Twin Dragons

Filmed in 1992--but hardly vintage Jackie Chan--this labored action comedy of twin brothers and mistaken identities was released in this country in the wake of Chan's stateside breakthrough, Rush Hour. Originally produced to raise funds for the Hong Kong Director's Guild, only aficionados of the genre will appreciate the in-joke of having such native auteurs as John Woo in supporting cameos. Jackie stars in a dual role as Boomer and John Ma, separated at birth: one, a streetwise mechanic who has run afoul of the local mob; the other, a classical musician just arrived in Hong Kong to conduct a concert. The unwittingly telepathic twins meet, causing confusion between their respective girlfriends (who have a tendency to faint at the not-so-incredible sight of the pair) as well as the mobsters (some of them faint, too), and also assume each other's identities (the passive John Ma drives a getaway car, Boomer conducts the orchestra). This being a Jackie Chan film, criticism of the ludicrous plot and inept dubbing is beside the point as long as Chan delivers the action. Here, double the Chan is not necessarily double the fun. Optional. (K. Lee Benson)[Blu-ray Review—Aug. 2, 2011—Echo Bridge, 89 min., PG-13, $19.99—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 1999's Twin Dragons boasts a fine transfer and stereo sound. The sole Blu-ray extra is an interview with star Jackie Chan (3 min.). Bottom line: a solid Blu-ray debut for a reasonably entertaining Jackie Chan flick.]