Battle Creek Brawl (1980) Review

Rating: 4 out of 5

Director: Robert Clouse

Year: 1980

Plot:

“Battle Creek Brawl” is also known as “The Big Brawl” and was the first major American movie for Jackie Chan. Jackie Chan stars as an immigrant in Chicago and must participate in a street fighting tournament in order to save his family, as well as gain prize money. Now, this is all setup with Jackie’s character having to deal with the mob, who wants money from Chan’s family. So in essence, Jackie’s character takes on the mob, but has to fight in the tournament or the mob will cause harm. It’s a simple plot, with a focus on training, comedic timing, and your hero taking on several opponents to get to the big win at the end. In the end, it’s a simple plot with Jackie Chan using his fighting skills to try and take care of his family, who are dealing with a mob issue.

Thoughts:

The first thing I noticed was the transfer was great. It’s stellar, and looks nearly high definition on the DVD that I have. The second thing I noticed was the dubbing was quite good, and that’s most likely because it was an American production. Chan’s work here is great, and starts with comedic brawling in the first fight, then subsequently gets more and more involved. The comedic timing of Chan makes this one entertaining to watch, and definitely had me laughing a bit. One highlight I have to mention is the roller skating sequences, which are fun, including some action while on roller skates. Chan is awesome on skates, skateboards, and more, and he proves it again in “Battle Creek Brawl”.

The story is fast paced, moving through the plot with relative speed. It’s a movie that is very much carried by Chan and his character, conflicted for fighting and his dad’s wishes. There’s heart to the plot, it’s not just fighting, but of course fighting is part of the larger story, which is why it’s being reviewed on this site.

Overall, “Battle Creek Brawl” is an average kung fu movie. It is more of an action movie, with a good plot, than what you’d expect from Chan’s early work. The American influence is shown throughout, and while there’s plenty of fighting, there’s also plenty of drama to be had. Not the best Jackie Chan movie, but far from bad, I give this one a rating of 4 out of 5.

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