Jackie Chan's Breakout Hits!: A Wonderful Set That Offers a Mixed Selection of the Megastar's Incredible Work (Limited Edition 4K)

The Films:

There are very few people who can claim to have achieved such monumental global success as an action star as the great Jackie Chan. His incredible martial arts skills & prowess have been entertaining audiences for several decades, starting all the way back in the '60s, followed by his major breakout in Asia in the late '70s, and further still with his introduction to the US in the '90s.

To celebrate this phenomenal icon, Arrow Films has assembled a collection of six of what are considered just some of his important & memorable films in a new set simply titled "Jackie Chan's Breakout Hits!" This ten-disc collection features each film meticulously remastered in 4K, with hours of bonus material included, so now it's time to take a journey through just a small sample of his prolific filmography to see how he was able to explode into stardom, and why he's still so revered to this day.

Starting off with a bang, we have "Drunken Master II" from 1994 (released as "The Legend of Drunken Master" in the US in 2000). The film primarily focuses on Wong Fei-hung (Jackie Chan), who is returning home with his father, Wong Kei-ying (Ti Lung), and servant Tso (Ram Chiang). After Fei-hung tries to recover a box of ginseng that he hid with some VIPs on a train, he ends up fighting Fu Wen-chi (Lau Kar-leung), who is there trying to recover a stolen imperial seal. When their fight is finished, Fei-hung discovers that their boxes have been switched, leaving him with the seal, which, as it turns out, is one of several Chinese artifacts that the British consul is trying to smuggle out of the country. He soon finds himself entangled in the plot, leading him and his friends to intervene in order to protect these national treasures and bring the criminals to justice.

Right at the start, it should be noted that it may be just a little misleading to call "Drunken Master II" one of Jackie Chan's "breakout hits" given that he was already a superstar in Asia, while his American breakthrough wouldn't come until a couple years later with "Rumble in the Bronx." However, it is most certainly considered one of his greatest hits in general, with many even referring to it as his single greatest accomplishment. In fact, it was called one of the greatest films of all time by Time Magazine, as well as one of the ten greatest action films of all time by the British Film Institute, and it's certainly not hard to see why.

"Drunken Master II" is packed with some of the most dazzling fights ever put to film. In these 100-ish minutes, one simply sits back and marvels at Chan's incredible skills that have him executing moves of remarkable precision and mind-blowing agility. The plot involving saving the Chinese artifacts may seem like a mere foundation to place these fights on, but the screenwriters had the foresight to also include a touching subplot involving Fei-hung's relationship with his father, giving it some additional emotional stakes, and solidifying the film as a wonderful, well-rounded entry in Chan's illustrious filmography. It may not have been one of his "breakout hits," but there's most certainly a reason as to why it's still so revered to this day.

Up next is the previously-mentioned "Rumble in the Bronx," which begins with Hong Kong cop Ma Hon Keung (Jackie Chan) arriving in New York to attend the wedding of his Uncle Bill (Bill Tung), who has recently sold his grocery store business to a young woman named Elaine (Anita Mui). Unfortunately, the area where the store is has quite a lot of gang activity, which has forced Bill to pay "protection fees" and give away free goods, a part of the business he purposely neglects to tell Elaine.

When Keung steps in to defend her and the store, he starts a feud with the gang that causes them to brutally attack him. Meanwhile, Angelo (Garvin Cross), a member of the gang, gets himself involved in a local diamond deal gone bad, which forces him to hide the stolen goods in a secret place that just happens to be in Keung's building. Because of this, Keung not only has to deal with the local violent gang, but also a deadly crime syndicate that will stop at nothing to recover their diamonds.

As noted earlier, "Rumble in the Bronx" ended up being the film that truly ended up introducing Jackie Chan to American audiences when it was re-edited and released in US theaters in 1996. I suppose it would make sense that this would be the one, what with it being set in New York (though shot in Vancouver, with certain major hints making it obvious that it was not actually filmed where it takes place), but more importantly, it becomes rather fascinating to watch the film and imagine what those first reactions to Chan's brilliant choreography might have been.

You have to imagine that audiences would've been very impressed with what they saw, at least physically. Once more, we see Chan pulling off a multitude of complex, jaw-dropping maneuvers that prove why he's considered one of the very best action stars of all time, but what about the rest of the film? Is it able to provide a firm enough foundation on which to build these amazing spectacles? Sadly, that's where it comes up a little weak, as the rather generic storyline has him going up against gangs & random criminals in suits, both of which are situations that he basically stumbles into. Granted, we saw Chan stumble into the plot in "Drunken Master II," but that had been a stronger narrative with more emotional weight behind it.

"Rumble in the Bronx" is hardly a bad entry in his filmography, for it still manages to dazzle the audience with its many incredible fights throughout, but it's also a somewhat forgettable tale, which explains the mixed reaction it's had from critics & viewers in the 30 years since its release. That said, the film most definitely has its place in film history, and would indeed introduce millions to Chan & his marvelous work, so in the end, while it may not be considered one of his particular best, it certainly led these newcomers to much of his previous, better work, an accomplishment which more than earns it the label of "breakout hit."

Moving on to "Thunderbolt," the film follows mechanic Chan Foh To (Jackie Chan), who also assists police in stopping illegal street racing. One night, he goes up against a criminal called Warner "Cougar" Kaugman (Thorsten Nickel), and after an intense race, leads the man right into the hands of the police. However, due to a lack of evidence, Cougar is released. Shortly after, Chan is attacked by several of his thugs, forcing him to use his skills to fend them off. This leads Chan to provide false testimony to the police in order to have Cougar arrested again. Unfortunately, the arrest is about as brief as before after his gang raids the police station and frees him, with Cougar's girlfriend getting killed in the process. In retaliation, Cougar attacks Chan, his family, and their junkyard, ultimately kidnapping his sisters and demanding that Chan race him in Japan. With no other choice, Chan begins to prepare for the race of his life in the hope of being able to save his sisters' lives.

"Thunderbolt" is an entry in Jackie Chan's filmography that you don't hear people talk about very often, and indeed, it's the one film in this set that I hadn't even heard of beforehand. It was a modest hit, but stranger still is that it's a little difficult to even find critical reviews for it, though you don't have to look very far to see that the public's reaction was more than a little mixed. After sitting through this two-hour racing actioner, it's not particularly hard to see why. Despite being the longest of the three films thus far, it ends up having the least amount of plot to it. We get a very basic set-up that has Chan helping to catch an illegal racer, who then retaliates & kidnaps his sisters, all so Chan will race against him in a big competition in Japan.

There are some fine set pieces on display, primarily in the two attacks on Chan's junkyard, the latter of which involves massive amounts of damage to the property, but overall, the stuntwork just isn't as impressive as usual, with the grand finale being a rather standard, ho-hum race. NASCAR fans or racecar enthusiasts in general might get a kick out of this one, but for the most part, it seems very clear why people don't bring this one up very often in discussions about Jackie Chan's remarkable career.

Now we come to "Police Story 4: First Strike," which has CIA Agent Jackie (Jackie Chan) working on a case involving the smuggling of nuclear weapons. His task has him following a woman named Natasha (Nonna Grishayeva) and recording her movements as she flies from Hong Kong to Crimea. Upon arrival, the CIA & the Ukrainian Security Service take over, but shortly after, Natasha is taken away by the Ukrainian Strike Force. Jackie follows her and soon discovers that it was a ploy to shake everyone off her trail. As it turns out, she is working with Jackson Tsui (Jackson Lou), a nuclear scientist who is believed to have come into possession of a warhead and is looking to sell it. However, as we soon find out, the situation is far more complicated than it seems, setting Jackie off on a mission that will have him traveling around the world as he attempts to put a stop to this deadly deal.

It's with a wonderful sense of irony that this film would follow "Thunderbolt" in this set, for the biggest issue with that film had been that there was very little plot to it, and now we have a film where the plot is thrown into overdrive. There's probably a pretty good case to be made for "First Strike" being far more convoluted than it needs to be. After all, you have a story that involves multiple locations, multiple security organizations, a triple agent, and relatives of a crime leader all tied up together, which can make it a little difficult to keep up with, but strangely enough, it all somehow works. If anything, the complexity of the plot & characters only makes it more engaging, for not only does it help pull you into its thrilling tale, but also has you curious as to how much more they could possibly pile onto it. Combine this with the usual stunning fighting skills of its star & the amazing stunt team, and you have a pretty solid entry in Chan's filmography that provides plenty of excitement (and incentive to check out the other "Police Story" films).

Next up is "Mr. Nice Guy," which begins with mob boss Giancarlo (Richard Norton) having his girlfriend killed for being an informant for the Demons gang. Shortly after, he and his men meet with the gang in an attempt to buy back the large amount of cocaine that they stole. However, the deal quickly goes sour, leading to a shootout and the discovery that the incident has been recorded by a journalist named Diana (Gabrielle Fitzpatrick) and her partner Richard (Peter Houghton). The mob gives chase, killing Richard in the process, but Diana just happens to run into TV chef Jackie (Jackie Chan), who defends her and helps her get away. To make matters worse, the tape gets mixed in with Jackie's cooking videos, a development that the mob & gang learn of, putting Jackie & his friends right in the middle of a deadly situation.

After a pair of films that had the plot dropping to the bare minimum and then getting pushed to the max, "Mr. Nice Guy" returns us to a far-more-familiar level of storytelling for these kinds of films by having Jackie Chan playing a regular guy who just happens to stumble into another dangerous situation (as he always seems to do). That said, even though it is a somewhat basic set-up, it ends up being a rather entertaining one that has our hero having to stay ahead of two deadly groups who're hell-bent on recovering the evidence on the tape, a tense & tangled plight that not only has him fighting for his life, but also forces him to protect his girlfriend & others. Naturally this includes a number of fantastic fights & various action pieces throughout, including some particularly impressive moves at a construction site and an all-out destructive climax. When all is said and done, it's simply a fun, exciting, and fast-paced 90 minutes that stands as a fine example of Chan's extraordinary work.

Finally, we have "Who Am I?," which begins with a Special Force Unit landing in South Africa, ambushing a convoy, and kidnapping three scientists who have been working on a dangerous mineral. When the Unit themselves is attacked, the only survivor (Jackie Chan) wakes up in an African village with no recollection of who he is or how he got there, eventually adopting the moniker "Who Am I?" after asking it over and over. After recuperating for weeks, he eventually finds his way back to civilization with the help of rally car driver Yuki (Mirai Yamamoto), which brings him to Johannesburg, where he meets Christine Stark (Michelle Ferre), a journalist who wants to do a story on him.

Meanwhile, we've already learned that the attack on the convoy and the Unit were instigated by CIA Agent Morgan (Ron Smerczak) and retired General Sherman (Ed Nelson), who are both looking to make quite a profit from the explosive material they've obtained. However, when they discover that "Who Am I?" is still alive, they do everything in their power to silence him due to him being the only surviving witness of their crimes. This inevitably has him fighting for his life as a wave of assassins try to kill him before he can remember anything about himself or what he saw.

When it comes to "Who Am I?," sadly we have a film that brings this incredible collection to a close on a bit of a down note. It has a mildly-engaging storyline, one written by Chan himself, but it's one that takes quite a while to finally get a move on. The full two-hour Hong Kong cut gets especially bogged down by meandering scenes in Africa, most of which were rightfully deleted for the International cut, but even so, this is a film in no particular rush to get anywhere.

On top of that, even when it does firmly establish its main plotline, it strangely seems to limit the usual action that audiences are used to seeing in Chan's films. In fact, thinking back on it, I can only recall two major sequences, one rather late in the film, and another at the end. They are, of course, spectacular as expected, but it seems like the odd structure of the film could've been reworked & improved to not only help the pacing, but also to help in regards to its excitement level. Overall, while one is forced to conclude that this is not one of Chan's best efforts, there are some elements that work (the basic concept, the fights, the characters, etc.), but what he really needed to do was churn out a couple more drafts of the script in order to iron out the over-extended story and bring its central plot more into focus, an endeavor that would likely have resulted in a more memorable outing than what was ultimately delivered.

Video/Audio:

All six films come to 4K in beautiful 2160p Ultra High Definition transfers that have been restored from the original negatives, with the following equally-stunning audio tracks included:

Drunken Master II

Original lossless Cantonese, Mandarin and English mono audio for the Hong Kong Cut

Original lossless English mono audio for the International Cut

Original English DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround audio for The Legend of Drunken Master

Rumble in the Bronx

Original lossless Cantonese/English (sync-sound) stereo audio and English (export dub) mono audio (Hong Kong Cut)

Original English-dubbed lossless stereo audio and DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround audio (International Cut)

Thunderbolt

Original lossless Cantonese/English (sync-sound) stereo audio, English (export dub) stereo audio and English (US dub) DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround audio

Police Story 4: First Strike

Original lossless Cantonese/English (sync-sound) stereo and Mandarin (dubbed) stereo audio (Hong Kong Cut)

Original English-dubbed lossless stereo and DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround audio (International Cut)

Mr. Nice Guy

Original lossless English DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround and lossless stereo audio for all three cuts

Who Am I?

Original lossless English DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround and lossless stereo audio (Hong Kong & Internation Cuts)

Special Features:

Disc 1 - Drunken Master II (Hong Kong, International, and American Cuts)

Commentary by Martial Arts Cinema Experts Frank Djeng and F.J. DeSanto (New)

Before the Breakout (9 Minutes) (New): A featurette in which stuntman Wang Yao, academic Dr. Wayne Wong and critics

David West and James Mudge look back at Jackie Chan's earlier career.

Breakout! Part 1 (9 Minutes) (New): A featurette in which Wong, West, Mudge and stuntman Mars look back at the film.

Deadly When Drunken (12 Minutes) (New): An interview with co-writer Yuen Kai-chi.

Tipsy Tribulations (11 Minutes): An expanded interview with stuntman Mars.

Period Postures (12 Minutes) (New): An interview with academic Dr. Lars Laamann on the historical context behind the film.

Drunken Defiance (10 Minutes) (New): An appreciation of the film by martial arts cinema expert Ricky Baker.

Archive Interview with Jackie Chan Filmed for the American Release in 2000 (7 Minutes)

Alternate Mandarin Drinking Scene (contains standard-definition inserts) (2 Minutes)

Textless Outtakes (2 Minutes)

Chinese New Year Messages Recorded by Jackie for the Taiwanese and Malaysian Openings (1 Minute)

Disc 2 - Rumble in the Bronx (Hong Kong Cut)

Commentary by Martial Arts Cinema Experts Frank Djeng and F.J. DeSanto (New)

Breakout! Part 2 (15 Minutes) (New): A featurette in which stuntman Mars, stuntwoman Kathy Hubble, martial arts cinema expert Ricky Baker and critics David West and James Mudge look back at the film.

Rumble Recollections (19 Minutes): An expanded interview with Hubble.

Alternate Footage (2 Minutes)

Textless Outtakes (4 Minutes)

Disc 3 - Rumble in the Bronx (International Cut)

Electronic Press Kit Interview with Jackie Chan (3 Minutes)

Two Scenes Added for the Network TV Version with Dubbing Unique to this Version (5 Minutes)

Disc 4 - Thunderbolt (International Cut)

97-Minute Japanese Cut with Lossless Cantonese/English Sync-Sound Stereo Audio (High-Definition Only)

Commentary by Martial Arts Cinema Experts Frank Djeng and F.J. DeSanto (New)

Breakout! Part 3 (12 Minutes) (New): A featurette in which stuntman Mars, critics David West and James Mudge, and dubbing supervisor Paul Clay look back at the film.

A Thunderous Presence (9 Minutes): An expanded interview with Clay on his collaborations with Jackie Chan.

Alternate English Export Credits (6 Minutes)

Textless Outtakes (4 Minutes)

Disc 5 - Police Story 4: First Strike (Hong Kong Cut)

Commentary by Martial Arts Cinema Experts Frank Djeng and F.J. DeSanto (New)

Breakout! Part 4 (8 Minutes) (New): A featurette in which critics David West and James Mudge look back at the film.

Textless Outtakes (4 Minutes)

Disc 6 - Police Story 4: First Strike (International Cut)

Striking Out (12 Minutes) (New): Am interview with martial arts cinema expert Frank Djeng.

Scenes Added for the US network TV Version with Dubbing Unique to this Version (10 Minutes)

Disc 7- Mr. Nice Guy (Japanese & Hong Kong Cuts)

Commentary by Critic James Mudge

Breakout! Part 5 (8 Minutes) (New): A featurette in which stuntman Mars and critics David West and James Mudge look back at the film.

Nice Thoughts (12 Minutes) (New): A appreciation by martial arts cinema expert Frank Djeng.

Alternate English Credits (1 Minute)

Textless Outtakes (4 Minutes)

Disc 8 - Mr. Nice Guy (International Cut)

None.

Disc 9 - Who Am I? (Hong Kong Cut)

Commentary by Critic James Mudge (New)

Breakout! Part 6 (10 Minutes) (New): A featurette in which critic James Mudge, actor Glory Simon and second unit

cinematographer Ray Wong look back at the film.

From Drunk to Slam Dunk: Jackie Chan in the New Millennium (20 Minutes) (New): A featurette in which Mudge, Simon, Wong,

stuntwoman Kathy Hubble, stuntmen Wang Yao and Mars, critic David West and others look at Jackie's career in the years since.

The Making of Who Am I? (89 Minutes): A three-part archive behind-the-scenes featurette.

Alternate English Credits (7 Minutes)

Textless Outtakes (4 Minutes)

Disc 10 - Who Am I? (International Cut)

Who, When & Where (8 Minutes): An expanded interview with Ray Wong.

Jostling with Jackie (9 Minutes): An expanded interview with Glory Simon.

Conclusion:

"Jackie Chan's Breakout Hits!" is an impressive collection of six of the action megastar's most well-known & successful works, with some being of higher quality than others, but all of which present incredible examples of his brilliant martial arts skills & agility. Arrow Films' new set presents each film restored in stunning 4K quality, with hours of bonus material that delves into each film, ultimately making this an easy recommendation for any fan of Chan's extraordinary talents.

Score: 4/5

Available on Limited Edition 4K starting tomorrow.

Follow me on Twitter @BeckFilmCritic.