Too much of everything

Pretty Good

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

This atypical Chan-starrer is one of his attempts to do something different from the normal, so instead of a kung fu-led thriller, we're treated to a lavish melodrama set in the '30s world of gangsters and exquisite clubs. Fans expecting Chan's usual hijinks will see that the actor retains his brand of slapstick humour throughout, but it's drama, pathos, and romance which fleshes out the rest of the plot, not action. There are about three decent action sequences in the entire movie, all of them quite brilliant in Chan's own inimitable way, but the first two are over very quickly and the last one feels tacked on, arriving at the end of a lengthy film where most of our spirit has been taken out of us already. Saying that, this climax in the rope factory is very good and a treat for those who've watched the rest of the film.The all-star cast is very good indeed, the plot is simple but there are many characters to enliven it and many imaginative situations. Chan is fine as always, ably supported by the late Anita Mui, looking extremely gorgeous here. Veteran performers Bill Tung and Richard Ng provide strong supporting roles with their comedic turns as the fake husband and police chief respectively. The film is awash with cameos from the likes of Yuen Biao. The script is very good and the locations and camera-work excellent. Although the story is very slow-paced, the gentle nature of the comedy and farce and the pleasant characters make it hard to dislike. Not one for action fans, this is instead a more mature, thoughtful and engaging Chinese affair.

I wanted to see this film based on a trailer for it on a kung-fu DVD. This film looked very different from anything else Jackie Chan has done and from everything else that I've seen of Chinese films. It took some time to track the DVD down.Black Dragon is based on Frank Capra's Pocketfull of Miracles (1961). From the way Black Dragon has been made it is apparent that Jackie Chan intended it only for Chinese audiences. On the DVD the language choices are Cantonese or Mandarin. The characterizations, plot situations, conflicts and resolutions do not use western story structure.The male characters tend to fill several types for this kind of film while the female roles seem to break from those traditions. This comment is based on commentaries to several other Chinese films, where these types are described.I found that the film lacked depth and the plot fell short of being cohesive.Analysis aside, this film is very entertaining. It is upbeat, zippy and likable. One of the high points, for me came with the singing of the title song by Anita Mui early in the film. The song involves a montage of developmental incidents along with several costume and setting changes for the singer and chorus, which deftly indicated passage of time.The fight sequences, while entertaining, really do not advance the story in any way and are more of a show case for Jackie Chan's acrobatic and martial arts talent. Beyond that they don't really add to the film. What I'm trying to say here is with or without the fight scenes what you have here is a pretty good film.I recommend that you see this film if you get the chance and I would say that it would be suitable for children from around seven years and up.

Before Miracles (inspired by Pocketful of Miracles and other films), Jackie had already done several movies set in the early 30s, including Project A and the sequel Project A II where Jackie homages silent movies and recreates stunts by Buster Keaton, etc.In this film, Jackie creates a film that would let him be recognised as a first-rate director. Miracles is a story of Jackie who gets involved with a local triad gang, who's boss dies proclaiming Jackie to be the new boss. The film follows Jackie's exploits and his quest to make the gang into a non-criminal type gangsters mob.The film has fantastic camera work and wonderfully detailed in all costumes and the set design. The story is a mis-mash of action and a warm hearted story of Jackie and his relationship with a Lady who sells Roses, and how he buys a rose every day for luck.When the rose vendor learns her daughter is coming, she breaks down - realising that her lie of her living a grand life will be exposed - and soon Jackie and his mob try their hardest to help the vendor any way they can.Although this is more story and well acted out script, the film seems slugglish and when action happens its over too quick. Fortuently Jackie throws in some typical comic moments and homages to several silent films as well.Action fans may be disappointed with the lack of gun-toting gangsters or the lack of tommy guns blazing or lack of kung fu, but the film isn't meant to be for that, its a story based movie.The film is excellent to watch, but probably not all that great for Martial art fans as it has a lack of genuinely good fight sequences, bar two (one being when Jackie is tested as the new boss and the other being at the end with Billy Chow).Overall a good movie, but did it really need so much money to be spent on it?Overall: 6/10.

This film is pretty good. It has about 4 to 5 action scenes, but the most amazing scene is at the end of the movie in the rope factory. That action scene just blew me off. The movie has its funny moments but it's mostly just seeing Jackie trying to be like The Godfather sort off which I find kind of cool. This film shows a different side of Jackie for example "The Prisonner" and "Accidental Spy" showed two different role for Jackie that he never done before and that what like. Jackie is really good in his role and the hat he wears looks so good on him. So go rent this film for some action but mostly at the end and some funny parts but don't buy I did but that's because I really like Jackie he i a good fighter.