Operation Condor 2: Armor of God
3/4
Starring: Jackie Chan, Alan Tam, Lola Forner, Ken Boyle, Rosamund Kwan, Bozidar Smiljanic
Rated R for Some Violence
Things you will find in a traditional Jackie Chan movie:
-Martial Arts Action
-Death Defying Stunts
-Screwball Physical Comedy
Things you will not find in a traditional Jackie Chan movie:
-Deep Philosophical Meaning
-Character Nuance
-Anything More than a Rudimentary Plot
In that sense, "Armor of God" doesn't disappoint. You get what you pay for. There are some truly spectacular fight sequences and some great physical comedy straight out of something like "Bringing Up Baby." It doesn't contain a story worth its weight in tissue paper, but that's okay. Such things that would matter to most critics like myself mean little to Jackie. This isn't a criticism so much as it is an observation. He knows his strengths, and he also knows that such things will only get in the way of the film's momentum.
The story, such as it is, is straightforward. Jackie (Chan), Alan (Tam) and Lorelai (Kwan) were in a band together that ended when the latter two began a personal relationship. Jackie got jealous and split, becoming a treasure hunter for hire. He has just retrieved the sword piece of the legendary Armor of God and it has been sold to a wealthy buyer at auction. The problem is that there is a creepy cult led by an Emperor Ming wannabe (Boyle) who believes that the Armor of God will give them extraordinary power. To get the sword, they kidnap Lorelai, forcing Alan to go to Jackie begging for help. The sword's new owner, a wealthy man named Bannon (Smiljanic) isn't moved by their plight (not least of which because they tried to steal it under false pretenses) but agrees to let them have the pieces with the promise of getting the rest upon return. As an insurance policy, he sends his daughter May (Forner) along for the ride.
I've made the film sound more complicated than it actually is. This movie's story is paper thin, and that both helps and hurts the film. On the one hand, it allows the film's strengths to shine. On the other, it has difficulty sustaining even a skinny 88 minute running time. Even with that brief of a running time, there are times when it feels padded.
Like all of Jackie's early movies, this has been dubbed into English. Normally, distorting a movie in such a way would amount to heresy. I mean, what lunatic would want to watch "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" dubbed? However, Jackie Chan movies are so proudly goofy that dubbing enhances the film's charm. It's funny to see the actors dialogue not match up to the lip movements, and that's just how Jackie wants it. It goes without saying, therefore, that discussing the performances would be a fool's errand. Not that there's much to discuss in the first place...
Jackie Chan movies are like Bond movies or slasher movies. As long as they contain the requisite elements, they work. They may not be great art, but let no one claim they aren't fun.
Note: Although marketed as a sequel to the 1991 film "Operation Condor," this movie was actually filmed first. Not that that means much, since they're stand alone movies.
2nd Note: The MPAA, in their infinite wisdom, gave this movie an R rating for "Some Violence," and I'm at a total loss as to why. There's nothing in here that isn't seen in other Jackie Chan movies, and compared to movies like "Dunkirk," it's entirely appropriate to be viewed by the entire family. Even without that comparison, kids will love it.
Starring: Jackie Chan, Alan Tam, Lola Forner, Ken Boyle, Rosamund Kwan, Bozidar Smiljanic
Rated R for Some Violence
Things you will find in a traditional Jackie Chan movie:
-Martial Arts Action
-Death Defying Stunts
-Screwball Physical Comedy
Things you will not find in a traditional Jackie Chan movie:
-Deep Philosophical Meaning
-Character Nuance
-Anything More than a Rudimentary Plot
In that sense, "Armor of God" doesn't disappoint. You get what you pay for. There are some truly spectacular fight sequences and some great physical comedy straight out of something like "Bringing Up Baby." It doesn't contain a story worth its weight in tissue paper, but that's okay. Such things that would matter to most critics like myself mean little to Jackie. This isn't a criticism so much as it is an observation. He knows his strengths, and he also knows that such things will only get in the way of the film's momentum.
The story, such as it is, is straightforward. Jackie (Chan), Alan (Tam) and Lorelai (Kwan) were in a band together that ended when the latter two began a personal relationship. Jackie got jealous and split, becoming a treasure hunter for hire. He has just retrieved the sword piece of the legendary Armor of God and it has been sold to a wealthy buyer at auction. The problem is that there is a creepy cult led by an Emperor Ming wannabe (Boyle) who believes that the Armor of God will give them extraordinary power. To get the sword, they kidnap Lorelai, forcing Alan to go to Jackie begging for help. The sword's new owner, a wealthy man named Bannon (Smiljanic) isn't moved by their plight (not least of which because they tried to steal it under false pretenses) but agrees to let them have the pieces with the promise of getting the rest upon return. As an insurance policy, he sends his daughter May (Forner) along for the ride.
I've made the film sound more complicated than it actually is. This movie's story is paper thin, and that both helps and hurts the film. On the one hand, it allows the film's strengths to shine. On the other, it has difficulty sustaining even a skinny 88 minute running time. Even with that brief of a running time, there are times when it feels padded.
Like all of Jackie's early movies, this has been dubbed into English. Normally, distorting a movie in such a way would amount to heresy. I mean, what lunatic would want to watch "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" dubbed? However, Jackie Chan movies are so proudly goofy that dubbing enhances the film's charm. It's funny to see the actors dialogue not match up to the lip movements, and that's just how Jackie wants it. It goes without saying, therefore, that discussing the performances would be a fool's errand. Not that there's much to discuss in the first place...
Jackie Chan movies are like Bond movies or slasher movies. As long as they contain the requisite elements, they work. They may not be great art, but let no one claim they aren't fun.
Note: Although marketed as a sequel to the 1991 film "Operation Condor," this movie was actually filmed first. Not that that means much, since they're stand alone movies.
2nd Note: The MPAA, in their infinite wisdom, gave this movie an R rating for "Some Violence," and I'm at a total loss as to why. There's nothing in here that isn't seen in other Jackie Chan movies, and compared to movies like "Dunkirk," it's entirely appropriate to be viewed by the entire family. Even without that comparison, kids will love it.
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