Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie's plot.

All right all you Chan fans, here’s one to overlook. This isn’t even really a Jackie Chan movie. He has only a supporting role and doesn't even appear in the final battle. His fight scenes are weak, and he gets beaten to a bloody pulp when he does get any action.

I have to respect the concept of the movie a little. It’s set in the 30’s when Chinese rebels were fighting for freedom from their Japanese oppressors. I don’t know how much of the specific story is true, nor do I know how severe the Chinese bias against the Japanese is compared to reality. I guess if it has any merits, though, it would be Chinese patriotism and heroic remembrance of past warriors.

I believe that if someone took this concept and made a modern movie it could have the potential to be moving and gripping. The tragic element is one of the few things well done, though the buildup isn’t dramatic enough to illicit a strong response.

Basically a group of Chinese stage actors form a resistance movement. When they stand up to the Japanese they are hunted and killed. In a final attempt to leave the territory they are betrayed by their guide and slaughtered by the Japanese Karate masters. We see a lot of the Japanese talking about the Chinese and a lot of the rebels talking about the evil opressors with an occasional Martial Arts face off. There's not much else to tell which is a major reason this is a forgettable movie. In addition, at some points when one scene cuts to a new one the plot jumps without a good link of ideas which can get confusing. I found myself wondering how we got from point A to point C without a B in between.

The sound quality, video quality, acting, dubbing, editing, pacing, and fighting are all poor. Better quality might make for a better movie experience, but I think it would be weak no matter what was done. The characters are strong enough that you might feel decent human compassion for those murdered, and maybe a little appreciation for the unwavering courage of the rebels, but that's about it.

Content:
I would give this a PG13. There’s a bit of language, some bloody violence, and a few instances of attempted or implied rape. It’s nothing that would be too much for a teenager. In fact, I don’t think there was anything I haven’t seen on TV before.

DVD:
I doubt we'll see any effort put into a high quality release, and for good reason. It is at least available on DVD, however, even if it’s hard to come by. My version is widescreen (the ratio is not specified but it looks like 1.66 to me) with English dubbing only - no original language track. There isn’t so much as an interface much less any extras. There are 8 poorly placed chapters and no insert or chapter menu to list them. So besides being a poor movie it’s a poor DVD. Thankfully it didn’t cost me much.

Final Thoughts:
If you’re a big Jackie Chan you might want to check this out just to say you did, but it's not worth multiple viewings so I recommend a purchase only to the Chan completists out there. It gets a whopping 1* despite Jackie.

Recommended: No

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: None of the Above
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older