As an avid Jackie Chan fan who had yet to see BATTLE CREEK BRAWL, it came as a pleasant surprise to see that his first Hollywood crossover, which had been a box office failure was filled with Jackie’s distinctive physical humor, great fights (considering who his opponents were) and an easily digestible story.
Not so convincingly set in the 1920s, the film begins with a vicious prize fight that a hulking leftover from the early 80s professional wrestling circuit wins. Kiss, named for kissing his victims after beating the life out of them is being groomed for the Battle Creek Brawl, a no-holds barred slugfest held in Texas.
We’re then introduced to Jerry Kwan (Jackie Chan), a free-spirited young bruiser in Chicago who successfully fends off mobsters attempting to extort money from his father, a restaurant owner. He’s noticed by the mob boss who decides to use Jerry as his fighter for the Brawl. Jerry’s reluctance to sign up is quelled when his brother’s girlfriend, fresh off the boat from China is kidnapped by the gangsters. To get her back, he has to win the competition, so he enlists the aid of his wily master, played with flair by the delightful Mako. Jerry is a sure winner as the Brawl begins until a minor plot by a rival mobster threatens to turn Jerry into cutlets. Of course, Jerry ends up on top and finishes off Kiss, appropriately with a kiss.
This was Chan’s first film produced in the United States in cooperation with Raymond Chow of Golden Harvest. It was a rough time for Jackie who was not adjusting to Hollywood filmmaking while Robert Clouse and his “slow” moving stunt team were not providing the best venue for Jackie’s unique skills. In addition, Chan was waiting for trouble with director Lo Wei and the triads to blow over back in Hong Kong. Actor Jimmy Wang Yu would come to his aid.
In the meantime, Chan was working on his English and trying his best to create a Hollywood breakthrough. BTATTLE CREEK BRAWL did not provide this opportunity, but it can’t all be blamed on Chan. The only thing that makes it work is his bubbling charm and potent skills that shine through the improbable circumstances found within the film.
Robert Clouse (ENTER THE DRAGON) makes a mockery of the period setting by paying very little attention to costumes and props. You’ll have no problem spotting bellbottom jeans or modern roller skating gear. The plot is thinner than most Taiwanese kung fu pics and most noticeably glosses over the kidnapping of the Chinese girl. This is the whole reason Chan goes to fight and he ends up giving the mobster responsible a thumbs up at the end, before he’s even set her free! At least Lalo Schifrin’s Ennio Morricone-inspired score both compliments the intended era and adds an appropriate tone to Jackie’s high jinx.
Although Chan has given the impression over the years that he had little control over this film, his signature is all over it. There’s a lot of great humor and his relationship with Mako, one of my favorite Asian-American actors is terrific. You may have heard Mako as the voice of Aku on the hit Cartoon Network series, SAMURAI JACK. In this film, Mako plays Chan’s martial arts teacher who uses a cane as his weapon and scolds him about the evils of women right before sneaking away to hop into bed with a rather large female. This Japanese-born actor has been featured in numerous American martial arts films, including BULLETPROOF with Chow Yun-fat.
There haven’t been very many Hong Kong-Hollywood crossovers and for the time, this film does about as well as could be expected on a limited budget. Despite his slow-moving and immensely large opponents, Chan cuts in and out with flips, kicks and his rapid punches. This is certainly not a showcase film for Chan. THE YOUNG MASTER, which came out the same year was light years ahead in terms of fight choreography. But, for Jackie Chan fans, BATTLE CREEK BRAWL deserves to be seen, if only to see how he humorously fights a bunch of muscle-bound gweilos. It’s certainly one of his most unique screen efforts and had it been more successful, Chan might have forged a career in Hollywood long before RUSH HOUR came along.
by Mark PollardRelated Topics:
Battle Creek Brawl (1980)
