Operation Condor
3/4
Starring: Jackie Chan, Carol 'Do Do' Chang, Eva Cobo, Shoko Ikeda, Aldo Sambrell
Rated PG-13 for Martial Arts Action, Some Shootings, and Sensuality
Jackie Chan knows what he's doing. He's also completely insane. The death defying stunts he attempts in movies like this goes beyond reckless (at one point, he narrowly misses a flying car by doing a pull up). That he does this himself qualifies as some sort of demented genius. But you get the sense that he enjoys what he does. He's having fun and so are we.
Unlike its predecessor/sequel, "Operation Condor" has an actual plot. Nothing serious or original, to be sure, but it feels like there's more going on than just a flimsy clothesline for the stunts and fight sequences. In this movie, Jackie is a fortune hunter with the gizmos and reputation of James Bond. But he lacks the debonair quality of 007 and is far too dorky to be compared to Nathan Drake. In any event, he's been tasked to find a large cache of stolen Nazi gold. Accompanying him on his journey is a UN attache named Ada (Chang) who cares a lot about being in charge, Elsa (Cobo), a civilian whose grandfather may have been in charge of hiding the gold, and a traveling hippie named Momoko (Ikeda) who has a pet scorpion named Ding-Ding.
"Operation Condor" has all the requisite elements we'd expect from a Jackie Chan movie. There is plentiful action where Jackie leaps around the room throwing punches and kicks. There are times when he seems less like a martial artist and more like a Broadway dancer on steroids. It's also hilarious, with some truly funny sight gags and slapstick (Carol 'Do Do' Chang deserves special credit for her skills in this department). The film's funniest scene takes place at a desert hotel presided over by a man named Tasza (Jonathan Isgar), who is a laugh riot. He's overly helpful and completely clueless. Tasza is the evil twin of Basil Fawlty.
What can I say about the acting? The film is dubbed, and far too silly to be taken seriously on any level. All the actors have a perfect understanding of comic timing and no one has too much pride to be the butt of a juvenile joke. Pratfalls, bumps to the head (including an attack with army helmets) and a truly funny bit involving a condom...they're par for the course amid all the silliness.
With a Jackie Chan movie, you know what to expect. As long as it contains enough action and laughs, nothing else matters. This one does.
Starring: Jackie Chan, Carol 'Do Do' Chang, Eva Cobo, Shoko Ikeda, Aldo Sambrell
Rated PG-13 for Martial Arts Action, Some Shootings, and Sensuality
Jackie Chan knows what he's doing. He's also completely insane. The death defying stunts he attempts in movies like this goes beyond reckless (at one point, he narrowly misses a flying car by doing a pull up). That he does this himself qualifies as some sort of demented genius. But you get the sense that he enjoys what he does. He's having fun and so are we.
Unlike its predecessor/sequel, "Operation Condor" has an actual plot. Nothing serious or original, to be sure, but it feels like there's more going on than just a flimsy clothesline for the stunts and fight sequences. In this movie, Jackie is a fortune hunter with the gizmos and reputation of James Bond. But he lacks the debonair quality of 007 and is far too dorky to be compared to Nathan Drake. In any event, he's been tasked to find a large cache of stolen Nazi gold. Accompanying him on his journey is a UN attache named Ada (Chang) who cares a lot about being in charge, Elsa (Cobo), a civilian whose grandfather may have been in charge of hiding the gold, and a traveling hippie named Momoko (Ikeda) who has a pet scorpion named Ding-Ding.
"Operation Condor" has all the requisite elements we'd expect from a Jackie Chan movie. There is plentiful action where Jackie leaps around the room throwing punches and kicks. There are times when he seems less like a martial artist and more like a Broadway dancer on steroids. It's also hilarious, with some truly funny sight gags and slapstick (Carol 'Do Do' Chang deserves special credit for her skills in this department). The film's funniest scene takes place at a desert hotel presided over by a man named Tasza (Jonathan Isgar), who is a laugh riot. He's overly helpful and completely clueless. Tasza is the evil twin of Basil Fawlty.
What can I say about the acting? The film is dubbed, and far too silly to be taken seriously on any level. All the actors have a perfect understanding of comic timing and no one has too much pride to be the butt of a juvenile joke. Pratfalls, bumps to the head (including an attack with army helmets) and a truly funny bit involving a condom...they're par for the course amid all the silliness.
With a Jackie Chan movie, you know what to expect. As long as it contains enough action and laughs, nothing else matters. This one does.
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