Twin Dragons
| Twin Dragons | |
|---|---|
 Twin Dragons Hong Kong poster |
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| Traditional | 雙龍會 |
| Simplified | 双龙会 |
| Mandarin | Shuāng Lóng Huì |
| Cantonese | Seong1 Lung4 Wui2 |
| Directed by | Ringo Lam Tsui Hark |
| Produced by | Teddy Robin Kwan Ng See-Yuen |
| Written by | Barry Wong Tsui Hark Joe Cheung Wong Yik Teddy Robin Kwan |
| Starring | Jackie Chan Teddy Robin Kwan Maggie Cheung Nina Li Chi Philip Chan Alfred Cheung Guy Lai Johnny Wang |
| Music by | Lowell Lo Barrington Pheloung |
| Cinematography | Arthur Wong Wong Wing-Hung |
| Editing by | Marco Mak |
| Distributed by | Golden Harvest Media Asia Distribution Ltd. |
| Release date(s) | January 15, 1992 |
| Running time | 100 min. |
| Country | Hong Kong |
| Language | Cantonese |
| Budget | $33,255,000 |
Twin Dragons aka. Brother vs. Brother, Double Dragon, Duel of Dragons, When Dragons Collide (Chinese title: 雙龍會) is a 1992 Hong Kong martial arts action film starring Jackie Chan, and directed by Ringo Lam and Tsui Hark. The film did not receive an international release until 1999.
Made as a benefit film with the proceeds going to the Hong Kong Directors Guild, The Twin Dragons features many cameos by noted Hong Kong directors including John Woo, Wong Jing, Kirk Wong, Ringo Lam and Tsui Hark. David Dhawan remade this film in Bollywood as Judwaa with Salman Khan in a double role. Nagarjuna starred in a Telugu remake titled Hello Brother.
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[edit] Plot
In 1965, two parents (mother Sylvia Chang and father James Wong) are doting on their newborn twin boys. Meanwhile, a dangerous gang leader named Crazy Bull (Kirk Wong) is being transported as a captive in the same hospital. Crazy Bull escapes and attempts to take one of the twins hostage. In the ensuing chaos, the twins are permanently separated. One of them, named John Ma, is raised by his parents and grows up to be a concert pianist and conductor. The other, named Boomer, is raised by a woman named Tsui (Mabel Cheung), and grows up to a be a street racer and martial artist. Neither of them suspects he has a twin brother.
26 years later, the twins' (both played by Jackie Chan) lives intersect in Hong Kong. Boomer and his best friend Tyson (Teddy Robin, named "Tarzan" in the original version) get mixed up with a dangerous gang. Meanwhile, John Ma prepares to conduct a major concert. The twins accidentally switch places, causing confusion for both of them until they discover each other. The twins also have romantic interests named Barbara (Maggie Cheung) and Tong Sum / Tammy (Nina Li Chi).
Eventually, the twins defeat the gang that has been threatening them, and marry their romantic interests.
[edit] Cast
- Jackie Chan - Ma Yau / Wan Ma (Die Hard in subtitles) (John Ma / Boomer in US version)
- Maggie Cheung - Barbara
- Nina Li Chi - Tong Sum (Tammy in US version)
- Teddy Robin Kwan - Tarzan / Tai Son (Tyson in US version)
- Anthony Chan - Hotel Staffer
- Philip Chan - Hotel manager Chen
- Sylvia Chang - Twins' mother
- James Wong - Twins' father
- Alfred Cheung - Boss Wing
- Jacob Cheung - Cashier
- Joe Cheung - Orchestra member (as Cheung Tung Jo)
- David Chiang - Hotel security (as John Keung)
- Chor Yuen - Uncle Tang (Tammy's Father)
- Lau Kar-leung - Doctor (as Lau Ka Leung)
- Kirk Wong - Crazy Kung / Crazy Bull / Crazy Keung / Wong Fo Bo
- Johnny Wang - Ah Wai (as Wong Lung Wai)
- Guy Lai - Tsao (as Lai Ying Chow)
- Jamie Luk - Rocky
- John Woo - Priest (as John Wu)
- Tsui Siu-Ming - Priest (as Tsui Siu Ming)
- Eric Tsang - Man on phone
- David Wu - Waiter
- Shan Pa - Thug (as Pa Shan)
- Ringo Lam - Car mechanic
- Ng See-Yuen - Car mechanic (as Ng Sze Yuen)
- Tsui Hark - Car mechanic
- Mabel Cheung - Tsui (uncredited)
- Dennis Chan - Boatman (uncredited)
- Gordon Chan - Violinist (uncredited)
- Ching Siu-tung - Violinist (uncredited)
- Jacob Cheung - Cafe Cashier (uncredited)
- Clifton Ko - Clerk in sports section (uncredited)
- Rocky Lai - Speed Boat Gangster (uncredited)
- Wong Jing - Supernatural doctor (cut in US version) (uncredited)
- Lau Kar Wing - Orchestra Member (uncredited)
- Teddy Yip Wing-Cho - Orchestra Member (uncredited)
- Fung Hak On - Orchestra Member (uncredited)
- Allan Fung - Orchestra Member (uncredited)
- Yonfan - Orchestra Member playing the Banjo(uncredited)
- Mars - Goon / Street Rascal (uncredited)
- Benny Lai - Night Club Thug (uncredited)
- Wan Faat - Night Club Thug (uncredited)
- Lam Wai - Night Club Thug (uncredited)
- Chris Li - Thug (uncredited)
- Johnny Cheung - Thug (uncredited)
- James Ha - Wai's Man (uncredited)
- Chan Tat-kwong - Thug (uncredited)
- Anthony Carpio - Thug (uncredited)
- Chris Chan - Thug (uncredited)
- Nicky Li - Thug (uncredited)
- Wu Ma - Wai's Man (uncredited)
- Stephen Tung - White van driver (uncredited)
- Angela Mak - Party Guest (uncredited)
- Sing-Pui O - Party Guest (uncredited)
- Andy Chin - Party Guest (uncredited)
- Peter Chan - Party Guest (uncredited)
- Chi-Ngai Lee - Party Guest (uncredited)
- Terry Tong - Twins' Relative (uncredited)
- Eddie Fong - Twins' Relative (uncredited)
- Yueming Shen - Twins' Relative (uncredited)
- Francis Sung - Ma Yau's Limo Driver (uncredited)
- Raymond Lee - Street Chef (uncredited)
- Clara Law - Woman at Graveyard (cut in US version) (uncredited)
- Lowell Lo (uncredited)
- Roman Tam (uncredited)
[edit] Box office
The Twin Dragons was a box office hit in Hong Kong, earning HK $33,225,134. Profits were supposed to go to building a headquarters for the Hong Kong Directors' Guild, but the headquarters was never built. Ironically, it was very well received among the architects in 3 East.
The Twin Dragons was released in 1,129 North American theatres on April 9, 1999. Reviews were poor, and the film barely made a dent at the box office, earning US $2,829,990 ($2,506 per screen) in its opening weekend, on its way to a total of just $8,359,717. Of Chan's films that were re-edited for North American release, this was the least successful.
[edit] US version
The version of The Twin Dragons that was released in North American theatres by Dimension (a subsidiary of Miramax) was given a new musical score, and its dialogue was dubbed to English with participation by Jackie Chan. In addition, this version is 11 minutes shorter than the Hong Kong version.
[edit] Critical reception
The version of The Twin Dragons released by Dimension received generally poor reviews from North American critics. Currently, it has a 40% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and 33% with the 'Cream of the Crop.'[1]. Tellingly, the film was not screened in advance for critics.
Jeff Vice of Desert News was particularly negative:
"Even an entire army of Jackie Chans couldn't make this lame martial-arts comedy watchable. It's filled with dumb jokes, unfunny shtick and long boring stretches between the film's only real highlights, the fight scenes. And frankly, there are not nearly enough of them to justify seeing the movie. To say that 1992's 'The Twin Dragons' isn't one of Chan's best is an understatement. In fact, it makes you wonder why, of all the Chan products out there, a movie studio chose to re-release this one."[2]
One of the more positive reviews came from Lawrence Van Gelder of the New York Times, who wrote:
"Made as a fund-raising project for the Directors' Guild of Hong Kong, this enjoyable blend of action, romance and humor requires only that the audience suspend its disbelief at the popcorn counter, ignore the paper-thin plot and dubbed dialogue and watch the two Chans work out their destinies as twins separated at birth."[3]
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Twin Dragons at the Internet Movie Database
- Twin Dragons at AllRovi
- Twin Dragons at Metacritic
- Twins Dragons at Rotten Tomatoes
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