Jackie Chans Erstschlag

If you've never seen a Jackie Chan film before, this is a good place to start. I speak from experience, for it is the first film of his that I saw. I must warn you, though: his films are not for everyone. The plots are often pedestrian and sometimes incoherent. They also are usually dubbed, making them seem cheesy. Sometimes I describe him to people as a guilty pleasure, but that may give the wrong impression. What Chan does well is sheer genius. Plot is besides the point. It's not what his films are about.

What, then, are they about? It's hard to put into words. You may have heard him described as a martial artist, a stuntman, and a slapstick comedian. None of those descriptions do him justice. I could add that he's something of an acrobat and gymnast, but even that doesn't sum it up. There is no actor he can be compared to, for his style is unique; it's like he's developed his own art form. These are not "fighting films" in a traditional sense. They're more like the types of acts you might see at a circus, involving props used in astonishing ways and depending on careful choreography and exquisite timing. For example, at one point in this film Chan flips and twirls a heavy stepladder like it was a baton, then sets it down and weaves his own body through the rungs, while fending off attacks from a group of men.

Typically in his films, the acts he performs get increasingly formidable as the film progresses, culminating in some large-scale stunt such as him leaping off a building. But even the little things he does are eye-popping. In this film he's constantly climbing walls with an agility reminiscent of Donald O'Connor. You never know what to expect, for he does different things in each film.

Well, at least that once was the case. Since "Rush Hour," his 1998 American blockbuster, his stunts have become less intricate, and he's begun repeating ideas. It may be that he's getting older, but it also may be that he's moved from Hong Kong to Hollywood. Undoubtedly the recent films have more polish and better production values, which has helped make them accessible to a wider audience. But his earlier work is so full of invention that I'm able to overlook formula plots, bad acting, and cheesy humor. I do have my limits. A few of his films--"The Protector" comes to mind--are so badly done that it doesn't matter that they have cool fight sequences. His films need some measure of competence to work. They are more than a series of routines strung together.

Part of what makes them charming is Chan himself. He is a pretty solid actor compared to some of the leading American action stars, capable of conveying a full range of emotions convincingly. He is particularly good at expressing panic. The character he plays is not your standard tough-guy. He is frequently an inferior fighter to those he confronts. When hit, he grimaces in pain. When faced with the opportunity, he runs. He survives by a mixture of quick wits and luck. He is far more a throwback to Keaton and Chaplin than a martial arts master.

Of course, I won't call this film or any other by Chan a masterpiece. Perhaps I'm too conventional. If the purpose of films is to entertain, his succeed brilliantly. Whether they appeal to you depends on your taste, but one thing you cannot do is claim he's untalented. It may not be a talent you're used to, but it's one that's likely to remain unparalleled.

In this apparent 'Police Story IV', Jackie plays, of all people, Jackie, a cop from Hong Kong working on a case with the CIA. Pretty soon he is off to Ukraine, and then to Australia for some reason. In Australia, he shares a hotel room with a Koala, and generally beats up very big Russian mobsters. Wow.

OK, I'll admit it isn't as awesome as it sounds, nor is it as bad as it may sound to others. The plot is standard spy-stuff, and accompanied by some very poor dialog. The bad guys are the stereotypical bad guys who know they can kill the hero straight away, but opt for something else, in this case, its "lets have fun with him" or "lets beat him". Ah, classic. Those very big Russian mobsters don't look or sound very intelligent anyway.

Sure, the plot might be trying to be too much like James Bond, the dialog bad, and some of the actors poor - but Jackie beats people up using a ladder. A LADDER! Some of the other action scenes are pretty cool too - ranging from Jackie snowboarding, to Jackie fighting on stilts, to Jackie jumping cars. Awesome.

7/10 - Only for fans of action or Jackie Chan

Jackie Chan plays a cop who chases a criminal from Russia to Australia.I don't bother telling more about the plot because it's really not important in this kind of movie.This is like a James Bond movie.But there's Chan, Jackie Chan in this one.The fighting sequences are unbelievable in this movie and there is a lot of action in it.Jackie hangs from a helicopter, skis with one ski, uses ladder for fighting and then there's under water action in the movie.It is also very funny.Jing cha gu shi IV: Jian dan ren wu which is also known as Jackie Chan's First Strike from 1996 was Jackie's first movie for American people to see.Jackie Chan is unbelievable in his moves.He is like new Bruce Lee but with his own style of course.He does his own stunts like Buster Keaton did.It is nice to watch the bloopers during credits.If you like martial arts or Jackie Chan this is a movie for you to enjoy.

The fourth installment in Jackie Chan's terrific Police Story films {although the western release obscured the connection,but more on that later}is basically Chan's take on James Bond. And it is tremendous fun,in many respects one of his best all-round movies. While having some incredible action,it also has a reasonably good plot and acting,two things which even the most die-hard Chan fan will probably admit his films don't often contain.

The film has been unfairly criticised for having little martial arts,but it has more than,say,Crime Story or The Tuxedo. This film aims at more diversity in it's action,and ranges from a ski-chase {ending with Chan jumping on to a helicopter than falling into ice-filled water with VERY little protection}to a running battle with a giant {this scene actually has Chan running on water!}to a warehouse fight where Chan uses a ladder with amazing skill. The film moves a little slower than you might expect but the story holds the attention and the last half-hour is incredible non-stop action,climaxing with a terrific car stunt. The centrepiece is an underwater fight with martial arts moves. It somewhat degenerates into clowning but is never less than terrific to watch. A shame that Chan injured himself and therefore {as with Rumble In The Bronx}could not have a final battle,but never mind.

Hugely enjoyable then,with Chan obviously aware of the Bondisms and having fun doing them his way {he even complains that he is missing the gorgeous girls at one point}. Sadly the Western cinema release is cut by around 20 minutes. The plot is harder to follow and ,worst of all,some of the action is cut,including some great moments from the underwater battle. The original Hong Kong version is superior in every way and it remains a great shame that New Line and Miramax see fit to chop up all the non-American Chan films they release. Seek out the full version.

"First Strike" is at its worst when it tries to be a James Bond spoof and comes off as a cut-rate Bond imitation. It's at its best when it lets Jackie Chan do what he does best: performing awesome physical stunts and engaging in lightning-paced fight scenes. The plot is utterly disjointed, and I would go so far as to say that there are only two or three really good scenes here, but these are SO good they make the movie worth watching anyway. The "ladder scene", in particular, simply defies belief; Jackie Chan seems to be pushing the boundaries of what we consider "humanly possible". (**1/2)