Directed by Jackie Chan • 1979 • Hong Kong
Starring Jackie Chan, James Tien, Yen Shi-kwan
An auteur emerges as Jackie Chan—working for the first time as director, in addition to serving as cowriter, lead actor, and martial-arts choreographer—takes full charge of his on-screen image. Perfecting the archetypal Chan character, he stars here as a rapscallion student of his martial-arts-master grandfather (Hong Kong cinema legend James Tien) who uses his kung-fu prowess to fight challengers for money—until a personal tragedy forces him to get serious. Experimenting with various lenses and camera setups, Chan maximizes the action’s visual impact, while unleashing some of his most innovative fight choreography in a stunning, whirlwind display of “emotional kung fu.”
Up Next in Starring Jackie Chan
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The Young Master
Directed by Jackie Chan • 1980 • Hong Kong
Starring Jackie Chan, Yuen Biao, Wai PakJackie Chan’s second directorial effort was also a film of important firsts: his first for upstart studio Golden Harvest and his first with cowriter Edward Tang, who would become a key collaborator. The star-film...
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Fearless Hyena II
Directed by Chan Chuen • 1983 • Hong Kong
Starring Jackie Chan, Austin Wai Tin-chi, Yen Shi-kwanBy the early 1980s, Jackie Chan’s popularity made him box-office gold. Thus when, midway through filming the sequel to his hit THE FEARLESS HYENA, Chan walked off the production to defect to rival st...
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My Lucky Stars
Directed by Sammo Hung • 1985 • Hong Kong
Starring Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, Yuen BiaoLongtime friends Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, and Yuen Biao—who had worked together since childhood as part of a Beijing opera troupe—join forces for this rollicking blend of action thrills and lunatic humor, which...
