80 reviews
Based on a comic by Tsukasa Houjo, City Hunter was made because a Japanese fan mentioned to Jackie Chan that he looks like Ryo Saeba.
Ryo Saeba (Jackie Chan) is asked to bring back Seiko (Kumoko Goto) back to Japan. On their way back, the luxury liner carrying both gets high jacked by gangs. Ryo, Seiko and others battle the gang inside the luxury liner.
The movie is made to appeal to both Hong Kong and Japanese audience, and actor Joey Wong who was popular at the time in Japan appears as Ryo Saeba's girlfriend. Kumiko Goto who was popular in Japan at the time also appears. All star cast of Richard Norton, Leon Lai, and Chingmy Yau also appears to appeal to audiences in both countries. There's a comical scene where characters that looks like the Street Fighter appearing in fight scenes.
This movie is bit different from other Jackie Chan movies, in that body exploitation with many men and women in their swim suit appearing, and overt comedy is part of the story. But the fight scene between Richard Norton and Jackie Chan is pure Jackie Chan movie.
Many people say this is the only Jackie Chan movie that doesn't work, but it is an entertaining movie with some good action spread in between.
Ryo Saeba (Jackie Chan) is asked to bring back Seiko (Kumoko Goto) back to Japan. On their way back, the luxury liner carrying both gets high jacked by gangs. Ryo, Seiko and others battle the gang inside the luxury liner.
The movie is made to appeal to both Hong Kong and Japanese audience, and actor Joey Wong who was popular at the time in Japan appears as Ryo Saeba's girlfriend. Kumiko Goto who was popular in Japan at the time also appears. All star cast of Richard Norton, Leon Lai, and Chingmy Yau also appears to appeal to audiences in both countries. There's a comical scene where characters that looks like the Street Fighter appearing in fight scenes.
This movie is bit different from other Jackie Chan movies, in that body exploitation with many men and women in their swim suit appearing, and overt comedy is part of the story. But the fight scene between Richard Norton and Jackie Chan is pure Jackie Chan movie.
Many people say this is the only Jackie Chan movie that doesn't work, but it is an entertaining movie with some good action spread in between.
I like this film. I was already familiar with the City Hunter animé, which to be honest is even more risqué than this Wong Jing offering.
Jackie Chan is hilarious, but in a slightly different way to his usual comedy persona. You have to remember when you watch this film, that you're watching a live action cartoon. This will allow you to take this film with a pinch of salt, and in so-doing you will not take it too seriously.
There is plenty of action in this film, kung-fu included, mostly because Jackie Chan plays Ryu Saeba. The fighting is terrific, and once again hilarious, as you see big, mean baddies reduced to comical fighting roles, rather than the more serious bleeding, and sweating, then dying roles.
Chingmy Yau is in this film, looking gorgeous, as usual. She is given more license than most women in Wong Jing films to be independent, and not to be a hot idiot, but essentially, she remains a hot idiot.
I particularly enjoyed the nod to Bruce Lee in this film, when Chan is forced to fight two massive bad guys in a cinema.
Overall, this is a fun film. Chan fans will enjoy it. City Hunter fans will enjoy it. Wong Jing fans will enjoy it. Non-fans of the aforementioned may not enjoy it, and women's lib chicks will find it insulting and degrading to women, but to be honest, they need to get a life and get into the goddamn kitchen to make me something to eat!
Jackie Chan is hilarious, but in a slightly different way to his usual comedy persona. You have to remember when you watch this film, that you're watching a live action cartoon. This will allow you to take this film with a pinch of salt, and in so-doing you will not take it too seriously.
There is plenty of action in this film, kung-fu included, mostly because Jackie Chan plays Ryu Saeba. The fighting is terrific, and once again hilarious, as you see big, mean baddies reduced to comical fighting roles, rather than the more serious bleeding, and sweating, then dying roles.
Chingmy Yau is in this film, looking gorgeous, as usual. She is given more license than most women in Wong Jing films to be independent, and not to be a hot idiot, but essentially, she remains a hot idiot.
I particularly enjoyed the nod to Bruce Lee in this film, when Chan is forced to fight two massive bad guys in a cinema.
Overall, this is a fun film. Chan fans will enjoy it. City Hunter fans will enjoy it. Wong Jing fans will enjoy it. Non-fans of the aforementioned may not enjoy it, and women's lib chicks will find it insulting and degrading to women, but to be honest, they need to get a life and get into the goddamn kitchen to make me something to eat!
- thomas-hardcastle-2
- Jun 14, 2008
- Permalink
I don't know what else I should have expected, but for a live-action manga adaptation of the early 90s, and one starring Jackie Chan no less, this embraces abject cartoonishness far exceeding my wildest assumptions. Kids' movies of the same period have nothing on 'City hunter'; Chan is no stranger to action-comedies, yet this is a title that puts the comedy first, and in which no small amount of the stunts, effects, choreography, editing, and otherwise action is specifically geared toward building that comedy. This is to say nothing of the wild choices of costume design, acting and direction, the playful original music, cinematography, or the art direction. Every last trace of the film is as over the top as it could be, including characters, dialogue, and scene writing; only if the manga were realized as anime could the result have been more frivolous. Anyone who can't abide the most outrageous and ham-handed of fare is advised to just look away from the outset, because this operates on a level that makes the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles look like ponderous drama.
To be perfectly honest that often juvenile flippancy does become overbearing, and not least right about the time that the story aboard a cruise ship takes a break for a big musical and dance sequence - which, for the record, comes after only about one-third of the runtime has elapsed. That's far from the end of it though; a sequence in the last act recalls the worst buffoonery of 'Freddy's dead: The final nightmare' a couple years before, and frankly takes it even further. Would that the sheer overcooked boisterousness were the only issue, for there is also some ugly homophobia on hand, and the script and camera commonly treat women with a lasciviousness that's plainly off-putting rather than titillating. More generally, there are some points in the narrative that are just downright thin, and I can't imagine some beats or ideas ever coming off well even on paper. This is built solely to entertain, but some aspects here are emphatically not fun at all, and sometimes filmmaker Wong Jing simply went too far with some of the choices that were made; there are upper limits on the lasting entertainment value to be had here.
Yet even as 'City hunter' takes every idea to major extremes, and some inclusions are dubious or altogether tawdry, more than not it remains solidly enjoyable. Not every decision made here is a good one, but in and of themselves I can't say that anyone contributing here didn't turn in great work. The filming locations are swell, and the sets really are outstanding. The costume design, hair, and makeup are lovely. The direction, cinematography, and editing are all marvelously sharp, and the cast unreservedly commit to all the silliness. Above all, all the stunts, effects, choreography, and action really are superb, and wouldn't look out of place in a more serious-minded feature. Even that sequence of song and dance is a minor joy, however absurd it is on the face of things. The outright nonsense becomes a step too far, yet if all you want out of Golden Harvest is tremendous action and stunt work, then this picture delivers in spades.
In some measure it's definitely a mixed bag; with more restraint and a tad more mindful care the flick would surely enjoy a more significant legacy. It may have only wanted to have a good time, yet sometimes Too Much really is just Too Much. At the same time, 'City hunter' has no illusions of being anything other than a preposterous, irreverent joy ride, and even if some odds and ends share more in common with 'Looney tunes' than 'Die hard,' by and large this is a blast. Unless you're a huge fan of Chan or someone else involved, Golden Harvest, or the manga, there's surely no need to go out of your way for this. It bears repeating though, that the stunts and action are pretty much just brilliant, and by that measure alone 'City hunter' is worth checking out if you have the opportunity.
To be perfectly honest that often juvenile flippancy does become overbearing, and not least right about the time that the story aboard a cruise ship takes a break for a big musical and dance sequence - which, for the record, comes after only about one-third of the runtime has elapsed. That's far from the end of it though; a sequence in the last act recalls the worst buffoonery of 'Freddy's dead: The final nightmare' a couple years before, and frankly takes it even further. Would that the sheer overcooked boisterousness were the only issue, for there is also some ugly homophobia on hand, and the script and camera commonly treat women with a lasciviousness that's plainly off-putting rather than titillating. More generally, there are some points in the narrative that are just downright thin, and I can't imagine some beats or ideas ever coming off well even on paper. This is built solely to entertain, but some aspects here are emphatically not fun at all, and sometimes filmmaker Wong Jing simply went too far with some of the choices that were made; there are upper limits on the lasting entertainment value to be had here.
Yet even as 'City hunter' takes every idea to major extremes, and some inclusions are dubious or altogether tawdry, more than not it remains solidly enjoyable. Not every decision made here is a good one, but in and of themselves I can't say that anyone contributing here didn't turn in great work. The filming locations are swell, and the sets really are outstanding. The costume design, hair, and makeup are lovely. The direction, cinematography, and editing are all marvelously sharp, and the cast unreservedly commit to all the silliness. Above all, all the stunts, effects, choreography, and action really are superb, and wouldn't look out of place in a more serious-minded feature. Even that sequence of song and dance is a minor joy, however absurd it is on the face of things. The outright nonsense becomes a step too far, yet if all you want out of Golden Harvest is tremendous action and stunt work, then this picture delivers in spades.
In some measure it's definitely a mixed bag; with more restraint and a tad more mindful care the flick would surely enjoy a more significant legacy. It may have only wanted to have a good time, yet sometimes Too Much really is just Too Much. At the same time, 'City hunter' has no illusions of being anything other than a preposterous, irreverent joy ride, and even if some odds and ends share more in common with 'Looney tunes' than 'Die hard,' by and large this is a blast. Unless you're a huge fan of Chan or someone else involved, Golden Harvest, or the manga, there's surely no need to go out of your way for this. It bears repeating though, that the stunts and action are pretty much just brilliant, and by that measure alone 'City hunter' is worth checking out if you have the opportunity.
- I_Ailurophile
- Jan 5, 2024
- Permalink
Jackie Chan plays a womanizing private eye known as City Hunter in this Wong Jing directed movie. The movie is played for surreal laughs part of the time. But with Wong Jing at the helm of this comic strip of a movie, that is no surprise. When you watch this movie, you realize that Jackie Chan knows how to pick stories and direct himself better than anyone else.
I saw this movie on the Media Arts DVD released in April, 1999. The Japanese manufactured DVD has subtitles in 8 languages, including English and Spanish. The aspect ratio is 2.35 and the image quality is very fine.
I saw this movie on the Media Arts DVD released in April, 1999. The Japanese manufactured DVD has subtitles in 8 languages, including English and Spanish. The aspect ratio is 2.35 and the image quality is very fine.
- Leofwine_draca
- Feb 16, 2016
- Permalink
The cinematic adventures of Ryo Saeba, a gun-for-hire living in the Tokyo metropolis, who will take on any dangerous job as long as it involves beautiful women. Ryô Saeba (Jackie Chan) is a private eye known as the "City Hunter" who likes to be hired by beautiful girls. One day, his associate, Hideyuki Makimura, is murdered. Ryô has to take care of Hideyuki's (Michael Wong) sister, Kaori (Joey Wang), who becomes his new partner. However, Kaori is much more jealous and often hits him with a giant hammer. In this film adaptation Ryu Saeba , a womanizing private detective, has been hired by a wealthy businessman to find his young daughter who has run away. The girl's trail leads Ryu to a cruise ship full of wealthy passengers and attractive women. However, a group of American terrorists (Gary Daniels , Richard Norton) hijack the ship and hold the passengers and crew hostage, so Ryu not only has to deal with the young woman who has fled, but also his own. "This town needs a man like me". He's out of town, out of time and out of his depth!.
An amusing film with noisy action, tongue-in-cheek, impressive fights, shootouts and full of absurd humour. This film is a live-action version of a popular Japanese comic and animated television series, here transformed into a vehicle for the international action movie hero Jackie Chan. But beyond the average script, there are many likeable elements and a decent execution. With a good cast that delivers charming performances and keeps a suitable tone throughout. There's a lot of silliness and over the top situations, but it knows how to behave itself. The main characters Saeba Ryo and Makimura Kaori have not changed, their antics and relationship remain the same. While that is in a way good, this time it feels more like a lost opportunity. Worthy of note are the well-executed and humorous action scenes, especially the one in which Jackie Chan and his opponents in the foreground imitate a fight that takes place between Bruce Lee and Kareem Abdul-Jabar from Lee's unfinished film: Game of Death, which is shown on a cinema screen. And adding Kaori Makimura, assistant to Ryo Saeba (aka City Hunter), acts out her jealousy by producing 100 tonne hammers out of thin air, and using them on Ryo when his libido gets out of control.
Jackie Chan is very likable as the private eye who reluctantly forms an alliance with his late partner's sister to investigate a kidnap on a cruise ship. The film had little success in the United States and Europe, but not in Hong Kong, China and other Asian countries where it did well at the box office. However , Jackie Chan's failed at Box-office in his American debut ,¨Battle creel brawl¨ . Chan is a hard-working actor and director throughout his long and varied career .He went on playing ¨Cannoball¨ , ¨The protector¨ and "Rumble in the Bronx", until getting all American success with ¨Shangai Knights¨ , ¨The tuxedo¨ , ¨Around the world in 8days¨ and ¨Rush hour¨ trilogy , and of the course the recent ¨Karate kid¨. Of course , his big hits were ¨The Police story¨ series that won the Golden Horse Award, a Chinese version of the Oscar , the first was titled ¨Police story(1985)¨ directed by the same Chan , it was a perfect action film for enthusiastic of the genre ; the following was ¨Police story 2(1988)¨also pretty violent and with abundant humor touches. It's followed by this ¨Supercop¨ or ¨Police story 3¨ and finally, ¨Police story IV : Crime story.
¨City Hunter¨ or ¨Sing si lip yan¨(1993) is an attempt to modernize 'City Hunter' series without actually changing its stagnant formula. Fans have seen it all before, and there's nothing here for the modern anime fan to latch onto. City Hunter is one of the few films that can be enjoyed equally by male and female viewers. Although it has its weak moments but when it's good, there's nothing better. Rating: 5.5/10. The film will appeal to Jackie Chan fans.
City Hunter renditions are the following: TV cartoon (1987-1991) (140 episodes) produced by Sunrise. City Hunter: Shinjuku Private Eyes (2019) . Live action film: City Hunter (2024) by Shiti Hanta with Ryohei Suzuki as Ryo Saeba and Misato Morita as Kaori Makimura. City Hunter (2018) by Philippe Lacheau with Élodie Fontan , Tarek Boudali, Didier Bourdon, Pamela Anderson .
An amusing film with noisy action, tongue-in-cheek, impressive fights, shootouts and full of absurd humour. This film is a live-action version of a popular Japanese comic and animated television series, here transformed into a vehicle for the international action movie hero Jackie Chan. But beyond the average script, there are many likeable elements and a decent execution. With a good cast that delivers charming performances and keeps a suitable tone throughout. There's a lot of silliness and over the top situations, but it knows how to behave itself. The main characters Saeba Ryo and Makimura Kaori have not changed, their antics and relationship remain the same. While that is in a way good, this time it feels more like a lost opportunity. Worthy of note are the well-executed and humorous action scenes, especially the one in which Jackie Chan and his opponents in the foreground imitate a fight that takes place between Bruce Lee and Kareem Abdul-Jabar from Lee's unfinished film: Game of Death, which is shown on a cinema screen. And adding Kaori Makimura, assistant to Ryo Saeba (aka City Hunter), acts out her jealousy by producing 100 tonne hammers out of thin air, and using them on Ryo when his libido gets out of control.
Jackie Chan is very likable as the private eye who reluctantly forms an alliance with his late partner's sister to investigate a kidnap on a cruise ship. The film had little success in the United States and Europe, but not in Hong Kong, China and other Asian countries where it did well at the box office. However , Jackie Chan's failed at Box-office in his American debut ,¨Battle creel brawl¨ . Chan is a hard-working actor and director throughout his long and varied career .He went on playing ¨Cannoball¨ , ¨The protector¨ and "Rumble in the Bronx", until getting all American success with ¨Shangai Knights¨ , ¨The tuxedo¨ , ¨Around the world in 8days¨ and ¨Rush hour¨ trilogy , and of the course the recent ¨Karate kid¨. Of course , his big hits were ¨The Police story¨ series that won the Golden Horse Award, a Chinese version of the Oscar , the first was titled ¨Police story(1985)¨ directed by the same Chan , it was a perfect action film for enthusiastic of the genre ; the following was ¨Police story 2(1988)¨also pretty violent and with abundant humor touches. It's followed by this ¨Supercop¨ or ¨Police story 3¨ and finally, ¨Police story IV : Crime story.
¨City Hunter¨ or ¨Sing si lip yan¨(1993) is an attempt to modernize 'City Hunter' series without actually changing its stagnant formula. Fans have seen it all before, and there's nothing here for the modern anime fan to latch onto. City Hunter is one of the few films that can be enjoyed equally by male and female viewers. Although it has its weak moments but when it's good, there's nothing better. Rating: 5.5/10. The film will appeal to Jackie Chan fans.
City Hunter renditions are the following: TV cartoon (1987-1991) (140 episodes) produced by Sunrise. City Hunter: Shinjuku Private Eyes (2019) . Live action film: City Hunter (2024) by Shiti Hanta with Ryohei Suzuki as Ryo Saeba and Misato Morita as Kaori Makimura. City Hunter (2018) by Philippe Lacheau with Élodie Fontan , Tarek Boudali, Didier Bourdon, Pamela Anderson .
Has to be one of Jackie Chan's worst movies. Intended as a campy satire-- the only time I laughed during the whole movie was during the blooper scenes at the end.
Honestly, Chan has made some funny films and we've enjoyed some amazing acrobatics, but the choreography in this was horrible, the schtick not funny. This had all the feeling of martial arts by Jerry Lewis.
I figure there will be a wide range of mixed reviews on this. But halfway through I seriously considered hitting the off switch; the only reason I kept watching was because it was Jackie Chan. But even he couldn't save this unfunny schlock. Some people might find this hilarious. I found it to be bad directing, horrible English voice-overs (the actor they chose to play Chan could not have been a worse voice decision), and the choreography some of the worst I've seen in any martial arts film, schlock or not.
Only positive thing I can say for it is that they had many lovely actresses playing various parts. Beyond that, wow, what a stinker.
Honestly, Chan has made some funny films and we've enjoyed some amazing acrobatics, but the choreography in this was horrible, the schtick not funny. This had all the feeling of martial arts by Jerry Lewis.
I figure there will be a wide range of mixed reviews on this. But halfway through I seriously considered hitting the off switch; the only reason I kept watching was because it was Jackie Chan. But even he couldn't save this unfunny schlock. Some people might find this hilarious. I found it to be bad directing, horrible English voice-overs (the actor they chose to play Chan could not have been a worse voice decision), and the choreography some of the worst I've seen in any martial arts film, schlock or not.
Only positive thing I can say for it is that they had many lovely actresses playing various parts. Beyond that, wow, what a stinker.
I think this was the first "true" Jackie Chan movie I've seen...I was blown away by the stunts and fighting, but wow, this is ridiculous! I love it!!!! It's very bizarre, and really colorful. More or less, it's "Under Siege," but with Wong Jing's typical "anything goes" goofiness! A lot of people I know hate this, but I absolute adore this live-action cartoon...I guess you just have to be of a certain type to enjoy it...and oh yeh, it has the finest selection of great-looking women I've ever seen in one film!
Wow... just wow. This movie had so much ridiculous comedy and action and managed to avoid being cheesy at all! First off...the main character was so awesome and so perfect for jackie that his character alone makes the movie great. This movie was so overwhelmingly hip and easy to get yourself into, that halfway through the movie i turned to my cat and yelled "KITTY HUNTER"! and scared the crap out of her.
The characters were also all really cool and you couldn't help but like them. At first i thought the card throwing dude was cheesy, but soon after i realized how impressively slick and suave he was. The two female agents were both very attractive and very different. Despite few speaking parts their characters were well developed by their actions. The bad guy who worked out in a thong, fought like ken from street fighter, and looked like shawn michaels was really cool and i was disappointed that he didn't get more screen time then he did. The dude that was hitting on jackie's assistant was hilarious. Jackies assistant reminded me too much of his girlfriend from the police story series though, and the rich man's daughter didn't really get too developed or do too much.
The action was excellent and the humor was laugh out-loud funny. I have to highly recommend this film for fans of jackie, action, comedy, and hot Asian chicks.
The characters were also all really cool and you couldn't help but like them. At first i thought the card throwing dude was cheesy, but soon after i realized how impressively slick and suave he was. The two female agents were both very attractive and very different. Despite few speaking parts their characters were well developed by their actions. The bad guy who worked out in a thong, fought like ken from street fighter, and looked like shawn michaels was really cool and i was disappointed that he didn't get more screen time then he did. The dude that was hitting on jackie's assistant was hilarious. Jackies assistant reminded me too much of his girlfriend from the police story series though, and the rich man's daughter didn't really get too developed or do too much.
The action was excellent and the humor was laugh out-loud funny. I have to highly recommend this film for fans of jackie, action, comedy, and hot Asian chicks.
- Macduff316
- May 26, 2006
- Permalink
It's no surprise to me that this is one of Jackie Chan's least favorite films of his own ones. The film is all over the place, slapstick comedy mixed with the typical martial art acts we're used from Jackie's films, but then even that's ruined by cartoon sound effects as well as wonky music that's more fitting to a straight up comedy/parody film. From the information I gathered about this film, it seems like the director/writer Jing Wong wrote the dialogue day by day and let Jackie direct the action sequences while he stood for the parts in between, and it's very noticeable that this is two different films clashing.
I'm not sure with others, but I found the beating of women, the homosexual villain as well as the attempted rape scenes very distasteful, especially since they were played off as jokes. Some might say it's part of the time it was made, but I haven't seen any other Jackie Chan films doing bad jokes like these. And all the killing of characters didn't fit with this film either, a mix of comedy and thriller that only made the film more confusing, since a girl beaten in the stomach or head played off as a joke while hostages being shot at would result in death, I couldn't be sure when to laugh and when to take the film serious.
But I can't give this film bottom score, because the fight scenes were still well choreographed, most of the female co-stars were fun to cheer for and they weren't all damsels in need for Jackie's help. I would much rather see a film with those 4 ladies than what we got now. And the kicking of a card actually made me laugh, so I'll give the film that.
So, to conclude this review - Jing is probably better suited for full on comedies like the ones he have done with Stephen Chow, while Jackie deserves a director that knows how to do action or just have Jackie direct the whole film himself.
If you want to watch a live-action film with cartoon elements, watch Stephen Chow films instead, or why not The Villain (1979) with Kirk Douglas and Arnold Schwarzenegger, it's bad fun, but it knows what it is, something this film doesn't seem to know.
I'm not sure with others, but I found the beating of women, the homosexual villain as well as the attempted rape scenes very distasteful, especially since they were played off as jokes. Some might say it's part of the time it was made, but I haven't seen any other Jackie Chan films doing bad jokes like these. And all the killing of characters didn't fit with this film either, a mix of comedy and thriller that only made the film more confusing, since a girl beaten in the stomach or head played off as a joke while hostages being shot at would result in death, I couldn't be sure when to laugh and when to take the film serious.
But I can't give this film bottom score, because the fight scenes were still well choreographed, most of the female co-stars were fun to cheer for and they weren't all damsels in need for Jackie's help. I would much rather see a film with those 4 ladies than what we got now. And the kicking of a card actually made me laugh, so I'll give the film that.
So, to conclude this review - Jing is probably better suited for full on comedies like the ones he have done with Stephen Chow, while Jackie deserves a director that knows how to do action or just have Jackie direct the whole film himself.
If you want to watch a live-action film with cartoon elements, watch Stephen Chow films instead, or why not The Villain (1979) with Kirk Douglas and Arnold Schwarzenegger, it's bad fun, but it knows what it is, something this film doesn't seem to know.
This is silly. This is ludicrous. This is like 80's-style Troma comedy here. Very stupid, a lot of juvenile sex jokes and oggling at breasts (which, at one point, turn into hamburgers for the starving Jackie Chan character, Ryu Saeba, the 'City Hunter'), and it finally reveals its plot about or more than halfway into the movie as a (intentionally?) lame die-hard ripoff only this time on a cruise ship and a casino where wacky musical numbers and James Bond-esque card games ensue.
Yes, it's all of these things. Plus it's a Jackie Chan movie, a classic- style Chan flick. Which means all put together, it's a tall glass of guilty pleasure shake with a side of HOLY CRAP JACKIE CHAN CAN DO THAT?!
The movie knows exactly what it is from the start as Ryo explains how he is taking care of a little girl that was left to him by a dying friend (already its silly as the dying man speaks normal one second, dying next), and then the girl grows up. Yeah, she's a character, but that's not the sorta story here. Loose as possible, and a lot of twists happen so that it gets to that cruise ship: Ryo is hired by a guy to bring his daughter back home. She sneaks on the ship, Ryo follows, and wackiness ensues with a bunch of terrorists (many of them in red jumpsuits not unlike the Foot from Ninja Turtles), and the main bad guy is not even a take on the Die Hard villain but rather the Die Hard II villain, complete with solo work-out in a bedroom. Holy biceps and pectoral muscles Batman!
This whole thing with City Hunter, down to its name which does get a theme song and ala Black Dynamite, is a live action cartoon. But if you're in the mood for it, if you just wanna wind down with something that does not take itself seriously for a nano-second, this is where you can go. Oh, and while the Jackie Chan action isn't there completely from start to finish, when it finally gets into it in say the last twenty, twenty-five minutes, it's approximately what you'd hope for: daring, high-flying, magical really. What could this guy NOT do for his art?
Yes, it's all of these things. Plus it's a Jackie Chan movie, a classic- style Chan flick. Which means all put together, it's a tall glass of guilty pleasure shake with a side of HOLY CRAP JACKIE CHAN CAN DO THAT?!
The movie knows exactly what it is from the start as Ryo explains how he is taking care of a little girl that was left to him by a dying friend (already its silly as the dying man speaks normal one second, dying next), and then the girl grows up. Yeah, she's a character, but that's not the sorta story here. Loose as possible, and a lot of twists happen so that it gets to that cruise ship: Ryo is hired by a guy to bring his daughter back home. She sneaks on the ship, Ryo follows, and wackiness ensues with a bunch of terrorists (many of them in red jumpsuits not unlike the Foot from Ninja Turtles), and the main bad guy is not even a take on the Die Hard villain but rather the Die Hard II villain, complete with solo work-out in a bedroom. Holy biceps and pectoral muscles Batman!
This whole thing with City Hunter, down to its name which does get a theme song and ala Black Dynamite, is a live action cartoon. But if you're in the mood for it, if you just wanna wind down with something that does not take itself seriously for a nano-second, this is where you can go. Oh, and while the Jackie Chan action isn't there completely from start to finish, when it finally gets into it in say the last twenty, twenty-five minutes, it's approximately what you'd hope for: daring, high-flying, magical really. What could this guy NOT do for his art?
- Quinoa1984
- Jun 25, 2013
- Permalink
Before I start I have to say that I'm not familiar with the popular 'City
Hunter' manga series, so I can't say how true to them this film is. It
may well be, but this film is sadly disappointing for many reasons.
The film takes Jackie's slapstick comedy to an extreme, and whilst
there are some very nice scenes, such as the parody of a fight
from a popular video game, and the helping hand from a certain
Bruce Lee, most of it was just too clumsy and silly!
In the end the flow of the film wasn't there and there were too many
characters popping in and out of the plot. There are some
extravagant action scenes, but it really didn't make up for a lacking
storyline.
For DVD viewers, I have a word of warning. The UK DVD version of
the film has been released by Hong Kong Legends, and claims
that the movie has been digitally remastered. However, the film
contains some scenes (about four or five of them lasting a few
seconds), that for some reason, cannot be remastered, I guess
possibly because the image quality of the original was not good
enough and would have produced a worse picture. Anyway, this is
clearly visible during the movie, but in the end, I guess you won't
find a version with a better image quality elsewhere.
Hunter' manga series, so I can't say how true to them this film is. It
may well be, but this film is sadly disappointing for many reasons.
The film takes Jackie's slapstick comedy to an extreme, and whilst
there are some very nice scenes, such as the parody of a fight
from a popular video game, and the helping hand from a certain
Bruce Lee, most of it was just too clumsy and silly!
In the end the flow of the film wasn't there and there were too many
characters popping in and out of the plot. There are some
extravagant action scenes, but it really didn't make up for a lacking
storyline.
For DVD viewers, I have a word of warning. The UK DVD version of
the film has been released by Hong Kong Legends, and claims
that the movie has been digitally remastered. However, the film
contains some scenes (about four or five of them lasting a few
seconds), that for some reason, cannot be remastered, I guess
possibly because the image quality of the original was not good
enough and would have produced a worse picture. Anyway, this is
clearly visible during the movie, but in the end, I guess you won't
find a version with a better image quality elsewhere.
- leekandham
- Mar 26, 2002
- Permalink
I love almost anything that comes out of HK, but even I have my limits. If Troma ever made a cheapo Saturday morning TV series for children, this would be it. You know you're in trouble when you're watching a Jackie Chan movie & 20 minutes in there still isn't a fight. This ultra lame attempt to bring a manga to the screen fails in almost every respect & the only fun to be had with it is if you get the newly released US version & watch it with the horribly dubbed English soundtrack, where no attempt whatsoever was made to sync up the hilariously dopey English voices with the mouths of the Chinese actors. Back in the late 1970s/early 1980s the martial arts genre nearly died due to a glut of cheap & substandard films. I'm afraid of more cheap & awful substandard dreck like CITY HUNTER flooding the market & making it impossible for good HK cinema to get released here. With great martial arts/HK flicks like HERO & KUNG FU MASTER (the epic starring Donnie Yen) still without wide US distribution I am afraid this may already be happening. I know if a piece of sh*t like CITY HUNTER was the first HK flick I ever saw I would never bother to see another one.
Loosely based on a Manga,City Hunter is by no means Jackie's best on an artistic level. However,it might very well be his most sheerly entertaining.
Although the plot is similar to Under Siege,the similarities end there. City Hunter is played almost entirely for laughs and manages to be consistently funny throughout while having more inventive ideas in 20 minutes than all three Austin Powers movies put together. Director Wong Jing {the same Wong Jing who made Naked Killer and God Of Gamblers!}absolutely crams the film with sight gags and slapstick,all filmed in a bright cartoon-like manner. One sequence involving Jackie being chased around a ship while hunting for food is an absolute masterpiece of silent-movie style comedy. Many of the best gags are very quick,such as Jackie crawling out of a bag hardly bigger than his head. Some are extremely sexist though,such as the woman holding a gun and falling forward because of the combined weight of the gun and her large breasts {this happens more than once}.
Despite all this City Hunter still manages to be crammed with action scenes,except of course in this film rather than simply staging a fight in a cinema we have Jackie taking guidance from an on-screen Bruce Lee! A Streetfighter sequence where the characters morph in to various game combatants has to be seen to be believed and the end showdown between Jackie and Richard Norton,although not one of his best in terms of martial arts technique,is easily his funniest.
Add some great characters,a terrific score,and for the male viewers,some gorgeous Hong Kong 'babes',and you have 90 minutes of sheer,non-stop FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!
Although the plot is similar to Under Siege,the similarities end there. City Hunter is played almost entirely for laughs and manages to be consistently funny throughout while having more inventive ideas in 20 minutes than all three Austin Powers movies put together. Director Wong Jing {the same Wong Jing who made Naked Killer and God Of Gamblers!}absolutely crams the film with sight gags and slapstick,all filmed in a bright cartoon-like manner. One sequence involving Jackie being chased around a ship while hunting for food is an absolute masterpiece of silent-movie style comedy. Many of the best gags are very quick,such as Jackie crawling out of a bag hardly bigger than his head. Some are extremely sexist though,such as the woman holding a gun and falling forward because of the combined weight of the gun and her large breasts {this happens more than once}.
Despite all this City Hunter still manages to be crammed with action scenes,except of course in this film rather than simply staging a fight in a cinema we have Jackie taking guidance from an on-screen Bruce Lee! A Streetfighter sequence where the characters morph in to various game combatants has to be seen to be believed and the end showdown between Jackie and Richard Norton,although not one of his best in terms of martial arts technique,is easily his funniest.
Add some great characters,a terrific score,and for the male viewers,some gorgeous Hong Kong 'babes',and you have 90 minutes of sheer,non-stop FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!
It 's full of funnyness, and from time to time there are a few unreasonable lines, which enriches and originalizes the original funny style. The whole movie is full of unreasonable funny elements, and exaggerated performance actions, shooting skills in place, very The background music suitable for the scene has dedicated countless classic bridges and scenes to the fans.
This movie is very silly than again it is a Wong Jing film a man who has made a living out of plunging new depths silliness. Jackie Chan Made this film back to back with Chi Kirk Wongs "Crime Story" the polar opposite of the slapstick fare of City Hunter.
City Hunter is much more a Wong Jing film than a Jackie Chan film which has both it's good and bad points. Wong Jing set design and color combinations deserving high praise also his use of humor complements Jackie Chan's style very well. The inventiveness of Wong Jing makes your head spin sometimes but there are some true gems the Bruce lee inspired fight is an excellent way to again bring these two legends together.
Fans of Jackie Chan will be surprised by some of the casual gun play and sexual innuendo which are usually big no-no's in Chan but common in Wong Jing films. Wong Jing's Slapsick humor carries the film but bring's down Chan's usual stunt's and brilliant fight choreography which is the biggest disappointment of the film. Richard Norton is brilliant as Don Mac and Garry Daniels and this is main problem Chan is teamed with two brilliant martial art fighters and most fights fall flat although the final battle is worth the wait.
Special mention must be made of the audio commentary on the HKL DVD by expert Bey Logan adds a new layer to the film the man sure does know his stuff. City Hunter is definitely a odd film in the Chan catalog but is still highly enjoyable slapstick fun
City Hunter is much more a Wong Jing film than a Jackie Chan film which has both it's good and bad points. Wong Jing set design and color combinations deserving high praise also his use of humor complements Jackie Chan's style very well. The inventiveness of Wong Jing makes your head spin sometimes but there are some true gems the Bruce lee inspired fight is an excellent way to again bring these two legends together.
Fans of Jackie Chan will be surprised by some of the casual gun play and sexual innuendo which are usually big no-no's in Chan but common in Wong Jing films. Wong Jing's Slapsick humor carries the film but bring's down Chan's usual stunt's and brilliant fight choreography which is the biggest disappointment of the film. Richard Norton is brilliant as Don Mac and Garry Daniels and this is main problem Chan is teamed with two brilliant martial art fighters and most fights fall flat although the final battle is worth the wait.
Special mention must be made of the audio commentary on the HKL DVD by expert Bey Logan adds a new layer to the film the man sure does know his stuff. City Hunter is definitely a odd film in the Chan catalog but is still highly enjoyable slapstick fun
- william81-1
- Jan 11, 2006
- Permalink
On a Friday night in June 1995 I suddenly found myself without adult supervision and it suddenly became "movie night", which was more of a thing when I was a kid. I went to the video store with a friend and settled on City Hunter as I had recently discovered Jackie Chan and I was a huge fan of Operation Condor. This movie is way more off-the-wall and eccentric, and is geared a little more towards younger kids, being based off a popular Japanese Manga and anime series.
Jackie plays Ryu Saeba a womanizing private eye raising the beautiful Kaori, his late partner's sister under the promise of never seducing her once she grows up. Tired of not getting the attention she wants, Kaori runs away and boards a cruise ship, where Ryu has stowed away in pursuit, and just so happens to find Shizuko (the unbelievably cute Kumiko Goto) the runaway daughter of the millionaire he's been hired to find in the process. So far, so convoluted.
While running around the ship, evading the crew, and becoming increasingly hungry, Ryo is absent when a group of terrorists led by Donald MacDonald (prolific stuntman Richard Norton) and his right-hand man Kim (Gary Daniels) take over and strip the passengers of their wealth while playing deadly card games in the casino. Ryo rounds up a disparate gang of misfits and leads the fight back, leading to many humorous fight scenes and creative choreography, including a bizarre fight in an arcade where Jackie and Gary Daniels become characters from Street Fighter 2.
The humor is often quite surreal, and if you can't get into the right frame of mind you likely will not enjoy it much. I recommend watching it subtitled in original Cantonese as much of the nuances and finer details are lost in the original home video English dub (I watched it twice in one night in both dubs). However, there are some jokes here that ABSOLUTELY. WOULD. NOT. BE. ALLOWED. in current year. I'm amazed they even got away with it in 1992, and in a kid's film. How times have changed.
The exteriors of the cruise ship were all shot on a cruise liner parked outside of Tokyo but the interiors were shot on a soundstage instead of the real thing and I have to admit the bland production design and early 90s aesthetic do not compliment each other. Fans of Rush Hour and Jackie's more family orientated movies will still have a bit of a tough time warming to City Hunter, the slapstick absurdity just isn't for everyone, but if you can see past all that it's still a fun, un-PC, live action cartoon. Like Hudson Hawk, you either go along with it, or you just won't understand it at all.
Jackie plays Ryu Saeba a womanizing private eye raising the beautiful Kaori, his late partner's sister under the promise of never seducing her once she grows up. Tired of not getting the attention she wants, Kaori runs away and boards a cruise ship, where Ryu has stowed away in pursuit, and just so happens to find Shizuko (the unbelievably cute Kumiko Goto) the runaway daughter of the millionaire he's been hired to find in the process. So far, so convoluted.
While running around the ship, evading the crew, and becoming increasingly hungry, Ryo is absent when a group of terrorists led by Donald MacDonald (prolific stuntman Richard Norton) and his right-hand man Kim (Gary Daniels) take over and strip the passengers of their wealth while playing deadly card games in the casino. Ryo rounds up a disparate gang of misfits and leads the fight back, leading to many humorous fight scenes and creative choreography, including a bizarre fight in an arcade where Jackie and Gary Daniels become characters from Street Fighter 2.
The humor is often quite surreal, and if you can't get into the right frame of mind you likely will not enjoy it much. I recommend watching it subtitled in original Cantonese as much of the nuances and finer details are lost in the original home video English dub (I watched it twice in one night in both dubs). However, there are some jokes here that ABSOLUTELY. WOULD. NOT. BE. ALLOWED. in current year. I'm amazed they even got away with it in 1992, and in a kid's film. How times have changed.
The exteriors of the cruise ship were all shot on a cruise liner parked outside of Tokyo but the interiors were shot on a soundstage instead of the real thing and I have to admit the bland production design and early 90s aesthetic do not compliment each other. Fans of Rush Hour and Jackie's more family orientated movies will still have a bit of a tough time warming to City Hunter, the slapstick absurdity just isn't for everyone, but if you can see past all that it's still a fun, un-PC, live action cartoon. Like Hudson Hawk, you either go along with it, or you just won't understand it at all.
- CuriosityKilledShawn
- Apr 18, 2020
- Permalink
I really hate this movie but I like Jackie Chan movies in general, so what can I say? It tries to be some funny silly comedy but I didn't laugh one time, the jokes are so dumb, maybe if you are like 5 years and under you will find it funny, anyway I didn't watch the whole thing, after about 20 minutes I wanted to rip my head off it so terrible...YUCK...
1/10
1/10
This movie is, so far, not available in the U.S., except on imported laserdisc (which isn't subtitled, unfortunately). A few years ago I had the great pleasure to see, as part of a week-long run of Jackie's films at a local revival house, a subtitled print.
Some movies feel like they're funneled straight into your bloodstream, and this was one of them- everything about it was/is electric. Not your typical Jackie; there are some great stunts and, of course, some terrific fighting, but the movie is distinguished by a formidable cast and outrageous gimmickry.
(A year later I rented the laserdisc, watched it sans dialogue- still quite enjoyable.)
Of note: a fight on the cruise-ship theatre, one which mimics the Lee/Kareem scene in "Game of Death" that's playing on the theatre's screen... Jackie becoming the 'Street Fighter' characters in rapid succession (don't ask, it must be seen to be believed)... the Gambit-like card dealer... a couple of twins who could best be described as the Asian answer to Kid N'Play.
Refreshing also are the villains, stereotypically white one-and- all. Nice change of pace after so many movies with Asian baddies.
Some movies feel like they're funneled straight into your bloodstream, and this was one of them- everything about it was/is electric. Not your typical Jackie; there are some great stunts and, of course, some terrific fighting, but the movie is distinguished by a formidable cast and outrageous gimmickry.
(A year later I rented the laserdisc, watched it sans dialogue- still quite enjoyable.)
Of note: a fight on the cruise-ship theatre, one which mimics the Lee/Kareem scene in "Game of Death" that's playing on the theatre's screen... Jackie becoming the 'Street Fighter' characters in rapid succession (don't ask, it must be seen to be believed)... the Gambit-like card dealer... a couple of twins who could best be described as the Asian answer to Kid N'Play.
Refreshing also are the villains, stereotypically white one-and- all. Nice change of pace after so many movies with Asian baddies.
This movie is swinging for the fences when it hits it really hits, but when it misses, boy it can get truly cringeworthy. And think twice before watching this with your girl. This movie can get rough with the dated sexist jokes which is primarly owed to the manga it's based off.
The wacky japanese tone of humor doesn't quite fit Jackie Chan, the first twenty minutes are kinda tedious since it only relies on sub-par comedy and a mildly entertaining skateboard sequence. But over time the movie slowly turns into a Jackie Chan movie. It gets into gear once we get to the ship. Maybe it was unintentional but fact is Jacke works best when he's charming. Once the Die-Hard plot gets going the wacky hi-jinks slows down at least a little bit. There are many characters here in the mix, the most annyoing being a pair of DJ's who even sneaked a terrible music video into this. Thankfully their screentime is a bare minimum.
The villains have the worst lines ("We just wanna get rich") but they are the best part in this. And more often their non-sensical dialogue are what makes this fun. Like when they are about to hijack the whole ship and in the elevator the main villain asks how his bowtie looks and another henchman replies with a simple "nice". And yes it's that movie with the Street FIghter action sequence that most people know from memes nowadays.
Why I take one star off is that surprisingly some of the action scenes are pretty mediocre for a Jackie Chan film. The skateboard sequence in the beginning lacks a climax. The fight scene in the cinema is waaay too long with too much dead air for silly jokes. The editing is also not very tight on this sequence, it lacks energy which is usually the strongpoint of HK productions. The last fight scene makes it up though. It's real good choreography that you expect from a Jackie Chan movie, with lots of creativity, comedy and pain.
This is a very unusual entry in Jackie Chan's filmography and is enjoyable to Jackie fans, I would never recommend this one to people who are unfamiliar of Jackie Chan (yes, they sadly exist).
The wacky japanese tone of humor doesn't quite fit Jackie Chan, the first twenty minutes are kinda tedious since it only relies on sub-par comedy and a mildly entertaining skateboard sequence. But over time the movie slowly turns into a Jackie Chan movie. It gets into gear once we get to the ship. Maybe it was unintentional but fact is Jacke works best when he's charming. Once the Die-Hard plot gets going the wacky hi-jinks slows down at least a little bit. There are many characters here in the mix, the most annyoing being a pair of DJ's who even sneaked a terrible music video into this. Thankfully their screentime is a bare minimum.
The villains have the worst lines ("We just wanna get rich") but they are the best part in this. And more often their non-sensical dialogue are what makes this fun. Like when they are about to hijack the whole ship and in the elevator the main villain asks how his bowtie looks and another henchman replies with a simple "nice". And yes it's that movie with the Street FIghter action sequence that most people know from memes nowadays.
Why I take one star off is that surprisingly some of the action scenes are pretty mediocre for a Jackie Chan film. The skateboard sequence in the beginning lacks a climax. The fight scene in the cinema is waaay too long with too much dead air for silly jokes. The editing is also not very tight on this sequence, it lacks energy which is usually the strongpoint of HK productions. The last fight scene makes it up though. It's real good choreography that you expect from a Jackie Chan movie, with lots of creativity, comedy and pain.
This is a very unusual entry in Jackie Chan's filmography and is enjoyable to Jackie fans, I would never recommend this one to people who are unfamiliar of Jackie Chan (yes, they sadly exist).
- alex_with_a_P
- Jan 20, 2022
- Permalink
Boy, I never knew how bad a movie can be, but after watching about 20 minutes of this piece of s&%#t I do. To me there is nothing funny about this movie, even if I try to give my brains a so-called day of. It is not that I am interested in more pretentious movies. I mean, I do like "Under siege", "Die hard" and also some of Jacky Chan's works, but these flicks at least do have descent settings and some funny dialogue.
City hunter will entertain let's say 3 to 8 year olds who are not so bright and it makes one wonder how this scrap made it on DVD while a genuine masterpiece like "The fearless vampire killers" is still waiting for a DVD release.
City hunter will entertain let's say 3 to 8 year olds who are not so bright and it makes one wonder how this scrap made it on DVD while a genuine masterpiece like "The fearless vampire killers" is still waiting for a DVD release.
This movie was great. I ordered this movie and wasn't sure if I was going to like it, but I did. I also thought there wasn't going to be enough martial arts scenes, but I was wrong. There is lots! Even the humor made me laugh, and Hong Kong movies don't usually make me laugh. The fight scene between Gary Daniels and Jackie Chan is incredibly funny. They transform into characters from Street Fighter 2! I was also very impressed with the ending fight between Jackie Chan and Richard Norton. It is a good length, and well choreographed. I also liked this movie because it had all sorts of types of action: Explosions, fights, good gun play, etc. I have scene over 30 Jackie Chan movies, and this is probably my favorite. I suggest you buy City Hunter!
- Martialartsfanatic
- Apr 19, 2001
- Permalink
Camp, cartoonish, plenty of slapstick, often nonsense and dark humored, this fim never takes itself seriouly. Sometimes it works and is hilarious, but most of the time it does not and is embarassing. Acting is a disaster, action has ups and downs (often downs when Jackie Chan is not on screen), the script is a mess, there is one hateful and completely unnecessary musical scene, there is a lot of sexism, and silliness is just excessive. I looked for this movie after watching elsewhere just the parody scene of Street Fighter (which actually lasts only three minutes, between 1h15min31 and 1h18min36). That very scene is indeed unfergettable and would reach a high rating here if it were a short film. As a matter of fact, it was decisive for me to rate it as three stars instead of two and a half.
The private investigator City Hunter (Jackie Chan), who can not resist to the charm of beautiful women, is hired to find Shizuko, the runaway daughter of a powerful owner of a newspaper. His gorgeous and jealous assistant Kaori decides to leave City Hunter and travel in a cruise, coincidently in the same passenger vessel as Shizuko has embarked with City Hunter on her tail. The vessel is attacked by terrorists, and City Hunter protects Shizuko and Kaori.
"City Hunter" is one of the silliest and dullest movies I have ever seen. I do not know the target public of this cheesy production, since it seems to be too much violent for children, and too much stupid for grown-ups, but it is amazing the number of favorable reviews and the User Rating in IMDb. The comedy is not funny, and the imbecile action scenes are very boring and uninteresting. I like Jackie Chan, but I was completely disappointed with this crap. Further, I saw a VHS horribly dubbed in English with subtitles in Portuguese released by the Brazilian distributor "Abril Vídeo", and I noted that the name of the characters are completely different from those indicated in IMDb. My vote is three.
Title (Brazil): "City Hunter O Caçador de Encrencas" ("City Hunter The Trouble Hunter")
"City Hunter" is one of the silliest and dullest movies I have ever seen. I do not know the target public of this cheesy production, since it seems to be too much violent for children, and too much stupid for grown-ups, but it is amazing the number of favorable reviews and the User Rating in IMDb. The comedy is not funny, and the imbecile action scenes are very boring and uninteresting. I like Jackie Chan, but I was completely disappointed with this crap. Further, I saw a VHS horribly dubbed in English with subtitles in Portuguese released by the Brazilian distributor "Abril Vídeo", and I noted that the name of the characters are completely different from those indicated in IMDb. My vote is three.
Title (Brazil): "City Hunter O Caçador de Encrencas" ("City Hunter The Trouble Hunter")
- claudio_carvalho
- Aug 19, 2005
- Permalink