Viewed in
2013
Formats
HDTV (dubbed)
Premise
Technically the fourth installment of the Police Story series, Jackie Chan tries to locate a stolen nuclear warhead in Australia.
Loved
Sea urchin fight.
Liked
Underwater fight.
Thoughts
Well, now I know what a Jackie Chan impression of James Bond would look like.
This entry had all sorts of silly action-y stuff that harked back to some of 007's iconic moments, such as snow boarding/skiing chases, exotic locations, lethal creatures, and espionage. My favorite comedy moment was Chan and a bad guy getting stung by sea urchins while fighting. Also, the clearly foam sharks added to the movie's cheeky charm.
Another interesting gimmick was a play on the theme of height. There were stunts involving jumping on/off helicopters, scaling down trees, fighting tall enemies, ladders as weapons, and even stilts. A lot of the climax took place underwater. You'd think fighting in slow-motion (due to water drag) would look silly, but somehow it came of as unique and cool.
While the flaws of goofy plot and cartoony performances were expected and part of the charm, I was kind of shocked that this was made in 1996. It gave off a bad 1980's action flick vibe, with its production value, bad logic, and ridiculously large suit jackets.
Now matter what language you watch Jackie Chan's First Strike in, there's no denying its fun action and stunts. I wouldn't consider this in the same category as his best, but Jackie Chan fans should enjoy it's physical comedy and underwater fights.
