When reviewing a Jackie Chan movie, one must realize that it must be reviewed in a category of its own. Jackie Chan is an icon of modern cinema, and quite frankly in a class of his own at this point. So a Jackie Chan movie can only really be compared with other Jackie Chan movies!
I really like Operation Condor, because of some scenes which are so refreshing in this world of rehashed Hollywood. The wind tunnel scene has already been mentioned in other reviews, but it really is amazing to watch.
I do miss the desert scene in the original version that was cut out of the US version, with the water bag and tube. You get a glimpse of it in the outtakes at the end. I thought the US version was very streamlined and definately flowed much better than the original version, and the dialogue was vastly superior. However, for the sake of originality, it's always nice to have all the scenes intact.
It really is too bad the Spanish actress Eva Cobo De Garcia doesn't have more roles in other movies - I quite enjoyed her presence in the movie.
For lovers of adventure, this movie is a must. It captures the thrill of travel and adventure much better than a James Bond movie, because somehow the adventuristic ambience is more strongly felt if that makes any sense. I feel it captures it better than even an Indiana Jones movie. The reason being that unlike a Bond story, or Indiana Jones story - you really do get a feeling that Jackie is on a "free and easy", whereas Bond/Jones is a "package tour" if you know what I mean. All the whacky random stuff that happens in a Chan film helps to contribute to the "free and easy" feel.
