- 1991movierewind
Episode #113: Operation Condor (Armour of God 2)
Listen to Episode 113 of the Podcast here while you enjoy the show notes.
SUMMARY - In Operation Condor, Jackie Chan plays an explorer recruited by the United Nations to recover a stash of gold they believe was hidden somewhere in the Sahara Desert by German soldiers after WW II. Several groups of bad guys are also after the gold and are desperately after the key and map that will lead to the treasure.
Screenplay by Jackie Chan and Edward Tang; Directed by Jackie Chan; and released in Hong Kong on February 7, 1991.
FILM DISCUSSION
The movie has a bit of a "cold open" style adventure that's unrelated to the major plot. Jackie has a goofy back and forth with a tribe about stealing jewels
That ends in him being chased in a zorb down a huge mountainside.
The actual plot covers the basics, but apparently a huge chunk was cut out for the US release in 1997, so some of the situations that seem a bit odd may have been covered.
The action pieces are not the most outstanding. We have this motorcycle/car chase that has a lot of the standard tropes
Other fights for the majority of the movie were in close quarters and they have a couple good moments at least.
There is certainly some heavy stereotypes and light racism involved.
Like, almost all the time, actually.
But near the end, things start to pick up. Jackie Chan movies have a good amount of physical comedy in there as well
And dangerous stunts (as seen in the end credits)
The big fight scene occurs in an air hanger wind tunnel and takes full advantage of the push and pull in an extremely entertaining way.
It's too bad the rest of the movie didn't capture all of that same magic.
Awards Talk: At the Hong Kong Film Awards, it was nominated for Best Action Choreography
TRUE CRIME & POP CULTURE
This week we don't have any true crime to talk about so we jump right into TV.
Since this movie didn't release in the US in 1991, here's what you probably were watching that day
We also keep finding more shows we never heard of. This time: "Good Sports"
We're also talking about Jackie Chan's singing career which is quite prolific
He also did the pop version of "Beauty and the Beast" in Hong Kong
Lastly, here's the highest grossing films in Hong Kong
RANKINGS & RATINGS
Nikki 1-5 star scale - 3 out of 5
Jon 0-4 star scale - 2 out of 4
Would you watch it again? - Jon thinks that this is not the best introduction to Jackie Chan movies and it was lower on his priority list back in the day. So, while we might watch it again at some point, it would be fun to watch Armour of God 1 & 3 or other mid-90s movies of his first.
If you want to watch Operation Condor, as of this recording in May 2023, it’s available on Kanopy, Pluto TV, Digital Rental, VHS, DVD. Check your local listings.
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Join us next time for Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves available on Digital Rental, VHS, DVD
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