The Lucid Nightmare: HERE'S JACKIE!: Battle Creek Brawl

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

HERE'S JACKIE!: Battle Creek Brawl

Battle Creek Brawl
Director: Robert Clouse
Year 1980

Battle Creek Brawl is a ridiculously underappreciated Jackie Chan film which is mostly known for being the legendary action star’s first attempt at breaking out on to the US cinema scene. Packed to the gills with explosive action, memorable characters, and a young and fierce Jackie Chan filled with piss and vinegar, the movie sets the stage for a roll licking brawl that never ceases to entertain. With its charming 1930’s setting and its playful atmosphere, Battle Creek Brawl is a film that sadly slipped by the public’s eye without a notice, but it really is a movie that you need to see for yourself especially if you are a hardcore Jackie Chan fan. Let’s face it, the guy is a living legend and this film showcases him in a fun and extremely charming light. Get to brawling Jackie!

The film follows a young Asian American martial artist named Jerry Kwan, who after defending his families’ place of business from a gang of mobsters who want their protection money, Jerry is flung into a series of events that allow him to show off his prowess as a seasoned fighter. With his brother’s fiancé kidnapped by the mob, Jerry is forced by the gangsters to enter a brutal bare-knuckle fighting tournament called Battle Creek Brawl where larger than life muscle-bound men fight to the last man standing. The bouts are savage and Jerry is extremely out weighed by his competitors, but fight after fight Jerry proves that he has what it takes to bring down the largest of foes. Will he make it to the final round and satisfy the mobs wishes or will he find another way to thwart their plans? Either way it’s going to be one hell of a show!

Jackie Chan of course plays the role of Jerry Kwan, the Chinese martial artist living in 1930’s America. The role seems tailor made for Chan as he has taken on a great deal of period action films throughout his long spanning career and with Battle Creek Brawl, it seems to be the precursor for what would come to be some of his most entertaining and adventurous movies. From his work on the Project A series, to Mr. Canton and Lady Rose, and to an extent his performances in both the Shanghai flicks and Around the World in 80 Days, it would appear that Jackie loves mixing it up in these stylistic time periods and is drawn to the wonder of the world during those eras. With Battle Creek Brawl, he gives an outstanding performance as the underdog of the story, making you believe that he can take on anything, even the gargantuan behemoths that he finds himself battling once the competition sparks to life. Though this film isn’t as explosive as Jackie’s other Hong Kong productions, it still packs quite a punch and Chan is especially charismatic in this role. It’s too bad that American audiences weren’t ready for Jackie’s style of action mixed with comedy, because he does a tremendous job in this movie and the film overall is an absolute blast.

Another asset of the production is the abundance of outstandingly great characters for Jackie’s Jerry to interact with. Makoto Iwamatsu, simply known as Mako, plays the role of Jerry’s mentor Herbert. The seasoned character actor does an amazing job with the role and he’s able to keep up with Jackie’s kinetic style and comedic flair, providing some very memorable moments that make quite an impact on the heart of the film. To my knowledge this is the first and only time that Mako and Jackie have appeared together in a film and the combination and chemistry between the two is electric. Kristine DeBell plays the role of Jackie’s girlfriend Nancy, and she does a bang up job too, but sadly she doesn’t really have much to do in the film other than look cute and cheer Jackie along. I should not though that she does get a chance to get down and dirty when she performs in a roller derby style race which allows her to show her toughness and fortitude.

When it comes to the bad guys of the film, there’s no shortage of them that’s for sure. From the mobsters to the brawl competitors, this movie is jam-packed with outrageous heels that range from seriously evil to ridiculously cartoonish. H.B. Haggerty takes the cake as Kiss, the deadly fighter that bear-hugs his opponents to death before he kisses them goodnight. Haggerty is a hoot in this flick, and the professional wrestler turned character actor hams it up for the cameras as he delights in every punch to the face he gives out. The rest of the memorable fighting cast consists of Stephan Merjanian who plays the Moroccan a thick bodied psycho in a cape, Earl Maynard who plays the dancing Jamaican fighter with the sweetest of moves, Sonny Barnes who portrays the tougher than nails Iron Head Johnson, and Ron Max who plays the dual knife-wielding mobster Leggetti. Each of these guys brings a unique look and style to the film and their wild nature is just infectious once they let loose within the movie.

Let’s get back to the Jackie aspects of the film, because there are many moments within the runtime of the movie for Chan to shine. For starters, let me address that this is not the fast paced Jackie that we are used to seeing in his Hong Kong efforts. He still is mighty fast, but the pace has been taken back a bit. Whether this is because Jackie is being directed under an American production or because he is not working with people who are not used to his kind of work ethic, I’m not sure, but you can tell that the fluid choreography that Jackie is known for his somewhat lacking in this entry. Be that as it may, the film still packs a punch and delivers some outstandingly iconic moments that are not to be missed. For instance, right from the start we are introduced to Chan’s character as he performs some gymnastics on top of a steel bridge. Then as the film cranks into gear with the introduction of the Big Brawl competition, we get to see Jackie go full force against some of the largest men that he’s ever come up against. These are muscle-bound behemoths and Jackie holds his own while doing his trademark combination of infused comedy and action. For me, the film’s scenario works and Jackie just shines in the role of the outsider.

What I also found rather refreshing with this early American Jackie production, is that it tends to focus on the comedic side of Jackie as a performer. Often at times when trying to break into the States, Jackie found that he was being type-cast as the replacement for Bruce Lee, and you can argue that this film was in fact a perfect example of producers trying to capture that Lee magic seeing that the director of the film was the same man to bring Enter the Dragon to the public’s eye, but when I view this film I see a Jackie Chan film through and through. It may not be the shining example of his style, but you can see the early workings of what would quickly become one of the most interesting methods of fusing action with comedy. To me this is what I crave when I want a Jackie Chan fix. I want a fun film filled with unparalleled action, inventive fight sequences, and a butt load of comedy sewn into every stitch of the production. That is exactly what we get with Battle Creek Brawl. It may not be the best example of Jackie’s unbelievable abilities, but it sure makes for an exceptional starter on what would soon blossom into a legendary career.

Battle Creek Brawl is a tremendously entertaining Jackie Chan film, which in my opinion stands the test of time in showcasing a cinematic effort that really is a whole hell of a lot of fun to watch. From the comedy aspects of the movie to the rough and tough brawl sequences, this film really has a wide breadth of things going for it, and you have to admit that it carries itself with a sure-fire energy that always keeps things interesting. There really is never a dull moment in the film and the amount of engaging characters on the screen at any given moment is an added plus in my book.

Jackie is absolutely outstanding in this movie, and I’m not just talking about the fighting ability that he puts on display. I’m referring mostly to the presence that he brings to this film. There is a charisma and liveliness to his performance that really affects the entire cast and you can tell even this early in his American debut that he would later be a force to be reckoned with within the cinema world. All in all, I’ve always had a soft spot for Battle Creek Brawl, because it just seems that the film has gotten an underserved bad rap and I’m just lucky that I can get such an extreme amount of enjoyment from a movie that is pretty much disregarded by the majority of Jackie Chan fans and martial arts enthusiasts. Regardless of the consensus, you should really give this film a chance. Like I said, it may not be one of Jackie’s crowning achievements, but the charm and class of this film is really top notch and the fun to be had with this crazy movie is immeasurable. Battle Creek Brawl is…..