Veera Putrudu Review

Oodles of spear dodging, a near-fatal accident, and car chases that begin anew just when you assume they've ended. Sounds familiar? This is yet another one of the Jackie Chan flicks that leave you out of breath simply from following the incredibly agile actor on screen.

A hunter of fortune has his old flame kidnapped when he has recovered a sword that was one of only five remaining pieces of the Armor of God, an armor used during the Crusades (by King Arthur or some such) which gives the bearer (when he/she has all of them) awesome power. The kidnappers want the piece in exchange for the girl, but Jackie has already sold it and the owner is unwilling to let him have it back - he lets him take his daughter along, instead.

What follows, however, is some extremely plain story telling. Of course, there's a lot of the usual motorcycles jumping cars, cars jumping cars and all the other jumping around that you would expect in a JC movie. But they scarcely hold your interest for long, and the story is too slow at times.

The editor seems almost blind, with scenes such as Jackie's hair being visibly longer when he's finished sliding down a hill. The incredible acrobatic fight scenes toward the last half-hour are the only time that the movie is any good. But poor acting and a ludicrous plot make sitting through the first hour to get to these stunts a high price to pay.

Here's one film you won't mind getting to the theater late for, and one case where the sequel (Operation Condor) is better than the original.