By Phil Curtolo
I can sum up First Strike in one word: awesome. Never in my life have I seen an actor as insanely dedicated as Jackie Chan. For the simple reason that he has performed his own stunts in his every movie he's ever appeared in, he should be awarded greatly.
The same Tom and Jerry formula that was used to make Chan's Rumble in the Bronx and Supercop so entertaining can be found here as well. However, First Strike was probably the most exciting out of the three, for the simple reason that practice makes perfect.
His last two movies were almost like practice and this one was great. Like Rumble, this film is about the Mafia, the former KGB. Now Chan must do battle in the freezing arctic temperatures of the Ukraine against a group of very large bad men.
The trailer for the film sums it up quite well. First Strike is action-packed, but the fight scenes are so fast and furious, they almost have a witty, Italian-like humor to them. Jackie Chan is a regular comedian. Well, he's no Eddie Murphy, but he can really crack you up. For example, he is hanging off a roof and he humorously taunts his foes to come and get him, as he claims to be the Korean 007 (that's secret agent James Bond).
Even the plot to this film improved above the others, as a sort-of twisted nuclear-weapon smuggling deal is botched and Jackie takes the blame. But never fear, as the Chinese Mafia aids him in uncovering the truth behind the incident.
With some of the most high-flying stunts and side-splitting comedy, First Strike is a sure-fire hit that's guaranteed to draw some major, world-wide attention. Grade: B+, **** out of *****
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