You know what to expect when you buy an 80s HK movie. Exaggerated action scenes and sometimes stories don't really make sense or simply stop making sense at some point. This movie was different--well, last 10 minutes excluded maybe. The setting in the US was interesting although I prefer good old Hong Kong. Jet Li was cool in a pre-star role and Stephen Chow even better in a dramatic role that still managed to show some of his comic talent that he would excel in at a later time. The ending--well, I won't say too much about that one; but to me this one seemed typically HK-ish, bloody and kind of abrupt. But still this is one enjoyable movie and worth seeing for Jet Li/Stephen Chow fans.

Far from being a star vehicle when it came out, this movie and its cast seems intriguing at first sight since it lists Stephen Chow and Jet Li in this late eighties action flick before both of them went big time.

The movie itself doesn't really deserve that much credits as it turns out. Jet Li plays Jimmy, a member of a mainland chinese martial arts team touring the US. One of the members of the crew though , Tiger, has plans for himself, and those don't include returning home to China. At the airport, shortly before taking the plane, Tiger kills a policeman and dissappears. Jimmy, whose wallet is found at the crime scene, is taken to be the killer, misses his plane home while fleeing from the cops and at the end of the day finds himself a wanted criminal lost in L.A., more than far away from home. Now that's what I call bad luck.

Thankfully he runs into Andy (Stephen Chow) who invites him to his place and even helps him to a job. Both become good friends but things are far from being easy now, since Jimmy is still on the run and unable to return home, so a solution has to be found. Events take a turn when Jimmy meets Tiger again, who in the meantime has become the local triad it-guy it seems. Amidst the confusion of both old friends clashing, Andy gets hold of a bag of drugs and sees his chance to return to HK as a rich man, which leads him to hide his finding from Jimmy. A decision which proves to be more than wrong when events further unfold.

Well, the storyline sounds more interesting than the movie turns out to be. The impression is that events are just following other events, dramatic scenes alternate with lighter scenes but never does the movie really grip you emotionally due to the more uninspiring directing. All that's missing in the first hour of the movie sort of hits you over the head in the last twenty minutes in an over the top and rather abrupt ending finale which may overwhelm through sheer brutality but certainly doesn't satisfy.

One plus of the movie are certainly Jet Li and Stephen Chow . While Jet Li isn't the greatest actor, he's convincing and likeable here and his martial arts ability stands every doubt. While the fight scenes don't really manage to win you over for the movie, at least they're kind of appealing to watch. Stephen Chow again proves that he's not only good in comedy (which he would excel in later), but can in fact act when given the opportunity and his contribution as supporting lead if you will does in fact make the difference for this movie as not only an early, but in that sense negligible Jet Li flick, but something worth watching, if not overly compelling.

Well worth picking up for any action fan, but especially for Jet Li enthusiasts. The climax features some brutal moves that obviously make full contact during kicks to various stunt performers heads. Ouch!