Jackie Chan is a martial arts super hero. He has also starred in almost 100 movies, not all of them are good or even worth watching. When I lived in Japan I had a chance to watch most of his pre 1994 movies.
Now that I’m a parent, my time is more precious and I don’t have the luxury of watching really bad movies. Most of Jackie’s bad movies have come post 1994, including Gorgeous, The Medallion, The Forbidden Kingdom and unfortunately, The Tuxedo which also starred Jennifer Love Hewitt. Sidenote, anytime a guy regrets watching Jennifer Love Hewitt in anything is a rarity, but that movie accomplished that. However, that is a post for another time; I’m busy watching reruns of Ghost Whisperer tonight.
So you’ve only got five movies of Jackie Chan to watch? Here are five great movies that you can watch with or without subtitles and enjoy.
Armour of God
Jackie stars as an ‘Indiana Jones’ type guy who has to find this treasure that’s being guarded by some monks. It’s a simple premise and the trailer is ridiculous, but the stunts are insane. Armour of God II is also good, but I prefer the first one. Armour of God III is being filmed now and will be Chan’s 101rst movie.
The Legend of Drunken Master
This is unique for Jackie because it’s a great martial arts movie and a great movie. When the rubber hits the road, most of his movies are about the stunts and how amazing they are. The Legend of Drunken Master though is a period martial arts film that’s set in the 20s. Chan plays a teacher who fights better when he drinks. Just sit back and enjoy this one because martial arts movies don’t get much better than this.
Thunderbolt
Thunderbolt is a different kind of Chan movie because he plays a race car driver. So it’s a Jackie Chan movie with racing too! Actually, the fights in this movie are faster and more relentless than most of his other movies. The fight in the pachinko parlor is amazing and there are three other set pieces that make this one worthwhile.
Police Story
Jackie sings the title track and I have no idea what he’s saying, but I love it. Jackie is a cop, there is trouble, they fight in a mall and he runs after a bus with an umbrella. The mall fight is really amazing; it’s one of the best sequences that Chan has ever done.
Supercop
8 out of 10 Jackie Chan fans agree that Supercop is his best work. Its production standards are high and features amazing chase sequences. It also has Michelle Yeoh in the movie, who is kind of like Jennifer Love Hewitt, except she kicks ass. Supercop also has a good plot, which can really help a martial arts movie. Every time I have the flu or have to lie down and relax I watch Supercop. My wife has The Princess Bride and I have Supercop. It’s that good; if you haven’t seen it and enjoy martial arts or action movie you will not regret it.
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Hi! My husband and I (both of us Hongkongers) totally agree with your point that Jackie Chan’s latest movies have the cringe factor rather than the wow factor! Don’t watch The Spy Next Door? But we both LOVE Police Story and Supercop. 🙂
Ah, I wish Mommy Mojo liked Jackie Chan…It was tough not to include Mr. Nice Guy. I loved that movie, but it’s really not that good. Ditto Who Am I?, I loved it, but that’s from a fan perspective. The Spy Next Door scares me, it reminds us of that Hulk Hogan in a tutu movie.