Jackie Chan’s 10 best action films of the 1990s

Famous throughout the world for being a master of action and humor, Jackie Chan has been performing for over six decades, known for deftly combining the seemingly unrelated genres of extreme combat and slapstick comedy. Chan has made a name for himself by using his superior control over his body to perform unbelievable stunts while also creating humorous instances of physical comedy. twisting and falling in hilarious ways. His facial expressions in moments of intensity never fail to provoke laughter, with exaggerated reactions to any big reveal or surprise in a film.

Also famous for doing his stunt work alone Chan has been impressing fans for years with appearances in more than 150 films. Whether comical or serious, most of Jackie Chan’s best stunts always involve impressive physical flexibility and resilience. Having proven time and time again that he is willing to go to great lengths to create realistic sequences, many consider Chan to be the greatest kung fu movie star of all time. Although he has been around since the 60s as a child star, he gained popularity in the 90s, a decade in which some of his most popular films were released.

10

Twin Dragons (1992)

Directed by Ringo Lam and Tsui Hark

A kind of comedy of errors, Twin Dragons features Chan in the dual role of twin brothers separated at birth. One of them is a pianist, while the other is a martial artist. When the two meet again in Hong Kong, they are inevitably misidentified, and the pianist has to deal with gang members, while the wrestler has to conduct a concert.

The differences in the two brothers’ personalities demonstrate Chan’s range as an actor. However, perhaps the most fun aspect of Twin Dragons is that sometimes the viewer doesn’t even notice the joke about which Chan character is on screen from the beginning of the scene. With its exorbitant signature fight sequences featuring the most complicated yet comical choreography, Chan seamlessly switches between the personas of the skilled fighter and the pianist who gets beaten up a lot.

9

Mr. Nice Guy (1997)

Directed by Sammo Hung

With an elaborate plot involving a mob and a gang, Sir nice guy is one of Chan’s most underrated action films. The actor plays a chef who accidentally gets involved in a fight between two rival factions, both of whom want to kill him for their own reasons. Relentless with action, Sir nice guy is best thought of as a collection of elaborate fight scenes with ridiculous choreography made believable by Chan.

The plot is convoluted and paper-thin, with most of the narrative beats written solely to justify the resulting action sequence. However, Chan’s charming comedic timing makes his character’s confusion regarding the film’s events very entertaining. Stunt work is the real plot of Mr. Nice Guy, which features one of Jackie Chan’s funniest fight scenes.

8

Police Story 4: First Strike (1996)

Directed by Stanley Tong

The only film in Police story series to be made partially in English and the last installment until the 2004 and 2013 reboots, Police story 4: first attack is set in Ukraine, where Chan’s character works as a security guard. He becomes involved in a conspiracy involving nuclear weapons and has to travel to Moscow and then return home to thwart the criminals. The fourth installment of the action series may have seen a significant drop in ratings, but it’s still worth it for die-hard Jackie Chan fans.

With an elaborate plot as always full of complicated twists that seem to become less believable as the film progresses First attackThe strongest point is, as always, Chan’s performance. His performance involves using his character’s charm to curry favor as a secret agent and then switching to complex martial arts for tightly spaced action sequences.

7

Who am I? (1998)

Directed by Benny Chan and Jackie Chan

Co-directed with the late Benny Chan (who is no relation to him), Jackie Chan plays an amnesiac protagonist with his own name in Who am I? After an accident in Africa that he can’t remember, Chan’s character wakes up and is given the name “Who Am I?” by the locals because those are the three words he says most. A series of misadventures takes him to Holland, where he realizes that everyone he trusts is secretly spying on him.

Playing like a mystery thriller with fight scenes in classic Jackie Chan style, Who am I? it’s an engaging caper with espionage elements that aren’t so typical of the actor. His comedic timing and acting skills are more on display here than in most of his action films; even stunt work is less focused on fighting and more on parkour, like Who am I? feels more like an extended chase than a traditional action film.

6

Crime Story (1993)

Directed by Kirk Wong

Crime story features Chan in one of his most emotionally challenging roles, playing Inspector Eddie Chan, who goes through an existential crisis after having to kill people in self-defense, an act that makes him question his integrity. However, he has no choice but to return to active duty when he is assigned the task of tracking down a kidnapped businessman. With few jokes you can count on your fingers, Eddie is definitely one of Chan’s more serious roles.

Chan’s acting skills are on par as he presents an angry and self-destructive personality to Crime story. Although necessarily lacking in comedy, Crime story is still packed with action, especially fighting, from Chan, as his character roams Hong Kong causing explosions and knocking down more people than he can count, in his hunt for the kidnapped man.

5

Rumble in the Bronx (1995)

Directed by Stanley Tong

Set in the heart of New York’s fictional criminal underworld, Rumble in the Bronx is one of Chan’s most violent films. Although most of the bloody violence is delivered by the story’s villains, Chan’s fight choreography is considerably intense, with his character delivering quick, heavy blows in every combat scene.

Despite having to fight a biker gang, fend off a crime syndicate’s goons, and command a hovercraft, Chan is as charming and funny as ever. He strikes a delicate balance between his charismatic personality that charms the female protagonist and the fierce fighter that the gangs always fail to capture. The stunts are ridiculous and dangerous as always and a blooper at the end of Rumble in the Bronx shows how risky Chan’s work can be.

4

Armor of God II: Operation Condor (1991)

Directed byJackie Chan

The sequel to one of his most successful films in Hong Kong, Armor of God II: Operation Condor, saw Chan return to the director’s chair as he reprized his role as a treasure hunter. Hired by a Spanish baron to find World War II Nazi gold hidden in the Sahara Desert, Chan’s Asian Falcon becomes even more of an Indiana Jones in this film than he did in the first installment. With some direct references to Steven Spielberg’s trilogy, Chan, as director, brings his glorious vision of a sprawling treasure hunt to life.

What sets Asian Hawk apart from Indiana Jones is that while the latter’s sense of humor is dry, Chan’s character’s comedy is pure slapstick. With quirky stunts that sometimes turn him into a comical presence, Chan stumbles from adventure to adventure in his search for treasure. The most fascinating part of Chan’s work is perhaps how he balances his characters’ wild movements with his expert skill when it comes to kung fu.

3

Rush Hour (1998)

Directed by Brett Ratner

Probably his most famous film, Rush hour features Chan as a Hong Kong police officer on an assignment in Los Angeles, where he teams up with an LAPD detective played by Chris Tucker. The most stereotypical Hollywood film Chan appeared in at the time, Rush hour is a classic crime comedy. Tucker and Chan have infectious chemistry, capitalizing on each other’s comedic timing to create some of the funniest scenes in film history.

Perhaps the only complaint about Rush hour is that, for aficionados of Chan’s intense kung fu action, the film is a disappointment. While there are still some ridiculous stunts, most of them are used for jokes or parkour, and Chan’s skilled fighting skills are rarely showcased.

However, Chan’s comedic talents are put to creative use as he plays the darker character opposite Tucker whose character could not be less serious if he tried. The film is so beloved that it spawned an entire trilogy, and recently, Tucker confirmed Rush Hour 4 is under construction.

2

Police Story 3: Super Cop (1992)

Directed by Stanley Tong

Reprising his role as Kevin, Chan goes undercover in a drug trafficking organization in Police Story 3: Super Cop. He is working alongside Inspector Jessica Yang, played by another martial arts actress, Michelle Yeoh. Their cover is eventually blown, leading to a climactic chase and confrontation when Kevin’s girlfriend is held hostage by the drug dealer.

Yeoh and Chan perform their own stunts on Police Story 3: Super Copand it seems like a competition between the two, to prove who is more skilled. The fight sequences are bold, exciting and a showcase of kung fu. A feat in Supercop almost killed Yeoh and in the end, it becomes clear that she can defend herself against Chan. SupercopThe strongest selling point of is the joy of watching two legendary martial artists display their skills in a series of dangerous situations that don’t stop appearing until the credits.

1

Drunk Master II (1994)

Directed by Lau Kar-leung

More than 15 years after the release of his most iconic martial arts film, Chan returned to play his fictional version of Wong Fei-hung for Drunk Master II. Wong embarrasses his family, just like in the first film, and decides to stop drinking, meaning he can no longer access the drunken fighting style he mastered in the last film. Because of this, he is beaten and captured, leading to further antics, which end with him confronting the British consul.

The unique kung fu of Drunk Master involves a mix of physical comedy and specialized martial arts. Although some of the action sequences involve Chan losing fights, when his character employs the technique in Drunk Master IIIt is a sight to behold. Often called Jackie ChanMichael’s most important film is a demonstration of his mastery over his body as he seamlessly switches from a watered-down version of his usual skilled kung fu to drunken fighting style.