JACKIE CHAN'S FIRST STRIKE
A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 1997 Steve Rhodes
RATING (0 TO ****): ** 1/2
JACKIE CHAN'S FIRST STRIKE (also called POLICE STORY 4: FIRST STRIKE) is the Hong Kong action star's latest film. Unlike his past low budget films, this one has a highly polished look and appears to have a cost quite a bit more. For you many Jackie Chan fans, do not worry, his latest picture is as much fun as the others. On the other hand, if you hated him before, this film is unlikely to change your mind. The acting by the supporting cast is pathetic, but, hey, you've got Jackie. With his everyman demeanor, his innocent smile, and his vulnerability, he easily wins over the hearts of most audiences.
The plot, such as it is, concerns a stolen Ukrainian nuclear warhead. The action happens all over the world from the Ukraine to Australia. The plot is a mess. Do not waste your time trying to make any sense out of it. Just sink back into your theater seat and wait for Jackie's next great stunt, remembering that Jackie does all his own stunts. Just to make sure you are aware of this, the film ends with five minutes of outtakes of him attempting the stunts. Usually outtakes are shown along with the credits, but this time they hold the credits until the outtakes are finished. One could argue that this means they are really not outtakes, but who cares. They are entertaining, and entertainment is the only motivation for catching a Jackie Chan film in the first place. They are not high art.
The camera loves Jackie. His smiles are genuine, and his action sequences are gorgeous set pieces. Never expected to be realistic, his demonstrations of physical abilities are meant to dazzle. The press materials claim that in this film, "Chan takes his daredevilry to a new level." I'm not sure about a new level, but the film is certainly more visually attractive than his last, RUMBLE IN THE BRONX.
I will not even attempt to outline the plot of FIRST STRIKE since, as I said already, it is inconsequential. The action is the show so I will cover some of it instead.
The temperature in the film varies widely. Jackie freezes in the snow, basks in the coastal sun, and swims underwater.
The snow scenes are the best. Dressed in a thin shirt with only a kid's silly seal pup cap on for warmth, Jackie uses a snowmobile to chase the bad guy. He raises his shirt to show us how cold he is. He is an actor who is easy to empathize with so when he freezes, you freeze. He is hurt and frightened more often than any other action hero, and here he is forced to spend time swimming in water partially covered with ice.
In the best visual in the film, enemy soldiers are hidden in the snow, unbeknownst to Jackie. When they start popping up and shooting their Uzis, their uniforms are sure to garner chuckles from the viewers. They wear Ku Klux Klan style robes with white Halloween skeleton masks. Much of Jackie's films are played for broad humor, and the audience is not supposed to take them seriously. They are pure James Bond material.
Jackie also gets to swim underwater and practice his karate moves on a host of evil characters. The zinger is that there are man-eating sharks swimming around to lunch on the fighters.
I have two small favorites in the film. First, Jackie stays in an 8,000 square foot hotel room in Australia, and it comes with its own live koala. He is really cute. Actually, if you think about it, he resembles Jackie. Their smiles are so similar.
Second, how do you stop a sharpshooter on a rooftop? Call forth an instant array of parasols. He can't shoot what he can't see.
And there is so much more. I didn't even mention the attack of the killer sea urchins.
JACKIE CHAN'S FIRST STRIKE runs about an hour and a half. The actors speak many languages, but non-English speaking ones, like Jackie, are dubbed reasonably effectively into English. The film is rated PG-13 for cartoonish violence. There is no sex, nudity, or bad language. The picture would be fine for kids say ten and up. I had fun so I am giving the show a mild thumbs up and ** 1/2.
**** = One of the top few films of this or any year. A must see film. *** = Excellent show. Look for it. ** = Average movie. Kind of enjoyable. * = Poor show. Don't waste your money. 0 = One of the worst films of this or any year. Totally unbearable.
REVIEW WRITTEN ON: January 6, 1997
Opinions expressed are mine and not meant to reflect my employer's.
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