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Cast:
Jackie
Chan
Do
Do Cheng
Eva
Cobo De Garcia
Ikeda
Shoko
Aldo
Sanchez
Action:
Jackie
Chan
Frankie
Chan
Producer:
Leonard
K.C. Ho
Director:
Jackie
Chan
Score:
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ARMOUR
OF GOD II: OPERATION CONDOR
AKA:
Armor Of God 2: Operation Condor ||
Operation Eagle
Year:
1991 Reviewer: Andrew
Saroch
After
the international success of his 1986 blockbuster 'Armour
Of God', Jackie Chan followed up with two excellent
sequels to two beloved classics, ''Project
A Part 2' in 1987 and 'Police
Story 2' in 1988. With this particular avenue proving
successful, it was then a logical step to make a follow-up to
the globe-trotting 'Armour Of God' and once again see if he
could wow audiences around the world with the results.
Therefore, in 1991, audiences were given a Chinese New Year
treat with the most expensive Hong Kong film made up to that
point, Jackie Chan's 'Armour Of God II: Operation Condor'.
Taking in more exotic locations and creating bigger
set-pieces, Chan's box-office smash sequel attempted to better
the original in every department, something which he achieves
splendidly.
The
film opens in a similar way to the original 'Armour Of God' as
Condor (known as Asian Hawk in 'Armour Of God') is shown in
familiar action when he hunts down relics to steal from a
distant tribe. Following this pre-credit fracas, Condor is
handed the details of his new assignment from the Duke he
befriended in his earlier adventure and is once again thrust
into an action-packed scenario. This time Condor is given the
task of finding and then recovering a horde of gold stolen by
the Nazis during World War 2 with the probable location of
this bounty being in the middle of the African desert. Aiding
him in his mission is a Chinese desert expert (Cheng), the
grand-daughter of the German officer who hid the gold and a
small crew of hired helpers for the journey. Such a huge horde
of gold though has attracted the interest of numerous parties
including a pair of somewhat inept Arabs and a far more
sinister band of mercenaries who are far more willing to use
physical violence than the others. Through the course of the
assignment, Condor is helped and hindered by his assistants
and comes into contact with the ruthless enemies and other
perils of the desert. Eventually, however, the heroic band
discover the location of the German base where the gold is
hidden and are forced into an intricate confrontation with
their rivals as they explore the abandoned base to find their
goal. In another breath-taking finale, Condor is once again
called on to use his considerable fighting skills to battle
against the mercenaries and get out of the base before it
self-destructs.
'Armour
Of God II : Operation Condor' features Jackie Chan at his very
best. Any fears that he would not be able to deliver a good
enough follow-up to the immensely popular 'Armour Of God' are
blown away almost immediately as Chan shows that he can
combine his acting and directorial hats with immense skill. As
director, Chan allows every cent of the big budget to find its
way on to the screen with the eye-catching locations adding
the global feel to the film that has rarely been bettered in
subsequent productions. Although production values are high,
the film is still firmly rooted in the look and feel of the
classic Hong Kong films that Jackie Chan has long contributed
to. This important balance is achieved by allowing an
international cast, but still retaining the vital elements the
audiences demand of Hong Kong films i.e. the fine mix of
broad, yet appealing comedy and awe-inspiring action. In
purely action terms, the film is a marvel with the viewer
given ample opportunity to savour Chan's exquisite craft and
constantly impressive imagination; this is superbly shown in
the film's non-stop finale which still ranks among his very
best. For anyone new to Jackie Chan, 'Armour Of God II:
Operation Condor' is a must-see film that shows how incredible
the Hong Kong superstar was in his prime. To seasoned viewers
also, this is another gem from the Jackie Chan collection.
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