Operation Condor

Starring: Jackie Chan, Carol 'Do Do' Cheng, Eva Cobo, Shoko Ikeda, Aldo Sambrell
Directed by: Jackie Chan
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy
1991

Times Seen:
Tim: 2


Summary: A man (Jackie Chan) begins to investigate a NAZI plot that proves more dangerous than he anticipated.

Review:

Tim: I first saw Operation Condor in movie theaters in 1997. I'd seen Rumble in the Bronx and felt excited for this. I left feeling disappointed. I didn't revisit the film for a quarter of a century. When I finally did, I realized how little I knew about this film. I wouldn't say I enjoyed it in the end, but I appreciated it slightly more than the first time I saw it.

First off, I was always under the impression that the film was newly released in 1997. I had no idea it was originally released in Hong Kong in 1991. I also had no idea it's actually Armour of God II: Operation Condor, the sequel to a 1986 film. This gave me a much different understanding of the film. Reviewing the movie from a 1991 lens is different than a 1997 lens.

The movie itself is decent, but I still didn't really like it. Jackie Chan does an admirable job in front of the camera and a decent job behind it. The movie takes a similar approach to most of Chan's movies. There's the expected blend of humor and action. There's a few ridiculous stunts. There's clear good guys and bad guys and at the center of it all, Chan's likable, charismatic performance. I'm not sure this movie offers much we haven't seen before, but there's always enjoyment to be had by watching Jackie Chan do his thing.

These movies are all about the action scenes. Chan delivers some solid ones, but I don't know if there was one truly standout sequence. The opening feels like a homage to Raiders of the Lost Ark and is enjoyable, but certainly infused with Chan's irreverent humor. The hotel scene is a stronger one and an excellent example of how Chan infused humor into his impressive fight scenes. I lost a bit of excitement once the movie gets into the desert. These scenes are solid, but they felt a little lacking. Some of the fight choreography in the ruins were quite impressive and the fight scene with the turbine fan is memorable. However, as a whole, it felt like it was just lacking a little. I remember thinking similar thoughts when I first saw the film in 1997, so it's not like time played a huge role in this (although accounting for the original 1991 release, these scenes are a bit more impressive).

Chan is good as always, but his biggest impact is in the physicality of his performance. His acting is decent here, a bit fun because of his charisma. However, it's in doing his own stunts that he really sets himself apart. The supporting cast was decent, but it felt like there weren't really any standouts. Carol 'Do Do' Cheng was fine. She has a few great moments throughout the film. Eva Cobo added a decent supporting performance, too. Shoko Ikeda felt too over-the-top to me. Her character feels forced into the story and she never delivers a truly effective performance. Her character felt unnecessary.

I like Jackie Chan and it's always intriguing to see what he does. He directs a decent movie here- I never disliked it, even though he didn't deliver an especially memorable one. There's solid moment sprinkled throughout, although the film as a whole doesn't deliver a real knockout punch. I probably liked it a bit more the second time I saw it, but this is still far from my favorite Chan movie.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Supercop, Police Story, Rumble in the Brox