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Ging chaat goo si 4: Ji gaan daan yam mo (1996) More at IMDb Pro »

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11 out of 11 people found the following comment useful :-
A nice introduction to Jackie Chan, 14 October 2005

Author: kylopod (kylopod@aol.com) from Baltimore, MD

If you've never seen a Jackie Chan film before, this is a good place to start. I speak from experience, for it is the first film of his that I saw. I must warn you, though: his films are not for everyone. The plots are often pedestrian and sometimes incoherent. They also are usually dubbed, making them seem cheesy. Sometimes I describe him to people as a guilty pleasure, but that may give the wrong impression. What Chan does well is sheer genius. Plot is besides the point. It's not what his films are about.

What, then, are they about? It's hard to put into words. You may have heard him described as a martial artist, a stuntman, and a slapstick comedian. None of those descriptions do him justice. I could add that he's something of an acrobat and gymnast, but even that doesn't sum it up. There is no actor he can be compared to, for his style is unique; it's like he's developed his own art form. These are not "fighting films" in a traditional sense. They're more like the types of acts you might see at a circus, involving props used in astonishing ways and depending on careful choreography and exquisite timing. For example, at one point in this film Chan flips and twirls a heavy stepladder like it was a baton, then sets it down and weaves his own body through the rungs, while fending off attacks from a group of men.

Typically in his films, the acts he performs get increasingly formidable as the film progresses, culminating in some large-scale stunt such as him leaping off a building. But even the little things he does are eye-popping. In this film he's constantly climbing walls with an agility reminiscent of Donald O'Connor. You never know what to expect, for he does different things in each film.

Well, at least that once was the case. Since "Rush Hour," his 1998 American blockbuster, his stunts have become less intricate, and he's begun repeating ideas. It may be that he's getting older, but it also may be that he's moved from Hong Kong to Hollywood. Undoubtedly the recent films have more polish and better production values, which has helped make them accessible to a wider audience. But his earlier work is so full of invention that I'm able to overlook formula plots, bad acting, and cheesy humor. I do have my limits. A few of his films--"The Protector" comes to mind--are so badly done that it doesn't matter that they have cool fight sequences. His films need some measure of competence to work. They are more than a series of routines strung together.

Part of what makes them charming is Chan himself. He is a pretty solid actor compared to some of the leading American action stars, capable of conveying a full range of emotions convincingly. He is particularly good at expressing panic. The character he plays is not your standard tough-guy. He is frequently an inferior fighter to those he confronts. When hit, he grimaces in pain. When faced with the opportunity, he runs. He survives by a mixture of quick wits and luck. He is far more a throwback to Keaton and Chaplin than a martial arts master.

Of course, I won't call this film or any other by Chan a masterpiece. Perhaps I'm too conventional. If the purpose of films is to entertain, his succeed brilliantly. Whether they appeal to you depends on your taste, but one thing you cannot do is claim he's untalented. It may not be a talent you're used to, but it's one that's likely to remain unparalleled.

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7 out of 7 people found the following comment useful :-
Who cares about the plot?! The point is to have fun!, 22 March 2006

Author: Lee Eisenberg (eisenberg.lee@gmail.com) from Portland, Oregon, USA

In "Jing cha gu shi IV: Jian dan ren wu" (called "Jackie Chan's First Strike" in the US), Jackie Chan has to find a missing nuclear warhead. Of course, if you pay too much attention to the plot, you'll miss the rest of the movie. Like any of Chan's movies, the point is to have him kick ass in various and sundry ways. The snowboarding sequence in my opinion should get registered alongside Gene Kelly singing in the rain as one of the great cinematic moments. And the ladder? I DON'T KNOW HOW HE DOES IT, BUT HE DOES IT!!!!!!!! So just have fun watching this (and I guarantee that you will). You could be deaf and still get a kick out of it.

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7 out of 7 people found the following comment useful :-
Why the hate?, 2 January 2005

Author: AwesomeWolf from Australia

In this apparent 'Police Story IV', Jackie plays, of all people, Jackie, a cop from Hong Kong working on a case with the CIA. Pretty soon he is off to Ukraine, and then to Australia for some reason. In Australia, he shares a hotel room with a Koala, and generally beats up very big Russian mobsters. Wow.

OK, I'll admit it isn't as awesome as it sounds, nor is it as bad as it may sound to others. The plot is standard spy-stuff, and accompanied by some very poor dialog. The bad guys are the stereotypical bad guys who know they can kill the hero straight away, but opt for something else, in this case, its "lets have fun with him" or "lets beat him". Ah, classic. Those very big Russian mobsters don't look or sound very intelligent anyway.

Sure, the plot might be trying to be too much like James Bond, the dialog bad, and some of the actors poor - but Jackie beats people up using a ladder. A LADDER! Some of the other action scenes are pretty cool too - ranging from Jackie snowboarding, to Jackie fighting on stilts, to Jackie jumping cars. Awesome.

7/10 - Only for fans of action or Jackie Chan

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7 out of 8 people found the following comment useful :-
Jackie Chan does James Bond, 13 October 2003
Author: DrLenera

The fourth installment in Jackie Chan's terrific Police Story films {although the western release obscured the connection,but more on that later}is basically Chan's take on James Bond. And it is tremendous fun,in many respects one of his best all-round movies. While having some incredible action,it also has a reasonably good plot and acting,two things which even the most die-hard Chan fan will probably admit his films don't often contain.

The film has been unfairly criticised for having little martial arts,but it has more than,say,Crime Story or The Tuxedo. This film aims at more diversity in it's action,and ranges from a ski-chase {ending with Chan jumping on to a helicopter than falling into ice-filled water with VERY little protection}to a running battle with a giant {this scene actually has Chan running on water!}to a warehouse fight where Chan uses a ladder with amazing skill. The film moves a little slower than you might expect but the story holds the attention and the last half-hour is incredible non-stop action,climaxing with a terrific car stunt. The centrepiece is an underwater fight with martial arts moves. It somewhat degenerates into clowning but is never less than terrific to watch. A shame that Chan injured himself and therefore {as with Rumble In The Bronx}could not have a final battle,but never mind.

Hugely enjoyable then,with Chan obviously aware of the Bondisms and having fun doing them his way {he even complains that he is missing the gorgeous girls at one point}. Sadly the Western cinema release is cut by around 20 minutes. The plot is harder to follow and ,worst of all,some of the action is cut,including some great moments from the underwater battle. The original Hong Kong version is superior in every way and it remains a great shame that New Line and Miramax see fit to chop up all the non-American Chan films they release. Seek out the full version.

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3 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
Bad Bond, Great Jackie., 13 November 2003

Author: gridoon

"First Strike" is at its worst when it tries to be a James Bond spoof and comes off as a cut-rate Bond imitation. It's at its best when it lets Jackie Chan do what he does best: performing awesome physical stunts and engaging in lightning-paced fight scenes. The plot is utterly disjointed, and I would go so far as to say that there are only two or three really good scenes here, but these are SO good they make the movie worth watching anyway. The "ladder scene", in particular, simply defies belief; Jackie Chan seems to be pushing the boundaries of what we consider "humanly possible". (**1/2)

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2 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-
Unbelievable, 25 August 2000
Author: Petri Pelkonen (petri_pelkonen@hotmail.com) from Finland

Jackie Chan plays a cop who chases a criminal from Russia to Australia.I don't bother telling more about the plot because it's really not important in this kind of movie.This is like a James Bond movie.But there's Chan, Jackie Chan in this one.The fighting sequences are unbelievable in this movie and there is a lot of action in it.Jackie hangs from a helicopter, skis with one ski, uses ladder for fighting and then there's under water action in the movie.It is also very funny.Jing cha gu shi IV: Jian dan ren wu which is also known as Jackie Chan's First Strike from 1996 was Jackie's first movie for American people to see.Jackie Chan is unbelievable in his moves.He is like new Bruce Lee but with his own style of course.He does his own stunts like Buster Keaton did.It is nice to watch the bloopers during credits.If you like martial arts or Jackie Chan this is a movie for you to enjoy.

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1 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :-
Good - but shouldn't be part of the Police Story series, 19 June 1999

Author: Jack Yan from Wellington, New Zealand

The second 1990s Jackie Chan film made for a worldwide market. It seems the team has learned its lessons with Rumble in the Bronx, as First Strike is more on pace. Filmed in Hong Kong, Ukraine, Russia and Australia, spy intrigue is combined with kung-fu comedy as Chan gets involved in the illegal sale of weapons by the Russian Mafia (yes, another film with this premise). Thanks largely to the presence of Chan, the storyline is pulled off relatively successfully. The ski stunts are impressive and also humorous - but poor Jackie - he really is wearing a couple of layers' clothing! The Australian action sequences are well choreographed and have a sense of occasion. The action is better paced: it is not kung-fu for kung-fu's sake, although if you want realism in your stories, look elsewhere. As an individual Chan film, it works - but it does not deserve being part of the Police Story series, which it was in Hong Kong. The Chinese style is watered down in pursuit of the western markets - and the producers would have been better off creating a new character for Chan this time. Compared to the first and third instalments, it is lacking. This aside, it is entertaining and enjoyable, whether you see the original or dubbed version.

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My Name Is Bond.. Jackie Bond !, 3 September 2008
Author: ahmed elshikh (ahmed_abd_elreheem@yahoo.com) from Egypt

This is the adventures of Bond's cousin from Hong Kong. Forget the name or the job (Insp. Chan Ka Kui), because this is the Bond formula without the sexual appetizers, the Sci-Fi toys, the huge sets, and the elegant suits. Unfortunately it got the same Bondy plot which's always too thin to be visible. Most likely they wrote and designed the Action firstly, then they looked to trivial matters like putting a story, any story, to fit that, or not !

Obviously Jackie was so desperate to achieve a First Strike in America. After the failure of (The Big Brawl - 1980), he had been forced to be a spoof of himself (The Cannonball Run - 1981), or Dirty Harry (The Protector - 1985), then they let him to be himself (Rumble in the Bronx - 1995), and all of these movies went wrong. Therefore why not to give the western audience what they used to have and mostly love. So here it is a Bond flick done by Chan, yet somehow inside his kind of worlds.

But here, badly I think, you'll witness the abstract case of (Chan). Nothing here to watch but (Chan)'s action – very detached - sequences, and nothing disrupts (Chan) to perform his stuff and perfectly, however that's not satisfyingly perfect as a whole. I don't mean a lack of dramatic depth or something, (Shanghai Noon - 2000) is just pure fun and works fine, but here there is nothing else Chan in Action after Action, which wasn't that solidly made as cliffhanger after another ! The absence of some real thrill or comedy makes you want to sleep. No good music, acting, one-liners, or even one-liner ! Nothing is done as good as the certain sequences. You can watch it as 'The Boldest Action Scenes' show – Jackie Chan special episode, and never feel any difference !

Despite how this cousin is nicer, how this Bond doing all the madly dangerous stunts by himself, or how it contains historical fearless stunts, I must admit the finale result was so ridiculous. Compared to Bond movies it's less entertaining, and to Chan's worlds it's not funny. This non-movie kind of stacking action was at its best nothing but another round into Chan's own circus.. Which was quite tasteless this time.

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Chan…Jackie Chan., 10 March 2007

Author: Michael DeZubiria (miked32@hotmail.com) from Luoyang, China

It has been so many years since I have seen a Jackie Chan film, but after finally watching First Strike for the first time since something like 1998 I am completely hooked again. Te fight scenes are astonishing and even though the sets are bad and some of the fight situations (underwater with sharks) are cartoonish it is still a non-stop thrill ride. Plenty of comic relief, as always, and one unbelievable stunt after another make this one of Jackie's best films ever, I think. I think that since Jackie Chan became an international star in the middle of the series, they were made available in America out of order, but this is the kind of series that you can start watching with any of the installments. Highly recommended!

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Probably my overall favourite Chan, 1 April 2006

Author: play333r (lukenny32@gmail.com) from UK (Essex)

I'm pretty sure this was one of the first Jackie Chan movies I saw, and the point where I became a fan. After watching it again last night, I can see why I started to like Jackie so much after this film.

The film isn't perfect, far from it. As very common in these films, it takes ages to settle into any proper action or story, carries the trademark terrible dialogue in all talking scenes and has a whole host of continuity errors and goofs. But what this film does have, in my opinion, is possibly Chans best overall performance of his career so far.

This film shows how much of an athletic talent Jackie really is, from the fight scenes to all the ways Jackie climbs over obstacles and into windows during the movie. This movie really showed me what a leading man was capable in the way of stunts when I first saw it, and still shows what the human body can do in any situation.

I don't think it really needs any more praise on here, but the mid movie ladder fight (and all build up to it) really needs to be seen to be believed. The gag real at the end of the movie show how dangerous this really was as well.

I just love Jackie's acrobatic style in this film. I am so glad I still find movies like this entertaining after I was so disappointed by the much hyped drunken master and original police story. I still need to see a few more of Chan's early work, but for now, this is my fav.

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