Just so...so bad

I like Black Panther, but I didn't like this movie.

Expected more

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Made during the mid 1980s, a period which I consider to be the most productive (in terms of entertainment value) in Jackie Chan's overall filmography, ARMOUR OF GOD is another hit and a perfectly-paced movie, offering up varied locations, some wonderful action sequences, tons of stunts and breathtaking martial arts work. Little does it matter that the film has a lightweight and undemanding plot, which uses the Indiana Jones films as a basis and throws in lots of odd interludes (the Chinese rock band, the evil/comedy monks) before forgetting about it at the end in favour of crazy action.In many ways this has much the same formula as Jackie's other films from the time, pairing him up with a bumbling sidekick (this time played by Alan Tam), who shares plenty of comic interplay with the Chan man, and bringing in female beauty Lola Forner (WHEELS ON MEALS) as a romantic interest. There's a lot of comedy in this movie which, whilst being very Chinese in tone, is still pretty funny in places, including the middle of the film which is a bedroom farce very much in the Jackie Chan style and nowhere near as lame as some people claim it to be.The action sequences are dotted in throughout the film to highlight the plot and each one tops the last. Beginning with a major hill-sliding event, ARMOUR OF GOD takes in an excellent cross-town car chase, utilising a number of cars and motorbikes, a huge jump which is as good as the bus jump in SPEED, and tons of destruction, my personal favourite being the jeep rolling down the town square steps which is perhaps THE best crash I've seen on film. The martial arts is as good as ever, as it should be considering Jackie Chan was at the height of his physical prowess when this was made, but kept to a relative minimum until the action-packed ending which doesn't disappointment.The action incorporates a wild food fight and plenty of extra-fast martial arts fighting which is some of the best filmed. Later, there's another memorable scene in which Chan must battle four ball-breaking Amazon women, and a hilarious joke involving a vest of dynamite which had me laughing out loud to myself (the first time in a Chan flick). Chan is likable, Alan Tam makes a good comic foil (and doesn't have to embarrass himself by too much fighting, being an non-martial artist), Forner is the icy beauty once more and there are some weird-looking bad guys to add to the fun. The film is topped off by a jump onto a hot air balloon which is also highly impressive, and if you watch the closing credits you'll see that Chan nearly died after hitting his head on a rock - thank goodness he survived and went on to make more enjoyable movies like this one.

OK, the reason his hair turned from short to long in just 10 minutes at the start of the movie is because he got really injured, it was almost fatal jumping on the tree escaping from the natives. Jackie always had a superstition that if he would ever have short hair it would be literally life threatening...it was something supernaturally evil and based on eastern Asian superstition and the supernatural. well...i think Jackie looks better with short hair but that's the last we will ever see of that short hair so enjoy the 10 minutes or so of it in this movie.i actually had the good fortune to see this in the movie theater 2-3 times and it makes a big difference...until now where you can watch a hd version on a decent sized flat screen. Jackie's pre-USA movies which were hk based were so much better and enjoyable in my opinion and the fights were so much livelier. this movie has one of my top 5 fights all time and also my top 15. the top 5 is with the franciscan monks and the top 15 was with the 5 really athletic and oversized darkskinned ladies who were just absolute killers...HAHAHA.there were a lot of holes in the plot, but who cares, i'm not really watching it for the plots. it was a little slow in spots as i have watches the 97 min. version which is the longest and the best. the movie had a really really beautiful leading lady in Rosamund Kwan and Alan Tam played Jackie's sidekick. throw in the reigning Ms. Spain for that year as another sidekick, some crazy cult of caucascian monks intend on domination and literally two of the best fight brawl sequences you will see in a kung fu movie and just let the adventure begin.

This is the first ever Jackie Chan movie i saw back in about 1989, and so still retains a special place in my heart. I was never the same again: performing (in my mind) daredevil stunts such as jumping from the roof of the car in the driveway and injuring myself doing badly-executed flips in the garden. I so wanted to be Jackie Chan when i grew up. I still do, to some extent.In this little opus, Jackie stars as "Jackie" (original!), a daring mercenary for hire also known as "The Asian Hawk". We find out that he used to perform in a Canto-pop band before becoming Hong Kong's answer to Indiana Jones, alongside Alan Tam (as "Alan") and Rosamund Kwan (as "Lorelei" - at least her character got its own name!!). Lorelei is kidnapped by a group of Yugoslavian-based Devil-worshippers hoping to obtain the mythical Armour of God: pieces of which have been discovered, looted, and sold at auction by our Hawkish hero. Cue an expedition to Europe and into the villains' lair by Jackie, Alan (Tam providing less laughs than intended in bumbling sidekick mode) and May, daughter of one of Jackie's buyers (played by the gorgeous and sadly not seen in enough films Lola Forner).the plot may be a little hackneyed and thin, but the rapid-fire and relentless pace of the film, in gags as well as action scenes, ensures that if you're not liking one scene, the next will blow you away. Theopening scenes and the climactic half hour contain some of Chan's finest ever work: including a fight with a flaming log and a dive from a cliff-face onto a hot air balloon. The original release sported a great soundtrack too, with both Chan and Tam belting out gems sadly lost or replaced on the R2 DVD release. This sacrilege, as well as the loss of the original English dub track - replaced by a much weaker one with regard to characterisation, loses a point. The original version however retains an abiding position in my childhood memories.

"Armour of God" sees Chan as a kind of freelance treasure-hunter. This film was set in it's day (1987), (and already, Chan enthusiasts may already know what I'm hinting at here). We are quickly told (well, after some awkward flashbacks) that an old friend of Jackie's and Alan's (his annoying side-kick for nearly the whole film), Laura, has been kidnapped.After some fairly drawn-out and redundant sequences, we follow these guys (with another girl May) on their rescue mission. This film plot is fairly questionable to me, and the performances vary continually throughout the film.Jackie's typical comedy and impeccable action sequences are present in this film, but just to a much lesser degree than normal. I felt that the character of Alan crowded Jackie's abilities, and we are often shown Alan goofing off (quite unfunnily) while Jackie is presented as the sensible and honorable one.It's not until very late in the last reel do Chan fans get what they've been waiting for. The final fight-sequences are top-notch, but disappointingly over to soon, (there's no 30min "Young Master"-type finale here). Also, Jackie's usual extreme stunt inclusions are sub-standard in this film. The last stunt, while impressive logistically, feels quite tacked-on to the end of the film. This film, although quite patchy, is worth watching. Just be prepared for some dated comedy and a long wait for your action fix.