Wheels on Meals (1984)
Jackie Chan is genuinely one of the most underrated actors working in cinema, and I'll keep saying it until more people actually believe me. We get so caught up in the sheer, unadulterated spectacle of his physical comedy that we forget he's actually a brilliant, expressive screen presence. Watch him launch himself off a moving vehicle or absorb a very real, very painful hit, and you're watching a direct lineage to the "wow factor" of Buster Keaton in the 1920s, just pushed to an absolutely extreme, bone-crunching level. The man doesn't just do stunts. He performs them, and there's a world of difference.
Sammo Hung's 1984 picture is a prime example of that early magic, and if you're looking for a cracking introduction to Chan's formative years before he became a global name, this is a very good place to start. I'd put it alongside Hand of Death (1976) as essential viewing for anyone wanting to trace the arc of how Chan became Chan, though by this point the star power is considerably more concentrated and self-assured.
Now, if I'm being completely honest, it doesn't quite reach the stratospheric heights of his later, more polished triumphs. The stunt work, while still incredibly dangerous and impressively choreographed, lacks the jaw-dropping, death-defying scale of his 90s peak. I think about something like Rumble in the Bronx (1995) and the sheer audacity of what Chan was throwing himself into by that stage, and you can feel the distance. Similarly, the comedic beats here, while charming, don't always hit with the razor-sharp precision of his absolute best material. There's a looseness to some of the middle act that edges towards drag rather than momentum.
But as a foundational text for his early career, it's an absolute treat. It captures that raw, hungry energy of a young star figuring out exactly how to blend martial arts mastery with slapstick genius, and it remains highly watchable from start to finish. You can sense the ambition in every frame, the desire to push the form somewhere new, and that restless creative energy is infectious.
Fair play to Hung, who also stars, for keeping the whole chaotic enterprise grounded with a highly competent directorial hand. The picture feels very much like a spiritual precursor to the early Police Story films, balancing high-octane vehicular mayhem with tight, claustrophobic alleyway brawls. Hung does a brilliant job of expanding on the lovable, bickering buddy dynamic he and Chan had hinted at in earlier ensemble outings, giving the whole thing a bit of a Cannonball Run vibe but with a lot more actual martial arts and a lot less Hollywood gloss. The camaraderie between the leads feels genuinely lived-in, and that gives the film a warm, beating heart beneath all the flying fists. It doesn't feel manufactured. It feels like a group of mates who love what they're doing and are very good at it.
The fight choreography in the final act, in particular, is the kind of stuff that reminds you why this era of Hong Kong action cinema still has such a devoted following decades on. There's an inventiveness to it, a wit, that pure spectacle alone can't manufacture. These sequences aren't just impressive physically. They're funny, rhythmic, and occasionally delightful in ways that proper Hollywood action rarely manages.
Three and a half stars.
This is a highly entertaining, nostalgic slice of Hong Kong action cinema that knows exactly what it wants to be. It might not be the absolute pinnacle of the genre, and the pacing does sag in places, but the sheer charm of the central trio and the undeniable brilliance of the fight choreography more than compensate. Hung and Chan crafted a warm, energetic romp that perfectly captures the golden era of 80s kung-fu comedy, and if you haven't seen it, fix that.
Rating: ★★★½ | Year: 1984 | Watched: 2026-07-21
Where to watch
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