Heart of Dragon

HK cut. It was an exercise in how far Sammo Hung could humiliate himself, but I actually appreciate the drama which beats most other times Jackie Chan tries to act with emotion. Hoi Mang does a good job as a caring friend. The child acting was what it was. The romance was pointless. Not enough action for a good Jackie Chan film of this era. Fav scene: kicking out the tutor.

Viewed December 23, 2020. One of the weirdest movies I've ever seen, but it clearly means well.

You have to feel sorry for the mentally retarded brother. This is not good on so many levels.

So offensive, it sort of rules.

It's clear that the movie has its heart in the right place, but frankly the portrayal of a mentally challenged person skims very close to offensive parody. The way everybody treat him is hard to watch, I guess everybody in 80s HK was completely ignorant about the mentally handicapped. But I'm willing to forgive these major demerits cause the action when it finally comes is greatly shot. The finale is surprisingly violent, which fits the repressed anger of Chan's character.

Inspired film-making with great action at the end, including an epic Jackie Chan/Dick Wei fight. Some of the "retarded" scenes are a bit painful to watch though (like Sammo imitating various animals to earn a job at Wu Ma's Cafe).