Aka - Battle Creek Brawl

Even with all the Hong Kong films I have seen over the past 30-years and my once upon a time great respect for Jackie Chan before he sold out to the Mainland, I never had seen this movie of his. His first foray into Western markets. America! I had avoided it primarily because I had never heard a good thing about it from Hong Kong film fans. Slapdash plotting, poor production values but most of the criticism was aimed at how poorly the action was executed. Jackie against a bunch of lethargic hunks. All true, but still there are plenty of instances in which he shows his astonishing acrobatic talents and impish humor.


Jackie's current studio Golden Harvest that had produced his most recent film The Young Master wanted another big hit in the same way that their Enter the Dragon had been. Jackie had a different style than Bruce Lee, after initially trying to imitate him during the Bruce Lee craze. It was much less intense, more acrobatic, more comedic, light on his feet. That had made him a star in Hong Kong in a string of kung fu films for Seasonal and Lo Wei Productions. Chan had broken his contract with Lo Wei due to his dissatisfaction with the films and his uneasy relationship with Lo Wei. He wanted to go in a different direction than traditional kung fu films. In my opinion though, many of those films hold up fine today.


There was one problem with breaking the contract with Lo Wei. Lo had been around for years; a major director with Shaw Brothers at one time and he had connections. With the triads. They threatened Chan and to his credit he stood up to them more than he ever did to the Mainland. But it was probably a good time to get out of town. Golden Harvest helped. They co-produced this with Weintraub Productions who they had teamed up with for Enter the Dragon. And the director of that film, Robert Clouse, was brought on and Lalo Schifrin was again hired to compose the music. The general perception is that this did so poorly that Chan had to hide his head. Not really. It did ok. Finished in the top 40 box office in America and number 2 in Hong Kong.


With its small budget, it made money, but it wasn't Enter the Dragon. And never will be. It is a silly film with a plot that must have taken fifteen minutes to come up with. It has its moments and yet if they had allowed Jackie to bring over some of his people, he could have choreographed some great action. There are plenty of action scenarios. But against the lunks they pair him off with, he had no choice but to bring it down a few rungs. There is also for some reason a lengthy roller derby race scene in which survival seems to be the main aim. It goes on forever. but does give Jackie some opportunities to show his skills.


It is set in Chicago in the 1930s (though filmed in Texas) and the Mafia rule the streets with lots of large Italians. Why not make it the triads? Then they could have used Jackie's people. Yes, I know. Too many Asians. As it is both Jackie and his uncle (Mako) have white girlfriends which in truth feels surprising even for 1980. But I was even taken aback when Jackie tries using his teeth to undo her bra from the front. She being played by Playboy model, Kristine DeBell. I can't think of any Jackie movie in which he has been even mildly sexual.


His father runs a restaurant and the Mafia are of course extorting him. Jackie takes on about five of them and in a lighthearted fight whips them. This comes to the attention of their boss (Jose Ferrer) who happens to be looking for a fighter to enter into a tournament to defeat the fighter run by his rival. He does the natural Mafia thing and kidnaps Chan's brother's finance (Rosalind Chao, in the film for about 15 seconds before being kidnapped and never seen again). Jackie has to agree to fighting and goes through one of his training scenes. He had had many of those in his earlier films. This one though was run by Mako! And then the last third of the film is the tournament with about fifteen mainly out of shape but huge guys in it. And a small Chinese person. Fought in a town square with large crowds and a marching band and anything goes rules.


Sure, what you would give for a few of them to have been Tang Tao Liang or Carter Huang or Sammo Hung. Even Chuck Norris. But it was not to be. Chan went on to appear in Cannonball Run while Jimmy Wang-yu negotiated Chan's return with the triads. His next HK film was Dragon Lord, co-produced by Lo Wei. Chan had not given up on America though. He was back for Cannonball Run II in 1984 and the Protector in 1985. Those did not do great either, but by then he had already cemented his HK stardom and a new style of action film with Winners and Sinners, Project A and Wheels on Meals.

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