Jackie Chan 1980s ~upd~ 【EXTENDED →】

The film that arguably catapulted Jackie Chan to international stardom was "Rush Hour" was not released until 1998, but during the 1980s, Chan laid the groundwork for this success with films like "Drunken Master II" (1984), also known as "The Legend of Drunken Master," which became a huge hit in Asia and helped solidify his status as a leading actor.

While kung fu comedy existed in the late 70s ( Drunken Master , 1978), the 1980s perfected it into a high-speed, urban ballet.

Chan realized he could not translate his Hong Kong style directly. Instead, he built a parallel Western fanbase via home video. Police Story and Armour of God became cult hits in US college towns and European genre festivals. By 1989, Miracles (a remake of Pocketful of Miracles ) showed him adapting Hollywood narrative structure to his action – a dry run for Rush Hour (1998).

If you only watch three films from this era, watch these. They represent the peak of his creative control and stunt work.

The 1980s were also defined by the collaboration between the "Three Dragons": . These "brothers" from the China Drama Academy starred in several hits together, most notably: