The Protector (1985) User Reviews

Not as bad as its reputation would suggest.

[Hey_Sweden · 6/10 · 4 August 2014]

In the second attempt to introduce martial arts superstar Jackie Chan to the North American market (after "The Big Brawl" in 1980), ever likable Jackie is amusingly miscast as Billy Wong, an NYC cop who, after some hot dog heroics, is demoted to crowd control at a fashion show, where he's partnered with Danny Garoni (the engaging Danny Aiello). Unfortunately, they prove to be pretty useless and Laura Shapiro (Saun Ellis), daughter of a wealthy big shot, is kidnapped by goons working for dastardly Hong Kong mobster Mr. Ko (Roy Chiao). Billy and Danny manage to convince their commissioner to let them travel to HK to advise and assist local authorities in defeating Ko and rescuing Laura, but of course these two mavericks are pretty much just going to do whatever they want to do.

There are *some* fine moments here for Chan fans, but there simply may not be enough. The tone *is* rather gritty, but although there's not a lot of outright comedy, the movie does still have a sense of humour. Chan has some fine action and fight sequences, especially one around the halfway point where he's trying to pursue a henchman escaping by boat. The stunts near the end are impressively scary. Writer / director James Glickenhaus ("The Exterminator") does a very fine job in utilizing the various HK locations. Jackie does his best in the lead, with Aiello offering fine support and Chiao being just right as our glowering bad guy. Jackie does have a decent if not spectacular climactic fight with fellow martial artist Bill Wallace. All things considered, it's not hard to see why Chan himself and some of his fan base might not care for the movie, but there is an alternate cut now available on Blu-ray with additional scenes created by Jackie himself, to better suit his vision (he really had no control on this feature at the time).

In any event, it's worth noting the presence of a couple of familiar faces among the supporting cast, including Becky Ann Baker, John Spencer, Mike Starr, Big John Studd, and Trey Wilson.

It would take another 11 years before North America finally, really took notice of Jackie with the release of "Rumble in the Bronx".

Six out of 10.

Gets A Bad Rap.

[magilvilla · 7/10 · 15 November 1999]

This movie is a lot better than people say it is. Sure, it's not a typical Jackie Chan movie, but it's good anyway. It has lots of action and is better than most of the buddy cop movies of the 1980's. Don't expect this to be like all of his other movies and you may like it. I did.

unfairly bashed just because it was not a typical role for Jackie

[bcheng93 · 6/10 · 1 June 2014]

Everybody and their mothers bashed this movie including Jackie himself who reshot and added more action and fight scenes in Hong Kong. I think Jackie bashed the movie himself because it was a flop.

This was an above average 80's action cop-buddy movie with some very expensive action scenes. In NY harbor they blew up 2 boats and in HK they blew up a helicopter. The fights were good to excellent including a Jackie fight with legendary MMA fighter Bill Wallace and a crazy fight in a massage parlor and that is just off the top of my head. Probably my favorite scene is the fight and chase scene in Kowloon harbor on the water itself where a population of boat people live year round. He does 2 death defying stunts in that scene alone, one involving a motor-cross bike and one with a long pole.

It was not a typical Jackie flick because Jackie curses a lot and is seemed to be a cocky womanizer and there is a lot of nudity in this movie and it wasn't a comedy. His acting wasn't bad and i thought his chemistry with Danny Aiello was pretty good too.

Personally, i am a huge fan of Jackies being that i think i saw just about all his movies including some bad ones went he was just starting out in the early 70's and as a fan i'm glad he switched to a new role in this movie...and i don't know but there is just something about this movie that makes me watch it again and again. People ripped the endsong and i thought there was nothing wrong and it was a good song.

It doesn't hurt that the gorgeous Moon Lee is in the movie too! All in all this is probably in my higher selection of Jackie movies that i like. When and if you do watch this movie, know that this is not a typical Jackie movie and just start from there and i hope you will like this movie also.

6 out of 10

[dragon ma young · 7 August 2001]

I DIDNT HATE IT! which really surprised me, because everyone on IMDb said this movie totally sucked and I went in expecting the worst. Sure Jackie is miscast, but other than the addition of curse words, his character isnt any darker than in Crime Story or Police Story 2. The action is slow, but better than any of the American action junk I've ever seen. Plus, there is tons of full-frontal nudity! Bet you didnt expect that from a Jackie Chan movie, did ya? I can understand why JC was disappointed with it, because it is nowhere near as good as almost any of his other 80's-90's movies, but it aint all that bad. Go in thinking you will hate it, and you just might like it.

Chan may not like it, but I do

[adamscastlevania2 · 6/10 · 30 August 2014]

(57%) Back in the mid 80's Mr Chan didn't much care for this movie as he felt it was made not fully utilising his talent, for which I can understand. Featured here there's none of his trademark comedic fights, or insanely dangerous stunts, instead we get a gritter, more typically 1980's R-rated American action flick with plenty of shoot-outs, fist fights and explosions. The level of strong language, along with quite a lot of nudity also sets this apart from the usual Chan flick, but I cannot say I didn't enjoy this. The action is solid with plenty of it, and for a medium budgeted 80's action flick this is better than average.

Gets Better With Age

[victorpf · 7/10 · 20 September 2008]

OK not a great Jackie Chan movie but this film actually gets better with age. Everybody criticizes this as not a "Jackie Chan" movie, but if you watch Kirk Wong's CRIME STORY, Jackie's character is actually very similar! I have seen the Hong Kong version of this movie with the added scenes, but actually the US version is a lot more realistic because of the tougher (cursing) dialogue and nudity. The HK version has added scenes with Sally Yeh that actually make no sense as far as the plot goes. Plus it is strange listening to the American actors speaking perfect Cantonese! This movie was actually ahead of it's time because it seems to have influenced a lot of the gangster movies of the '90s. It also seems to have inspired Chow Yun-fat's TIGER ON THE BEAT with its chainsaw scene. I know Jackie was not happy with this film and it shows. Still it inspired him to make better films such as POLICE STORY. For that we should be thankful.

I wish someone was protecting us from this film!

[Super Bob · 2/10 · 26 November 2001]

THE PROTECTOR. You hear the name. You think, "ah, it's a crappy Hong Kong movie." Guess what - it's not Hong Kong. And yes, it is crappy. This amazingly stupid Jackie Chan film, ruined by us, yes us, the Americans (I'm boiling with anger, ooh, I think I'll jump out that window!), has Chan as a New York cop hunting down a gang, avenging the death of his buddy. Sounds cool...but it's not. Don't waste your money renting it. To prove he could make a better cop film, Chan made the amazing POLICE STORY (1985).

Dueling edits

[rutt13-1 · 6/10 · 20 June 2001]

The perfect example of the difference between HK, and American action, this one exists in two forms: the James Glickenhaus pile of garbage, and the fairly entertaining Jackie re-edit with new subplot and fight scenes....I can't really recommend either, but the Chan edit, is well, obviously better, and it turns out the villains CAN fight.....Sad to compare the two really. I still get a rise out of seeing former pro-wrestler Big John Stud in an early scene as a robber.....

Can do much better.

[lost-in-limbo · 5/10 · 23 August 2008]

After constantly reading and hearing nothing but negative opinions about the American produced, but also filmed in Hong Kong Jackie Chan vehicle 'The Protector'. It didn't sway me from checking it out. I'm no Jackie Chan fan, but honestly it was director James Glickenhaus' name which fed my interest. Best known for the 80s exploitative vigilante flick 'The Exterminator (1980)' and some entertaining action joints 'The Soldier (1982)' and 'Shakedown (1985). 'The Protector' does have the same vibe of his early efforts; gritty, brutal, rough and seamy. And I would call it lesser work. However the main talking point will always be how Glickenhaus used Jackie Chan. Yes, Chan is wasted in a role that would've been better suited for someone else (Norris comes to mind, as it has more in common with his stuff), as his martial arts abilities and amusing characteristics are never truly capitalized on. I'm so use to seeing him with that *wink, wink* attitude (Project A) and piling on those extravagantly energy-packed stunt work (Police Story). It's a different kettle, and very atypical. Here he looks uncomfortable throughout with that hardboiled edge. Just listen to his sober delivery of the dialogues. That endearing personality is kept in check. This performance seemed to ask more on dramatic acting, than his psychical and lively talent. He's pairing up with Danny Aiello (a loutish cop) couldn't be anymore disjointed and unbelievable. The chemistry never felt right, but with these problems I still was mesmerized. The rest of the performances (Bill Wallace, Roy Chiao) were indifferent. Look out for a short appearance by Mike Starr. While it didn't have the on-going rush I was expecting, Chan gets some furious and hard-hitting action sequences (like the opening slow-motion bloody shoot-out, tricky boat chase (one by water and the other by foot) and a marvellous sky-high balancing act). The film doesn't start off too badly, but when it hits Honk Kong. The copy and paste formula with its many predictable outcomes (involving the seedy crime underworld and the buddy style of two rogue cops) seems to plod along rather coldly. At least there's something enticing about the moody Hong Kong scenery, and ace cinematographer Mark Irwin's crisp moving camera-work is expansively fleshed-out. Effectively detailing the backdrop. Glickenhaus' direction is scratchy, but he knows how to set-up street style locations and infuse sleaze (especially the opportunities that arose to squeeze in nudity). It cops a lot shtick, but without the expectations it's a passable odd of sorts.

7/10 for Jackie Chan cut of film (HK ver.); 5/10 for American cut

[daletkine · 7/10 · 11 June 2019]

Having watched the American version, I was just thinking of how boring it is. Someone commented that Jackie Chan should not have starred in it, as it gives the wrong expectation. I don't think that is it. This movie would have been just as poor with another actor. The problems are story (which is generic and un-original), under-development of villains, Jackie Chan has almost nothing to do in the film, as his talents are not utilized, no memorable characters, pointless nudity and too much casual swearing. The firefights are terrible, the tone of film is very brown and film is poorly shot by its' original crew. Having watched the American Blu-Ray version, I never wanted to re-watch the film and even after finding out about the HK version, I put away watching it for about a year. However, based on another review recommending the HK version, I decided to watch it. Wow, it turned out a much better movie! Jackie Chan was in charge of re-cutting the film, from what I understand. The changes are drastic: Pointless swearing is gone, nudity removed, some parts of the story were re-written and scenes changed order, some additional scenes were shot to accommodate new story, some comedy inserted to make movie less boring and the final fight sequence has been created and shot to give villains a satisfying ending. Basically, the Jackie Chan cut is similar to other 80's Jackie Chan films, still not as good as his classics like Police Store, etc, but overall, there is just no comparison to the original American cut. So, if you've never watched this film, I only suggest watching the Jackie Chan cut. If you have no access to it, don't bother watching the American film, as even if you didn't know who Jackie Chan was, you would not have enjoyed this terribly-boring cut.

lifeless

[westpac · 4/10 · 4 August 2003]

This movie suffers from the fact that for years Hollywood had no clue as to how to package Jackie Chan for the masses. His low-budget Hong Kong movies were all fast-paced kinetic thrillers that highlight his amazing gymnastic skills and talent for light comedy. His early Hollywood films stuck him in the same movies that were being packaged for Stallone or Chuck Norris. There is nothing about Chan's character in this movie that requires the character to be Asian except for his being the star. In his Hong Kong films Chan is never dull, with the movies being one rapid-fire martial arts sequence after another, but "The Protector" is lifeless throughout. Danny Aiello isn't given much to work with either and the lacking chemistry between the two probably is more a result of the script and direction than how the two actors got on together. Both have been better in worse movies. The best thing about the movie is the Hong Kong settings. The worst part is the appalling way that Jackie Chan comes off so colorless and drab. It wouldn't be until the made-in-Canada "Rumble in the Bronx" that the west would finally figure out how to make a good Jackie Chan movie.

Criminally underrated Jackie Chan action - one of his best American movies

[Leofwine_draca · 8/10 · 18 October 2016]

This unfairly neglected '80s buddy-buddy cop flick sees Jackie Chan in his second American role, after the lesser BATTLE CREEK BRAWL. THE PROTECTOR is generally regarded as one of the star's worst movies, especially by the man himself, but I'm pleased to say that now I've seen it, I can say otherwise. This is an entertaining, violent, and action-packed movie, and it's easy to see why Chan himself doesn't care for it – the copious blood and nudity and bad language is a far way from his modern-day family-friendly action star persona. Indeed it certainly seems strange to hear Chan speak such lines so that's a novel experience in itself.

The plot itself is wafer thin, but makes some good use of American and Hong Kong on-the-street locations which get the gritty atmosphere across really well. It's business as usual as the two cops go head-to-head against a drug lord who's kidnapped his rival's daughter, and along the way, exploitation director James Glickenhaus throws in loads of pointless but well-shot action sequences and nude women who have no reason to be naked. Glickenhaus famously fell out with Chan and refused to let him shoot the martial arts sequences, but even so they're surprisingly good, with Chan at the physical pinnacle of his career, on the same kind of top form we saw in POLICE STORY. Many scenes are cheesy and hilariously over the top, like the bit where a robber is shotgunned out of a window, but it's that kind of movie and impossible to dislike. There seems to be some kind of Bond influence going on here, with some large-scale stunts and lots of chases, my favourite being the fight on a platform supported by a huge crane, and the cheesy death of the uber-villain has to be seen to be believed.

Danny Aiello does his best as Chan's partner, but he's completely overshadowed by the Chinese star, plus he's given a really obnoxious, selfish and rude character to work with, so definitely not a film to see him in a good light. Roy Chiao makes for an imposing villain but is underused, whilst Bill "Superfoot" Wallace is GREAT as the chief bad guy, who kicks Jackie's backside in the finale and ends up using an angle-grinder on our hero! Amazing spectacle here and certainly the highlight of the entire movie, well worth the wait. Ignore the negative connections surrounding this movie and I'd recommend giving it a chance – you might find yourself enjoying it more than you thought.

Jackie Chan movie for people who don't like Jackie Chan movies

[gareth633 · 7/10 · 2 July 2010]

This film generally gets bad reviews, mostly it seems from Jackie Chan fans. It is a more 'American' type of action film and if like me you do not like the usual lighthearted Chan films then you may well like this as it is a lot more serious.

Pleasantly surprised by this one, great action scenes. Pretty violent and very little or no slapstick comedy!!! Chan gives a fairly poor performance in this but then he not the best actor in the world anyway and it does not really matter. His fight scenes are very good, though not as elaborate as in his other films. This makes the whole thing more realistic, with more emphasis on bloody gunfights and explosions as is typical of James Glickenhaus' work.

Not bad at all. Enjoyable.

Average cop/buddy movie with a mediocre storyline! 3/10

[leonblackwood · 3/10 · 26 November 2015]

Review: This is yet another mediocre movie from Chan, who tries to crack the US with this English movie. Chan plays a New York cop called Billy Wong and after his partner is gunned down during a robbery, he's teamed up with Danny Garoni, (Danny Aiello) against his wishes. Whilst at a lavish function, a rich man's daughter gets kidnapped and when they piece together the clues, they find out that the father has connections with a drug kingpin in Hong Kong, so they head there to crack the case. It doesn't take long before the kingpin hears that they are in town, so he sends out his hit men to try and take them out. After various battles with the baddies, Billy & Danny come face to face with the kingpin and with the help of an ex-soldier, they use heavy artillery and Chans Kung Fu skills to get back the girl. To be honest, it seemed like many films that I have seen before in this genre. Chan didn't really use his Kung Fu skills that much but it was good to see him actually act, without any silly comedic scenes. There are a couple stunts that were OK but they were not in the same league as Chans movies that he made in his native country. With that aside, it's a watchable film with a decent storyline and I liked the chemistry between Aiello and Chan. It won't go down as a classic but it's one to add to the Chan collection. Average!

Round-Up: This movie was directed by James Glickenhaus who only directed 8 movies in his short career, which included Timemaster, McBain, the Exterminator, the Astrologer, the Soldier, Shakedown and Slaughter of the Innocents starring Scott Glenn. You can tell that Chan was restricted with the amount of death defying stunts that he was allowed to do because of the laws in American movies. That's why his career in the US didn't last that long, because he got fed up with being told what to do. You have to hand it to him for trying to make a movie in English and I honestly don't think that it was that bad but it does look really dated for this day and age, which is why I didn't give it a high score.

I recommend this movie to people who are into their action/crime/drama/martial arts movies starring Jackie Chan, Danny Aiello, Sandy Alexander and Victor Arnold. 3/10

Ruined by dumb American executives

[Wizard-8 · 23 January 1999]

Jackie Chan had no control of this movie (at least the American version). The director somehow thought that Jackie would come across better to audiences as a Dirty Harry cop! Didn't he realize that Chan is popular because of his stunts and kung-fu action? Apparently not, because in an interview years later, the director said he didn't regret his decision and kept claiming that Americans wouldn't accept Chan's Asian style.

Back in Hong Kong, Chan re-shot the movie extensively, adding car chases and kung fu action. He also edited out a lot of the American director's idiotic stuff. That version is supposed to be quite good. This American version? It's AWFUL! You'd never guess what Chan is capable of by just watching this movie. The action scenes here are *dull*. Yes, *dull*.

By the way, Chan next did POLICE STORY, as a "take that!" to that American director (James Glickenhaus, who hasn't done much lately. Hmm...wonder why....). See that movie instead of this!

Oh I Do Like This One!!!

[damianphelps · 7/10 · 5 August 2021]

I love any JC movie where he is not acting like comedic idiot. Some of his slapstick humour is very good but it gets a little monotonous after a while.

The Protector is a great example of how good a straight, serious JC can be.

Great 80's action :)

Violent cop actioner with Jackie Chan

[SkullScreamerReturns · 6/10 · 22 May 2022]

The Protector is an oddball among movies starring Jackie Chan. It's directed by James Glickenhaus who seems to be some kind of cult favorite among fans of violent b-movies. (I've seen McBain and The Exterminator so far, and even if those aren't very good films I do get why the director's edgy and cheesy style has following.) So if you are expecting kung-fu comedy, you might be disappointed. But if you like 80s action films in the Cannon school of entertainment then you are in for a ride.

There is shooting, fighting, explosions, and everything you'd want from an over the top 80s actioner. The plot is quite basic but the quality of the action makes it worth seeing at least once.

One of Jackie's least memorable movies.

[gridoon · 5/10 · 14 November 2003]

Misguided Jackie Chan vehicle tries to shoehorn the star into a generic, typical action film of the eighties, saddling him with a complete a**hole of a partner, played by Danny Aiello in one of the less shining moments of his career. There are some good stunts and a couple of fight scenes, but they are nothing compared to some of the stuff Chan has done in his best work. (*1/2)

The protector

[coltras35 · 6/10 · 21 November 2022]

Billy Wong is a New York City cop whose partner is gunned down during a robbery. Billy and his new partner, Danny Garoni, are working security at a fashion show when a wealthy man's daughter, Laura Shapiro, is kidnapped. The Federal authorities suspect that Laura's father is involved with Mr. Ko, a Hong Kong drug kingpin, so the NYC police commissioner sends the two cops to Hong Kong to investigate. Once in Hong Kong, the pair causes no end of trouble for both Mr. Ko and the local authorities.

Jackie Chan refreshingly goes "Dirty Harry" mode (mean and moody) in this standard cop thriller that has more stunts than fights ( the Hong Kong version has fights incorporated), and as expected, there are some hair-raising stunts such as the helicopter and boat sequence in the beginning, but most impressive one is when Jackie uses a bike, a pole to get closer to a boat. There's some good fights ( a good one with Superfoot Wallace), but mainly gunfights. There's more gore, swearing and nudity, something you usually don't find in a Jackie Chan film. The nudity is unnecessary, is there for mere titillation and comes across tacky. The tortured man with twigs sticking out of him is quite lurid. Also, Jackie's partner (Danny Aiello) is very annoying with his constant swearing and talking. Still, it's a watchable film, though not on par with the Police Story series Jackie shortly after.

A different role

[HotToastyRag · 5/10 · 11 August 2022]

After Jackie Chan's partner get gunned down in a robbery, he gets paired up with Danny Aiello, a cop with a very different style. They're both at an elite fashion party when the daughter of a tycoon gets kidnapped, and they get assigned to solving the case and bringing her back. From New York to Hong Kong, the pair find themselves in some very dangerous situations (and have to tackle some tough stunts along the way). I kept thinking it was very cute to see Danny in an action movie, since his son started his own career as a stuntman in the early 1980s.

It's a bit of a shock to see Jackie Chan in such a tough-guy role. He may be a police officer, but he holds no qualms about shooting bad guys in the neck; he even uses the f-word! If you'd rather see him in the sweet, Shanghai Noon type of roles, skip this one and stick with his usual comedic image. This movie is a gritty drama, with tons of violence, drug lords, exploited naked women, and back-stabs around every corner. It wasn't my favorite, but I did appreciate the different genre.

Kiddy Warning: Obviously, you have control over your own children. However, due to some violence, I wouldn't let my kids watch it.

You will be protected from boredom!

[xnicofingerx · 7/10 · 20 November 2023]

Jackie goes Hollywood, next attempt, but here in darker B realms. Just Glickenhauser. The film is correspondingly tough and unusually humourless, which is rare in the Chan oeuvre.

Jackie didn't like it, but most fans, even those of rough 80s cop films in general, should be quite satisfied.

Aiello is as good as ever and also lets JC shine a little more, the buddy cop team harmonises perfectly. After a look at dirty New York, we are allowed to go "home" to colourful Hong Kong. It starts off entertainingly, then has a brief hiccup, but the finale has its reverberations thanks to some spectacular scenes. All in all, a good film, even (or perhaps especially) in the non-Jackie version, so the sometimes poor ratings are surprising. Note also the henchman of evil, Bill Wallace. An absolute martial arts specialist, unfortunately too rarely immortalised on the big screen, especially in higher quality.

not as good as The Big Brawl AKA Battle Creek Brawl

[disdressed12 · 5/10 · 2 April 2011]

i didn't mind this movie pairing Jackie Chan and Danny Aiello.it's not a great movie by any stretch of the imagination,but it kills some time.i've always liked Danny Aiello,so he elevates the movie a notch for me.the movie itself is a pretty generic crime drama.it's much darker in tone than The Big Brawl,Chan's first American movie,which had some humour in it.this one really doesn't.i didn't think the dialogue was all that great in this movie either.some of the lines were unnecessary or just plain silly.still,the movie was entertaining enough.this is Chan's second American movie(Cannonball Run II was just a small role,so it doesn't count)for me,The Protector is a 5/10

Chan's the man in a great action set piece flick

[videorama-759-859391 · 8/10 · 8 November 2013]

This is one of those really unjustly criticized movies, I've vide'd a few times. It too has a great soundtrack at it's end, by Chip Taylor. This is another action spectacular flick from Glickenhaus, who knows how to make bigger than life action movies. The Protector has a lot of qualities about it, and in spite of Chan's real hate for this film, this is one I'd rather opt to watch, than his other chop suey comic style ones. The action sequences in this film that really get us exhausted, watching Jackie, especially in the last one, are fantastically shot. After being suspended for not playing by the rules when avenging his partner, (in the first great action piece, my favorite involving a speedboat chase) Chan's New York cop, Billy Wong is demoted to crowd control for a high fashion show. Here the beautiful daughter of the company is kidnapped and it's up to Chan and likable sidekick (Aiello) to retrieve her, which leads em' to Hong Kong for business and a bit of dangerous if near fatal pleasure, involving some sexy, young, and deadly masseurs, where another great action piece evolves. This movie is heavy on action. It has almost everything, even a drug lab, full of totally nude Asian women. This is a bit of a cheeky action movie, as how it lets a bit of female anatomy seep through, one thing I strongly admire about it, and Chan barely has time to stop and rest, fighting baddies, and impressing us with some of his stunts. The movie too has an interesting, unrelated start, involving thugs stripping a truck, and making of with off the Texan's guy's computers. Aiello and Chan make an interesting team, in a interesting choice of casting. They work well off each other, and though this film isn't at the top of Jackie's hit parade, The Protector is an action movie that delivers on all levels too with a bit of guilty cheek and humor. Don't be put off with the bad reviews, please. Watch for Mike Starr as Thug 2 in the first action sequence.

a different style of Jeckie chan

[elyyozef · 7/10 · 22 July 2020]

I liked the realistic character of the film, because you know he really did what he did and it was not effects.

Mediocre Action, Underutilized Star.

[EndlessUniverse · 4/10 · 27 November 2019]

A weak film from top to bottom. The Protector stars Jackie Chan as the lead in a story about a New York City cop and his partner looking to take down a drug kingpin from Hong Kong. Jackie Chan is obviously the only reason why anyone would be interested in seeing this film but he's completely miscast and underutilized. The main character is written as a gruff, no nonsense type that completely clashes with Chan's style of lighthearted, comedic characters. To be fair, Chan has done well with serious material in other films, but the script here is so hollow that he's only allowed to be one note and ultimately dull.

Then of course there's the issue with the martial arts sequences. The whole appeal of a Jackie Chan movie after all. Sadly, Chan had no say in the staging of any of the fight scenes and was outright denied to work on said scenes by the director. The result is martial arts sequences sloppily directed with little to no flow or energy.

But even if you take Jackie Chan completely out of the conversation, The Protector still doesn't work. The performances are dull, the script is generic, the score is awful, and the non fighting action scenes are awkwardly edited.

If you can, see the Hong Kong cut of the film. It has much better editing, improved choreography, and some added weighty material compared to the US cut.

Regardless, this is one of the weakest films Jackie Chan has ever been in.