Philip Chan Movies

International action star Jackie Chan stars opposite knockabout comedy sensation Jackie Chan in this story about identical twins separated in childhood who are unexpectedly reunited years later. While on the run from a Hong Kong hospital, an escaped convict takes an infant hostage, leaving the baby's identical twin brother behind. While the criminal is soon back behind bars, the police can't find the baby, who was hidden in the woods. The child is found by a well-meaning but hard-drinking woman who raises him on her own, while his brother moves to the United States with his parents. Years later, the brother raised in America, John (Jackie Chan), is a world-renowned classical musician, while the other, Boomer (Chan again), is a rough-and-tumble auto mechanic who likes to race cars and start fights. When Boomer's best friend hatches a dubious scheme to win the freedom of a nightclub singer (Maggie Cheung) in dutch with gangsters, he finds himself involved and in danger, just in time for John to arrive in Hong Kong for a concert appearance. The two brothers soon meet by accident, and suddenly finds themselves mistaken for each other. On one hand, both are pleased with the romantic possibilities, as John takes a shine to the nightclub chanteuse and Boomer discovers John's girlfriend is turned on by his more physical personality. On the other hand, John finds people are shooting at him, while Boomer is now expected to conduct an orchestra. Two of Hong Kong's leading directors, Ringo Lam and Tsui Hark, teamed for this action comedy, which was a major hit in Hong Kong in 1992, but didn't receive a wide theatrical release in the United States until seven years later. The 1999 American release was dubbed into English (with Chan doing his own voice) and trimmed to 89 minutes from the original running time of 100 minutes. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

In this antic comedy, Michael Hui stars as the editor of a struggling Hong Kong tabloid, the "Truth Weekly." In his never-ending quest to ensure readership, he sometimes has to contrive facts to fit his stories. In this movie, he has assigned one of his reporters (Samuel Hui, Michael's brother in real life) to be the "secret boyfriend" of a popular starlet. In that role, Samuel hides out in bushes only to pop out of them long enough to be photographed with the starlet, and otherwise behaves like a consummate pest - all on the instructions of his conniving boss. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

Jean-Claude Van Damme makes his starring debut in the aptly titled Bloodsport. An American soldier at large in Hong Kong, Van Damme becomes involved in the Kumite (also spelled Kumatai), a highly illegal kickboxing competition. Whoever survives the bout will be crowned Kumite champion of the world-a title that has plenty of challengers with homicide in their hearts. The finale offers a duel to the death (or near-death) between Van Damme and reigning Kumite king Bolo Yeung. The script is based on the real-life exploits of martial arts champ Frank Dux (who serves as the film's fight coordinator). Denied such niceties as production values, Bloodsport scores big-time in the violent action department. A sequel followed in 1995, inventively titled Bloodsport 2. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this uneven mystery-thriller by Philip Chan, little Edith sees her mother stabbed to death by a "night caller" disguised in a raincoat and hat and then is so traumatized that she loses her ability to speak. Three CID inspectors take up the case: the intrepid James Wong (Melvin Wong) his partner Steven Chan (Philip Chan), and a newcomer to the police detective squad "Porky" (Pat Ha). After Detective Wong finds a tape inside the doll Edith was holding during the murder, he plays it, and the identity of the killer is revealed. Anxious to close in on the murderer, he decides to go it alone -- and ends up on the receiving end of the killer's wrath. Parents should be advised that sex, lesbianism, and torture are a part of the storyline. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

As a sequel to Pom Pom I, this attempt at slapstick comedy is glued together by a story about a detective and his bride, also a policewoman, who are trying to save their former boss in the precinct from a frame-up. Thwarting their every move is a new, antagonistic boss, some gangsters, and the couple's own tendency to screw things up. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

Kenneth Ip had been a film critic and an editor of a film magazine before trying his hand at directing Sealed with a Kiss, and his former occupations undoubtedly influenced his approach here. Instead of following the usual bullet-ridden, body-strewn plots of other commercial Hong Kong releases, he has focused on the story of a mentally handicapped young man (Albert Au) and an innocent young teenager (Chu Kit) who slowly develop a romantically-inclined relationship through a series of proper and conventional dates. While in a secluded spot (whether symbolically or not, an abandoned church), the couple kiss for the first time - and the teenager becomes overwrought, remembering an earlier time when she was raped. After repeated apologies and entreaties on the part of the disabled young man, the couple get together again and this time, while alone, their passion for each other comes to the surface. Frightened and misunderstanding the effects of kissing, they are overcome with worry that she might be pregnant. When their families are approached with a request that they be married, the subsequent refusals send them off on a desperate escape. Their relationship is then tested by a series of events that may be more than either can ultimately handle. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

Ah Wei used to be a policeman but his many battle scars and bullet wounds have demoted him to the daily grind of a sercurity guard. His existence is anything but boring, however, as this Hong Kong film like all the others, thrives on shoot-outs, chases, and enough violence to keep an audience awake in spite of the dialogue. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

Inspector Chow had the effrontery to put the mobster and drug kingpin Lau in prison. While in prison, Lau plots his revenge. The first part of it requires that he have Inspector Chow murdered. The second part requires that he make a big splash in the criminal world by stealing an Italian diamond shipment. He sets his scheme underway, recruiting a corruptible cop, Pang, by tricking him into running up a huge gambling debt. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

Inspired by a true story, this action-adventure thriller concerns the race to obtain the blueprints of a MIG-25 "Foxbat" Soviet fighter plane which has landed in Japan, complete with a pilot who is asking for asylum. Undercover U.S. spy Michael Saxon (Henry Silva) is trying to get the microfilms for the state-of-the art film back to his country, but he is competing against agents and representatives from many countries for the privilege: at one point there is a super-secret auction of the plans. Naturally, the KGB is not taking this situation sitting down, and agents are dispatched to destroy the plans and anyone who has them. The action moves from Tokyo to Hong Kong, as Saxon attempts to contact a man who can arrange for the proper delivery of the plans. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide