First released in 1991 as "Armour of God 2: Operation Condor," Hong Kong action-film phenomenon Jackie Chan's latest assault on domestic audiences is one of the superb showman's best efforts.
With the dialogue dubbed in English and other embellishments, Dimension Films' "Operation Condor" is a deliriously entertaining martial arts comedy that should further broaden Chan's Stateside fandom and post decent boxoffice returns.
Directed and co-written by Chan, "Condor" is a James Bond-meets-Indiana Jones lark about a secret agent (Chan) instructed to find a fortune of gold buried by German soldiers in the Sahara Desert during World War II. Instead of one strong female ally, Jackie is joined by three less-than-formidable but generally fearless women (Carol Cheng, Eva Cobo De Garcia, Ikeda Shoko) in the global adventure that begins with a crowd-pleasing prologue set in the Amazon basin.
While narrative logic and characterizations are minor concerns, the many elaborate action sequences showcase Chan's complete mastery of the medium and are reason enough to put this film far above more expensive and pretentious escapist fare from Hollywood.
On a basic level, audiences both young and old will connect with Chan's likable, lighthearted on-screen persona when so many contemporary heroes are either wooden or buried by co-stars and super-expensive production values and special effects.
He may make it look easy, but as the trademark outtakes shown over the end credits prove once again, Chan is a perfectionist in the tradition of Buster Keaton and a daredevil risking injury performing his own stunts like Harold Lloyd.
Made before "Supercop", "City Hunter", "Drunken Master II", "Rumble in the Bronx", "Thunderbolt" and "First Strike", "Condor" finds Chan that much lighter on his feet and able to take serious abuse.
As a director, Chan is likewise masterful in both large-scale set pieces and more intimate comic sequences.
While this film's terrific finale set in a wind tunnel is better than most payoffs in contemporary films, a series of relatively restrained clashes and escapes in an abandoned Spanish house, a Moroccan hotel and a desert slave market are some of Chan's most inspired work.
OPERATION CONDOR
Dimension Films
In association with Media Asia Distribution
Director Jackie Chan
Producer Leonard Ho
Screenwriters Jackie Chan, Edward Tang
Executive producer Raymond Chow
Director of photography Wong Ngok Tai
Art directors Oliver Wong, Eddie Ma, Lo Ka Yiu
Music Stephen Endelman
Editorial consultant Rod Dean
Color/stereo
Cast:
Jackie Jackie Chan
Ada Carol Cheng
Elsa Eva Cobo De Garcia
Momoko Ikeda Shoko
Adolf Alfred Brel Sanchez
Running time -- 90 mintues
MPAA rating: PG...
With the dialogue dubbed in English and other embellishments, Dimension Films' "Operation Condor" is a deliriously entertaining martial arts comedy that should further broaden Chan's Stateside fandom and post decent boxoffice returns.
Directed and co-written by Chan, "Condor" is a James Bond-meets-Indiana Jones lark about a secret agent (Chan) instructed to find a fortune of gold buried by German soldiers in the Sahara Desert during World War II. Instead of one strong female ally, Jackie is joined by three less-than-formidable but generally fearless women (Carol Cheng, Eva Cobo De Garcia, Ikeda Shoko) in the global adventure that begins with a crowd-pleasing prologue set in the Amazon basin.
While narrative logic and characterizations are minor concerns, the many elaborate action sequences showcase Chan's complete mastery of the medium and are reason enough to put this film far above more expensive and pretentious escapist fare from Hollywood.
On a basic level, audiences both young and old will connect with Chan's likable, lighthearted on-screen persona when so many contemporary heroes are either wooden or buried by co-stars and super-expensive production values and special effects.
He may make it look easy, but as the trademark outtakes shown over the end credits prove once again, Chan is a perfectionist in the tradition of Buster Keaton and a daredevil risking injury performing his own stunts like Harold Lloyd.
Made before "Supercop", "City Hunter", "Drunken Master II", "Rumble in the Bronx", "Thunderbolt" and "First Strike", "Condor" finds Chan that much lighter on his feet and able to take serious abuse.
As a director, Chan is likewise masterful in both large-scale set pieces and more intimate comic sequences.
While this film's terrific finale set in a wind tunnel is better than most payoffs in contemporary films, a series of relatively restrained clashes and escapes in an abandoned Spanish house, a Moroccan hotel and a desert slave market are some of Chan's most inspired work.
OPERATION CONDOR
Dimension Films
In association with Media Asia Distribution
Director Jackie Chan
Producer Leonard Ho
Screenwriters Jackie Chan, Edward Tang
Executive producer Raymond Chow
Director of photography Wong Ngok Tai
Art directors Oliver Wong, Eddie Ma, Lo Ka Yiu
Music Stephen Endelman
Editorial consultant Rod Dean
Color/stereo
Cast:
Jackie Jackie Chan
Ada Carol Cheng
Elsa Eva Cobo De Garcia
Momoko Ikeda Shoko
Adolf Alfred Brel Sanchez
Running time -- 90 mintues
MPAA rating: PG...
- 7/18/1997
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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