First Strike Review

A poor man's James Bond - that's what Jackie comes across in this movie. First released a short while before he was set to make his Hollywood debut (as Jing Cha Gu Shi IV: Jian Dan Ren Wu), the movie falls just short of delivering the goods, but still manages to engage Jackie's fans.

Jackie is a Hong Kong cop, sought by agencies such as the CIA and KGB. That's something for a cop, isn't it? Actually, it's a bit too much. Just as he thinks that his mission with the CIA is accomplished, he is pulled in by KBS (something on the lines of the KGB). As he is on the trail of a nuke thief, Tsui (Jackson Liu), Jackie discovers that he is actually being used by the KBS chief, Gregor (Yuri Petrov), to settle personal issues with Tsui. All that follows also involves Tsui's sister, Annie (Annie Wu). Needless to say, Jackie runs down Gregor in the end.

The movie does have its share of well-choreographed stunts - watch out for the ladder fight - but it isn't as funny as most of Jackie's earlier movies. Still, Jackie makes sure that he strikes some sort of a balance in being a high-profile cop and a vulnerable person.

Good stuff for all you Jackie Fans!