R E V I E W :    The Protector (Hong Kong Version) 

Reviewed 9/11/00 | Background | Movie Review | DVD Review | Recommendation

Background 

1985 / 91 minutes
Directed by James Glickenhaus (and Jackie Chan, uncredited)

Movie: plot, performances, production, rating

Desultory and disappointing. By general reputation, I knew to avoid the American version. Some have championed the superiority of the so-called "Hong Kong Version," which was re-edited by Jackie Chan and dubbed for the Asian market. On a buying spree, I decided to toss this one in. What a mistake!

There are sparks of interest to be found here and there throughout the film. Scenes in a massage parlor and a weight room could have become great set-pieces for martial-arts action and tomfoolery. The overall torpor of the direction, even in this version, slows everything down. A pier-side sequence (with many containers - sound like 1998's Rush Hour?) wastes the location. Every time a scene threatens to build, Danny Aiello as Jackie's American police partner pulls out a mysteriously-hidden machine gun. (*sigh*) Oh well. At least this film can claim credit as the inspiration for Jackie's great Police Story.

DVD: look, sound, subtitles, and features

It looks like it was buried in the ground after its 1985 release. Many scenes are too dark to make out details, scratches are apparent, and so forth. The sound is identified as DD 5.1, but the surrounds rarely are used and much of the dubbed audio is less than distinct. An unimpressive release that more closely resembers videotape.

Widescreen, Cantonese/Mandarin DD 5.1 audio tracks, usual multi-lingual subtitles.

Trailers for The Protector and Twinkle, Twinkle Lucky Stars (both DD 2.0 with no subtitles). Talent files for Jackie Chan and female lead Moo Lee.

Buy, rent, or pass?

Don't make the mistake I did. Pass (unless you're a die-hard Jackie fan, you've seen everything else he's done, and it's either this or Cannonball Run. If you're that desperate, go ahead and rent it. But don't say I didn't warn you).

 

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