Reviews (1)

A natural choice: Mr. Magoo plays Don Quixote!
After the critical and popular success of "Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol" in 1962, the near-sighted cartoon character went from being the star of a series of second-rate animated shorts to the lead in a series of above-average literary adaptations. In this "Mr. Magoo Literary Classic" the cantankerous little fellow is off tilting windmills as Don Quixote, the knight-errant wannabee who heads off for adventures with the aid of the faithful Sancho Panza, who is certainly more confused in this peculiar telling of the great novel by Cervantes. Younger viewers will certainly get a sense of the novel from this 50-minute video tape, although a bit of the spirit is missing. While on the one hand Magoo playing Don Quixote makes perfect sense, when mistaking a windmill for a giant is because of extremely bad eyesight instead of the result of a deluded mind, it does make a big difference. As always, the vocal work of Jim Backus is superb, and there are several moments where Magoo clearly assumes the Don Quixote persona quite nicely. ... Read more

Reviews (20)

Awesome Michelle Yeoh HK Movie!
Ok, anyone who says the movie stunk because Jackie Chan isn't in it more than 5 minutes is a fool! It says right on the box "Michelle Yeoh is Supercop 2" and in little tiny print it says "With a special apperance by Jackie Chan as Inspector Chan" (His character from Supercop). This movie starts off with a bang and just keeps on going, and going! Michelle Yeoh is so awesome in this flick! She plays Jessica Yang (also her character from Supercop), and the semi-villian in the movie is played by Yu Rong Guang, who is an amazing actor (just see Iron Monkey, by Yuen Wo Ping, and you'll see why!) Anyhow, this movie is totally awesome, and the scene with Jackie Chan is very short, but really funny. I'd have given the movie five stars, but it ends sort strange, and it took away from the overall greatness of the movie. (Not that it was a bad ending, it just went too quick.) Anyway, see this movie! It rules!

da best of da best
This is by far the best movie i have ever seen. And this movie has alot of action and potential.

its a classic
This movie was a classic. And i would always remember that this movie is cool.

good movie
This movie is marvelous. I would say that the director did a fantastic job on this movie and should keep up the good work.

well i liked it
This was a great asian movie. And this movie i would say is a great follow up from the original. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Jackie Chan plays a visitor to America who agrees to fend off a biker gang's designs on his uncle's market in the Bronx. If you can get past the Vancouver skyline substituting for the New York City neighborhood, and the cheesy dubbing job, this is another of Chan's startling, balletic takes on martial arts action. (It's also his first breakthrough American film.) Even if you don't have an interest in fight films, this is worth seeing just for Chan's endless grace as a body in motion. The DVD release has optional full-screen and widescreen presentations, Dolby sound, theatrical trailer, and background on the stars and production.--Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (64)

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Highly amusing movie with incredible action choreography and fight sequences, some of the best seen so far in Chan's American films. I notice this film took a few thrashings for not being as, um, deep and meaningful and powerful as some of his "better" films like Crime Story and Drunken Master II. Now I've heard that Drunken Master II is incredible, so I won't touch that, but Crime Story blows. It's more serious, but in a very dull, heavy-handed, unenriching, badly done way. A flick like Rumble in the Bronx is silly as all hell, sure, but personally I don't turn to Jackie Chan for profound art. This movie is cheesy fun; the incredible action sequences make it worthwhile cheesy fun. I will concede with another review, though, in that the "big stunts" in Chan's American movies tend to be the least impressive parts. A hovercraft is fun to watch, but not as fun as Chan's nimble physical kinetics. Same with a helicopter (Supercop) and a big tractor-thing (Mr. Nice Guy.)

One of Jackie Chan's best!
This has to be one of Jackie Chan's best movies in the US and Asia. This has one of the best blends of action and plot (where others were too heavy on action) and shows the charm of Chan. While not exactly the most realistic or intricate plots in the world, it's quirky and funny and still has plenty of action and stunts to please anyone. The stunts and action are definitely some of the better ones because of the large budget. The fight scenes are typical of Jackie Chan, using many props and gags to add flavor missing to many U.S. action movies. The highlight of the movie is the main character. Unlike the typical action hero, Keung (Chan) is more a hapless victim of circumstances. His character is like a modern day mix of Buster Keaton, Harold Loyd, and Bruce Lee.

Anyone who enjoyed Project A, Wheels on Meals, Armour of God, Operation Condor (Armour of God 2), First Strike, Supercop, or his newest gem Rush Hour will certainly like Rumble in the Bronx. Treat yourself and get it Widescreen!

Go Jackie
I'm one of Jackie's biggest fan. In this one he really showed of some shnazzy moves. This DVD had a great story and it was DA BOMB. If you are a Jackie Chan fan them you MUST I repeat MUST have it!!! Jackie kicked some serious butt in this one so stop drooling and get it!!!

4.5 Stars-Lots of action like Hoovercraft
Lets just say there is a ton of action in this movie.I believe this is the one that put him on the American map he does great fight wise in NYC.It is guarenteed to give you action.The acting has rubbed off a little but this has great scene
Acting 6 Story 9 Direction 9 Action 10 Entertainment 10
Overall=44/50 This movie gets a 88 wich is 4.5 stars good movie

THIS IS THE BEST FIGHTING MOVIE EVER
The martial arts in this movie are awesome cause yuo know Jackie Chan does all his own stunts. There are very cool fight seens in this movie. I can't stop watching them cause there awesome. besides its only ten dollars. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

High-octane gas, pumped out by the buoyant maestro of Hong Kong action, Jackie Chan. In this outing, the irrepressible Chan plays a Hong Kong cop teamed up (gloriously) with a Chinese inspector played by Michelle Yeoh (a.k.a. Michelle Khan). The plot ranges all over Southeast Asia, culminating with Jackie hanging from a helicopter ladder high over the streets of Kuala Lumpur. This one's notable for the ingenuity of the stunts, and for allowing two of Asia's top female stars to do their bad thing. The great Maggie Cheung (Chinese Box) plays Chan's girlfriend, who has a tendency to pop up at the most inopportune moments; and Yeoh executes a hair-raising motorcycle jump onto a moving train--an absolute jaw-dropper. Originally released as Police Story III, the picture was rereleased in America as Supercop in 1996, after Chan's U.S. breakthrough with Rumble in the Bronx. The new version is slightly shorter than the original, and features a new soundtrack of English-language dialogue (awkwardly dubbed, but that's par for the course) and blaring rock music. Great fun any way you slice it, and--for the uninitiated--a terrific introduction to the humorous, high-kicking world of Jackie Chan. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (32)

The adventures of Kai-Kui (Kevin Chan) continue!
Among all of the American releases of Jackie Chan films, this one is the best. Though it is the third chapter of the "Police Story" series, the tone is much different from the first two. Jackie directed the first two and they are surprisingly really intense. Sure, there are some funny bits, but the action is razor sharp and Jackie gets really pissed off several times. In "Supercop" the tone is much lighter, maybe due to the direction by Stanley Tong. But don't get me wrong, this film is still great entertainment. Jackie and Michelle Yeoh (Billed as Michelle Khan) make a great team and trade stunts right and left. The final chase scene involving an armoured car, Chan hanging from a ladder of a speeding helicopter, Michelle jumping onto a moving train with a motorcycle, and the two of them taking down thugs on top of the train is something to behold. Maggie Cheung also returns again as Jackie's girlfriend.

A could be better performance by the "great" JACKIE CHAN.
The third sequel to Jackie's smash hit which changed the action film industry, Police Story, comes another regular action packed thriller. Although there were some great stunts leading to the capture of the main villan, Jackie Chan's action doesn't even come close to what he is capable of. Jackie's other sequels to this parady which also include First Strike and Police Story 1 and 2 are not only funnier, but the action is more diverse. Diverse meaning, wider. There's more action, better comedy, and a better acting job in the other three sequels. Supercop is a great film for first-time American action movie watchers, due to American director's minute imagination when it comes to action movies; however, when it comes to Asian standards, this movie doesn't match some of the other movies Jackie had out.

Supercop
The movie is ok but it is a superior film in Cantonese. The dubbed English is awkward and detracts from the film. I find the "dubbing" very annoying and would prefer the vintage Hong Kong Jackie Chan films marketed in the US be provided in the original language. Argggh!

stick with original
Why American production make HK movies look so cheap? First of all, they cut off so much scene, second of all ruin it by making look act so dumb by English Dubb. ALWAYS stick with ORIGINAL LICENSED HK RELEASE. Be careful with cheap imports, boots, and bulls though.

Beware: You're Not Getting the Whole Movie
When you buy this DVD, you're actually getting an "Americanized" version of Police Story III, a Jackie Chan classic. If you're really a Chan fan, you'd be better off searching for an import shop (or a certain auction site) and getting the original Hong Kong version of the film. Not only will it have the original chinese dialog (with english subtitles of course!), but it also has a few extra minutes of film that were cut from this "American" version. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Someone got the rather inspired (but ultimately misguided) idea to match Hong Kong action director Stanley Tong with comedy stalwart Leslie Nielsen in this dimwitted live-action Disney version of the vintage cartoon, in which the very nearsighted tycoon bumbles his way into the heist of a giant, priceless ruby known as the Star of Kuristan. The result is an abundance of slapstick humor related to Mr. Magoo's visual impairment (prompting a brief protest during the film's 1997 release by the National Federation of the Blind), and a tired plot involving a lovely jewel thief (Kelly Lynch) who'll stop at nothing to get her stolen jewel back. Of course, Magoo manages to foil the thieves at every turn, even though he's frequently unaware of his unintentional heroics. This standard family fare from Disney (best suited for kids 12 and under) will probably play better on home video, but you'll have to watch and listen closely for the few gags that really pay off. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (23)

Not necessarily excellent
This was basically your average comedy movie. First half wasn't very funny; second have was hilarious. First of all, Leslie Nielsen plays a great Quincy Magoo, acting like he is blind, and all. Angus, the dog, is a pretty good part, too, though some of the gags near the beginning with Angus didn't really hit the spot. Some jokes hilarious, for example, the chicken scene. Only poor Mr. Magoo could end up sandpapering a boiling chicken!

The other acting wasn't that great, unfortunately. If the other actors hadn't acted like it was so much of a drama, and treated it more like a comedy, it could've turned out a little better. I would recommend this for lovers of comedy.

Recommended for ages 6 and up. Rated PG for mild language (hardly noticeable) and some action sequences.

This movie may be a bit scary for younger children, because of some of the gun fighting, but this is lightened up by the near-sightedness (or is it pure stupidity?) of Magoo. Younger children will enjoy the silly slapstick comedy.

Very Funny!!!
It is indeed very interesting and amusing to see the cartoon Mr. Magoo 'come to life' acted out by non other than the great comedian Leslie Nielsen. I burst out laughing a few times watching this movie, for example, the part when Mr. Magoo was trying to prepare the 'chicken dish' for the lovely but fatal Prunela (Kelly Lynch). He was watching a 'cooking' program when it was changed to an 'aerobics' program and next to a 'carpentary' program. Mr. Magoo as usual being visually impaired, went through all the 'rituals' with his chicken. It was hilarious! Get this movie and laugh your way through with Mr. Magoo from the beginning when the jewel was stolen to the end when he restored it to its rightful place, all the while not realizing the dangers he was in. This is because as in the cartoon, he always walks away smoothly from all harm despite his bad eyesight. This is a wonderful movie for 'tired, sore' eyes!

Funny, entertaining
We really liked the movie, the kids all love it, they find it very funny. We have seen the original Mr. Magoo cartoons and enjoyed them. This movie is as funny as the cartoons.

THE "CITIZEN KANE" OF MOVIE COMEDIES!
Simply one of the ten greatest comedies ever made! Where's the sequel???

Excellent
Excellent movie! Leslie Nielson does a terrific job paying Mr. Magoo. The movie is a little kidddish but adults will still like it. The dog also does a terrific job. The only bad part of the movie is that it is very unrealistic, but thats Hollywood for yall! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Action-god Jackie Chan does his best James Bond impression with this ecstatic sequel to the classic Supercop. The bare-bones plot has Chan in pursuit of international terrorists, but the narrative quickly gives way to an unceasing barrage of insane stunt work (including a nitro-fueled ski chase and a grandiose fight scene set inside a functioning shark tank). As with most of the aging star's recent films, there is more of an emphasis placed on big, impersonal (albeit impressive) stunts rather than the close-up combat that made him famous; but the end result is still a must-see rush for longtime fans, and a great introduction for newcomers eager to see what all the well-deserved fuss is about. The scene where Jackie takes on multiple goons while armed only with a ladder is one of his most jaw-dropping set pieces ever--and that's saying quite a lot. Be sure to stick around for the closing credits of gags gone awry, which graphically prove that Chan is truly the hardest working man in show business. --Andrew Wright ... Read more

Reviews (50)

Sticks, Tables and Ladders. OH MY!
This is Part Four to one of Chans greatest films ever, Police Story. Police Story 2, which is VERY GOOD, and one of Jackie Chans most famous movies in America SUPERCOP, which is Police Story 3, all come before First Strike. First Strike has the humor and fighting you expect from Chan films. In this Chan resumes the role of Kevin Chan, Hong Kongs best cop, and is helping the KGB and CIA on a case which leads him to a great snowboard and snowmobile chase in Russia. And then he heads to Australia. Plot twists galore lead Chan into trouble with everyone. One of my favorite fight scenes ever is the LADDER MATCH, this fight has to be seen! IT IS THAT GOOD! I have seen almost every JC film and the ladder match is one of my favorite. I watch this fight all the time and love it more each time. This is a great JC film. Not the best of the Police Story series, as the first Police Story is just incredible. But First Strike is still fun to watch over and over. Buy it now!

Killer Action, International Intrigue¿
"Jackie Chan's First Strike" is yet another tour-de-force of hilarious near non-stop action comedy featuring Chan's trademarked ultra-choreographed but jaw-dropping and awe-inspiring just plain AWESOME action sequences (including the trademarked end-of-film outtakes).

THE MOVIE:

"First Strike" follows Jackie's adventures which take him from the snow covered mountains of the Ukraine to the sunny shores of Australia as he becomes entangled in a web of deceit and danger involving a ruthless mobster smuggling nuclear arms, ruthless hitmen and a killer shark!!!

Notable Scenes:

1. The Hotel Fight Scene

2. The Warehouse Fight Scene

3. Hilarious - Jackie stripped down and forced into a funny suit

THE DVD FEATURES:

The DVD is a little sparse on special features, but it does come with a pretty detailed bio (more so than the Rumble in the Bronx DVD) and filmography of Jackie Chan, as well as the movie's director Stanley Tong. Also included is the film's theatrical trailer.

THE VERDICT:

Action movie/martial arts film fans will love this movie. The action, as well as the story, are solid. New fans of Chan will also love this film as its great action sequences. The DVD features, while a bit sparse compared to more recent DVD releases, are alright. Overall, whether you rent, borrow or purchase this DVD/movie is worth a watch at least.

Highly Recommended.

This movie is the best!
Jackie Chan's First Strike is one of the best Jackie Chan films I've ever seen! It combines great action with a better plot. The Ladder fight and the Underwater fight are just two of the amazing scenes. The action truely shows what Jackie can do. It is one of my favorite movies and if you want a great Jackie Chan movie; First Strike is for you.

GREAT
Jackie Chan is the best martial arts fighting person around today. This movie has awesome fight scenes in it which I can watch over and over again. All of his movies are awesome but there is that Jet Li comign up on him so I have a voting type thing. JACKIE CHAN VS. JET LI....... WHO WOULD WIN? IF YOU THINK JACKIE CHAN WOULD WIN PRESS YES THIS REVIEW WAS HELPFUL OR IF YOU THINK JET LI WOULD WIN PRESS NO THIS REVIEW WAS NOT HELPFUL.

Great movie with some nice fight scenes.
This is an older Jackie Chan movie. I'm going to make this pretty concise. Jackie Chan does a great job in some really great and long fight sequences. In this movie, Jackie plays himself. ... Read more

Reviews (32)

1987 - great visuals, action, story, everything
This film started the "mortal meets ghost" trend in the late 80s, and as we all know, originals are the best.

The plot in a nutshell-a tax collector screws up during a collection run, and with nowhere to stay, decides he'll take his chances and stay in the deserted monastery on the outskirts of town. He meets a beautiful woman and a mad Taoist swordsman. When he discovers the woman is a ghost trapped by the Tree Demon he enlists the help of the Taoist in order to save her.

There are great performances from Leslie Cheung and Wu Ma-they both seemed to be born to play their roles. Joey Wong, thankfully, doesn't really have to act, so we don't have to cringe at her rather...limited...acting range This film is beautifully filmed, with some etheral scenes, such as the underwater kissing scene, and the special effects compliment, rather than detract, from the storyline. The characters are well-formed and I could definitely sympathize with the lover's plight. Well-written and highly recommended. - ew

A Love Stronger Than Death
Movie Summary: A young tax collector named Tsei-Shen is forced to stay in the old almost abandoned Lan Ro temple while making his rounds. There he meets a Taoist monk/master swordsman/ghost buster who is the only other human staying at the temple. He also meets a very beautiful young woman, Nieh Hsiao-Tsing, whom he falls in love with. Although she resists at first, the woman falls in love with Tsei-Shen as well. This complicates things because she is a ghost and has been ordered to delete Tsei-Shen and take his soul.

My Opinion: At first I had a hard time with the poor English subtitles and strange story. But then I was pulled into the love story and began to understand what was going on. Some of the small things that happen in the beginning are a bit confusing but I think this is mostly due to the cultural differences and poor subtitles. I ended up liking the movie very much. It has horror, action, and romance all very well mixed up into an entertaining package. The special effects are quite good. The plot is very filled out as well. The Taoist monk is a very cool character and you can’t help but fall in love with the maiden ghost Nieh Hsiao-Tsing.

DVD Quality: Non anamorphic, no English language sound track, poor English subtitles

What You Should Do: Rent it. Don’t buy this edition, wait for a new version that has an anamorphic transfer. This movie is what I would consider a fairly hard core Hong Kong film. You need to be into this type of film to enjoy it. If you are into this genre you should definitely see it and also check out The Bride With The White Hair.

Colorful, Original and Farout!!
This is such a cool film! The magic is felt when you watch it. The moves of the actors, the music, the sets, the storyline and especially the visuals. The effects are natural and unique in this film. There is a transexual tree monster who rules the beautiful dead ghost, who has to be a vampire in order to survive in the ghost world. They are all living in a temple with a possible ghost or warrior, wasn't quite clear. The warrior stood for good and fought the evil. When a young man who is naive and doesn't realize the temple is haunted stumbles in and falls in love with the bewitched beautiful vampire ghost. He does not know she is dead yet and they have a lovely romance sequence. Soon he finds out she is a ghost and wants to help her escape her karma and be reborn again. With the sanskrit words and the help of the good warrior, they take on the tree monster and even go to hell to fight for the spirit of the beautiful ghost finally making there way back to the world. A shimmering image filled feat! Just like the haunted mansion you always wanted to see. Highly Highly Recommended. It has subtitles and they are sometimes hard to follow. This is a movie definately for art lovers and whoever else that is open to something new and different.

Lisa Nary

A must-see if you want to fully enjoy Chinese Ghost Story II
I saw Chinese Ghosty Story II before Chinese Ghost Story, and there's a marked difference between the two. Unfortunately, there are several important plot points from the two movies that join them in a way that makes both better (including a song that takes on a whole new meaning when you realize it's sung by two different characters in each movie).

Chinese Ghost Story is not as wacky or enthralling as its sequel, with less special effects and a more uneven rhythm. The plot, in short, is about Ning Tsei-Shen, a tax collector, falling in love with a ghost, Nieh Hsiao-Tsing, who is kept by a, uh, "tree hag." The tree hag uses her to kill unwitting male mortals.

One particularly weird point is that the tree hag can transform into a gigantic tongue, which shoves itself down men's throats in Alien-esque fashion. Upon doing so, the victim's life force is sucked out. So in essence, the tree hag gives one serious French kiss.

I've since read elsewhere that Sam Raimi took inspiration from this film for Evil Dead, a connection I made on my own. The animated trees, the grasping tentacles, the perspective from the demon's point of view, and even the tree hag's shout that she'll "swallow your chi!" - yep, Sam saw this movie and loved it.

Ghost life is different than typical European ghost folklore. In Chinese Ghost Story, ghosts are more like faeries. They have lives, get married, argue, have relatives, etc. In this case, Nieh Hsiao-Tsing is torn by her role of luring men to their doom and her affection for the hapless tax collector. Worse, she is promised to some unspeakable evil guy in hell.

Our fearless protagonist stumbles into this plot because his tax records are rained on, thus leaving him without any means of getting paid for his hard work. Broke and desperate, Ning Tsei-Shen can only afford to stay in a haunted temple to stay out of the rain.

Chinese Ghost Story is like an Asian version of Romeo and Juliet, down to the help friar -- in this case, a crazy monk who happens to enjoy the presence of spirits more than living people. Although we don't get much perspective on Ning Tsei-Shen's life prior to the story, Nieh Hsiao-Tsing's back-story is fleshed out. She has sisters, all of whom were murdered and left without a proper burial ritual.

As ghosts, they serve a weird tree demon who is actually a man dressed in drag. This is an ongoing theme throughout both movies - demons always look like men, but dress and sound like women. It's strangely effective in making the demons seem immediately wrong, even in their supposedly mortal forms.

The struggle here is not to reunite the two lovers - that's understood to be an impossible task. Instead, it's a race to put Nieh Hsiao-Tsing to rest before she is married to the Unspeakable Evil. A final burial means the ghost also has a chance at being reincarnated as opposed to roaming the Earth or being married in hell. In comparison to the other two fates, reincarnation sounds a lot better.

Of course, things don't go that smoothly. Nieh Hsiao-Tsing is kidnapped, and the dynamic duo of bumbling tax collector and crotchety monk pursue her right into hell. The action propels itself along so quickly that things become confusing - I picked up a lot on second viewing because the characters shout or react so quickly to Hell, which is a murky place.

Between the three protagonists, they manage to defeat Hell's minions, an axe-wielding general, and the big bad himself.

Ning Tsei-Shen looks over his shoulder and his ghostly love is gone. Next we see him giving her a proper burial. Then Ning Tsei-Shen points - we can only assume at a rainbow in the distance that we see in the next scene - and the tax collector and the monk ride off into the distance.

POOF! The end.

To say the ending is jarring is an understatement. The director's style definitely matured in the second movie. This first movie is an excellent set up for the sequel, but on its own it seems like a pastiche of ideas and concepts that were never fully executed. A must-see if you want to fully enjoy Chinese Ghost Story II.

Tale of a man and a ghost...
The debt collector, Tsai-Shen, arrives in a small town in order to collect a debt. However, during a massive rainfall the water has destroyed the records of the debt that Ning is suppose to collect. Penniless and friendless Tsai-Shenseeks shelter in the Lan Ro temple oblivious to the reputation of the temple, which is known for its ghosts as well as its deaths. During the night Tsai-Shen meets Hsiao-Tsing with whom he falls in love with, but he is unaware that she is a ghost. Chinese Ghost Story is a touching love story full of swashbuckling adventure and humor as Tsai-Shen ignorantly tumbles through an adventure with horrors around every corner. However, the comedy is not as well balanced with the horror, since the comedy removes the suspense as it often is slap-stick humor. In the end, the audience experiences a action comedy that will entertain and offer some hilarious moments as Tsai-Shen struggles through this adventure. ... Read more

Reviews (64)

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Highly amusing movie with incredible action choreography and fight sequences, some of the best seen so far in Chan's American films. I notice this film took a few thrashings for not being as, um, deep and meaningful and powerful as some of his "better" films like Crime Story and Drunken Master II. Now I've heard that Drunken Master II is incredible, so I won't touch that, but Crime Story blows. It's more serious, but in a very dull, heavy-handed, unenriching, badly done way. A flick like Rumble in the Bronx is silly as all hell, sure, but personally I don't turn to Jackie Chan for profound art. This movie is cheesy fun; the incredible action sequences make it worthwhile cheesy fun. I will concede with another review, though, in that the "big stunts" in Chan's American movies tend to be the least impressive parts. A hovercraft is fun to watch, but not as fun as Chan's nimble physical kinetics. Same with a helicopter (Supercop) and a big tractor-thing (Mr. Nice Guy.)

One of Jackie Chan's best!
This has to be one of Jackie Chan's best movies in the US and Asia. This has one of the best blends of action and plot (where others were too heavy on action) and shows the charm of Chan. While not exactly the most realistic or intricate plots in the world, it's quirky and funny and still has plenty of action and stunts to please anyone. The stunts and action are definitely some of the better ones because of the large budget. The fight scenes are typical of Jackie Chan, using many props and gags to add flavor missing to many U.S. action movies. The highlight of the movie is the main character. Unlike the typical action hero, Keung (Chan) is more a hapless victim of circumstances. His character is like a modern day mix of Buster Keaton, Harold Loyd, and Bruce Lee.

Anyone who enjoyed Project A, Wheels on Meals, Armour of God, Operation Condor (Armour of God 2), First Strike, Supercop, or his newest gem Rush Hour will certainly like Rumble in the Bronx. Treat yourself and get it Widescreen!

Go Jackie
I'm one of Jackie's biggest fan. In this one he really showed of some shnazzy moves. This DVD had a great story and it was DA BOMB. If you are a Jackie Chan fan them you MUST I repeat MUST have it!!! Jackie kicked some serious butt in this one so stop drooling and get it!!!

4.5 Stars-Lots of action like Hoovercraft
Lets just say there is a ton of action in this movie.I believe this is the one that put him on the American map he does great fight wise in NYC.It is guarenteed to give you action.The acting has rubbed off a little but this has great scene
Acting 6 Story 9 Direction 9 Action 10 Entertainment 10
Overall=44/50 This movie gets a 88 wich is 4.5 stars good movie

THIS IS THE BEST FIGHTING MOVIE EVER
The martial arts in this movie are awesome cause yuo know Jackie Chan does all his own stunts. There are very cool fight seens in this movie. I can't stop watching them cause there awesome. besides its only ten dollars. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Action-god Jackie Chan does his best James Bond impression with this ecstatic sequel to the classic Supercop. The bare-bones plot has Chan in pursuit of international terrorists, but the narrative quickly gives way to an unceasing barrage of insane stunt work (including a nitro-fueled ski chase and a grandiose fight scene set inside a functioning shark tank). As with most of the aging star's recent films, there is more of an emphasis placed on big, impersonal (albeit impressive) stunts rather than the close-up combat that made him famous; but the end result is still a must-see rush for longtime fans, and a great introduction for newcomers eager to see what all the well-deserved fuss is about. The scene where Jackie takes on multiple goons while armed only with a ladder is one of his most jaw-dropping set pieces ever--and that's saying quite a lot. Be sure to stick around for the closing credits of gags gone awry, which graphically prove that Chan is truly the hardest working man in show business. --Andrew Wright ... Read more

Reviews (50)

Sticks, Tables and Ladders. OH MY!
This is Part Four to one of Chans greatest films ever, Police Story. Police Story 2, which is VERY GOOD, and one of Jackie Chans most famous movies in America SUPERCOP, which is Police Story 3, all come before First Strike. First Strike has the humor and fighting you expect from Chan films. In this Chan resumes the role of Kevin Chan, Hong Kongs best cop, and is helping the KGB and CIA on a case which leads him to a great snowboard and snowmobile chase in Russia. And then he heads to Australia. Plot twists galore lead Chan into trouble with everyone. One of my favorite fight scenes ever is the LADDER MATCH, this fight has to be seen! IT IS THAT GOOD! I have seen almost every JC film and the ladder match is one of my favorite. I watch this fight all the time and love it more each time. This is a great JC film. Not the best of the Police Story series, as the first Police Story is just incredible. But First Strike is still fun to watch over and over. Buy it now!

Good, but not Chan's best
The latest entry in the very distinguished "Police Story" series, this is something of a letdown after seeing movies like Supercop and Rumble In the Bronx. Don't get me wrong, Jackie's stunt work is as insane as ever; name one other actor who will snowboard off a cliff, grab onto a helicopter, then fall about 40 feet into freezing water. The plot, however, is rathter overcomplex and slow, and takes too long to get to the real action. There's only one major fight in the movie, involving Jackie, a group of irate relatives of a murdered man, a large ladder and quite a lot of wooden sticks. It's a great scene, but the only such one in the film. A sequence in a shark tank seems a tad slow, since being underwater doesn't give Jackie an oppourtunity to move really fast and acrobatically, or make his trademark goofy faces. Another scene involving two giant goons in a hotel room and various household objects is somewhat better, but seeing Jackie desperatley run away seems wrong. My final word though? Watch it, but don't make your final judgement on Jackie Chan based on it. Save that for after Police Story, Project A, Supercop, Rumble In the Bronx and Drunken Master II.

This movie is the best!
Jackie Chan's First Strike is one of the best Jackie Chan films I've ever seen! It combines great action with a better plot. The Ladder fight and the Underwater fight are just two of the amazing scenes. The action truely shows what Jackie can do. It is one of my favorite movies and if you want a great Jackie Chan movie; First Strike is for you.

GREAT
Jackie Chan is the best martial arts fighting person around today. This movie has awesome fight scenes in it which I can watch over and over again. All of his movies are awesome but there is that Jet Li comign up on him so I have a voting type thing. JACKIE CHAN VS. JET LI....... WHO WOULD WIN? IF YOU THINK JACKIE CHAN WOULD WIN PRESS YES THIS REVIEW WAS HELPFUL OR IF YOU THINK JET LI WOULD WIN PRESS NO THIS REVIEW WAS NOT HELPFUL.

Great movie with some nice fight scenes.
This is an older Jackie Chan movie. I'm going to make this pretty concise. Jackie Chan does a great job in some really great and long fight sequences. In this movie, Jackie plays himself. ... Read more

Reviews (52)

Not what you'd think
So long as you go into this movie expecting a fantasy epic instead of a martial arts film, you'll do fine. While there are some pretty good fight scenes in this movie, it's more along the lines of the Chinese Ghost Story series than Dragon Inn or Iron Monkey. Just don't let that stop you from seeing it. This movie completely revitalized Bridgette Lin's flagging career and after watching it, you'll understand why. Lin is magnificent as the trans-gendered Asia, playing the role with a threatening and aristocratic gravity that's truly awesome and one of her best performances outside of Peking Opera Blues. Jet Li is always awesome to watch (although admittedly, he didn't get much oppurtunity to truly demonstrate his skills in this one). Still, his fluid grace and power come through as always. SII also has some truly great visual effects, and a seemingly unending stream of surprises. The weapons that are brought into play besides the usual swords and spears range from sewing needles to man-sized hooks as well as the vampire like "essence absorbing stance." Rosamund Kwan is lethal with a bull whip, attractive in a turban, and also (one of) Jet Li's romantic interests in the film, along with the delectable Michelle Reis; and whoever played Blue Phoenix was also more than a little attractive as well, despite her nasty habit of keeping snakes in her clothes and rustling up hordes of scorpions to swarm her opponents (she'd be your worst nightmare for a blind date). One of Tsui Harks and Hong Kong Cinema's best and definately one of my personal favorites.

Good MOVIE, average Martial Arts Film
I really liked this film. It was very entertaining, had a solid story (that was hard to follow at times), but still very interesting. The characters were great, each and everyone. Brigitte Linn was badly under utilized, using Magic over her martial arts skills, that was disappointing.

Actually, think back, Jet Li was the only character in the whole film that used martial arts, everyone else used magic.

Jet Li's acting was extremely fun to watch. The interaction between him and his sister was great (though she was awful jealous for a sister).

As a whole this movie is a joy to watch, the story and plot are great. But don't buy this movie thinking you are going to see a Kung Fu movie, or skilled martial arts, because you won't.

As a movie I would give Swordsman II a B+
As a martial arts film I would give Swordsman II a C-

This is the dubbed version
Dubbed and renamed. See the original Swordsman II instead.

Strange role for Jet Li
When I first saw Jet Li in this film, I wondered. After watching it though, I have to say that he played the role well, and even made the movie. Michelle Reis was excellent as his "sister," and Rosamund Kwan played the role of village chief flawlessly.

This is a classic.

Buena Vista Home Vid DVD ruined it!
Im here rating "The legend of The Swordsman" wich is actually "Buena Vista Home Vid" DVD version of a great movie called "SwordsmanII"...

First of all, A LOT of dialogues just disappeared, scenes were cut and combat sounds effects RUINED ! ! ! I guess thats what happens when u ask a spanish comapny to re-do a HK classical movie.

Anyway dont just buy the "Buena Vista Home Vid DVD" Called The Legend of the Swordsman, aka Jet Li collection... yeah good job ruinning Jet Li classics Buena Vista Home Vid .... grr ... Read more

Reviews (64)

.
Highly amusing movie with incredible action choreography and fight sequences, some of the best seen so far in Chan's American films. I notice this film took a few thrashings for not being as, um, deep and meaningful and powerful as some of his "better" films like Crime Story and Drunken Master II. Now I've heard that Drunken Master II is incredible, so I won't touch that, but Crime Story blows. It's more serious, but in a very dull, heavy-handed, unenriching, badly done way. A flick like Rumble in the Bronx is silly as all hell, sure, but personally I don't turn to Jackie Chan for profound art. This movie is cheesy fun; the incredible action sequences make it worthwhile cheesy fun. I will concede with another review, though, in that the "big stunts" in Chan's American movies tend to be the least impressive parts. A hovercraft is fun to watch, but not as fun as Chan's nimble physical kinetics. Same with a helicopter (Supercop) and a big tractor-thing (Mr. Nice Guy.)

One of Jackie Chan's best!
This has to be one of Jackie Chan's best movies in the US and Asia. This has one of the best blends of action and plot (where others were too heavy on action) and shows the charm of Chan. While not exactly the most realistic or intricate plots in the world, it's quirky and funny and still has plenty of action and stunts to please anyone. The stunts and action are definitely some of the better ones because of the large budget. The fight scenes are typical of Jackie Chan, using many props and gags to add flavor missing to many U.S. action movies. The highlight of the movie is the main character. Unlike the typical action hero, Keung (Chan) is more a hapless victim of circumstances. His character is like a modern day mix of Buster Keaton, Harold Loyd, and Bruce Lee.

Anyone who enjoyed Project A, Wheels on Meals, Armour of God, Operation Condor (Armour of God 2), First Strike, Supercop, or his newest gem Rush Hour will certainly like Rumble in the Bronx. Treat yourself and get it Widescreen!

Go Jackie
I'm one of Jackie's biggest fan. In this one he really showed of some shnazzy moves. This DVD had a great story and it was DA BOMB. If you are a Jackie Chan fan them you MUST I repeat MUST have it!!! Jackie kicked some serious butt in this one so stop drooling and get it!!!

4.5 Stars-Lots of action like Hoovercraft
Lets just say there is a ton of action in this movie.I believe this is the one that put him on the American map he does great fight wise in NYC.It is guarenteed to give you action.The acting has rubbed off a little but this has great scene
Acting 6 Story 9 Direction 9 Action 10 Entertainment 10
Overall=44/50 This movie gets a 88 wich is 4.5 stars good movie

THIS IS THE BEST FIGHTING MOVIE EVER
The martial arts in this movie are awesome cause yuo know Jackie Chan does all his own stunts. There are very cool fight seens in this movie. I can't stop watching them cause there awesome. besides its only ten dollars. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Action-god Jackie Chan does his best James Bond impression with this ecstatic sequel to the classic Supercop. The bare-bones plot has Chan in pursuit of international terrorists, but the narrative quickly gives way to an unceasing barrage of insane stunt work (including a nitro-fueled ski chase and a grandiose fight scene set inside a functioning shark tank). As with most of the aging star's recent films, there is more of an emphasis placed on big, impersonal (albeit impressive) stunts rather than the close-up combat that made him famous; but the end result is still a must-see rush for longtime fans, and a great introduction for newcomers eager to see what all the well-deserved fuss is about. The scene where Jackie takes on multiple goons while armed only with a ladder is one of his most jaw-dropping set pieces ever--and that's saying quite a lot. Be sure to stick around for the closing credits of gags gone awry, which graphically prove that Chan is truly the hardest working man in show business. --Andrew Wright ... Read more

Reviews (50)

Sticks, Tables and Ladders. OH MY!
This is Part Four to one of Chans greatest films ever, Police Story. Police Story 2, which is VERY GOOD, and one of Jackie Chans most famous movies in America SUPERCOP, which is Police Story 3, all come before First Strike. First Strike has the humor and fighting you expect from Chan films. In this Chan resumes the role of Kevin Chan, Hong Kongs best cop, and is helping the KGB and CIA on a case which leads him to a great snowboard and snowmobile chase in Russia. And then he heads to Australia. Plot twists galore lead Chan into trouble with everyone. One of my favorite fight scenes ever is the LADDER MATCH, this fight has to be seen! IT IS THAT GOOD! I have seen almost every JC film and the ladder match is one of my favorite. I watch this fight all the time and love it more each time. This is a great JC film. Not the best of the Police Story series, as the first Police Story is just incredible. But First Strike is still fun to watch over and over. Buy it now!

Killer Action, International Intrigue¿
"Jackie Chan's First Strike" is yet another tour-de-force of hilarious near non-stop action comedy featuring Chan's trademarked ultra-choreographed but jaw-dropping and awe-inspiring just plain AWESOME action sequences (including the trademarked end-of-film outtakes).

THE MOVIE:

"First Strike" follows Jackie's adventures which take him from the snow covered mountains of the Ukraine to the sunny shores of Australia as he becomes entangled in a web of deceit and danger involving a ruthless mobster smuggling nuclear arms, ruthless hitmen and a killer shark!!!

Notable Scenes:

1. The Hotel Fight Scene

2. The Warehouse Fight Scene

3. Hilarious - Jackie stripped down and forced into a funny suit

THE DVD FEATURES:

The DVD is a little sparse on special features, but it does come with a pretty detailed bio (more so than the Rumble in the Bronx DVD) and filmography of Jackie Chan, as well as the movie's director Stanley Tong. Also included is the film's theatrical trailer.

THE VERDICT:

Action movie/martial arts film fans will love this movie. The action, as well as the story, are solid. New fans of Chan will also love this film as its great action sequences. The DVD features, while a bit sparse compared to more recent DVD releases, are alright. Overall, whether you rent, borrow or purchase this DVD/movie is worth a watch at least.

Highly Recommended.

This movie is the best!
Jackie Chan's First Strike is one of the best Jackie Chan films I've ever seen! It combines great action with a better plot. The Ladder fight and the Underwater fight are just two of the amazing scenes. The action truely shows what Jackie can do. It is one of my favorite movies and if you want a great Jackie Chan movie; First Strike is for you.

GREAT
Jackie Chan is the best martial arts fighting person around today. This movie has awesome fight scenes in it which I can watch over and over again. All of his movies are awesome but there is that Jet Li comign up on him so I have a voting type thing. JACKIE CHAN VS. JET LI....... WHO WOULD WIN? IF YOU THINK JACKIE CHAN WOULD WIN PRESS YES THIS REVIEW WAS HELPFUL OR IF YOU THINK JET LI WOULD WIN PRESS NO THIS REVIEW WAS NOT HELPFUL.

Great movie with some nice fight scenes.
This is an older Jackie Chan movie. I'm going to make this pretty concise. Jackie Chan does a great job in some really great and long fight sequences. In this movie, Jackie plays himself. ... Read more

Reviews (52)

Not what you'd think
So long as you go into this movie expecting a fantasy epic instead of a martial arts film, you'll do fine. While there are some pretty good fight scenes in this movie, it's more along the lines of the Chinese Ghost Story series than Dragon Inn or Iron Monkey. Just don't let that stop you from seeing it. This movie completely revitalized Bridgette Lin's flagging career and after watching it, you'll understand why. Lin is magnificent as the trans-gendered Asia, playing the role with a threatening and aristocratic gravity that's truly awesome and one of her best performances outside of Peking Opera Blues. Jet Li is always awesome to watch (although admittedly, he didn't get much oppurtunity to truly demonstrate his skills in this one). Still, his fluid grace and power come through as always. SII also has some truly great visual effects, and a seemingly unending stream of surprises. The weapons that are brought into play besides the usual swords and spears range from sewing needles to man-sized hooks as well as the vampire like "essence absorbing stance." Rosamund Kwan is lethal with a bull whip, attractive in a turban, and also (one of) Jet Li's romantic interests in the film, along with the delectable Michelle Reis; and whoever played Blue Phoenix was also more than a little attractive as well, despite her nasty habit of keeping snakes in her clothes and rustling up hordes of scorpions to swarm her opponents (she'd be your worst nightmare for a blind date). One of Tsui Harks and Hong Kong Cinema's best and definately one of my personal favorites.

Good MOVIE, average Martial Arts Film
I really liked this film. It was very entertaining, had a solid story (that was hard to follow at times), but still very interesting. The characters were great, each and everyone. Brigitte Linn was badly under utilized, using Magic over her martial arts skills, that was disappointing.

Actually, think back, Jet Li was the only character in the whole film that used martial arts, everyone else used magic.

Jet Li's acting was extremely fun to watch. The interaction between him and his sister was great (though she was awful jealous for a sister).

As a whole this movie is a joy to watch, the story and plot are great. But don't buy this movie thinking you are going to see a Kung Fu movie, or skilled martial arts, because you won't.

As a movie I would give Swordsman II a B+
As a martial arts film I would give Swordsman II a C-

This is the dubbed version
Dubbed and renamed. See the original Swordsman II instead.

Strange role for Jet Li
When I first saw Jet Li in this film, I wondered. After watching it though, I have to say that he played the role well, and even made the movie. Michelle Reis was excellent as his "sister," and Rosamund Kwan played the role of village chief flawlessly.

This is a classic.

Buena Vista Home Vid DVD ruined it!
Im here rating "The legend of The Swordsman" wich is actually "Buena Vista Home Vid" DVD version of a great movie called "SwordsmanII"...

First of all, A LOT of dialogues just disappeared, scenes were cut and combat sounds effects RUINED ! ! ! I guess thats what happens when u ask a spanish comapny to re-do a HK classical movie.

Anyway dont just buy the "Buena Vista Home Vid DVD" Called The Legend of the Swordsman, aka Jet Li collection... yeah good job ruinning Jet Li classics Buena Vista Home Vid .... grr ... Read more

Reviews (52)

Not what you'd think
So long as you go into this movie expecting a fantasy epic instead of a martial arts film, you'll do fine. While there are some pretty good fight scenes in this movie, it's more along the lines of the Chinese Ghost Story series than Dragon Inn or Iron Monkey. Just don't let that stop you from seeing it. This movie completely revitalized Bridgette Lin's flagging career and after watching it, you'll understand why. Lin is magnificent as the trans-gendered Asia, playing the role with a threatening and aristocratic gravity that's truly awesome and one of her best performances outside of Peking Opera Blues. Jet Li is always awesome to watch (although admittedly, he didn't get much oppurtunity to truly demonstrate his skills in this one). Still, his fluid grace and power come through as always. SII also has some truly great visual effects, and a seemingly unending stream of surprises. The weapons that are brought into play besides the usual swords and spears range from sewing needles to man-sized hooks as well as the vampire like "essence absorbing stance." Rosamund Kwan is lethal with a bull whip, attractive in a turban, and also (one of) Jet Li's romantic interests in the film, along with the delectable Michelle Reis; and whoever played Blue Phoenix was also more than a little attractive as well, despite her nasty habit of keeping snakes in her clothes and rustling up hordes of scorpions to swarm her opponents (she'd be your worst nightmare for a blind date). One of Tsui Harks and Hong Kong Cinema's best and definately one of my personal favorites.

Good MOVIE, average Martial Arts Film
I really liked this film. It was very entertaining, had a solid story (that was hard to follow at times), but still very interesting. The characters were great, each and everyone. Brigitte Linn was badly under utilized, using Magic over her martial arts skills, that was disappointing.

Actually, think back, Jet Li was the only character in the whole film that used martial arts, everyone else used magic.

Jet Li's acting was extremely fun to watch. The interaction between him and his sister was great (though she was awful jealous for a sister).

As a whole this movie is a joy to watch, the story and plot are great. But don't buy this movie thinking you are going to see a Kung Fu movie, or skilled martial arts, because you won't.

As a movie I would give Swordsman II a B+
As a martial arts film I would give Swordsman II a C-

This is the dubbed version
Dubbed and renamed. See the original Swordsman II instead.

Strange role for Jet Li
When I first saw Jet Li in this film, I wondered. After watching it though, I have to say that he played the role well, and even made the movie. Michelle Reis was excellent as his "sister," and Rosamund Kwan played the role of village chief flawlessly.

This is a classic.

Buena Vista Home Vid DVD ruined it!
Im here rating "The legend of The Swordsman" wich is actually "Buena Vista Home Vid" DVD version of a great movie called "SwordsmanII"...

First of all, A LOT of dialogues just disappeared, scenes were cut and combat sounds effects RUINED ! ! ! I guess thats what happens when u ask a spanish comapny to re-do a HK classical movie.

Anyway dont just buy the "Buena Vista Home Vid DVD" Called The Legend of the Swordsman, aka Jet Li collection... yeah good job ruinning Jet Li classics Buena Vista Home Vid .... grr ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Mark Dacascos is the real star
Although the other actors make a decent effort, it's obvious that Mark Dacascos is the one who really knows what he's doing. While the others use wires to make themselves look good, Mark doesn't, and he still looks better.

Disecting the story would be pretty pointless. It's standard fare and offers nothing revolutionary, but as with all martial arts movies it's what you come to expect. Kind of a shame really, but anytime I can watch Mark is ok with me.

There is a rather touching performance dealing with the death of a character and the girls are lovely. Again, if you're looking for something deep this isn't the movie for you.

Above Average Action from Director of "Rumbles in the Bronx"
This is an average Hong kong actioner with its cast from diverse countries. From Hong Kong, upcoming star Arron Kwok appears as a special agent in Shanghai while America provides Coolio as a drug lord and Mark Dacascos as a gangster hungry for money and power (rare case for him to play a bad guy). Plus from Taiwan you get singer Leehom Wang as Kwok's hot-shot sidekick, and Japan also sends its popular actress Norika Fujiwara as a mysterious spy. It is obvious that "China Strike Force" (in Japan where I saw it, it was called "Spy_N") is made for international market, and whether it succeeds or not, I don't know, but as an action film it fares better than many other outings from Hong Kong, where you can see no longer Jackie, Chow, or maestro Woo constantly.

And the story is about a Chinese police team of Arron Kwok and Leehom Wang, who must stall some plot of a joint force of Chinese crime syndicate (Dacascos) and American gangster (Coolio), about some drug deal, but it is just a usual excuse to carry on 90 minutes of exciting actions and dull dialogues. Just wait till the film kicks off its action scenes, which are quite impressive.

There are two things that you might be interested. Director Stanley Tong is famous for Jackie Chan films, especially "First Strike" and "Rumbles in the Bronx" (the latter reaching the No. 1 box-office hit in US), and ... (embarrasing silence) ... Lesley Nelsen's "Mr. Magoo." His first Holywood film was surely a bomb. But he went back to his roots, real Hong-Kong actioner, and made a pretty good one, even though it sometimes goes to far, showing too much superflous viloence.

Another thing is that the location is not in Hong-Kong, but in Shanghai, and that may add some value to the film. This means it was shot in China, not in a rather crowded city of Hong Kong, so the actions are done with a larger scale as a result, and especailly the following two -- a "Driven"-like car chase sequence, and the final action using helicopter carrying a car and a glass panel held at the deadly height -- is very exciting.

Great Action--Acting? I dont speak a lick of Chinese
The action in this movie is outstanding, the helicopter/glass pane scene is unreal, I loved it!--I am pretty sure the acting is pretty bad but I have watched this twice, once with Cantonese and the second time with the Mandarin DTS track (my girlfriend speaks Mandarin so when I saw it again with her she was happy) and I had to work with English subtitles. The DTS encoding is superb and the Lfe channel made my couch move a few feet to the right. And I can't forget Norika Fujiwara, she is one of my favorite foreign actresses, not to mention the fact that she is gorgeous (sharing the level of beauty with Shu Qui and Zhang Zhiyi)--and she is outstanding in this movie, you can't take your eyes off of her.

Diverse Cast, fairly good story
Although this movie was not one of the greatest Hong Kong movies I have ever watched, it was quite enjoyable.

Synopsis (taken from back): Two young and handsome cops Darren and Alex watch the charity event, and suddenly an assassination occurs. Alex follows the assassin and suspects the beautiful woman, Norika, with move of taking something off from the victim's jacket pocket. Actually, she's a Japanese interpol agent. Darren and Alex try to save Norika who is trapped, but in the midst of the bullet showers, Alex dies heroicall. Darren on a quest to save Norika and revenge for Alex, he pursues them relentlessly and defeats the gang in a high-octane action sequence involving helicopters, and fights on a large glass plane...

**I know the translation is bad, but that is what is written on the back cover.**

I have to say the fight sequences are well choreographed. Mark Dacascos looks great, Coolio does a passable job of the typical ghetto gangster, Aaron Kwok has improved in acting and his mandarin, the other actors performed well also. There is a great deal of English dialogue but it does not detract from the movie.

I am sure that audiences will really enjoy the helicopter fight sequence as well as the fight on the large glass pane fifty stories in the air...

I hope this was helpful. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Mark Dacascos is the real star
Although the other actors make a decent effort, it's obvious that Mark Dacascos is the one who really knows what he's doing. While the others use wires to make themselves look good, Mark doesn't, and he still looks better.

Disecting the story would be pretty pointless. It's standard fare and offers nothing revolutionary, but as with all martial arts movies it's what you come to expect. Kind of a shame really, but anytime I can watch Mark is ok with me.

There is a rather touching performance dealing with the death of a character and the girls are lovely. Again, if you're looking for something deep this isn't the movie for you.

Above Average Action from Director of "Rumbles in the Bronx"
This is an average Hong kong actioner with its cast from diverse countries. From Hong Kong, upcoming star Arron Kwok appears as a special agent in Shanghai while America provides Coolio as a drug lord and Mark Dacascos as a gangster hungry for money and power (rare case for him to play a bad guy). Plus from Taiwan you get singer Leehom Wang as Kwok's hot-shot sidekick, and Japan also sends its popular actress Norika Fujiwara as a mysterious spy. It is obvious that "China Strike Force" (in Japan where I saw it, it was called "Spy_N") is made for international market, and whether it succeeds or not, I don't know, but as an action film it fares better than many other outings from Hong Kong, where you can see no longer Jackie, Chow, or maestro Woo constantly.

And the story is about a Chinese police team of Arron Kwok and Leehom Wang, who must stall some plot of a joint force of Chinese crime syndicate (Dacascos) and American gangster (Coolio), about some drug deal, but it is just a usual excuse to carry on 90 minutes of exciting actions and dull dialogues. Just wait till the film kicks off its action scenes, which are quite impressive.

There are two things that you might be interested. Director Stanley Tong is famous for Jackie Chan films, especially "First Strike" and "Rumbles in the Bronx" (the latter reaching the No. 1 box-office hit in US), and ... (embarrasing silence) ... Lesley Nelsen's "Mr. Magoo." His first Holywood film was surely a bomb. But he went back to his roots, real Hong-Kong actioner, and made a pretty good one, even though it sometimes goes to far, showing too much superflous viloence.

Another thing is that the location is not in Hong-Kong, but in Shanghai, and that may add some value to the film. This means it was shot in China, not in a rather crowded city of Hong Kong, so the actions are done with a larger scale as a result, and especailly the following two -- a "Driven"-like car chase sequence, and the final action using helicopter carrying a car and a glass panel held at the deadly height -- is very exciting.

Great Action--Acting? I dont speak a lick of Chinese
The action in this movie is outstanding, the helicopter/glass pane scene is unreal, I loved it!--I am pretty sure the acting is pretty bad but I have watched this twice, once with Cantonese and the second time with the Mandarin DTS track (my girlfriend speaks Mandarin so when I saw it again with her she was happy) and I had to work with English subtitles. The DTS encoding is superb and the Lfe channel made my couch move a few feet to the right. And I can't forget Norika Fujiwara, she is one of my favorite foreign actresses, not to mention the fact that she is gorgeous (sharing the level of beauty with Shu Qui and Zhang Zhiyi)--and she is outstanding in this movie, you can't take your eyes off of her.

Diverse Cast, fairly good story
Although this movie was not one of the greatest Hong Kong movies I have ever watched, it was quite enjoyable.

Synopsis (taken from back): Two young and handsome cops Darren and Alex watch the charity event, and suddenly an assassination occurs. Alex follows the assassin and suspects the beautiful woman, Norika, with move of taking something off from the victim's jacket pocket. Actually, she's a Japanese interpol agent. Darren and Alex try to sa