Armour of God

This is Jackie's version of Indiana Jones. And you know what, I like this one better. It is also the film that nearly killed Jackie, even though the stunt he was doing was a fairly simple one. I really enjoy this movie and charish it because it could have been Jackie's last. Its plot doesn't really matter, because as with all Jackie movies, we are seeing it for amazing action and hilarious comedy. This has both, but im lesser doses. It is almost like a romantic comedy, because it deals with a love triangle between Jackie and two of his former band-mates(he used to be in a band called The Losers, with some girl and Alan Tam). This film is all in good fun, but it doesnt reach the level of martial-arts greatness that Drunken Master 2 or Project A do. Still, check this one out, its really good.

All the action is really good, but the rest is so dull. You have time to fall asleep between the cool parts of the film. The humor is sometimes good, but sometimes it's just a bunch of bad sexist jokes that only 80s Hong Kong can get away with.

Too bad so much crap has been mixed in with all the great action. Some of the action sequences are among the best you'll ever see, for example, the car chase and the opening scene. Fun and exciting to watch. It's extra fun seeing Hong Kong car chases. Most of their action movies feature phenomenal hand-to-hand combat, but fewer of them feature great car chases. The car chases are like the fights all done for real and few cuts are shown. The drivers actually pull off the stunts and don't need any editing to make it look good.

First let me say there are two English dubbed versions of this movie. The first version is a faithful translation of the original complete with all the original scenes. Overall the first version is actually more exciting because of the music - the music makes all the actions scenes more heart-pounding and is an excellent example of how sound can affect a scene. I found the current US-released English version less of an adrenaline rush because of the droll music in the action scenes.

Furthermore, I found the original English-dubbed version much funnier. There's something charming about the original text - Jackie is actually more arrogant and aloof in the original version, and it helped create a more exciting "mercenary" feel to Jackie's character, rather than the more confusing humanitarian/treasure-hunter feel to the new version. Jackie treats Alan Tam's character more harshly and with some funny sarcastic comebacks. In the new version, the witty come-backs were replaced with patient words!

Lastly, the most notable change in the new version is the entire "Lorelei wants the armour in the house" scene is entirely missing. In the original version, May goes to Jackie's room to look at his baby pictures (Jackie asks May to look at them to get out of the situation where he and Alan were caught in May's bedroom), and both of them are shocked to see Lorelei on his bed. May storms off in disgust. Meanwhile Lorelei goes into the bathroom to prepare the serum, and Alan walks into the bedroom. Jackie has to cover Lorelei and lies to Alan that it is May that is in the bathroom. Both Jackie and Alan go out into the hall and bump into May, and Jackie has to cover his tracks by pretending that Alan knows that Lorelei is in Jackie's bedroom. Naturally May responds with disgust that "they are such good friends that they share everything, even girlfriends". Then Alan gets suspicious because May was in the hall not the bathroom, he goes into Jackie's bedroom to see if the bathroom is connected to May's bedroom, and then gets jabbed by Lorelei (which is where the new version cuts back in).

The new version is a more streamlined version, and certainly the story flows better. There is actually a romance between May and Jackie which I prefer, whereas in the original version May remains angry with Jackie after she slaps him and they never get past that stage - especially after she gets the impression that Jackie "shares" Lorelei with Alan!

I was really disappointed, because I had the original English-dubbed version and it was one of my all-time favourite Jackie Chan movies because of Jackie's arrogant character which was a huge departure from the usual benevolent roles that Jackie plays, and because of the music which really made the difference in the action scenes for me. Alas, my original version was a video tape that grew fungus and was therefore ruined - and I have no idea how to get that version again!

Jackie's voice in the original English version was dubbed by someone else (the same person that dubbed the English versions for all his movies in the 80s) - and it sounds a lot better than Jackie's real voice which he uses in the new version. Funny thing is the voices actually sound alike sans accent.

OK, the reason his hair turned from short to long in just 10 minutes at the start of the movie is because he got really injured, it was almost fatal jumping on the tree escaping from the natives. Jackie always had a superstition that if he would ever have short hair it would be literally life threatening...it was something supernaturally evil and based on eastern Asian superstition and the supernatural. well...i think Jackie looks better with short hair but that's the last we will ever see of that short hair so enjoy the 10 minutes or so of it in this movie.

i actually had the good fortune to see this in the movie theater 2-3 times and it makes a big difference...until now where you can watch a hd version on a decent sized flat screen. Jackie's pre-USA movies which were hk based were so much better and enjoyable in my opinion and the fights were so much livelier. this movie has one of my top 5 fights all time and also my top 15. the top 5 is with the franciscan monks and the top 15 was with the 5 really athletic and oversized darkskinned ladies who were just absolute killers...HAHAHA.

there were a lot of holes in the plot, but who cares, i'm not really watching it for the plots. it was a little slow in spots as i have watches the 97 min. version which is the longest and the best. the movie had a really really beautiful leading lady in Rosamund Kwan and Alan Tam played Jackie's sidekick. throw in the reigning Ms. Spain for that year as another sidekick, some crazy cult of caucascian monks intend on domination and literally two of the best fight brawl sequences you will see in a kung fu movie and just let the adventure begin.

I really enjoyed this movie not just for the spectacular stunts but also the chemistry between Jackie Chan and Alan Tam. It's one of Jackie's most accessible Hong Kong films although it does sag a bit in the middle this is due to a severe accident Jackie had on set during the opening chase sequence. Filming couldn't be halted for long due to budget constraints so a lot of stunt sequences were dropped and more emphasis placed on the comedy (which is hit and miss in places).

There are some incredible sequences at the start (an action packed chase)and at the end of the film (infiltrating the enemy base and a crazy escape plan). In between is some so/so comedy romance moments, the interplay between Jackie and Alan works really well at times producing some great comedy moments Alan's unwillingness to fight and his clumsiness when he does so really add to Jackies clowning.

The bad guys are a bit of a letdown other than some supposedly female body guards who look like rejects from the Rocky Horror Show which produces an inventive and painful looking fight scene. The monks are fairly inept and it must be said what was really needed is a big boss at the end for Jackie to fight but other than these small complaint its a very enjoyable action flick.

Well worth a watch great action with a bit of comedy thrown in for good measure 8/10