Lots of karate antics, action, and lovely ladies as 2 Jackie Chans' try to outfox a band of hooligans intent of their demise. Slapstick humor all the way as Chan escapes one impossible to escape mess after another. This was a funny film, but it got a little trying at times keeping up with who was who.
64 Reviews
Jackie plays his own twin
TheHande30 May 2007
I'm not a particular fan of twins-comedies, but Jackie Chan's Twin Dragons is luckily slightly different from every other such film. For the most part, but unfortunately we still get a few irky scenes. Special-effects wise I have to say, a few of the spliced scenes were a little clumsy but not distractingly so.
Also the film has a lot of great off the wall comedy and something different. The 'twins-effect' which occurs all through the film is a nice element to spice up the plot. Naturally Jackie gives us a brilliant physical performance as well.
The only real problem with Twin Dragons is that it doesn't offer anything particularly new or different from other Jackie films and thus feels a little unremarkable. However, Jackie's fans are likely to enjoy the film.
Also the film has a lot of great off the wall comedy and something different. The 'twins-effect' which occurs all through the film is a nice element to spice up the plot. Naturally Jackie gives us a brilliant physical performance as well.
The only real problem with Twin Dragons is that it doesn't offer anything particularly new or different from other Jackie films and thus feels a little unremarkable. However, Jackie's fans are likely to enjoy the film.
Sillier than usual...
rutt13-120 June 2001
It's no "City Hunter," but this is a pretty goofy flick...It's just good fun though, and even if you think twin movies are bad---THIS IS JACKIE CHAN!!! I like it, it's just a cute, fun flick. Let's not forget to mention the ending though, it's worth the price of admission alone, with some of the coolest and most dangerous stunts I've ever seen! Can't take my eyes off Nina Li, or Maggie Cheung either!
Cool! But not strong enough!
Nick_Vorobyov23 June 2001
Well the movie itself was good. But! There are only 5 action scenes! The first action scene is a classic so is the car factory fight scene at the end! Also there is bus chase on the streets of Hong Kong. Brief fight scene in a mall. And A boat chase on the sea. And otherwise the movie is funny as hell. But the two great directors didn't make this the best movie there is. This a comedy filled with action. I liked it. BUT ONLY ONE JACKIE CAN FIGHT. So go rent this funny movie with some nice chases, stunts, and fights.
Double the Jackie doesn't equal double the action.
BA_Harrison20 May 2012
This is one of those preposterous screwball action/comedies that uses a case of mistaken identity to drive the movie forward; in this case, it's twins (both played by Jackie Chan)—separated at birth but reunited as adults—that create the chaos, as streetwise, kung fu fighter Boomer gets himself into trouble with gangsters and unwittingly drags his more refined sibling, classical musician John Ma, along for the ride.
With Twin Dragons already split 50/50 for comedy and kung fu, and one of Chan's characters unable to throw so much as a single punch, the film is far from the all out fight-fest one might expect; double the Jackie doesn't necessarily equal double the action, and while Boomer flips, kicks and punches, Ma spends most of his time cowering in fear. Sadly, the amount of action on offer isn't the only disappointment, the predictable and repetitious mix-ups proving more cringe-worthy than chuckle-some, and the effects used to allow Jackie to interact with himself being far from special.
It's not all a total loss, though: Maggie Cheung and Nina Li Chi provide some welcome eye candy as the brother's girlfriends (it says a lot about the beauty of Li Chi that she manages to make Maggie Cheung look rather plain in comparison), and director Ringo Lam finally gets his act together for a rousing fight in a car testing factory, an environment that allows for some impressively dangerous kung fu craziness from at least one of the Chans.
5.5 out of 10, rounded up to 6 for IMDb.
With Twin Dragons already split 50/50 for comedy and kung fu, and one of Chan's characters unable to throw so much as a single punch, the film is far from the all out fight-fest one might expect; double the Jackie doesn't necessarily equal double the action, and while Boomer flips, kicks and punches, Ma spends most of his time cowering in fear. Sadly, the amount of action on offer isn't the only disappointment, the predictable and repetitious mix-ups proving more cringe-worthy than chuckle-some, and the effects used to allow Jackie to interact with himself being far from special.
It's not all a total loss, though: Maggie Cheung and Nina Li Chi provide some welcome eye candy as the brother's girlfriends (it says a lot about the beauty of Li Chi that she manages to make Maggie Cheung look rather plain in comparison), and director Ringo Lam finally gets his act together for a rousing fight in a car testing factory, an environment that allows for some impressively dangerous kung fu craziness from at least one of the Chans.
5.5 out of 10, rounded up to 6 for IMDb.
Jackie's "twin" movie is a comedy-filled action roller-coaster
Leofwine_draca23 November 2016
Warning: Spoilers
A fun Jackie Chan movie for the fans, not quite as good as his best work but certainly superior to most as well as most of his recent output. This is fairly typical of the kind of movies he made during the early half of the '90s : lots and lots of cheesy, Chinese-style humour which is probably off-putting to Western audiences, a few cool fight sequences interspersed, and a typically inane and nonsensical plot. To make matters worse, the print released on DVD in the UK is the Dimension films American version which stupidly dubs the actors, changes the soundtrack, and cuts eleven minutes out of the movie! This is basically the "twins" movie for Chan, just like Van Damme, Li, and Schwarzenegger have made their own twin movies. The special effects range from split screen to back/forward projection, but there are also some decent (if a little wobbly) digital insertions which make up in ambition what they lack in technical perfection.
The plot is straightforward, light-hearted fare: there are two Chans who keep getting mistaken for each other. Maggie Cheung and Nina Li Chi are the lovers who keep getting confused, although Cheung is underused and Li Chi seems to be there just to take her clothes off a lot. Chan is as good as ever, mugging his way through joke after joke, although it's a shame only one of the brothers can fight. The action is more limited here but what we do get is great: a running series of kung fu battles, gun showdowns, and a fantastic bus chase with some superb stunts. Most of the physical stuff is saved for the finale in the car warehouse, which doesn't disappoint. Although most of the comedy is silly, Jackie remains an endearing screen presence and this is still amusing, old-fashioned fun, innocent and designed to please the audience at all points. As such I recommend it.
NB. I've recently had the chance to watch the 'uncut' Cantonese version and it's a much superior film; the undubbed jokes are funnier and less stupid and there's no denying the power of the constant energy and motion.
The plot is straightforward, light-hearted fare: there are two Chans who keep getting mistaken for each other. Maggie Cheung and Nina Li Chi are the lovers who keep getting confused, although Cheung is underused and Li Chi seems to be there just to take her clothes off a lot. Chan is as good as ever, mugging his way through joke after joke, although it's a shame only one of the brothers can fight. The action is more limited here but what we do get is great: a running series of kung fu battles, gun showdowns, and a fantastic bus chase with some superb stunts. Most of the physical stuff is saved for the finale in the car warehouse, which doesn't disappoint. Although most of the comedy is silly, Jackie remains an endearing screen presence and this is still amusing, old-fashioned fun, innocent and designed to please the audience at all points. As such I recommend it.
NB. I've recently had the chance to watch the 'uncut' Cantonese version and it's a much superior film; the undubbed jokes are funnier and less stupid and there's no denying the power of the constant energy and motion.
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view_and_review5 April 2020
In 1991 Jean Claude Van-Damme played separated twins in "Double Impact." The two were from different worlds and different countries, the only real difference between "Double Impact" and "Twin Dragons" is that in "Double Impact" both twins could fight.
In "Twin Dragons" a set of twins get separated as babies. One baby was taken to the U.S. to be raised where he became a world reknown pianist and orchestra conductor. The other baby stayed in Hong Kong where he learned to fight and was always running afoul of the law.
The two came together in Hong Kong when Ma Yau (the American raised twin) had a performance in Hong Kong. With the two in the same place at the same time all kinds of comedic mix-ups occurred.
"Twin Dragons" could've been better had the plot been a little less convoluted and the subtitles slower. These were the fastest subtitles I've ever seen. The movie wasn't quite as acrobatic or creative as the last Jackie Chan movie I'd seen titled, "Operation Condor." That one was directed by Jackie and he had a big hand in the fight choreography as well. "Twin Dragons" is not bad, just not up to level I began to expect from Jackie by the 90's.
In "Twin Dragons" a set of twins get separated as babies. One baby was taken to the U.S. to be raised where he became a world reknown pianist and orchestra conductor. The other baby stayed in Hong Kong where he learned to fight and was always running afoul of the law.
The two came together in Hong Kong when Ma Yau (the American raised twin) had a performance in Hong Kong. With the two in the same place at the same time all kinds of comedic mix-ups occurred.
"Twin Dragons" could've been better had the plot been a little less convoluted and the subtitles slower. These were the fastest subtitles I've ever seen. The movie wasn't quite as acrobatic or creative as the last Jackie Chan movie I'd seen titled, "Operation Condor." That one was directed by Jackie and he had a big hand in the fight choreography as well. "Twin Dragons" is not bad, just not up to level I began to expect from Jackie by the 90's.
Li Chi at her best
ebiros213 June 2009
Jackie Chan plays a role of a twin separated at birth. One grows up as a concert pianist and other a street wise mechanic. Li Chi and Maggie Chuen plays the love interest of both Jackie, and the confusion the two creates with these two women is the comedy of this movie.
The good of this movie was Nina Li Chi. She looked great in this movie. One of the best movie she's starred in, and I'm sorry that she didn't star in many more movies like this one.
Action scenes are somewhat cliché, but it was standard for the time this movie was made.
I'd like to comment on other parts of this movie, but Li Chi stood out so much in this movie, that I can't think of anything else when I think of this movie.
This is a must see movie if you were a fan of Nina Li Chi.
The good of this movie was Nina Li Chi. She looked great in this movie. One of the best movie she's starred in, and I'm sorry that she didn't star in many more movies like this one.
Action scenes are somewhat cliché, but it was standard for the time this movie was made.
I'd like to comment on other parts of this movie, but Li Chi stood out so much in this movie, that I can't think of anything else when I think of this movie.
This is a must see movie if you were a fan of Nina Li Chi.
Twin Dragons is a uplifting extravaganza of fun and beauty
serf914 February 2002
Twins separated at birth meet again blah blah
But it's fun to watch and you get to see Jackie Chan's hilariously imaginative fight scenes!
With a couple of babes thrown in and the inadvertent swapping of partners from one twin to the other, you can but tempt to imagine the glorious fun that results. This is Jackie at his silly best, a dignified world-famous conductor in one role whilst a bumbling bad-ass mechanic in the other, we get to see how versatile, if unique, an actor he is.
For much of the film, both twins keep meddling in each other's lives causing havoc and confusion without knowing the cause until finally they come face to face...
I saw it 10 years ago, several times because of its watchability. The soundtrack was excellent -- I still remember some of the tunes now.
Feeling down, need a lift? This flick will rejuvenate your spirit for open-hearted fun living.
9/10
But it's fun to watch and you get to see Jackie Chan's hilariously imaginative fight scenes!
With a couple of babes thrown in and the inadvertent swapping of partners from one twin to the other, you can but tempt to imagine the glorious fun that results. This is Jackie at his silly best, a dignified world-famous conductor in one role whilst a bumbling bad-ass mechanic in the other, we get to see how versatile, if unique, an actor he is.
For much of the film, both twins keep meddling in each other's lives causing havoc and confusion without knowing the cause until finally they come face to face...
I saw it 10 years ago, several times because of its watchability. The soundtrack was excellent -- I still remember some of the tunes now.
Feeling down, need a lift? This flick will rejuvenate your spirit for open-hearted fun living.
9/10
One of the better Chan films
planktonrules8 January 2008
Please note--this review is for the English-dubbed version. It's about 11 minutes shorter than the original film and I have no way of knowing how close it stuck to the original vision. It seemed to be dubbed reasonably well, but having never seen the original Chinese version, I am only guessing.
The idea of making a Corsican Brothers-like film with two Jackie Chans sounded pretty dumb when I read about this movie. And, while in parts it is awfully silly, the overall effort was far better than I expected and was one of the better Chan movies I have seen.
The movie begins with a prologue which shows how two twins were accidentally separated just after birth. The parents cannot locate the lost child and are forced to raise the remaining child. The second is fund by what appears to be a prostitute and this child is raised in a poor household. Many years later, when the rich and privileged Jackie returns to Hong Kong, he accidentally is mixed up for the poor one--the one that the local mob wants to kill! Now had this just been an action film with fight scene after fight scene, I think it wouldn't have worked as well. But, given that Jackie Chan did the movie a huge amount of comedy and clever situations involving two separate girlfriends were infused into the plot. Several times, I found myself laughing at some of the silliness of it all, but I also was impressed by how well the film all worked together pretty seamlessly.
There were only two complaints about the film. First, the poor Jackie snorted a lot. Why? Couldn't there have been a better way to distinguish between them than making one of them sound like he's a pig or has a really bad cold? Secondly, the film seemed to go on a bit too long--particularly at the action-packed conclusion. Knocking five or ten minutes off would have probably made the film a bit better--as the fight scene just went on and on and on. Still, this is a decent martial arts film and is worth a look and a laugh.
FYI--The film's second billing went to Maggie Cheung--a relatively famous Asian actress who has made a variety of excellent films. However, her role was no bigger or more prominent than the other lady in the film who didn't appear until much further in the credits. Bummer.
The idea of making a Corsican Brothers-like film with two Jackie Chans sounded pretty dumb when I read about this movie. And, while in parts it is awfully silly, the overall effort was far better than I expected and was one of the better Chan movies I have seen.
The movie begins with a prologue which shows how two twins were accidentally separated just after birth. The parents cannot locate the lost child and are forced to raise the remaining child. The second is fund by what appears to be a prostitute and this child is raised in a poor household. Many years later, when the rich and privileged Jackie returns to Hong Kong, he accidentally is mixed up for the poor one--the one that the local mob wants to kill! Now had this just been an action film with fight scene after fight scene, I think it wouldn't have worked as well. But, given that Jackie Chan did the movie a huge amount of comedy and clever situations involving two separate girlfriends were infused into the plot. Several times, I found myself laughing at some of the silliness of it all, but I also was impressed by how well the film all worked together pretty seamlessly.
There were only two complaints about the film. First, the poor Jackie snorted a lot. Why? Couldn't there have been a better way to distinguish between them than making one of them sound like he's a pig or has a really bad cold? Secondly, the film seemed to go on a bit too long--particularly at the action-packed conclusion. Knocking five or ten minutes off would have probably made the film a bit better--as the fight scene just went on and on and on. Still, this is a decent martial arts film and is worth a look and a laugh.
FYI--The film's second billing went to Maggie Cheung--a relatively famous Asian actress who has made a variety of excellent films. However, her role was no bigger or more prominent than the other lady in the film who didn't appear until much further in the credits. Bummer.
A wild, goofy tour de force.
OllieSuave-0074 June 2015
Martial artist Jackie Chan plays twins Ma Yau and Wan Ming, who were separated at birth. One is a street smart mechanic and the other is a classical musician. When the course of events bring the twins together in one city, their lives become entangled with one another, with them assuming the opposite roles of each other.
The plot device for this movie is clever, but the execution was a messy tour de force of goofy humor, poor dubbing and lack of suspense. The first part of the movie was actually pretty boring - the so-called fight at the karaoke scene was a drawn out element. The more exciting part doesn't come until the twins crosses paths with each other, and then they inadvertently take the others' lady friends out (played by Maggie Cheung and Nina Li Chi). Wan Ming trying to conduct the orchestra without knowing a lick about music was mildly amusing, while Ma Yau trying to rescue Wan Ming's friend (Teddy Robin Kwan) from the mob is somewhat entertaining.
Maggie Cheung and Nina Li Chi look beautiful in the movie, but there wasn't a lot of character development on them. There is also cameo appearances from many familiar actors in Hong Kong cinema, but they were underused and most were not dubbed with their own voices (Hong Kong filmmakers used to film movies without audio and then have the characters' voices dubbed in during post-production). However, I do especially like the musical number where Jackie Chan is playing on the piano while Maggie Cheung is singing to Shirley Kwan's song called "Ancient Times." Cheung looked very classy and glamorous in that scene.
There is much action toward the end, but much of the movie is consumed from a plain plot and overboard goofiness. Overall, a less exciting film starring Jackie Chan.
Grade C-
The plot device for this movie is clever, but the execution was a messy tour de force of goofy humor, poor dubbing and lack of suspense. The first part of the movie was actually pretty boring - the so-called fight at the karaoke scene was a drawn out element. The more exciting part doesn't come until the twins crosses paths with each other, and then they inadvertently take the others' lady friends out (played by Maggie Cheung and Nina Li Chi). Wan Ming trying to conduct the orchestra without knowing a lick about music was mildly amusing, while Ma Yau trying to rescue Wan Ming's friend (Teddy Robin Kwan) from the mob is somewhat entertaining.
Maggie Cheung and Nina Li Chi look beautiful in the movie, but there wasn't a lot of character development on them. There is also cameo appearances from many familiar actors in Hong Kong cinema, but they were underused and most were not dubbed with their own voices (Hong Kong filmmakers used to film movies without audio and then have the characters' voices dubbed in during post-production). However, I do especially like the musical number where Jackie Chan is playing on the piano while Maggie Cheung is singing to Shirley Kwan's song called "Ancient Times." Cheung looked very classy and glamorous in that scene.
There is much action toward the end, but much of the movie is consumed from a plain plot and overboard goofiness. Overall, a less exciting film starring Jackie Chan.
Grade C-
my favorite Jackie film
DanStarkey7 July 2003
My favorite Jackie Chan film, a showcase for his physical skill and personal charisma. It has the right amount of fighting without becoming boring and monotonous; it has the right amount of comedy without being over the top. The sex farce is played like Feydeau and yet is handled deftly enough to allow one to take one's older children without squirming on anyone's part. Great!
Twin Dragons (US Dub)
Tweekums4 February 2018
Warning: Spoilers
This film sees Jackie Chan playing twin brothers who were separated at birth. John went with his parents to America, where he became an acclaimed concert pianist and conductor while is brother 'Boomer' was raised on the streets of Hong Kong where he learnt martial arts and gets in trouble with gangsters due to his diminutive friend 'Tyson'. Shortly after Boomer and Tyson's run in with the gangsters John arrives in Hong Kong to perform a concert; inevitably it isn't long before their paths cross and confusion ensues. John ends up caught up in car chases and fights while Boomer finds himself conducting a symphony orchestra. If that weren't enough two women who know each of the brothers find themselves involved with the 'wrong' twin.
I must admit that when I picked up this DVD I didn't check to see if it was dubbed and was doubly disappointed to discover that not only was it dubbed but that it was also shorter than the Hong Kong original... surprisingly I still rather enjoyed it. There is the action and comedy that one would expect from a Jackie Chan film and it is the sort of film where what you watch is more important than what the characters say. The action is nicely varied with impressively choreographed fights, a speed boat chase and a few explosions. The humour is an effective fix of farce and slapstick. Jackie Chan does an impressive job in the twin lead roles; it helps that he dubbed his lines into English... many secondary characters were clearly dubbed by Americans so sounded wrong for characters who are meant to be Hong Kong Chinese. Maggie Cheung and Nina Li Chi also impress as love interests Barbara and Tammy. Overall this I found this to be a fun film and hope one day to see the original version.
I must admit that when I picked up this DVD I didn't check to see if it was dubbed and was doubly disappointed to discover that not only was it dubbed but that it was also shorter than the Hong Kong original... surprisingly I still rather enjoyed it. There is the action and comedy that one would expect from a Jackie Chan film and it is the sort of film where what you watch is more important than what the characters say. The action is nicely varied with impressively choreographed fights, a speed boat chase and a few explosions. The humour is an effective fix of farce and slapstick. Jackie Chan does an impressive job in the twin lead roles; it helps that he dubbed his lines into English... many secondary characters were clearly dubbed by Americans so sounded wrong for characters who are meant to be Hong Kong Chinese. Maggie Cheung and Nina Li Chi also impress as love interests Barbara and Tammy. Overall this I found this to be a fun film and hope one day to see the original version.
Silly storyline and the action wasn't that great! 2/10
leonblackwood20 November 2015
Review: This is yet another comedic movie from Jackie Chan, with unnecessary fighting and a silly script. Jackie Chan plays Boomer/John, who is separated from his twin at birth and they reunite under unfortunate circumstances. One of the twins, John, is a acclaimed classical concert conductor and a talented pianist whilst the other, Boomer, is a streetwise mechanic with impressive martial arts skills. When John travels to Hong Kong to perform at a highly rated concert, he meets up with his brother Boomer, who has got himself in trouble with the mob because his best friend wanted his help to rescue a young girl who sang for them. John is also being set up to marry a young girl who has a brutal boyfriend who wants his girlfriend back, so they are both mixed up in situations that they don't really want to be in. When there identities are mixed up by both parties, they join forces to take down the baddies and to save Boomers best friend. The storyline was completely ridiculous and the constant confusion between the twins became a bit tedious after a while. I also found the girls quite annoying and the action scenes weren't that impressive. On the plus side, it did really look like there was two Jackie Chans on screen at the same time, whilst interacting with each other but apart from that, there was just too much going on throughout the movie. Boomers best friend just kept on getting Boomer in trouble so a lot of the storyline was based of events that wasn't caused by him. At the end of the day, it's just another one of those comedic movies from Chan that wasn't that great and I doubt that I'll be watching it again, anytime soon. Disappointing!
Round-Up: This movie was directed by Ringo Lam whose made 26 movies in his career, which include movies with Jean Claude Van Damme, when his career was going downhill. With Damme he made In Hell, Replicant and Maximum Risk and he also made City On Fire with Chow Yun-Fat. This is the first and only movie that he made with Chan and I must admit, it wasn't that great. I didn't find the jokes that amusing and the far fetched storyline, went a bit too far.
Budget: $10million Worldwide Gross: $8.3million
I recommend this movie to people who are into their action/martial arts/comedies starring Jackie Chan, Maggie Cheung and Teddy Robin Kwan. 2/10
Round-Up: This movie was directed by Ringo Lam whose made 26 movies in his career, which include movies with Jean Claude Van Damme, when his career was going downhill. With Damme he made In Hell, Replicant and Maximum Risk and he also made City On Fire with Chow Yun-Fat. This is the first and only movie that he made with Chan and I must admit, it wasn't that great. I didn't find the jokes that amusing and the far fetched storyline, went a bit too far.
Budget: $10million Worldwide Gross: $8.3million
I recommend this movie to people who are into their action/martial arts/comedies starring Jackie Chan, Maggie Cheung and Teddy Robin Kwan. 2/10
One of Jackie Chans finest movies!!
MovieKing-47 June 1999
After 7 years this movie is still great and Jackie Chan shows he is still the greatest fighter around.
In his Dual Role as two brothers who have never met, and end up fighting a gang of Hong Kong's toughest gang. A great movie and one of Jackie Chan's best
I give it a 7 out of 10
In his Dual Role as two brothers who have never met, and end up fighting a gang of Hong Kong's toughest gang. A great movie and one of Jackie Chan's best
I give it a 7 out of 10
my notes
FeastMode23 July 2019
Very funny with some great action and fighting. it was as bad of a movie as rumble in the bronx, but it did have a bunch of really whimsical and goofy parts. but the rest of the intentional comedy was great. jackie chan is awesome. i like the boomer character (about 4 viewings)
Double Chan Antics
zardoz-1316 December 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Neither bad dubbing nor shoddy split-screen special effects can sabotage the inspired antics in "Twin Dragons," a nimbly done action farce featuring martial arts sensation Jackie Chan as identical twin brothers separated at birth but reunited year later when evil Triad mobsters try to murder one of them. Originally released as "Shuang Long Hui" in Hong Kong in 1992, "Twin Dragons" cost about $1.3 million, but this chopsocky slapstick earned megabucks at the Asian box office. Along with acclaimed action co-directors Ringo Lam of "Maximum Risk" and Tsui Hark of "Double Team" and "Knock Off" at the helm, Chan starred in the movie to raise funds for the fledging Hong Kong Directors Guild. Although seven years has elapsed since "Shuang Long Hui" opened, with VHS copies of it available under a number of titles, Dimension Films not only dusted off "Twin Dragons" but also has plastered it on screens across America.
Look-a-like brothers has been a favorite theme for novelists and filmmakers long before "Twin Dragons" appeared. Mark Twain relied on same siblings as a staple plot device in his celebrated fiction. Like the 1991 Jean-Claude Van Damme thriller "Double Impact," "Twin Dragons" casts Jackie Chan as heroic twins rather than as dramatic adversaries. Anybody remember Leonardo DiCaprio in "The Man in the Iron Mask?" "Twin Dragons" starts with a grim but vigorous black & white shoot-out at a hospital. A wounded but dangerous felon escapes from a police escort. Handcuffed to a cart, the villain swipes a detective's gun, shoots him as him, blows off the handcuffs and seizes one of the twin brothers. Wielding the baby as a shield, the henchman shoots another cop and steals an ambulance. An intrepid cop grabs the bumper and is dragged along the street until he puts a bullet in a rear tire. As the vehicle lurches to a halt, the child is hurled into a public grove. A drunken prostitute finds the child and raises him as her own son.
Meanwhile, the grief-stricken parents migrate to New York City with their surviving son. Spared nothing by his indulgent parents, John Ma (Jackie Chan of "Rush hour") grows up to be a world famous concert pianist/conductor. By comparison, scraping by on bits and pieces, the other twin—Boomer—develops incredible skills as a street fighter when he isn't fixing cars. John Ma leaves the Big Apple to make his Hong Kong debut when the Asian gangsters mistake him for Boomer. Boomer and hi troublesome buddy Tyson (Teddy Robin Kwan) owe the mob a hefty $300-thousand in HK funds, and they are out to collect when Ma shows up.
Scenarists Barry Wong, Tsui Hark, Cheung Tung Jo and Wong Yik have added a fillip a la Cheech & Chong's "The Corsican Brothers" to the twin brother hysterics by endowing them with a telekinetic link. When John plays piano, Boomer watches while his fingers wriggle to a mysterious rhythm. Only near the end of the action do the filmmakers exploit this psychic power for its full potential. Separated from John by a fenced-in cage, Boomer acts out the kung-fu fight moves, and John inadvertently delivers those stunning blows to flatten his foes. Meanwhile, the scenarists have more fun with the familiar mistaken identities gag that dominates the first two-thirds of the film. Fate and destiny play an immutable part in the proceedings.
In the tradition of Shakespeare's "Comedy of Errors," Boomer and John Ma confuse themselves as well as their girlfriends. Inevitably, they wind up with the wrong girls, and the comic predicaments that emerge are entertaining. The fights and the chases are fast-paced and hilariously staged, but then look at the helmers—Lam and Hark. The fight scene in the Mitsubishi testing facility is a triumphant of comedy and choreography. If you can ignore the inferior dubbing and the obvious special effects, "Twin Dragons" is a rewarding riot of hilarity. Hardcore Jackie Chan fans should be able to spot how Chan has modified many of the stunts over the years and used them for full effect in his "Rush Hour" movies.
Look-a-like brothers has been a favorite theme for novelists and filmmakers long before "Twin Dragons" appeared. Mark Twain relied on same siblings as a staple plot device in his celebrated fiction. Like the 1991 Jean-Claude Van Damme thriller "Double Impact," "Twin Dragons" casts Jackie Chan as heroic twins rather than as dramatic adversaries. Anybody remember Leonardo DiCaprio in "The Man in the Iron Mask?" "Twin Dragons" starts with a grim but vigorous black & white shoot-out at a hospital. A wounded but dangerous felon escapes from a police escort. Handcuffed to a cart, the villain swipes a detective's gun, shoots him as him, blows off the handcuffs and seizes one of the twin brothers. Wielding the baby as a shield, the henchman shoots another cop and steals an ambulance. An intrepid cop grabs the bumper and is dragged along the street until he puts a bullet in a rear tire. As the vehicle lurches to a halt, the child is hurled into a public grove. A drunken prostitute finds the child and raises him as her own son.
Meanwhile, the grief-stricken parents migrate to New York City with their surviving son. Spared nothing by his indulgent parents, John Ma (Jackie Chan of "Rush hour") grows up to be a world famous concert pianist/conductor. By comparison, scraping by on bits and pieces, the other twin—Boomer—develops incredible skills as a street fighter when he isn't fixing cars. John Ma leaves the Big Apple to make his Hong Kong debut when the Asian gangsters mistake him for Boomer. Boomer and hi troublesome buddy Tyson (Teddy Robin Kwan) owe the mob a hefty $300-thousand in HK funds, and they are out to collect when Ma shows up.
Scenarists Barry Wong, Tsui Hark, Cheung Tung Jo and Wong Yik have added a fillip a la Cheech & Chong's "The Corsican Brothers" to the twin brother hysterics by endowing them with a telekinetic link. When John plays piano, Boomer watches while his fingers wriggle to a mysterious rhythm. Only near the end of the action do the filmmakers exploit this psychic power for its full potential. Separated from John by a fenced-in cage, Boomer acts out the kung-fu fight moves, and John inadvertently delivers those stunning blows to flatten his foes. Meanwhile, the scenarists have more fun with the familiar mistaken identities gag that dominates the first two-thirds of the film. Fate and destiny play an immutable part in the proceedings.
In the tradition of Shakespeare's "Comedy of Errors," Boomer and John Ma confuse themselves as well as their girlfriends. Inevitably, they wind up with the wrong girls, and the comic predicaments that emerge are entertaining. The fights and the chases are fast-paced and hilariously staged, but then look at the helmers—Lam and Hark. The fight scene in the Mitsubishi testing facility is a triumphant of comedy and choreography. If you can ignore the inferior dubbing and the obvious special effects, "Twin Dragons" is a rewarding riot of hilarity. Hardcore Jackie Chan fans should be able to spot how Chan has modified many of the stunts over the years and used them for full effect in his "Rush Hour" movies.
Twin Dragons is okay.
jgusw21 November 2000
This is an all right movie. It's a little better than Double Impact with Van Damme. It's about two lost brothers that come together and kick butt. The comedy in this movie helps it out a lot. If you like Jackie Chan, then this is a good movie to see.
This isn't one of Jackie Chan's better films.
punctate9 October 1999
This isn't one of Jackie Chan's better films. Two babies are separated at birth; one becomes a maestro and another becomes a mechanic. For some reason when one brother is doing the other one start doing the same thing. The two meet in a washroom partly thanks to their girlfriends. Two Jackie Chans produce less action then one Jackie Chan not much happens during the movie. The movie has some good moments of humor, but there are no good action scenes until the end of the movie. The black and white beginning is a true testament to bad acting. This idea of identical twins being separated at birth is not an original idea. Jean-Claude Van Damme did a movie just like this but a lot worse. Watch "Who am I" instead of this one.
It's both action-packed and funny!!
Karthik28 July 1999
"Twin Dragons" is both a funny and action packed movie. Two twins are separated at birth. One learns to take care of himself after living on the streets... the other becomes a talented musician.
Hilarious complications ensue when one is mistaken for the other...
This is a very entertaining movie. Jackie Chan excels in both roles- and the martial arts (especially in the last scenes) are incredible. There is also a lot of brilliantly timed comedy. Even the music score is excellent.
Watch for brief appearances by many of Hong Kong's top directors- Kirk Wong (director of "The Big Hit" and "Crime Story") as "Crazy Kung", John Woo ("The Killer" "A Better Tomorrow" are two of his best movies) as a priest... Tsui Hark's scene is especially funny. Lau Ka Leung (director of "Drunken Master II") and Ringo Lam also appear.
Don't miss this movie.
Hilarious complications ensue when one is mistaken for the other...
This is a very entertaining movie. Jackie Chan excels in both roles- and the martial arts (especially in the last scenes) are incredible. There is also a lot of brilliantly timed comedy. Even the music score is excellent.
Watch for brief appearances by many of Hong Kong's top directors- Kirk Wong (director of "The Big Hit" and "Crime Story") as "Crazy Kung", John Woo ("The Killer" "A Better Tomorrow" are two of his best movies) as a priest... Tsui Hark's scene is especially funny. Lau Ka Leung (director of "Drunken Master II") and Ringo Lam also appear.
Don't miss this movie.
One of Jackie's worst
Psi91793 May 2000
The end fight in the car factory is pretty cool, but not much else in this film is. I don't know if it was the re-editing of the film, but it made no sense, and what did was pretty stupid. For die-hard Jackie fans (like me) only.
Unremarkable but Decent
sn3196 December 2014
Twin Dragons sees Jackie playing two characters, one a classical composer and the other a mechanic/thug who meet up after years of being separated. Each gets mistaken for the other, plunging them into his brother's relationships and problems.
As a comedy Twin Dragons is occasionally funny but never made me laugh too hard. It's the kind of wacky antics I enjoyed from my Jackie Chan movies when I was an early teenager, but has worn out as I got older. Technically it has some really good action scenes, especially the last one, though none are too memorable in the grand scheme of things.
For me, this is a mildly amusing Chan movie. Nothing new here, just more of the same kind of antics you'd expect from Jackie.
As a comedy Twin Dragons is occasionally funny but never made me laugh too hard. It's the kind of wacky antics I enjoyed from my Jackie Chan movies when I was an early teenager, but has worn out as I got older. Technically it has some really good action scenes, especially the last one, though none are too memorable in the grand scheme of things.
For me, this is a mildly amusing Chan movie. Nothing new here, just more of the same kind of antics you'd expect from Jackie.
Original Version 10 Stars.. BUT New version 5 Stars
Li_8521 May 2019
Hey. i just wanted to educate people who dont know.
There are 3 versions of Twin Dragons.
1) New Miramax version - Rubbish, They cut out so many funny and cheesy scenes, they even changed the funny music in the background. Badly edited. Sadly this is the only English speaking version around and i can understand why people are rating it as bad or average, im surprised some love it and havent even seen the original version, if they did they would LOVE it
2) Original Hong Kong version. in cantonese. Excellent.
3) Original HK English Dubbed version (1992) This version is no longer available as Miramax have the rights. I am so glad i own this This is the Best version of all. Very funny, adventurous, exciting and briliant.
I have been a Jackie Chan fan since i was a kid ,(early 90s). This is in my top 5 Best Jackie Chan movies.
As some of the Die hard Jackie chan fans wil know, The best Jackie films are always the early english dubbed cersions and NOT the new english dubbed.
i.e. Dragons Forever, Police Story, Project A, Wheels on meals, Armour of god etc
if you want to see sample please see my youtube page. Google my name and twin dragons
Dopey comedy is saved by terrific climactic fight scene
a_chinn24 December 2017
Jackie Chan comedy that was made as a fundraiser for the Hong Kong Directors' Guild. Jackie plays twin brothers separated at birth who's paths cross years later when one brother, a concert pianist, visits Hong Kong for a show, is mistaken for his criminal street-wise brother. Comedy and martial arts ensue! My main disappointment with the film is that there weren't enough fight scenes. A majority of the film is a farcical door slamming sex comedy (though mostly a family friendly sex comedy since this IS a Jackie Chan film), involving lady friends (Maggie Cheung and Nina Li) mistaking the brothers for the other and liking what they find. That part of the film is mildly entertaining, but not funny enough to make it worth recommending. However, the climactic fight sequence in a car testing plan is terrific and makes this film absolutely worth watching. Co-directed by Tsui Hark and Ringo Lam, Hark directed most of the comedy and Lam took care of the action. There's also some fun HK director cameos, including John Woo as a priest at a wedding, Ringo Lam plays a mechanic, Tsui Hark plays a card player, Gordon Chan plays a violinist, and Kirk Wong plays a thug.
repetetive tiresome jokes but lots of action
nero-518 May 1999
I know it's an action film but it would help if there was a vague plot, rather than just one long drawn-out joke about muddling twins. yes, the fights are good but the rest of the film is just rubbish, esp. compared to "Rush Hour".
the worst Jackie Chan I've seen to date.
the worst Jackie Chan I've seen to date.
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