You are currently displaying Big5
飛龍猛將 (1988)
Dragons Forever


Reviewed by: dandan
Date: 12/14/2006
Summary: or maybe not...

hmm, ironic title, considering this was the last time that the three brothers would all collaborate on...

hua (yuen wah) is using his textile factory as a front for his production of narcotics, unfortunately for him, his factory is polluting the waterfront that he shares with miss yip's (deeanie yip) fish farm. hua gets his lawyer, jackie (chan) to handle his defence against the law suit that miss yip brings against him. jackie is unaware of hua's illegal activities and is keen to succeed in the case; so much so, that he recruits his friends, wong (sammo hung) and tung (yuen biao), to help him. the three become romantically entwined with miss yip and her cousin, wen (pauline yeung), hua's rivals and ultimately hua and his goons...

this is a great film. jackie, sammo and biao are all at, or very close to, their peak; the rapport between the three, in their dramatic, comedic or action sequences is there to see and extremely fruitful. under sammo's direction, the comedy hits more than it misses, the drama and romance, particularly scenes with sammo and deannie, works well and the action sequences are incredible, thanks to the collaboration between jackie and sammo's stunt associations.

from the first sequence at the seaside cafe, the three squabbling at jackie's flat, the night club sequence, the boat fight and the final showdown, plus any i've ommited, are amongst the best work that any of the three have done. they're infinitely inventive, immaculately choreographed and executed perfectly. at this point, i should mention the contributions made by dick wei, billy chow, yuen wah and benny urquidez; who all perform admirably as well.

great stuff, one of my favourites...


Reviewed by: MrBooth
Date: 07/19/2006
Summary: 9/10 - classic 80's action/comedy

The last film that the "Three Brothers" - Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao - would make together is a fine example of what made HK action cinema so special, and especially the contribution that those three made to the martial arts/action/comedy genre.

Jackie plays against type as a rather sleazy lawyer, whilst Sammo is a con man with a good heart and Yuen Biao is... mostly crazy :-) Yuen Wah is the villainous factory owner whose pollution is destroying Deannie Yip's fish farm, and wants her taken care of one way or another before the case gets to court. Jackie calls in his brothers to execute a three-pincered scheme, but ends up falling for Deanie's cousin (the lovely Pauline Yeung) and maybe deciding that he should do the right thing instead.

The film is a fast-paced tale of romance, comedy and action with some great "set-piece" moments for the three performers to show off their particular skills. Funny and exciting, though obviously about as deep as a pancake. The production values are high, the script reasonably tight and the action... superlative. Some really amazing fights and stunts, with both Jackie and Sammo's stunt teams at the peak of their careers.

Sadly, every dvd version of the film has had two scenes cut - both of which involving Yuen Biao and his psychiatrist (Stanley Fung). I have no idea why these were ever removed from the film, as having finally seen them I agree that their absence hurts quite a lot... several plot developments only make sense once you've seen these scenes. The HKL platinum edition features them on the 2nd disc, which is better than nothing - but definitely a wasted opportunity to edit them back into the film where they belong.

The 2 disc set does feature some other interesting features, including an interview with "Benny The Jet" which should squash the rumours that he and Jackie hated each other and their fight is so brutal because they were really trying to hurt each other. It turns out he's a real sweetie, and it seems they fought hard just because they both wanted to make the scene as good as they could.

It also features a great presentation of the film - video, sound and subtitles are all great quality. A good way to revisit a classic, and appreciate what amazingly talented guys Jackie, Sammo and Biao were at their peak :-)

Reviewer Score: 9

Reviewed by: cal42
Date: 05/20/2006

Kind of an unrelated sequel to Wheels on Meals, Sammo Hung’s Dragons Forever retains most of the elements of the 1984 classic in an obvious attempt to recreate the same box office success.

This time, Jackie plays a slightly chauvinistic lawyer in an attempt to break the mould, whereas Sammo plays his typical shady ne’er do well. However, Yuen Biao excels as the neurotic fruitcake, and his is the standout role of the three – which makes the removal of some of his scenes all the more frustrating (see below).

Dragons Forever appears to have been carefully crafted to give as many people as possible what they wanted from a Jackie/Sammo/Yuen Biao film. You want that crazed guy from Eastern Condors (Yuen Wah) back as the bad guy? You got it! You want ALL three brothers fighting each other to comic effect? You got it! You want Benny “the Jet” Urquidez back to fight Jackie again? You’ve got that as well – although the mascara around his eyes (presumably to make him look like a drug addict) makes him look like a reject from a Duran Duran video.

Which may be where it loses some appeal for me. Most of the elements from this film appear in other films, and were usually done superbly the first time around. The second time leaves me feeling a little jaded.

The thing that really hurts this film though is the bizarre decision to remove one of Yuen Biao’s scenes from the domestic print. The scene involved him seeking advice from his psychiatrist and sets up a humorous (if a little contrived) gag that is surprisingly funny. The decision to remove it makes no sense whatsoever, and gives him no reason at all to start attacking Jackie later in the film. It’s odd that this scene was freely available in the west’s dubbed version. Even on the HK Legends DVD, it only appears as a deleted scene.

Elsewhere, though, the film is solid, and the scene where Jackie takes on a ship worth of foes is brilliant. In fact, in the action stakes, if you haven’t seen any of the films that Dragons Forever refers to occasionally, it’s great fun.

It is rumoured (although I’ve never heard it confirmed by either party) that Jackie took over production of this film from Sammo in order to rush it through for New Year release, causing much bad feeling between the two. This certainly doesn’t seem to be the case in the out-takes (available on certain prints) which shows them celebrating happily at the end of shooting, but there’s no smoke without fire. And they wouldn’t work together again (save for the dire Island on Fire – which neither particularly wanted to be in) for a good many years.

Reviewer Score: 8

Reviewed by: STSH
Date: 04/04/2006

Plot and even some scenery and dialogue blatantly copied from "Not Just Another Affair" (1982, Victoria Principal and Gil Gerard). There's much too much of Chan's sickly romancing and really lame-brained "humour" in this one. Judicious use of the fast forward button is advised, to jump past this drivel to the good-to-fantastic fight scenes, especially the climactic fight in the drug factory, where Chan and co face off against the ghastly-white (junkie ?) villain's henchman.

Reviewer Score: 6

Reviewed by: SteelwireMantis
Date: 12/23/2003
Summary: One of the best from Jackie, Samo and Yuen

The last in the Jackie/Sammo/Yuen series was probably the best one of them. Chan stars as hotshot lawyer Jackie Lung who is hired by drug dealer/businessman Mr. Hua (Yuen Wah) to defend him in court against pollution charges pressed by Miss Yip (Deannie Yip). So Jackie asks friends Wong Fei Hung (Sammo Hung), a dodgy arms dealer and Tung Te Piao (Yuen Biao) a neurotic burglar for help. As he plans to keep an eye on the plaintiffs, he falls for Ling (Pauline Yeung), Miss Yip's cousin. After getting confronted of his plan by Tung and Wong (just before a hilarious fight between the trio), Jackie gets his two allies to help him confront Mr. Hua.

Although the film has an environmental issue based plot, this features some of the best fight scenes ever to be choreographed by the Jackie Chan Stunt Club and the Sammo Hung Stunt Team, like the end finale between Jackie and Benny "The Jet" Urquidez, the fight scene between Jackie and some knife swaying thugs trying to kill him on a yacht and the two scenes where Jackie, Sammo and Yuen go head-to-head against each other. The film also contains great performances by Chan, Hung and Yeung. But Yuen Biao steals the show with his role as the neurotic burglar (probably one of his best performances) shines off most of the comedy and his charisma (especially the scene when he visits the psychiatrist- a cameo by Feng Shui Fan).

If you want a movie that is action packed, with bone tickling comedy and a dash of romance- THIS IS THE MOVIE FOR YOU!!!! And an absolute unmissable feature for any Hong Kong Cinema and Jackie fans alike. Simply great!

*****/*****

Reviewer Score: 10

Reviewed by: mrblue
Date: 09/25/2003

Johnny, a slightly shady womanizing lawyer (Chan), takes the case of a mobster (Yuen Wah) who wants to stop a fishery owner (Yip) from putting an injunction against his factory, which is, in fact, a front for making drugs. Johnny decides to get dirt on the owner by having his friend Luke (Hung) move in next to her, and his insane buddy Timothy (Yuen) bug her house. Trouble is neither Luke nor Timothy know about each other, so chaos ensues when they meet each other by accident. The three friends quibble with each other while trying to crack the case, and things get even more complicated when Luke falls in love with the fishery owner and Johnny falls for her cousin (Yeung). The three eventually kiss and make up (or rather kick and make up) and band together to stop the drug dealer.

Dragons Forever has been called Chan's best film. I wouldn't go that far -- personally I think Drunken Master II is the best -- but Dragons Forever is definitely one of Chan's best. It's also the best "three brothers" (films featuring Chan, Hung and Yuen Biao) movie. The film is great from beginning to end. While the story is conventional, it's still interesting because all three of the leads play against type; Chan throws away the usual "nice guy" routine, Hung is still the lovable loser but is a little less pathetic, and Yuen (regulated to smaller roles in other three brothers films) is really outstanding as the insane Timothy. If you haven't seen any of Yuen's work and aren't a fan, you will be after seeing this movie. The three also show a great deal of comedic talent. Unlike a lot of Chan movies (where the "comedy" comes mostly from the bad dubbing/subbing) there are sequences that are truly hilarious.

The fights in Dragons Forever are fantastic. All three of the "brothers" show off all the skills in their repertoire in dazzling fight sequences, including one where they fight each other. But nothing is quite as exceptional as the ending brawl, where the brothers team up to take on a factory full of thugs. The matchup between Chan and kickboxing champ Benny "The Jet" Uriquedez is mesmerizing and (like the movie) should not be missed by any martial arts fan.


Reviewed by: balstino
Date: 05/02/2003
Summary: Quite Serious, but not as good as...

Wheels on Meals! Watch that first and if you are still hungry for 3 brothers action/comedy come back to see Dragons Forever.


Reviewed by: Chungking_Cash
Date: 01/26/2003

If old school Jackie Chan flicks prove too trying for your tastes and you find his descent into Hollywood unbearable "Dragons Forever" is a great selection to seek out from the artist's mid-cycle. The third (and to date last) film featuring the Three Brothers (Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao) on screen together "Dragons Forever" houses some of the trio's tightest choreography under-cranked just one notch shy of ballistic. The script has a plot, too, and the gags have thus far withstood the test of time dissimilar to even some of Chan's best work.

Reviewer Score: 9

Reviewed by: pjshimmer
Date: 02/03/2002

Jackie Chan, the lawyer, AKA The Ladies Man, gets hired by the bad guy to stall a big case. Jackie falls for his opponent's lawyer and seeks help from his buddies Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao, who almost tear eachother apart on several misunderstood ocassions. Meanwhile, Sammo falls for Jackie's opponent lawyer's sister, also her defedent. Yuen Biao, throughout the movie, is pretty useless and doesn't get to show off like Sammo or Jackie. Yuen Biao has tons of theories; he's always saying the weirdest things, which is supposed to spark some humor, but Sammo simply steals the show with all the humor.

I was a little disappointed that Jackie didn't get together with his secretary, who stood by Jackie through everything. The plot is pretty flawless on the big picture, but if you look at every aspect, there's plenty of flaws. And the fight scenes just aren't very interesting. I nearly dozzed off during the finale, which the box claims "has yet to be matched," but I think it's been matched in every other Jackie Chan movie.

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, mainly due to its silly gags and intentional seriousness at times. The movie could have been longer though

[8/10]

Reviewer Score: 6

Reviewed by: Inner Strength
Date: 01/12/2002
Summary: Pretty good

I think this was the last time the '3 Brothers' all appeared in a movie together, but it's not as funny as their previous movies, but still, it is funny.

The last fight is pretty slow and does get boring, but the rest of it is pretty good. I would certainly not say that it's one of Jackie Chans best, but if you liked the Lucky STars movies, Wheels On Meals etc, you will probably like this.

Rating (out of 5): 3.5

(This rating is based on the year & genre, so don't think it's based as a comparison on new releases etc.)


Reviewed by: dragyn
Date: 05/03/2001
Summary: Three Brothers Forever

"Dragons Forever" is a film that has it all: action, comedy, romance, and the three brothers (Jackie Chan, Yuen Biao and Samo Hung) working side by side in inimitable fashion. On the surface, this looks like an almost flawless masterpice of action Kung Fu.

However, if you look beneath the surface, there are more flaws than might first meet the eye. Many reviews have been written about the effortless interaction betweeen the three brothers; in actual fact, the moments during which they really interact with each other are sadly few and far between. Rather than sharing virtually equal screen-time (such as in "Wheels on Meals"), starring moments are in fact distributed between the brothers very unevenly indeed: Chan is the star, and virtually carries the whole production; Hung makes a solid but predictable foil for the whirlwind that is Chan; Biao is stuck with an uncharismatic role as a spotty, nerdy, weedy, neurotic geek. Of the three brothers, Biao is the only one who neither puts in a solid fight nor gets the girl; however, when he is given half a chance, his athletic and acrobatic talent shines brightly. Unfortunately, he seems to lack much of the weight and screen presence that Hung and Chan possess, despite the fact that he is arguably more physically talented.

The story itself is a slushy, sacharinne-sweet love-story, that is barely believable enough to string the amazing fights togather cohesively. There are soem good concepts and ideas, but they are not executed seriously enough to make any emotional impact - although that was most likely intended. Chan plays a lady-killing, case-busting, hard-hitting lawyer who falls in love with the woman he is prosecuting. Sadly, Chan is completely unable to portray the playboy-type character he supposed to be playing; but happily, he instead changes the reading completely, and gives it the full Jackie Chan treatment: big hair, big smile, big charm - and a complete buffoon to boot. But a loveable, appealing, strangely plausible buffoon.

Samo Hung's directing is, at this stage, not far removed from the simplistic, invisible style that Chan himself has stuck to over the years. There are not really any precursers here that show what he has since become; everything the camera touches is actually rendered quite flat and monotone. However, Hung does use some ideas and themes that Chan would never dream up: the strong element of love conquering all, for instance. The comedy is the same formulaic Hong Kong stuff, but Chan and Hung inject it with a charm of their own. Biao, however, does not seem so easy with the moments of comedy he must perform; a lot of his more "humourous" moments are, in fact, much more something to endure than to enjoy - rather like a visit to the dentist.

The brothers may not interact enough - but when they do interact, the film is lifted to some higher sphere: for instance, the genuinely funny scene in which Chan is trying to stop Biao and Hung fighting and ends up getting hit himself; the classic moment where the three surly, bruised, battered brothers glower at the bar - drinking milk, for some reason; and lastly and most gloriously, the unforgettable fight between the three brother themselves. During this altercation, fists and insults fly, and they work so perfectly in harmony that you almost forget exactly how fast they are moving - but you don't forget for long.

The end fight re-matches Chan against the power-house that is Benny "The Jet" Urquidez (Chan fought him once before in "Wheels on Meals", during one of the greatest fights ever comitted to celluloid.). Certainly, it's a match well worth revisiting. This fight is only just inferior to their first, unmatchable pairing; this time, comedy is lacking, and Urquidez looks disconcertingly like a very unconvincing drag-queen. He has also aged and sagged dramatically. But when the fists start flying - who cares? It may not match the "Wheels on Meals" fight - but it's a close call. Yuen Biao choreographs, packing their punches with phenomonal power; he adds an edge of realisim that is very different to Chan's own, sometimes slap-stick-heavy choreography, but just as good. This stops Chan from looking too much like the buffoon he is known as, and more like a slick, mean, furious fighting machine.

In short, "Dragons Forever" holds some of the finest fights ever filmed - and it has enough going on to keep you awake between fights, too.

8/10


Reviewed by: will ares
Date: 12/21/2000

A woman takes a Triad leader named Wah(Yuen Wah)to court over him polluting her fish reservoir. Wah then Hires a lawyer named Johnny(Jackie Chan)to investigate what methods the opposition will use from help from buddy Luke(Sammo Hung) and deranged friend Tim(Yuen Biao).But on the way they find out what Wah is up to.
A very funny movie with top kung fu action. Especially at the end with Jackie, Sammo and Yuen kicking ass!!!
One of the best films of the Trio.

9/10

Reviewer Score: 9

Reviewed by: Sydneyguy
Date: 08/15/2000
Summary: Jackie's BEST!!

This is my favorite Jackie Chan movie.
It is non stop action and comedy throughout the whole movie.
Jackie's 'brothers' , Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao all add to this great movie.
I really enjoyed Yuen Biao's performance as a slighty deranged friend of Jackie's, who doesn't get along with Sammo that well..........
JUST WATCH IT, you won't regret it!!

10/10

Reviewer Score: 10

Reviewed by: grimes
Date: 04/09/2000

This had some sort of plot or something like that but I was too busy enjoying the action and comedy to give it much thought. Basically, this is 90 or so minutes of pure fun starring Jackie, Sammo, and Yuen Biao. What more could a HK movie fan ask for? Unlike many Jackie movies, there is no slowdown in the middle of the film for a lengthy (and often dull) plot exposition. The presence of Sammo and Yuen Biao really add a lot to the film, as these three work quite well together, especially in some wonderful comic moments between various combinations of the three. Yuen Biao's role as a slightly deranged mad scientist/kung fu fighter was particularly amusing. There's a rumor that these three might get together again for another film sometime in the future. One can only hope.


Reviewed by: Fhrx
Date: 03/30/2000
Summary: Top effort for the magnificent three'

Jackie Chan stars in this classic as a lawyer who is investigating a case involving a fish farm owner versus a polluting chemical plant that is located further up the same river.

Jackie soon smells something amiss and assigns his friend Sammo Hung to help him with the case. He also commissions his estranged friend Yuen Biao to plant a bug in the fish farm owners house so as to find out what’s going on.

The trouble is, Jackie doesn’t tell the two of them about each other so naturally they bungle up their tasks and Sammo catches Biao planting the bug and takes him for a burglar and starts fighting with him. When Jackie tries to sort the situation out things only get worst and the three of them end up fighting with each other.

Eventually they sort their differences out and come to realize that the upstream factory is in fact where they should be investigating and soon uncover that it’s a front for a narcotics manufacturing plant hidden there. The three then team up in order to save the day.

The action scenes in Dragons Forever are just great, especially when the three brothers are fighting amongst themselves. The first fight right at the start is good as well but nothing prepares you for the final showdown between Jackie and the chief narcotics refiner – Benny ‘The Jet’ Urquidez.

This is their (Jackie and Benny) second bout together after Wheels on Meals and it doesn’t fail to impress any less either. Its an absolute master piece with great techniques coming from both well seasoned fighters not to mention some very well done stunts.

Sammo and Biao also get in on the action and Biao shows his tremendous acrobatic abilities to great effect. Between the three of them they take out about a million baddies and look great doing so.

An unusual twist towards the end also adds to the interesting atmosphere.

Overall I give Dragons Forever 8.5/10


Reviewed by: hkcinema
Date: 12/21/1999

Well made and pretty boring until the super climax with Jackie fighting Benny The Jet one on one in a drug filled warehouse.

(7/10)

[Reviewed by Andrej Blazeka]


Reviewed by: hokazak
Date: 12/09/1999

Classic Sammo/Yuen/Jackie collaboration including excellent villains Yuen Wah and Benny "The Jet" Urquidez. Set a new standard for fight scene choreography, combined with comedy. Finding the subtitled print of this movie was a real treat, since the dubbed version was hard to take seriously, even in the scenes where you were *supposed* to take it seriously! This one *really* should not be missed...


Reviewed by: hkcinema
Date: 12/08/1999

Jackie Chan stars as a hot-shot lawyer hired by a Hong Kongchemical plant to dispose of opposition to their polluting ways. But when he falls for a beautiful woman out to stop the plant, Jackie is torn in a conflict of interest and ask his trusty friends Samo and Biao to help out -- at least until they discover the true purpose of the plant.

[Reviewed by Rim Films Catalog]


Reviewed by: hkcinema
Date: 12/08/1999

An excellent movie featuring the classic trio of Jackie (as the lawyer), Samo(as his shady buddy) and Yuen Biao(as his somewhat deranged friend). It contains some of the best ever fight scenes such as Jackie's rematch with Urquidez and Jackie on the boat. Plenty of comedy and even the three of them fighting one another at the same time! A great movie that's one of my favourites.

(9/10)



[Reviewed by Dave Warner]


Reviewed by: hkcinema
Date: 12/08/1999

The waste from a chemical plant is destroying the local fish farming. When the attractive owner of a farm threatens to go to court, the plant hires Chan, a wily lawyer, to fight her. However, he falls for her star witness and his buddy falls for her. Events take a sinister turn when it transpires that the plant is a disguised drugs plant. The two sides now unite in an effort to smash the drugs ring running it.

(3/5)



[Reviewed by Elliot's Guide to Films on Video]


Reviewed by: spinali
Date: 12/08/1999
Summary: NULL

Jackie Chan performs some of his most impressive stunts as a kung-fu lawyer in this fast-paced, occasionally silly crime vehicle.

(3/4)



[Reviewed by Steve Spinali]

Reviewer Score: 7