The Protector (1985 film)

The Protector
Film poster of the US version
Directed by	James Glickenhaus
Produced by	David Chan Shek Hong-chan Raymond Chow Leonard Ho
Written by	James Glickenhaus King Sang-tang
Starring	Jackie Chan Danny Aiello Roy Chiao Moon Lee Yeung Kwan
Music by	Ken Thorne
Cinematography	Chang Yao-chu Mark Irwin Johnny Koo Jimmy Leung Ardy Lam Gary Hoh
Editing by	Yao Chung-chang Evan A. Lottman Barbara Minor Peter Cheung
Distributed by	Golden Harvest (Hong Kong) Warner Bros. (USA)
Release date(s)	July 11, 1985 (1985-07-11) August 23, 1985 (1985-08-23)
Running time	91 min.
Country	Hong Kong USA
Language	Cantonese English

The Protector (Chinese: 威龍猛探) is a 1985 Hong Kong and American martial arts crime drama film directed by James Glickenhaus, and starring Jackie Chan. It was Chan's second attempt at breaking into the American film market, after 1980 film The Big Brawl, a film which had flopped at the box office. Conflicts between Glickenhaus and Chan during production led to two official versions of the film: Glickenhaus' original version for American audiences and a Hong Kong version reshot by Jackie Chan. Also, this lead to Chan's decision to make Police Story as a response to this film.

Plot

US version

A gang is attempting to steal computers from an 18 wheeler. One of the gang members remotely hacks a set of traffic lights, turning them to red, while other members of the gang rig chains to the back of the truck. They turn the light green again, and as the truck pulls away, the chains tear the door open. When the trucker goes to the rear of his truck to investigate, he is knocked unconscious by a gang member, who then whistles for his cohorts to steal the load. Meanwhile, New York police officers Billy Wong (Jackie Chan) and Michael Alexander (Patrick James Clarke) are patrolling the neighborhood. On the radio, a dispatcher says that a truck was stripped by their premises, so the cops check it out. As the trucker comes to, he sees that his cargo has been stolen. Michael radios in the crime, while Billy passes the driver his hat, saying, "Welcome to New York".

Later, the two cops are in a bar. Billy goes to the bathroom while Michael orders another round. Outside, a gang plan to rob the bar, unaware of the cops inside. They charge in busting the door and start roughing up the customers and gathering them by the till. Billy, still in the bathroom, has heard the commotion. The gang forces the customers to stand by the register, while one member tries to open the locked bathroom. Gun drawn, he breaks down the door, but Billy has overhead everything and shoots the gangster four times before he can make the shot.

Michael pulls out his own gun, killing another gangster, but is then shot by the two remaining gang members. Billy leaps and fires, killing one gangster, sending him flying through the bar window. The fourth gangster escapes. Billy approaches Michael, who asks, with his dying words, that Billy find the last gangster. Billy chases the last gang member to the marina across town. The gangster commandeers a yacht, so Billy gets the keys to the fastest speedboat from the boat boy. The captain orders Billy to let the harbor police catch the thief, but Billy refuses and speeds off. He calls an air unit who arrive on the scene and hoist him a line. Billy grabs onto the line, and lets his speedboat run into the henchman's boat, destroying both.

After attending a ceremonial funeral held for Michael, Billy gets back to crowd control. He goes to a party undercover with his new partner, Danny Garoni (Danny Aiello), where they see Benny Garrucci (Bill "Superfoot" Wallace), one of the bodyguards to Martin Shapiro (Ron Dandrea). A kidnapping has taken place, and nobody knows why. They later learn that crime boss Harold Ko (Roy Chiao) may have smuggled Shapiro's daughter, Laura (Saun Ellis), to Hong Kong for ransom. The men get a lead – Garrucci has made calls to a massage parlor.

While investigating, they get massages, but Billy sees a reflection of his masseuse pulling out a knife so he jumps, kicking her in the face and throws a lamp at the other masseurs. Billy and Garoni fight off the remaining clientele, before getting questioned by the leader of the massage parlour.

They go to Lee Hing (Kwan Yeung), to cash in a coin. A man named Stan Jones (Kim Bass) gets on the boat, asking for supplies. Stan warns Billy and Garoni they are being followed and Billy goes to get information from the leader. The leader throws a knife at him and escapes onto another boat. Billy and Garoni head back to their hotel, finding cash in a suitcase on the bed. They are attacked by two men, but manage to kill them. They make their exit and are taken to the police station in Hong Kong.

In Hong Kong, Ko has set up an interview to acquire a new horse at a racetrack. Billy and Garoni see Garrucci there. They throw the money in the air and walk off. Garoni follows Garrucci to a drug laboratory, while Billy sees Hing's tortured and murdered body on his sunken boat. They go to a Buddhist priest who tells them what they are looking for. Billy, Garoni and Stan go to the drug lab, and destroy it, saving Laura Shapiro in the process. Garoni is shot by Garrucci, and is held hostage unless Billy returns Laura to Ko.

They meet at the shipyard and Laura is held hostage along with Garoni. Billy fights with Garrucci and Ko's guards and is eventually about to kill Ko, but Garrucci comes after Billy with a cut-off saw. In the ensuing fight, Garrucci is electrocuted by trying to slice open Billy's head, but missing and hitting an electric panel that he smashed Billy's head on. Ko escapes in a helicopter, and Billy follows after him, but a guard blocks his way. Billy and the guard fight on a cargo lifter half-loaded with boxes, with Billy dodging them. Garoni goes outside with the gang and kills a sniper with a 6-shot 20mm cannon. Billy is shot at, but eventually makes it to the top of a crane and Ko's helicopter gets crushed.

With Ko dead and Laura Shapiro saved, Billy and Danny are given a departmental medal of honor.

Hong Kong version

The Chinese version has a subplot featuring Sally Yeh, with a few additional action sequences. A large number of scenes were cut to improve the pace of the action and to completely remove instances of nudity. Fully dressed lab women were added for the sake of continuity. A lot of swearing and American slang has been totally replaced by more universal dialogue. Bill Wallace also has an extra scene, in which he gets to show off his talent near the ice warehouse. The final fight scene is re-edited to make it more of a Hong Kong style. Overall, the script has been cleaned up and the subplot involving the coin is resolved.

Production

Glickenhaus had previously directed B movie action star Robert Ginty in a film entitled The Exterminator, which was also his only real profitable film. The Exterminator was a violent, gritty, and crude vigilante action film, which may be seen as derivative of Charles Bronson's Death Wish films. The Protector would be Glickenhaus' fourth time in the directing chair.

Glickenhaus had wanted Chan's character to be a "Dirty Harry" type, speaking softly, carrying a big gun and swearing. Chan was shocked at how bad Glickenhaus's directing was, especially since The Protector was to be ostensibly a martial arts film. Chan had gained much experience directing in his Hong Kong films and was disgusted with the way Glickenhaus would move onto each subsequent scene, even when prior ones needed to be re-shot.

Chan knew that his Asian audience would be offended by the frequent foul language, exploitative nudity and Glickenhaus's poor direction. Chan asked to direct the fight scenes himself, but Glickenhaus refused, at the time when the Hollywood film system restricts everyone from crossing roles. Example, actors are restricted to acting, directors restricted to directing and so on.

In a heated argument between Glickenhaus and Chan halfway through the shoot, Chan quit and walked off the set. Back at his hotel room, Chan phoned his manager in Hong Kong and told him what he had done, saying, "Glickenhaus is destroying my career." His agent responded that he had to return to the set and finish the film because Glickenhaus had an iron-clad contract.

When the film was finally completed and Glickenhaus left Hong Kong, Chan initially decided not to release the film in Asia, but ultimately changed his mind, though not until he had re-shot some scenes, removing the nudity and vulgar language, and re-coordinating the final fight between his character and the villain played by Bill Wallace.

In the end, the American version was stiff and the editing was sloppy, whereas the Hong Kong version was more elaborate, dynamic and faster.

In his autobiography I Am Jackie Chan: My Life in Action, he quotes angrily to Leonard after finishing this film. "I'm sick of the word potential. If I ever go back to America – and I'm not saying that I will – I'm not going back as Bruce Lee or Clint Eastwood or John Wayne. I'll go back as Jackie Chan or I won't go at all."

Cast

• Jackie Chan – Billy Wong
• Danny Aiello – Danny Garoni
• Moon Lee – Soo Ling
• Roy Chiao – Harold Ko
• Peter Yang – Lee Hing (uncredited)
• Sandy Alexander – Gang Leader
• Jesse Cameron-Glickenhaus – Jesse Alexander
• Becky Ann Baker – Samantha Alexander (as Becky Gelke)
• Kim Bass – Stan Jones
• Sally Yeh – May Fung Ho / Sally (uncredited)
• Paul L. Smith – Mr. Booar (uncredited)
• Bill Wallace – Benny Garrucci
• Victor Arnold – Police Captain
• Shum Wai – massage house manager (uncredited)
• Irene Britto – Masseuce
• Ron Dandrea – Martin Shapiro
• Saun Ellis – Laura Shapiro
• Lee Hoi San – Wing (Hong Kong version) (uncredited)
• Alan Gibbs – Gunman
• David Ho – David
• Joe Maruzzo – Marina Attendant (as Joseph Maruzzo)
• John Spencer – Ko's pilot
• Mike Starr – Hood (as Michael Starr)
• James Glickenhaus – Man walking in front of store (uncredited)
• Joe Wong – Sergeant Chan
• Kam Bo-wong – Bald Thug (as Kobe Wong)
• Fung Hak-on – Thug with Ice Pic
• Wan Faat – Thug
• Johnny Cheung – Thug
• Lam Wan-seung – Thug
• Lee Fat-yuen – Thug
• Chung Wing – Thug
• Tai Bo – Thug
• Patrick James Clarke – Michael
• John Ladalski – Ko's Van Driver (uncredited)
• Big John Studd – Huge Hood
• Robert Mak
• Mark Cheung

Version comparison

The following changes were made by Jackie Chan, for the Hong Kong release of the film:

Scenes in the US

• Billy Wong asks a civilian where the crook has gone. (added)
• The crook climbs over the chain-linked fence. (deleted)
• Michael's funeral. (deleted)

Scenes in Hong Kong

Massage parlour

• Extra dialogue between Billy, Danny and the Chinese police chief, intro to the massage parlour. (deleted)
• A few short scenes featuring Billy in action in the massage parlour. (deleted)
• Billy catches the gun. (slowed down)

Boat and dock area

• Billy locates Sally Yeh, deals with two guys in a gym and interviews Sally Yeh. (added)
• Small scene with the African-American on the boat. (deleted)
• A few scenes when Billy chases Sally Yeh's uncle on the boat. (deleted)
• The death of Moon Lee's father on the boat. (deleted)
• Billy's scene with Moon Lee on the boat and buddhist prayer. (deleted)
• Mr. Ko talks to Bill Wallace. (deleted)
• Mr. Ko's assistant beats Sally Yeh's uncle and plots to kill Billy and Danny. (added)
• A deep male voice talking to Billy on the phone is replaced by a female voice demanding that he should leave. (replaced)
• Bill Wallace attacks Moon's father and friend, Moon Lee unhappy with Billy around. (added)
• A bomb in Sally Yeh's bedroom, her uncle warns Billy and Sally, the departure of Sally and her uncle. (added)

Drug lab and warehouse

• A small scene of Bill preparing to shoot. (deleted)
• A fight scene between Billy Wong and Bill Wallace near a chain-linked fence. (re-edited)
• Bill gets hit by Billy using some dangerous equipment. (deleted)
• Bill Wallace uses a concrete saw. (re-edited)

Changes to content

• All cursing has been excised.
• All nudity with women has been excised with the drug lab re-shot showing fully dressed women.
• American slang has been changed.
• Danny's use of the phrase "T 'n' A" has been changed.

Reception

The movie had a mixed to negative reception when it was released in the United States in 1985.

In an interview by Hong Kong film expert Bey Logan with James Glickenhaus held before Chan achieved mainstream success with American audiences, Logan mentioned that many of his fans were disappointed with the movie. An unfazed Glickenhaus responded "Well, you know that's still the most successful Jackie Chan movie internationally and always will be because the American audience, the mainstream audience will never sit still for Jackie's style of action".

Andrew Stanton who does the audio commentary for The Protector as the Ultra-Bit Edition has agreed with the perception that Chan should be allowed to shoot his action scenes and take things out that he didn't like to help improve the film. Chan's fans and followers also perceived that certain major scenes like the final helicopter scene is predictable. Also in depth why Chan doesn't want to have nudity in his films (with exception to "All in the family" which he co-starred in) because it held up the male audience, it dirtied the scenes and it adds nothing to the overall storyline.

Subsequently the American version flopped at the box office, whilst the Hong Kong version received moderate success in Asia.

Box office

In North America, The Protector was a box office disaster, making only US $981,817. Chan's re-edited version grossed HK $13,917,612 in Hong Kong, a respectable sum, but significantly less than any of Chan's domestic films at the time.

See also

• Jackie Chan filmography

External links

• The Protector at the Internet Movie Database
• The Protector at AllRovi