Nobody does action comedy like Jackie Chan. Arnie or Nic Cage might get laughs from their unusual performing styles and delivery of one liners. Tom Cruise or Bruce Lee do physical stunts that make you sit bolt upright. But Jackie does it with a toothy, unabashed smile on his face and genuinely takes his mortality right to the very edge. He’s a fun guy, a zany guy, a sincere guy and commits some of the most dangerous shit ever seen on screen since the days of silent comedy. No wonder he became the most globally recognised face in cinema.

Drunken Master (1978)

Yuen Woo-ping directs Jackie Chan, Yuen Siu-tien and Hwang Jang-lee in this classic Kung-Fu comedy where an apprentice learns a zany fighting style from a sozzled master.

An absolute classic. Takes the tropes of a King Hu or a Shaw Brothers flick but leans into Jackie’s comedy chops and quirky physicality. His wobbly erratic “drunken” fighting style is a wonder to behold. He has brilliant chemistry with his hermit teacher Yuen Siu-tien. The training montages are pleasingly daft but the end fight, where all the learned styles are utilised and coalesced, is gripping stuff. Up there with Snake In Eagle’s Shadow.

8

Armour Of God (1986)

Jackie Chan and Eric Tsang direct Jackie, Alan Tam and Lola Forner in this Hong Kong action adventure where a treasure hunter crosses the globe in search of an artefact.

I always assumed ‘Armour Of God’ referred to the iconic shot where Jackie rocks a jacket covered in dynamite. Only a god would take on multiple henchmen wearing that. This spin on Indiana Jones / James Bond can be pretty random. One minute Jackie is taking down a tribe of very racist “natives”, the next he’s in a boy band. The love triangle adventure plot never really crystallises but the action is top tier. One of those ones where the “out takes” over the end credits make you wince.

7

Armour Of God 2: Operation Condor (1991)

Jackie Chan directs himself, Carol Cheng and Eva Cobo de Garcia in this Hong Kong adventure sequel where treasure hunter Asian Hawk is accompanied by a trio of international hotties in the race to reach some Nazi Gold.

Not quite up to snuff. A bit too much focus on broad comedy and superfluous plot. We seem to spend too long in fake sets. I’m sure the wind tunnel finale is just as risky and challenging as all Jackie stunts but we don’t feel the risk to his life for laughs quite as directly as more famous set pieces in the back catalogue. Half an hour too baggy.

5

Police Story 3: Supercop (1992)

Stanley Tong directs Jackie Chan, Michelle Yeoh and Maggie Cheung in this cop thriller where Ka-Kui goes undercover with a very capable Interpol agent watching his back.

Really kicks into life in the last half hour when there’s both Maggie Cheung fuelled farce at a hotel resort and a frankly stupendous extended chase through Malaysia. Jackie dangling from a helicopter, Yeoh (who is fantastic here) landing a motorbike on a speeding train. For reals. I reckon Tom Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie pop this VHS during downtime on Mission: Impossible sets and think “Supercop but serious.”.

8

Battle Creek Brawl (1980)

Robert Clouse directs Jackie Chan, Kristine DeBell and José Ferrer in this period action comedy where happy go lucky Jerry Kwan is strong armed by the mob into taking part in a deadly wrestling competition.

Often remembered as a poor premature attempt to position Jackie into the American market by hiring the director of Enter The Dragon, there’s actually much to love here. Jackie plays an immigrant kid with a dream, accompanied by a jolly whistling Lalo Schifrin theme. He has a healthy looking pretty white girlfriend and that never becomes an issue, they just make “nice nice” rather sweetly between training and fights. The plot sees some 1930s gangsters put the lean on Jackie to take part in a battle royale against some weird hulking wrestlers in Texas. But there’s time for a loopy, thrilling roller relay derby sequence which is a highlight. The movie has a lot in common with the depression era exploitation flicks that followed after Bonnie & Clyde. It would fit in nicely with a marathon watch with Hard Times, Paradise Alley or Bugsy Malone. Sure, the fights do lack ambition. The white stuntmen slow the rhythms down, the camera angles chosen and the editing make Jackie’s balletic tricks seem overly rehearsed. Yet I had real fun watching this, it was a pretty relaxed evening with a six pack and a smile.

7

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