung-fu... 2) The end of the fight scene, Jackie taps the shoulders of two burrly bikers, walks in between them, and then does the splits kicking them and in turn ripping the crotch of his pants.
DRAGON LORD (1982)
A great film. However Golden Harvest gave Jackie full reign again and this time Jackie went way over schedule and way over budget. Instead of elaborate fight scenes, this is where Jackie started to build his reputation for huge stunts. One of which holds record in Jackie's 10 greatest stunts. Jackie climbs to the top of a pyramid and just lets go crashing to the ground and being dragged off. It may not sound like much, but it is painfull to watch none the less. Two other events, "Body-Ball and "Dragon Kick" look like unorganized B-roll games of the cast and crew, but it works masterfully. The main plot of the movie is similar to Drunken Master II in which Jackie uses the treasures of China being stolen as the plot and purpose. In my opinion, it remains one of Jackie's finest works of "street fighting" Kung-Fu to date. Once again Jackie is heavily outclassed by the villian and wins by a hair, but the last fight scene is one not to be missed.
WINNERS AND SINNERS (1983)
In this movie Jackie plays a somewhat minor role of a band of characters. However, Samo used Jackie's roller skating skills for a quite impressive stunt in which he is dragged behind a truck by a rope and at one point jumps over a Volkswagon bug and skates underneath a tractor trailer.

PROJECT A (1983)
Project A depicts Jackie as a Captain or something in the Navy. He is well known and well respected.. with acception of the Police. The Police and the Navy officers do NOT get along. Yet they are forced to work together to fight pirates. This film is one of the 3 hero type featuring Jackie, Yuen Baio, and Samo Hung. Project A remains to be one of the greatest collaborations of stuntwork, Kung-Fu, comedy, adventure, character, and plot. The stunt work is just amazing while working in the famous Jackie Chan comedy. Two that stick out in my mind are a bicycle riding sequence in which Jackie knocks the hell out of a guy with a bike and jousts another. Then, the greatest stunt I have ever scene known to Chan fans as the clock tower stunt. Jackie falls from the face of a clock (hand-cuffed), rips through 2 cloth awnings, and hits the ground on his neck. Watching the film all the way through shows that Jackie did the stunt atleast 3 times.. two are shown during the film and one is shown during the B-roll sequence. This is a definite go see.
WHEELS ON MEALS (1984)
Ah, yet another collaboration of the deadly 3: Jackie, Yuen, and Samo. Jackie and Yuen are a couple of Chinese cooks trying to make their way is Spain. Yuen's father, Jackie's uncle, is in a loony bin and falls in love with a lady that turns out to be of royal blood. Yuen and Jackie have a crush on a pick pocket who is also the daughter the royal lady in the loony bin. Samo plays a private dick and they all have to save Silvia (the girl). They end up breaking their way into a castle and all get captured having to fight their way out. Jackie fights Benny the Jet, Yuen fights Keith Hernandez and the 3 once again save the day. I would recomend buying this film it is enjoyable every time you watch it.
FIRST MISSION (1985)
This film is yet another collaboration by Jackie and Samo Hung. This film is a great attempt at a police-like drama. Jackie plays a police officer who has been taking care of his older mentally challenged brother his entire life. Thus due to Samo's needs, Jackie's character has put his own dreams asside. Samo's character gets into various trouble and Jackie has to bail him out. However, one day Samo is playing cops and robbers with the young street boys and is mistaken for a real cop. The group of kids come by a bag filled with stolen jewelry, Samo is eventually kidnapped by the gangsters, and Jackie has to steal a police witness in order to get his brother back. The fight scene is one of the best that Jackie has been in to date. Just amazing. In the end, Jackie and his friends who go to rescue his brother are put in jail for a good number of years and the film ends with Jackie getting out of jail and walking away into the horizon with his brother... this is definitly a film I would recomend.
MY LUCKY STARS (1985)
Due to the sucess of the previous LUCKY STARS movie , Golden Harvest Prod. wanted another film. Happy to do it Jackie, Samo, and Yuen went back into action. Golden Harvest took advantage of Jackie's huge following in Japan and set the film in a Japanese Amusement Park. Jackie has some great fight scenes along with the other troop of bunglers the film brings into play. Yuen gets captured, but is set free just in time for the big fight finale, and Samo dresses up in a yellow sweat-suit, obviously trying to depict a GAME OF DEATH look. I must say that I don't actually approve of the Lucky Stars films, but this is the one that sticks in my mind as being the best of the series.
TWINKLE TWINKLE LUCKY STARS (1985)
Need I say much more about the Lucky Stars series?

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