HK Cinema - 1988
Jackie, Sammo and Yuen got together one last time
to make Dragons Forever. It is a wonderful film full of playfulness
and some great fighting scenes. The last fight against Yuen Wah and Benny
Urquidez is an absolute jewel. Yuen Biao is allowed to do some of his best
work in this film and nearly walks away with it. There was though a fair
amount of friction between Jackie and Sammo that perhaps was inevitable.
Though they had gone to school together and were friends, there was also
a very keen sense of competitiveness between them. Though they have worked
together since – Sammo directed Mr Nice Guy – the three of them have never
teamed up again. In some ways this film also marked a watershed point in
their careers.
Sammo has gone on to direct and do the action
choreography in many films, but none of his action films have reached the
creative and exciting level of his earlier work. He did go on in 1989 to
star in one of my favorite films – Eight Taels of Gold – but it is a completely
dramatic role. He is now of course starring in the American TV show Martial
Law.
Jackie has gone on to make a number of good films
– Police Story II in the same year, Police Story III in 1992, Drunken Master
II in 1994 and one of my favorites Canton Godfather in 1989 – but he too
was not breaking any new ground with these films. In his latest ones, it
has become clear that he is trying to broaden his appeal beyond Asia, but
by doing so he has watered down many of the aspects of his films that people
loved so much.
To some degree Yuen Biao came into his own
in this film. Movie goers had a real opportunity to see what amazing acrobatic
skills he possessed. Left to his devices, he formed a production company
and began making his own films. Some of them are absolutely terrific –
On the Run, Iceman Cometh, A Kid from Tibet – but since the mid-90’s there
has not been a lot to rave about.