Director: Wong Jing
Year: 1995
Rating:
8.0
Though disliked by many for being a Wong Jing Die Hard wannabee, I think this film stands on its own as being high entertainment value. Very little downtime in this movie as the action is fast and frantic. In the opening scene a shocking tragedy in police officer Jet Li's life occurs (and would take place only in a HK movie) when his wife (Suki Kwan) and child are killed with a bomb by kidnappers. This propels him to leave the police force and become a bodyguard and stunt man to an actor played by Jacky Cheung. Cheung plays a character that is based on a combined caricature of Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee, but mainly focuses on Jackie. His character definitely makes fun of both as it satirizes womanizing, faking stunts, entourages' etc. Apparently, Wong Jing and Jackie had a falling out and this was his revenge.
Jackie Cheung must have enjoyed this. I am not sure what Jackie Chan’s reaction was. At the time many people were offended by this. Probably not so much anymore as Jackie is very disliked in Hong Kong for betraying them. In an early scene a drunk Jacky has to jump into a tarpaulin from a high roof and as Jet jumps with a wig on, Jacky runs downstairs as fast as he can so that he can pretend to have taken the jump. Below Chingmy Yau as a reporter is trying to get the goods on whether he really does his own stunts.
An elite party is being given at a luxury hotel on the 75th floor with the all the major Hong Kong VIPS there and a bundle of jewels from the Tsar are on display. Jacky is one of the guests and will take his dad (Wu Ma) and Jet will stay downstairs. A high tech high violent gang also plans to be there – headed by the Doctor (Kelvin Wong), his psycho woman (Valerie Chow), Billy Chow, Ben Lam and many many others. Not to the viewers surprise this is the same gang that killed Jet’s wife and child. You know this will be good.
But first the gang decides they need to kill Jacky before the party because they think he really is an expert martial artist. Jacky is clueless for the most part his skills rubbed away from the good life of women and wine. He is dubbing himself in the studio when a roach lands on his hand and he beats it to death much to the pleasure of the recorder who says great job of dubbing! Wong Jing directs this so bits of humor break out constantly and ones like this are funny. They send a long-haired Billy Chow to do it, but Jet saves Jacky after we have to see a young boy’s penis pissing. What the hell. This is the 27 minute mark in the film. The party is beginning. Jet has recognized the voice of the kidnapper. Chingmy is there as a reporter still trying to get the goods on Jacky with a hidden camera. Charlie Yeung is a waitress and the Doctor is hitting on her. The killing begins and Valerie Chow in the control room with all the monitors puts on a record and conducts. This little army brings mines, bombs, armaments, poisonous snakes and even a giant lizard for good measure. Just what any good gang of killers bring along.
Poor Chingmy gets the snakes and lizards. Lots
of them. From that 27 minute mark it is near non-stop something – action,
heroics, killing, laughs, one on one fights, Jet against Ben Lam and Jacky
finally finding his courage and taking on Billy Chow in his yellow Bruce
Lee track suit and his nunchaku. The car driving into the elevator
to escape a barrage of bullets is inspired. The helicopter crashing into
the building maybe a bit much but why not. Basically this movie is a fun
ride from beginning to end. Best is the ending with Chingmy inviting Jet
to come sleep in her comfy bed. That would hopefully be a yes. This
is typical Wong Jing - a real mix but most of it hits the mark.
