"I will follow you......follow you wherever you may go......there isn't an ocean too deep......a mountain so high it can keep......keep me away......"      

JACKIE CHAN'S FIRST STRIKE (PG-13) 

There are some movies that are just so silly you have to laugh.  And when a movie aims to make you laugh at its silliness, and you do, then it's not a bad film in my book.  Jackie Chan's First Strike is a Hong Kong import directed by Stanley Tong and starring (who else?) Jackie Chan, that increasingly popular martial arts film star who amazingly insists on doing his own stunts.  The story behind First Strike is fairly typical of the international espionage/spy genre--Jackie plays a Hong Kong cop who finds himself embroiled in a nuclear weapons smuggling scheme that takes him from Hong Kong to the Ukraine and then to Australia, with Jackie fumbling and fighting his way through one misadventure after another.  Does the plot make sense?  Is it engaging at all?  Eh...

What makes First Strike a bearable (and for me enjoyable) movie is not the story behind the film, but rather the affable, comedic, and somewhat loopy Jackie Chan that we in the U.S. are now getting used to watching.  This man can jump, kick, run, and hit like no other, and he does so with that mischievous flair that always says, "hey, we're just playing around here!".  Some of the highlights of First Strike include a wonderfully choreographed ladder-and-stick fight scene, a hundred and one ways to hit with stilts, and the silliest underwater combat scene I've ever witnessed.  Oh, and let's not forget the "Koala bear" underwear...

If you can forgive some hokey acting and put up with the English dubbing, First Strike is definitely worth a look.  Move over 007, Jackie Chan's in town, and he's actually having fun!

Responses from cyberspace--thanks for writing!

Do Gai gives this movie  stars: "From Munster,Ireland,E.U VEry little action.Cut because of American audience who don`t accept Hong Kong action same as rest of Asia.Jackie has porved himself to be capable of far better in his other films and this is a disgrace to his name, only as a result of the Americans though because they wont show his full potential in acting,Kung fu .." (1/2/99)

octkid@hotmail.com gives this movie  stars: "I have never seen a Jackie Chan movie that I didn't like. First Strike is nothing but action, and it is funny. I loved it when he sang "I will follow you" while taking his clothes off. Very good." (12/29/98)

flinsch@aol.com gives this movie  stars: "Very funny and incredible fights. The fight scene with the ladder was unbelievable. I was going to say 4.5 stars, but then I thought about Jackie walking around in that hysterical polar bear hat and the koala underwear...5 stars all the way!" (12/6/98)

enrique78644@excitemail.com gives this movie  stars: "Jackie is so awesome. I really enjoyed all his stunts. Also he is so funny in that movie" (11/4/98)

lterpstra@njdc.com gives this movie  stars: "Great movie! One of the funniest scenes is Jackie singing "I Will Follow Him" accompanied by a strip tease. Talk about your dangerous stunts! :-)" (10/22/98)

wminer@bcn.net gives this movie  stars: "dear readers, i have been in the martial arts for 9 years, i have a jr black belt in tae kwon do for 3 years now i am 15 and i have been a bruce lee fan for as long as i can remember.but i still have a problem looking up to him because he's dead. with all my respects to him i feel in all my heart that know in the next century could ever achieved what he did.but now i must look at the future. jackie chan is more extordinary than he ever was.i now, look to him as an idol.without a doubt i believe that jackie chan is the best martial artist in the world. operation condor was a fantastic movie.he indurance to fight is incredible.''who am i'' is another great movie.the fight sences on the rooftop unbelieveable. all i am trying to say is that i look up to jackie .he is just the best!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" (10/1/98)

chanfan@msn.com gives this movie  stars: "Heart-pounding action!!!" (9/28/98)

PamJo2@aol.com gives this movie  stars: "Jackie Chan is awesome in this movie! He has a lot of guts to do the things that he does. In fact, he nearly died when he plunged into the icy water in First Strike. If you like suspense mixed with comedy Then this movie is for you! I call him a live action superhero because he is such a brave and couragous person. He is #1 in my book!" (9/24/98)

Geoff DeCoste gives this movie  stars: "Jackie Chan is the best" (9/13/98)

jessica.andersson@gaseres.se gives this movie  stars: "Jackie's great, the fights are fantastic and even the story is astonishing! Compare the plot in this movie to the other "Police Story"-movies and you'll see what I mean. Nothing bad about those movies, they're great too, but "First Strike" has something special, and the step to call Jackie our new James Bond is not far away!" (9/7/98)

pestboy@hotmail.com gives this movie  stars: "first strike is a good martial arts movie, i liked it cuz jackie is incredible when it comes to fighting, all films have been great, old and new, they are all good. I think anyone that likes martial arts movies, go get jackie , or Bruce Lee he is good to they are my favorites" (9/4/98)

weesinlow@hotmail.com gives this movie  stars: "great interesting.....!!!!!!!!" (9/3/98)

Mr. T. gives this movie  stars: "First strike is one of the best martial art lilms I´ve ever seen. I think that this movie is the best one Jackie ever did. Better then Rumble in the Bronx and stuff ! (But Rumble in the Bronx is well done, too). I hope that he will do more of this great things - he isn´t to old. What do you think; Is Jackie better as Bruce Lee ? Maybe, maybe not, I think he is him very near !" (6/25/98)

msomvong@hotmail.com gives this movie  stars: "I am a big Jackie Chan fan and I think that this was his most action filled movie ever." (5/15/98)