Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung are both my favorite marital artists/stars, other then having all of the cool moves they never stopped surprising me and this film was one heck of a surprise. This is an under the radar gem for both of them, it's not quite a favorite of mine from both of them but it comes close.

It's no doubt different from the normal Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung films were use to instead of action action this film is drama action which is a combo I rarely see in the marital arts sub genre, in fact it's something I rarely see in the action genre in genre. This film to me is one of those examples that the combo can actually work when done the right way.

Jackie and Samo are just great, both of them get to for once and one of the only times actually get to exercise more of their acting ability. I really liked seeing them play characters that actually have more range and almost feel like these people could exist, than the typical lovable lead actioneers which are usually just both playing themselves sort of.

Samo was just excellent in his role as Dodo, I really did by him as a mentally disabled man, oh and for the record he doesn't do any of his martial arts sorry fans. But that's not a bad thing and it makes sense for his character. Dodo is very sympathetic, he's mentally disabled but he's slightly aware of it and you can tell wishes he wasn't, but despite his limitations he does try and struggle to fit in to contemporary life and really wants his brother to be happy.

One scene, he tries to get a job and goes to this restaurant but of course the manager just humiliates him by practically hazing Dodo. I'll admit I really wanted to punch that manager (one of Tad's friends does, I high five the dude.) there are scummy guys like that that do exist whom are just the worst kinds of hypocrites, making fun/insult people, making themselves look all high and mighty when there not; to me Dodo (even Tad's buddy) was a bigger man than him.

Jackie was excellent as Tad, I really bought him as a struggling brother whom is conflicted with taking care of his brother but also his dream of becoming a sailor which he feels has drifted further away from him. This to me makes his character relatable because we've all been there where were conflicted between our responsibilities and dreams.

Both of them have great chemistry and some memorable scenes were some are touching and surprisingly really sad, at times it really made me wonder if these are the kind of things that people mentally disabled go though as well as the people taking care of them.

One scene which of course is memorable is the argument scene where Tad of coruse is just spewing out his raw emotion toward Dodo and goes to his room afterward. After a minute or two passes Dodo goes to Tad's room finding him crying and of coruse Tad apologies and both hug. I just found it touching and it actually put a tear or two in my eye, but the scene for me pertained to the theme of brotherhood.

Even like some of the supporting characters like Tad's girlfriend Jenny, really liked the interaction with the two it really felt like a serious relationship and we even see both kiss which is something Jackie doesn't do in films much. As well as Tads friends where we get a good feel for them and some solid interaction.

And of course the action is great despite somewhat taking a bit of a back seat, to me it helped keep things moving and gave the film a sense of fun which helped give the film a three dimensional sensibility. From the training ground battle at the beginning, but of course my favorite is the final battle near the end of the film which to me is one of my favorite battles of all time and one that lasts about 20 mins making it one of the longest. I really like the use of the building location and the chirography in both gun play and martial arts was spot on.

I really love the them of the film which is about brotherhood, we see despite both DoDo and Tads struggles they always stick together and do the best they can to make each other happy. It also the same with Tad's significant other and his friends along with some of Dodo's friends who are supportive of both of them which shows that brotherhood isn't just about brothers but also about the people in your life whom would do anything for you as you would for them.

The only bad thing for me is that the pacing is a bit slow, it kinda lags a bit in the middle because not much really happens. But things do pick up again on the third half so that a blemish I can get past.

Brotherhood is always strong because of the sum of it's parts to make a whole.

Rating: 3 and a half stars

Jackie Chan plays a cop in Hong Kong. He has a brother (Sammo Hung Kam-Bo) who has the mind of a 4 year-old and Jackie is frustrated with trying to do his job and keep his brother out of trouble. Mostly it's a losing battle. Later in the film, the brother accidentally gets in trouble with the mob and it's up to Jackie and his friends to come to the rescue.

Jackie Chan and his frequent collaborator Sammo Hung Kam-Bo star in this very bizarre film. Despite these two martial arts stars being in the film, it's really not exactly a martial arts film. It's supposed to be an uplifting family film, action/cop movie and comedy all rolled into one. If it sounds like this is an impossible combination, you are right--and the film really doesn't work very well. The biggest problem, however, is that Sammo is supposed to be mentally retarded and his role alternates from occasionally being sensitive to mostly being a very broad comedy--with Sammo playing the part with as much subtlety as a nudist at a Baptist picnic! Now I noticed that a lot of the reviewers liked it--so be it. But I also know that it will offend folks--especially if they have developmentally delayed family members. In the film, they mostly are to laugh at--and that's very sad. Its a shame, as SOME of the issues between them are compelling--but mostly it's pretty awful. There also isn't any sort of a clear ending--just a weird montage that makes no sense. Obviously a bizarre misfire and not a particularly pleasant film to watch unless you LIKE laughing at Sammo's antics.

By the way, if Sammo isn't potentially insulting enough, look for the scene where he and his young friends are playing 'Jesus and the Assassin'. What were they thinking?!

In a departure from Jackie Chan's formulaic action-thrillers of the 1980s, HEART OF THE DRAGON sees Chan and close friend Sammo Hung bonding together as brothers in a tear-jerking family drama filled with emotional conflict, strong acting, and characters that tend to grip you more than usual. In fact this is more of a Sammo Hung film, with Jackie playing a secondary character, and the crime aspects of the story - involving a gang of criminals chasing after their stash of stolen jewels - only appear later on. Sammo Hung is in his element with both direction and starring in the tale as a mentally retarded man of thirty, who has the mental powers of a young child and would rather play with his toys than get a real job. Much of the film follows Hung's various misadventures as he finds himself used, abused and misunderstood by a variety of restaurant owners, prospective employers, and criminal friends, and be warned that quite often tears are flowing freely in this film; there is little comedy but instead lots of sentimentality and drama, all put across pretty well.

Chan is also forced to raise his ante to match Hung's acting, and puts in a nice turn as the protective brother who struggles to keep his sibling under control, whilst also juggling important police cases and a doting girlfriend. The action sequences, when they do appear, are as well choreographed as always and include a few martial arts fights and a good car chase. The big action set-piece occurs at the finale, in which Chan and his buddies infiltrate an abandoned warehouse to save his brother, who has been kidnapped by murderous criminals. The ensuing martial arts action (more violent than usual) is fast, frenetic and a real treat for the action fan, a nice payoff for all of the slow-burning scenes we sat through earlier. Things culminate with an explosive and imaginative stunt involving a dozen stuntmen, which I have never seen done on screen before. Although action fans may find this hard going due to the lack of kung fu fighting on display, the depth of characterisation and themes of brotherly love and loyalty make this a bit of a treat for serious Chan fans; definitely worth checking out in any case. Oh, and as is usually the case with a Sammo Hung film of the 1980s, the cast is absolutely studded with famous faces: Phillip Ko, Yuen Wah, Lam Ching-Ying, Hoi Meng, James Tien, Fat Chung, and dozens of others continually appear.