Jackie Chan's First Strike
(1996)
|
|
| Watch Trailer 0Share... |
Jackie Chan's First Strike
(1996)
|
|
| Watch Trailer 0Share... |
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Jackie Chan | ... | ||
|
|
Jackson Liu | ... |
Jackson Tsui
(as Jackson Lou)
|
|
|
Annie Wu | ... |
Annie Tsui
(as Chen Chun Wu)
|
|
|
Bill Tung | ... | |
|
|
Yuri Petrov | ... |
Col. Gregor Yegorov
(as Jouri Petrov)
|
|
|
Nonna Grishaeva | ... |
Natasha
(as Grishajeva Nonna)
|
|
|
John Eaves | ... |
Mark
|
|
|
Terry Woo | ... |
Uncle Seven
|
|
|
Kristopher Kazmarek | ... |
Cmdr. Korda
(as Kristoff Kaczmarek)
|
|
|
Ailen Sit | ... |
Golden Dragon Club Member
|
|
|
Man-Ching Chan | ... |
Golden Dragon Club Member
|
|
|
Rocky Lai | ... |
Golden Dragon Club Member
|
|
|
Chan Wai To | ... |
Golden Dragon Club Member
|
|
|
Brett Arthur | ... |
Hit Man
|
|
|
Mark French | ... |
Hit Man
|
Jackie, a cop, participates in a sting operation on an international spy-ring. But when one of them (Tsui) gets away, Jackie is ordered to apprehend him. This leads Jackie all over the globe starting with Tsui's sister in Australia. The story follows him as he tries to stay alive and capture the villain. Written by P. Wong <pwong@nt.net>
The second 1990s Jackie Chan film made for a worldwide market. It seems the team has learned its lessons with Rumble in the Bronx, as First Strike is more on pace. Filmed in Hong Kong, Ukraine, Russia and Australia, spy intrigue is combined with kung-fu comedy as Chan gets involved in the illegal sale of weapons by the Russian Mafia (yes, another film with this premise). Thanks largely to the presence of Chan, the storyline is pulled off relatively successfully. The ski stunts are impressive and also humorous
- but poor Jackie - he really is wearing a couple of layers' clothing! The
Australian action sequences are well choreographed and have a sense of occasion. The action is better paced: it is not kung-fu for kung-fu's sake, although if you want realism in your stories, look elsewhere. As an individual Chan film, it works - but it does not deserve being part of the Police Story series, which it was in Hong Kong. The Chinese style is watered down in pursuit of the western markets - and the producers would have been better off creating a new character for Chan this time. Compared to the first and third instalments, it is lacking. This aside, it is entertaining and enjoyable, whether you see the original or dubbed version.