Kei zik

'Miracles' (I actually like the Australian version title 'The Canton Godfather' more) is quite different from usual Jackie Chan's action choreography movies. It is more situation comedy in 1930s Hollywood fashion, but in Jackie Chan's sauce. The magnificent action and fight scenes are still in, but this time the film concentrates more on simple storytelling and comedy with lavishing set pieces depicting 1930's Hong Kong. The film is over two hours long, but it doesnt' drag as the pacing between action scenes is nearly perfect. Jackie Chan's comedic timing and use of slapstick is as masterful as his martial arts skills. Might not be Chan's best movie, but it is still very enjoyable. Sweet but not sticky. And every once in a while it is nice to see one of your favorite heroes doing something little different.

Plus - Jackie Chan himself considers 'Miracles' his best directorial effort.

Before Miracles (inspired by Pocketful of Miracles and other films), Jackie had already done several movies set in the early 30s, including Project A and the sequel Project A II where Jackie homages silent movies and recreates stunts by Buster Keaton, etc.

In this film, Jackie creates a film that would let him be recognised as a first-rate director. Miracles is a story of Jackie who gets involved with a local triad gang, who's boss dies proclaiming Jackie to be the new boss. The film follows Jackie's exploits and his quest to make the gang into a non-criminal type gangsters mob.

The film has fantastic camera work and wonderfully detailed in all costumes and the set design. The story is a mis-mash of action and a warm hearted story of Jackie and his relationship with a Lady who sells Roses, and how he buys a rose every day for luck.

When the rose vendor learns her daughter is coming, she breaks down - realising that her lie of her living a grand life will be exposed - and soon Jackie and his mob try their hardest to help the vendor any way they can.

Although this is more story and well acted out script, the film seems slugglish and when action happens its over too quick. Fortuently Jackie throws in some typical comic moments and homages to several silent films as well.

Action fans may be disappointed with the lack of gun-toting gangsters or the lack of tommy guns blazing or lack of kung fu, but the film isn't meant to be for that, its a story based movie.

The film is excellent to watch, but probably not all that great for Martial art fans as it has a lack of genuinely good fight sequences, bar two (one being when Jackie is tested as the new boss and the other being at the end with Billy Chow).

Overall a good movie, but did it really need so much money to be spent on it?

Overall: 6/10.

This is terrific! One of his most lush, great looking, and well-directed (by himself) films, "Miracles" is engaging, charming and absolutely likable! The humor's perfect, along with the setting, and the cast is wonderful! The fighting, though less prevalent, is in my opinion some of his best work! This one pays great attention to story and detail, and not only is it very entertaining, it's really pretty beautiful to look at, as well....

The first thing I noticed about this film is that it seems to star everyone who ever made a movie in Hong Kong; I seemed to spend the entire movie going 'oooh, it's Yuen Biao!' (or whoever). Plotwise, it's typical early Jackie Chan; frenetic action sequences punctuated by high farce. As in a lot of his early stuff, the farce can be a bit excruciating, but not so much that you'll feel obliged to hit fast-forward. The action sequences, while interesting, aren't as spectacular as in his later movies; the movie seems to try to be more of a plot-driven movie (and much as I love Jackie Chan, these aren't really his strong points). If for some bizarre reason you aren't yet a Jackie Chan fan, you'll probably want to check out Armor of God or Project A first. If I'm preaching to the converted, you'll find Oiji merrily passes an hour and a half, but it's by no means a masterpiece. It's got Anita Mui, though. She always makes a movie watchable.

It is well known that 'Miracles' is one of Jackie Chan's favourite

movies, mainly due to the artistic freedom he got to make it.

We're all accustomed to Jackie Chan movies in the style of the

high octane martial arts action thriller, but up until this production

Jackie had little chance to show off his cinematographic skills,

often criticised for being very one-dimensional in his movie

making. 'Miracles' was the answer to all that.

Having secured the largest budget in HK movie history for this film

(which was yet still extremely modest by Hollywood standards),

Miracles was produced slightly differently from HK films we're

used to. The result was a lavish set with excellent costumes, and

most of all, flowing, extravagant shots throughout the film.

Unfortunately though, the storyline is a bit weak.

This is certainly not the traditional Jackie Chan movie we're used

to, but it is nice to see Jackie show off some of his other skills in

movie making, and that he's not just an all-action hero.