ARMOUR OF GOD (1986)
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Sound format: Mono
Fortune-hunter Asian Hawk (Jackie Chan) travels to an ancient monastery in central Europe where his ex-girlfriend (Rosamund Kwan) is being held to ransom by a deadly cult who want Chan to deliver fragments of an all-powerful religious artefact.
Forever remembered as The Movie In Which Jackie Chan Almost Lost His Life (footage of the accident is even played over the closing credits, just to prove it!), this thinly-plotted action-adventure boasts a series of death-defying stunts (watch out for a truly breathtaking car chase early in the film) and brilliantly choreographed fight scenes, set against the backdrop of various far-flung European locations. Chan draws most of the limelight away from co-stars Alan Tam and Lola Forner, and the 1.85:1 image seems a little cramped in places (Chan was forced to adopt the narrower frame favored by original director Eric Tsang, who withdrew from the project following Chan's near-fatal mishap), but the movie still has much to recommend it. Dimension's rescored, re-edited US version - titled OPERATION CONDOR 2: THE ARMOR OF THE GODS (!) - should be avoided at all costs. Followed by ARMOUR OF GOD II: OPERATION CONDOR (1991).
Reviewer Score: 4
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