Premise: A Chinese man in 1930s Illinois is forced by the mob to take part in a brawl in Texas for prize money.
This movie really puts into focus why it took so long for Hollywood to get Jackie Chan to pop in the US. The appeal of Jackie Chan is all about the complexity of the stunts. He's not a guy you cast because he can jump the highest or look the best doing something. He's cast because he works with stunt coordinators to pull off a 20-step maneuver until it's perfect. His best movies are somewhat comedic by necessity, because what he does on screen is silly in how complicated it is.
Then, you look at Battle Creek Brawl, his American debut, and realize how poorly they understood what his star appeal was. The stunts and fights in this just plain suck. They cut too much. All of the complexity is gone. You can tell they did a lot fewer takes to get things right. What choreography they did try looks like it's at half speed. You can see everyone counting off the steps. It is not a surprise that this didn't turn Jackie Chan into a star in the US. And it's funny to think about the American producers seeing Police Story a couple years later thinking "How come we couldn't get that guy?!"
Verdict: Weakly Don't Recommend
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