[KFCC] Dragon Forever Review

Story: Two women are taking a local factory to court for polluting their fishpond (really!). Jackie Chan is the Lawyer hired to investigate, and when he employs the help of Yuen Biao and Sammo Hung, they not only start to woo the two women, but also start to suspect that something is very wrong at the factory.

Review: All-star line-ups don’t get quite as starry (or liney) as this. Not only does the movie boast the final on-screen collaboration between Jackie, Sammo, and Biao, but also the inclusion of Yuen Wah and Corey Yuen (as fight Choreographer) makes this as close to a ‘Seven Little Fortunes’ movie as you are likely to see. The action and comedy are typical of a mid 80’s Chan/Sammo/Biao movie, and if you liked ‘Wheels on Meals’, then you will like this – but not quite as much.

When it comes to action and comedy, ‘Dragons Forever’ really does deliver. The comedy is typical of the genre, with hilarious misunderstandings forcing people to hide in Jackie’s cupboards, and for the most part it is genuinely funny, if a little dated. All three have always been expert comedy performers, and the three of them together is as wonderful to watch as ever, especially when it comes to the Kung Fu.

The action is terrific. You wouldn’t expect anything less. When the three main performers are given a chance to fight, it is often between themselves, and they throw themselves headfirst into a ‘Three Stooges’ type routine several times during the film. Then during the big finale, the three work together to do battle with two familiar movie bad guys – Yuen Wah and Benny ‘The Jet’ Urquidez. Incidentally, if anybody knows why on Earth Benny always wears black eyeliner, then please write to KFCC and let us know.

So far, so good, but this is far from the best movie from anybody involved. There are just too many unsettling elements. For a start, Jackie’s character in this film is obnoxious. He is a womanising lawyer, and despite his usual brand of slapstick, he also slaps women, which just doesn’t seem appropriate for any movie’s hero, especially one played by Jackie.

The other main problem with the movie is the plot – there just didn’t seem to be one. There is some garbled nonsense about a woman suing a factory because it is polluting her fishpond, but this seems to bare little effect on anything. There is also too much screen time spent watching Jackie try to smarm his way into some girl’s knickers, while Sammo chases some stroppy, ageing bit of skirt who lives next door. It all gets in the way of the comedy and action, which often seems random rather than having anything at all to do with the vague central plot.

Despite being flawed, this is still an essential purchase for any fan of HK cinema due to the great cast, amusing comedy, and frantic fight action. It’s impossible not to enjoy the good bits, so just do something else for a while every time they start speaking. Try smoking a cigarette, making a cup of tea, or having a poo to pass the time between the fights.