Not quite the rollicking thrill-ride of Jackie Chan’s other 1980s adventures, this is the weakest of his self-directed pictures with continuity errors, a disjointed narrative, stretched comedy routines and, most shockingly of all, a lack of action. The fact that Jackie suffered a fractured skull after a stunt went horribly wrong early in production is clearly a contributing factor, troubling the rest of the film and giving the finished product an uneven feel. The shocking, almost fatal accident can be seen during the outtakes. Filmed mostly in Europe, Jackie is the ‘Asian Hawk’, a Chinese Indiana Jones complete with gadgets and gimmickry, capable of death-defying stunts and lethal martial arts. His ex-girlfriend is kidnapped by a strange religious sex cult demanding the coveted pieces of the Armour of God, an ancient treasure steeped in vague mystery and folklore. More could have been made of the story and the film ends without much resolution, with Jackie settling on a standard rescue premise, buddying up with Alan Tam and Lola Forner. Despite the near death of its director, the resulting finale is still memorable, with Jackie single-handedly fending off the entire sect and dealing with the Armour’s deadly protectors: a high-heeled foursome of busty black super vixens who surprise our indestructible hero with wildly acrobatic kung fu. Needless to say it was still a huge hit, yet it remains Jackie’s most troubled film.

AKA: Armor of God; Operation Condor 2: The Armor of the Gods.