The Protector
                                                                                                       
Director: James Glickenhaus
Year: 1985
Rating: 7.0
In 1985, Jackie Chan was still trying to break into the lucrative American market. The Big Brawl (1980) and his Cannonball Run (1981, 1984) appearances had not done it. And honestly that is not at all surprising. His English was still very weak and how many people in the West back then had seen his amazing Hong Kong films? Not many. And though Bruce Lee had become a global star, was there really an appetite in America for another Asian kung fu actor? The same America that did not choose Lee to play Caine in Kung Fu. But Golden Harvest and Chan were intent on breaking through. It wasn't to be this film and Chan didn't try again till Rumble in the Bronx in 1995. Golden Harvest wanted an American director and hired James Glickenhaus who had gained a reputation as an action director with The Exterminator in 1980.



From all reports, Glickenhaus and Chan did not see eye to eye on a number of things like nudity, swearing and how the action was shot. Chan thought the film hurt his reputation in Asia as good clean family fare. So, he took the film and re-edited it, dropped the copious nudity, dubbed it into Cantonese, added sub plots and actors (Sally Yeh, Lee Hoi-sang) and erased the cursing. The Glickenhaus version was released in America and the Jackie Chan version in Hong Kong. Neither did great guns. It is the American version in English that I saw. May look for the HK version for Sally Yeh. In general, Jackie Chan fans think this film sucks. Admittedly, it is more John Woo than Jackie Chan but putting that aside, it is good fun. There are enough action scenes and stunts to satisfy most action junkies. And when not fighting there is some great location shots of New York City and Hong Kong. Oh, and naked women. Lots of them.



Chan plays a New York City cop - something he really didn't want to do because of his poor English. But they gave him a dialogue coach and his English is very understandable. "My middle name is discretion" was said perfectly. There are no outtakes at the end as Jackie normally does which is a shame. Probably a bunch with him messing up his lines. Perhaps the HK version has some. In the film he goes to a bar to celebrate ten years in America with his partner. For some bizarre reason a bunch of thugs decide to rob this neighborhood tavern and a solid shootout occurs with Jackie then chasing one of them on foot and then on a speed boat (Glickenhaus's boat apparently) on the Hudson River with great shots of the Twin Towers, Brooklyn Bridge and the Statue of Liberty. It is a very good set piece. When Jackie needs a boat from the reluctant owner, he points his gun at him and says, "Give me the fucking keys". That may not have made it into the HK version.



For his actions instead of being rewarded, he is demoted to crowd control and at a party he finds another disgraced cop on duty, Danny Aiello. Now we have the makings of a buddy cop film. Something Jackie was often to be saddled with in his American releases. The daughter of a wealthy man is kidnapped at the party and transported to Hong Kong and our two boys are sent to find her. The suspect is Mr. Ko played by the great Roy Chiao. A big star in Hong Kong with A Touch of Zen, The Arch and The Fate of Lee Khan on his resume. In American films he plays the nasty well-mannered villain.



The Hong Kong section takes up most of the film and is basically one action scene after another. Well done. The choreographers were all Hong Kong regulars and I think do a solid job, Chan disagreed and said they were shot too quickly. His chasing a boat in the harbor, jumping from boat to boat is remarkable. There is also the weird massage scene. How did I miss this place in my trips to Hong Kong. The boys are enjoying their massage with two cuties on top of them and one nude women underneath Aiello's table with holes in it up to something. What, I don't know but he was enjoying it. Then of course, they try to kill them which must have been deflating.



And unexpectedly, a familiar face showed up. The enchanting Moon Lee. Pre her action days. She was to appear in Mr. Vampire in this same year, but it was two years before Angel made her the Queen of Girls with Guns. So, don't expect any ass kicking from her in this film, but she gets some good time. Not sure if her English is dubbed. On hand is also American kick boxing champion Bill Wallace for a one-on-one fight with Jackie. To appreciate this film, you have to think of this as an 80's B action film; not a Jackie Chan film. When the Twin Towers still stood. Pan-Am flew the world and Walkmans were the rage. I am glad I finally got around to this after years of hearing it was a mess.