A gem. Finally watched this 23 years after it was made! And it was well worth the wait . . .
A fun action-adventure film. And just what I had been looking for that evening.
The 2 lead actors spar off each other to great effect. Wilson with his laconic Texan drawl and relaxed ways, even while being a jobbing train robber, and Chan with his action sequences and astute ways.
Worthwhile watching if just for the lasso action scene. Supreme. It makes you wonder just how many hours of practise - and fight choreography - that scene alone took to finalise.
Of course, there is the usual homage in a movie of the Western genre, to the Sergio Leone movie's glint-and-gun sequence. But it does not come across as too much of a cliché, though it's been seen a million times before; it is instead just perfect for the shoot-out scene. And the other scenes that homage Western films have the same deft touch. "How 'bout that: it's a Mexican stand-off," the baddie growls, "Only we ain't got no Mexicans." Just enough praise of past Western tales, without the film losing its own spark in the process.
There is a sublime moment when Wilson's character mishears Chan's name - "Chon Wang" - as 'John Wayne'. "That's right, John Wayne is here", he says to the baddies. The other hero is named "Roy". And there is a character, named "Van Cleef"; and yes, he is a baddie, and is dressed all in black, flat black hat & all. With great teeth covered by an evil smile . . . And narrowed eyes to boot! Divine references to Western movie greats.
The timing of the scenes is perfect, not too slow, and - somewhat surprising for a 21st-century action film - not too fast. The action scenes that intersperse the drama are dynamic BUT do not drown out the characters' interplay. Chan's martial arts are phenomenal, to say the least (& I speak as one not usually interested in that genre of film). Any slightly how-do-they-keep-going-that-long moments in the plot do not matter, as the story does not offer realism as such, just good old-fashioned derring-do! And that is what it succeeds in.
The plot is excellently paced, not to mention entrancing. The women in the cast offer their hand in several action/martial arts scenes. The humour is bang on. And all the while we watch the guys on their exciting mission . . . As O'Bannon says to Wang: "We have a princess to save".
Fun, fun, fun, all the way.
A fun action-adventure film. And just what I had been looking for that evening.
The 2 lead actors spar off each other to great effect. Wilson with his laconic Texan drawl and relaxed ways, even while being a jobbing train robber, and Chan with his action sequences and astute ways.
Worthwhile watching if just for the lasso action scene. Supreme. It makes you wonder just how many hours of practise - and fight choreography - that scene alone took to finalise.
Of course, there is the usual homage in a movie of the Western genre, to the Sergio Leone movie's glint-and-gun sequence. But it does not come across as too much of a cliché, though it's been seen a million times before; it is instead just perfect for the shoot-out scene. And the other scenes that homage Western films have the same deft touch. "How 'bout that: it's a Mexican stand-off," the baddie growls, "Only we ain't got no Mexicans." Just enough praise of past Western tales, without the film losing its own spark in the process.
There is a sublime moment when Wilson's character mishears Chan's name - "Chon Wang" - as 'John Wayne'. "That's right, John Wayne is here", he says to the baddies. The other hero is named "Roy". And there is a character, named "Van Cleef"; and yes, he is a baddie, and is dressed all in black, flat black hat & all. With great teeth covered by an evil smile . . . And narrowed eyes to boot! Divine references to Western movie greats.
The timing of the scenes is perfect, not too slow, and - somewhat surprising for a 21st-century action film - not too fast. The action scenes that intersperse the drama are dynamic BUT do not drown out the characters' interplay. Chan's martial arts are phenomenal, to say the least (& I speak as one not usually interested in that genre of film). Any slightly how-do-they-keep-going-that-long moments in the plot do not matter, as the story does not offer realism as such, just good old-fashioned derring-do! And that is what it succeeds in.
The plot is excellently paced, not to mention entrancing. The women in the cast offer their hand in several action/martial arts scenes. The humour is bang on. And all the while we watch the guys on their exciting mission . . . As O'Bannon says to Wang: "We have a princess to save".
Fun, fun, fun, all the way.