Dragons Forever

Before becoming Hong Kong's answer to Stallone and Scharzenegger (by way of Harold Lloyd), Jackie Chan was probably known better to Chinese audiences as a physical comedian than as an action star.

Along with fellow actors and childhood friends Yuen Biao and Sammo Hung (also a well-known director in his homeland), Chan starred in a series of popular action-filled comedies during most of the mid- and late 1980s.

One of these comedies, "Dragons Forever," stars Chan as Johnny Lung, an unscrupulous lawyer hired to defend a crooked industrialist, Hua (Yuen Wah), who's being sued by a fish hatchery owner, Miss Yeh (Deanie Yip).

To help his client, Lung sends two of his friends, Fei (Sammo Hung, who also directed) and Tung Te-Piao (Yuen Biao), to spy on Miss Yeh. But Fei winds up falling for the woman, while Lung finds himself attracted to her cousin, Wen Mei-Ling (Pauline Yeung).

Fei and Lung wind up uncovering Hua's drug-smuggling operations and are forced to battle his men (including American kickboxer Benny "The Jet" Urquidez), in a furious finale.

As with many Chinese comedies, the jokes doesn't always translate well. But the action is nearly nonstop, and Hung and especially Biao, nearly match Chan in the athleticism department.

The film is not rated but would probably receive a PG-13 for violence, profanity, some drug use and a couple of vulgar gags.