MAGNIFICENT BODYGUARDS: Jackie Chan heads up a star-heavy cast, including James Tien and Bruce Leung, in this unexpectedly worthy kung fu flick from Lo Wei. Originally filmed in 3D, the action sequences are well-constructed with a keener attention to detail than the norm. Chan appears uncomfortable but supporting players keep the piece afloat, and the booming recycled soundtrack from ‘Star Wars’ gives proceedings a grand sense of scale. Rating: 3 / 5 . MASTER WITH CRACKED FINGERS: This widely-available and formulaic early Jackie Chan offering is a ‘cut and paste’ affair in the Godfrey Ho tradition, using footage from the shelved 1971 flick ‘Cub Tiger from Kwantung’, the classic Drunken Master, and doubled action featuring previous Chan co-star Yuen Siu Tien. Yet, for all its faults, it remains a far more pleasing watch than the similarly shoddy ‘Fearless Hyena Part II’. Dubious dubbing, bizarre humour from the likes of Dean Shek, and solid fight scenes make this of some interest, especially to the curious Chan fan. Rating: 2 ˝ / 5 .
