The Defender (1994)
"Zhong Nan Hai bao biao" (original title)

A corrupt businessman commits a murder and the only witness is the girlfriend of another businessman with close connections to the Chinese government, so a bodyguard from Beijing is ... See full summary »

Director:

Corey Yuen

Writers:

Gordon Chan (screenplay), Kin Chung Chan (screenplay)

Stars:

Jet Li, Christy Chung, Kent Cheng

1 nomination.

Cast

Credited cast:
Jet Li	...	Allan Hui Ching-yeung / John Chang
Christy Chung	...	Michelle Yeung
Kent Cheng	...	Charlie Leung Kam-Po
Collin Chou	...	Wong (as Sing Ngai)
Wing-Chung Leung	...	Ken
Wai-Kwok Ng	...	James Shong Sai-cheung
Wai-lim Chu	...	Billy Yeung (as William Chu)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Chung-Tai Chan
Sek Chan
Jacky Cheung
Kwai-Bo Chun
John DeMita	...	(voice)
Keith Ferguson	...	(voice)
Yue Fong
Joe Hanna	...	(voice)

Storyline

A corrupt businessman commits a murder and the only witness is the girlfriend of another businessman with close connections to the Chinese government, so a bodyguard from Beijing is dispatched to help two Hong Kong cops protect the witness. Complications arise when the bodyguard and the witness must confront their deep feelings for one another.

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Plot Keywords:

witness | bodyguard | murder | hong kong | organized crime | 

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Genres:

Action

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong violence

Details

Country:

Hong Kong

Language:

Cantonese Mandarin

Release Date:

28 July 1994 (Hong Kong)

Also Known As:

The Defender

Company Credits

Production Co:

Eastern Productions, Golden Harvest Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

Just about everything during the end kitchen fight scene has a continuity error, examples, the sink switches many positions, the bodies around the sink appear and disappear, covering mouth with sleeve, then hand when camera angle switches, and also position of the two as they are fighting throughout the room.

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Quotes

Billy Yeung: [John didn't get anything for Michelle's birthday] You should have gotten her flowers, she loves flowers.
Allan Hui Ching-yeung: Yes. But what happens to a flower when you pick it? It loses it's life.
Billy Yeung: [a man comes in with a huge bouquet of flowers for Michelle from her boyfriend] Now all you have is a bunch of dead bodies.

User Reviews

Corey Yuen and Jet Li make a great creative team

Bodyguard from Beijing is Jet Li's first modern action adventure since he achieved popularity doing period movies. This movie is a Hong Kong variation of The Bodyguard. The movie centers around Jet Li protecting Christy Chung, a pampered rich girl who has witnessed a murder. Soon, Jet Li incurs the wrath of an ex-Chinese soldier. All this plus Christy Chung starts coming on to Jet. Like any other Jet Li/Corey Yuen film, the action is the most important aspect of the film. There are some pretty good gunfights.

This movie combines sugary-sweet romance and violent action. The action scenes are filled with great ideas and creativity. The use of flashlights in a gunfight is quite original. The last fight is very well-choreographed. Jet Li and Ngai Sing fight using more than just their fists and feet. My main complaints are that the action wasn't the main focus of the movie. As good as the ones in the movie are, a couple more could've made this his best modern film. In the dubbed copy I have, they also cut out Linda Wong's theme song, which I enjoy a lot too. However, overall it's an entertaining film.