It is a real shame that Jackie was “discovered” by big budget studios too late for him to really take advantage, he never got to make his films with the budget of the Schwarzeneggers or the Stallones or the Willis’. Hell he didn’t even get a Rob Schneider budget!
That meant for a decade or so Jackie was busting his gut making mediocre low budget stuff like this in which he was the ONLY drawing card. Whether it was a favour of financial necessity too often Sammo Hung was the director of these things, and his track record is not that strong.
So Jackie is a TV chef who gets involved with some bad guys when a VCR tape inadvertently is left in his home by a reporter that he rescues from the bad guys. Of course in a remarkably contrived coincidence a kid takes the video and basically the rest of the film is spent trying to search for it while the bad guys look for it.
This film has a higher body count than many Jackie flicks, it also seems that the bad guys don’t care who is watching, with many chases and shootouts occurring in broad daylight in the middle of the city centre.
The finale to this film looks expensive, as it involves Jackie driving a massive mining truck through a new flash house, but in reality it robbed the film of a big “ending fight”.
Aside from that the only notable aspects of this film are the terrible directing, shameless Pepsi product placement and the fact that this has without doubt the worst acting to be endured in any Jackie film I have ever seen. And if you’ve seen a few you know what a big claim that is!
1/ Are there any “WOW!” fights?
There is a full on to-do at a construction site that is very good.
2/ Are there any “WOW!” stunts?
Nothing death defying this time.
3/ Which Jackie is it? Serious / Whimsical / Cocky…
Sleepwalking Jackie again. He really isn’t being tested here.
4/ Does he get to use Jackie-exclusive toys?
Not unless Pepsi is a toy.
5/ Do stolen relics come up?
No.
6/ Are there hot chicks (that usually can’t act)?
His girlfriend Mikki is OK, and she definitely cannot act.
8/ Were there injuries on the shoot? Severity?
Lots of “ouchies”, nothing major.
9/ Has he still got it?
Still got it.
10/ Is it a “Jackie Chan” film, or just one he is in?
This is a budget JC film. He should have stopped hiring his mates, too late now I guess.
Final Rating – 7 / 10. Average Jackie is still good everyone else, I just wish Hollywood threw buckets of money at him in his prime so we wouldn’t get these cookie cutter short cuts.
