Twin Dragons

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

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, Rovi

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Number of Discs: 1
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 (Cinemascope)
• Audio: Dolby Digital Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1
• Screen: Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV
• Features:
  • cc
  • Widescreen [2.35:1]
  • Dolby Digital 5.1 audio
  • Chapter search

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Director:

  Tsui Hark, Ringo Lam

• Producer:

  Teddy Robin

• Screenwriter:

  Tsui Hark, Barry Wong, Cheung Tung Jo, Wong Yik

• Cinematographer:

  Wong Wing-Hang, Wong Ngor Tai

• Composer (Music Score):

  Phe Loung, Michael Wandmacher

• Editor:

  Mak Chi-Sin

• Art Director:

  Lam Chun Fai, Lun Chon Hung

• Executive Producer:

  Ng See Yuen

• Costume Designer:

  Chong Che Leung

• Action Director:

  Stephen Tung Wei

REVIEW:

• Directed by two of Hong Kong's most prominent action filmmakers, Twin Dragons features Jackie Chan at his lighthearted best. As its title would suggest, Twin Dragons has Chan playing dual roles as a pair of identical twins separated at birth. One goes on to become a world-famous classical pianist, while the other becomes a street-smart mechanic and racecar driver. Through a series of mishaps, the two end up switching identities, causing confusion for the women in their lives, and eventually leading to a knock-down, drag-out confrontation with the Hong Kong mob in a car-testing factory. High art it ain't, but Chan's good-natured, go-for-broke attitude makes the farce work. Some scenes are way over the top, but they all fit in with the unabashedly goofy nature of the film, which is staged with about as much restraint as a Bugs Bunny cartoon. While it might take a certain frame of mind to appreciate a lot of the movie, Chan devotees will not be disappointed, especially since it's like getting two Chans for the price of one. Unfortunately, the U.S. theatrical release in 1999 was dubbed into English and cut by 11 minutes. ~ Skyler Miller, Rovi