The Big Brawl (1980)

User Rating:

5.3/10   

Director:

Robert Clouse

Writers:

Robert Clouse (screenplay)
Fred Weintraub (story)

Release Date:

1980 (Japan)

Genre:

Action | Comedy

Tagline:

A Martial Arts fight to the finish. Filmed in America by the producers of 'Enter the Dragon'.

Plot:

A young Asian American martial artist is forced to participate in a brutal formal street-fight competition.

Plot Keywords:

1930s | Martial Arts | Slapstick | Streetfighting | Wilhelm Scream

Cast

Jackie Chan	...	Jerry Kwan
José Ferrer	...	Dominici
Kristine DeBell	...	Nancy
Mako	...	Herbert
Ron Max	...	Leggetti
David Sheiner	...	Morgan
Rosalind Chao	...	Mae
Lenny Montana	...	John
Pat E. Johnson	...	Carl
Mary Ellen O'Neill	...	Dominici's Mother
H.B. Haggerty	...	Kiss
Chao Li Chi	...	Kwan
Joycelyne Lew	...	Miss Wong
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ox Baker	...	Fighter
Sonny Barnes	...	Iron Head Johnson
Larry Drake	...	Judge #1
Craig Huston	...	Second Reporter
Gene LeBell	...	Stroke (as Gene La Bell)
Earl Maynard	...	The Jamaican
Gene Rader	...	Judge #2
Robert Shaw	...	Man on Beach (as Robert Gottschall)
Jeep Swenson	...	Thug
Steve Uzzell	...	Dominic's Assistant

Also Known As:

Battle Creek
Battle Creek Brawl
Sha shou hao

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA | Hong Kong

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Germany:12 (re-rating) (2004) | West Germany:16 (original rating) | Australia:M | South Korea:12 | Norway:15 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | Canada:G (Quebec)

Filming Locations:

Floresville, Texas, USA

Company:

Golden Harvest Company

Trivia:

Despite training in martial arts since the age of six, and having choreographed his own fight scenes in many previous films, Jackie Chan assigned a fight choreographer with only six years experience.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Though the film is set in the 1930's, modern railroad freight cars not introduced until the 1970's are seen behind Jackie early into the film.

Movie Connections:

Featured in A Cool, Dry Place (1998)

Jackie Chan's failed US debut is quite fun and better than it's reputation

This Jackie Chan vehicle,his first attempt to break into the American market,generally has a bad reputation. Jackie himself hated myself the film,one of the reasons being that he had little to no control over the action. It was also a box office flop,despite it regrouping some of the team that made Enter The Dragon.

However,The Big Brawl is not all that bad. Indeed at first it seems that it does not at all deserve it's critics. Lalo Schifrin's main theme is exceptionally groovy,the 1030s Chicage setting is reasonably well evoked and there is one early fight scene,in which Jackie defeats three baddies seemingly by accident,that,although a little slow,does come across as being classic Jackie,combining fighting and slapstick typically well. As the film goes on it loses interest somewhat,especially as the final third is just Jackie fighting a bunch of wrestler types in the Big Brawl of the title. Nonetheless, if you don't expect much and/or have not seen many other of Chan's movie fights,they are fairly entertaining,as he defeats his opponents with his skill and agility, and despite the slow choreography,he does perform a few great moves and dangerous moments.

Elsewhere Mako is great fun as Jackie's uncle/teacher and his training scenes with Jackie are fun. It's also interesting to see Jackie in a supposedly sexual relationship with his girlfriend {something he normally shied away from}and here are also a few good laughs involving some inept gangsters. The Big Brawl is seriously flawed,but it really isn't bad. It's certainly better than The Protector!