Chinese Zodiac: CZ12 (Formerly 'Armour of God 3') (2012)

[kingofkungfu2002]

Courtesy of: http://www.wu-jing.org/happenings/

'Jackie Chan's 100th film, Armour of God III: Chinese Zodiac, is slated for production in latter half of this year. He would star in and co-direct Chinese Zodiac with Stanley Tong. Emperor Motion Pictures is producing the film and handling its distribution.

Jackie Chan says that he has been planning Chinese Zodiac for six years. It's a treasure hunting film that would send him globetrotting, and it'd be filmed on location in Paris, Vienna, Khazar, Australia, Beijing, Hong Kong, etc. It would be something that is expected to move the hearts of all Chinese worldwide.'

[Guest Markgway]

Why Stanley Tong FFS? He's a great action co-ordinator and lousy director. Jackie made all these films in the 80s and has since regressed in that he's apparently unable to direct a film by himself anymore. Would be cool to see some of the previous cast back (Alan Tam, Lola Forner, Carol Cheng...) but I doubt it'll happen.

[KUNG FU BOB]

I'm hopeful that this will be cool. I was, like many, underwhelmed by THE MYTH and most of JC's recent films. I thought THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM was decent, but far from great, and I haven't seen THE SHINJUKU INCIDENT yet. But I am so ready to see another great JC movie, and this could be it. Despite his injury riddled, no doubt arthritic body, JC is still in great shape- especially for being 55- and as long as he's creative and includes some great, wireless fighting this has a chance of being another Chan classic. All we can do is hope.

[The Running Man]

Would be cool to see some of the previous cast back (Alan Tam, Lola Forner, Carol Cheng...) but I doubt it'll happen.

Lola Forner did say an interview not too long ago that she would love to be in a third Amour of God film.

Who knows if Jackie ever got that news.

[lillippa328]

guess hes doing kung fu again?

[D1 Ma]

I remember Jackie saying that the 3d installment is going to be different from the first two. He wanted it to be more of a family-friendly fantasy film with special effects and wire fu, similar to The Myth. That was a few years back. I hope he's changed his mind. I wanna see a straight-forward action flick set in exotic locations...

I don't have anything against Stanley Tong - the guy can shoot action, and that's what I care for

[kaleyboy]

We've been here so many times already: a new Chan film announced, we get excited, film is released, film is awful, we're back to dissappointment. This will probably be the same.

[Asmo]

This is finally happening??

[bolofan]

I hope one of these days Jackie makes one last epic for the fans.

A grand bow out. A final battering for his body.

I'm not holding out much for this one, but I can still dream of a day when we see Project A 3 with Jackie and Tony Jaa.

[ben]

Hopefully this isn't going to be too much of a fantasy family film..

But if he's filming in Australia.. I'll be keeping my eye on that..

[The Running Man]

We've been here so many times already: a new Chan film announced, we get excited, film is released, film is awful, we're back to dissappointment.

New Police Story yeah, but for the others I don't get it. Rob B Hood was great.

I like The Myth too, expect that last section with the terrible green screen effects was embarrassing.

I won't watch "Armour Of God" if wires and special effects will be inolved.

Then that means you refused to watch any of the Armour of God films since both used wires and special effects.

Anyway, the real issue at hand with this film is that hopefully it will not be called "Operation Condor 3" thanks to Harvey Weinstein's moronic revision of history.

[The Running Man]

Since when Armour Of God was filled with special effects???

There's that one part when Jackie first comes out fighting with the men in the dinning hall when he is in the cave and attacks the first guard with a running bicycle kick. That was done with a wire.

Then there's the fight with Jackie and the Amazon women when Jackie kicks the last woman on her back launching her flips and all to the ground. That was done with wires.

The sequel had a bunch of special effects and wires for the scenes in the hanger at the end.

And really, complaining about special effects in a movie like Armour of God, which are about discovering mysterious artifacts that potentially have connections with fantasy elements, is missing the whole point of the movies. These are adventure films. Not a gritty realistic crime thriller like Crime Story.

Or do you want to tell The Myth and AOG are the same in using wires?

I don't understand your question very well from the way it's written. But I didn't complain at all with wires in The Myth since the story was a fantasy.

[The Amazing Psycho Per]

I remember when it was announced that Jackie would do another Police Story flick, I made in my pants... Now, with all the crap we've been given in the past years, I am less then excited.

Let's face it, he's not getting any younger, and it's becoming harder for him to do not only his stunts, but his fights. Just look at the amount of unnecessary wires in the Myth, of the number of time he was stunt doubled during fights in Forbidden Kingdom... Yep, Jackie should concetrate on his directing and action directing skills, and bring fresh faces to the buisiness.

[inframan]

I remember when it was announced that Jackie would do another Police Story flick, I made in my pants... Now, with all the crap we've been given in the past years, I am less then excited.

New Police Story sounded so good, I just didn't like that one. This give me the same feeling. Sounds cool, but could it be? Don't know, maybe....

[The Running Man]

You didn't get me.I know they used wires in Armour Of God and Police Story,and in most films.What i mean is not limited usage of wires,but "wire fu" or "flying" like in case of The Myth.It's not by meal.

"It's not by meal"?

Anyway, the "flying" fit in The Myth because it was a fantasy film.

I don't remember any wires in Police Story though.

And if you think armour of god needs some fantasy then it won't make any difference from Indiana Jones.

Well, that's what the Armour of God movies were in the first place. A Jackie Chan take on the Indiana Jones films.

[Killer Meteor]

New Police Story yeah, but for the others I don't get it. Rob B Hood was great.

I like The Myth too, expect that last section with the terrible green screen effects was embarrassing.

Then that means you refused to watch any of the Armour of God films since both used wires and special effects.

Anyway, the real issue at hand with this film is that hopefully it will not be called "Operation Condor 3" thanks to Harvey Weinstein's moronic revision of history.

I liked New Police Story but didn't like Rob-B-Hood. It had moments of greatness but that awful baby and its diaper contents kept spoiling it

[AbeRudder]

I think this will be like The Myth without the love story and the fantasy elements. I wouldn't mind seeing something like that. The action scenes will most likely be in the Mr.Nice Guy/First Strike/Rumble in The Bronx style i think.

[KUNG FU BOB]

"It's not by meal"?

He means "It's not my cup of tea". Geez dude, he's writing in a language that's foreign/ 2nd language to him for God's sake! Debate your feelings on the movies, but... there's no reason to just be obnoxious. :l You knew what he meant.

[Guest Markgway]

New Police Story yeah, but for the others I don't get it. Rob B Hood was great.

Rob-B-Hood is the worst proper Jackie Chan film I've seen. It was terrible. The Myth wasn't good - but it was less bad. New Police Story was lame. I have no interest in seeing a family adventure with CGI. We just had that with the disappointing The Forbidden Kingdom and don't need another one, thanks. If Armour 3 sucks I'm gonna start a campaign to force Jackie to retire before people forget why they actually liked him in the first place. I watched the Project A films over the last two nights and boy what a difference then to now.

[KUNG FU BOB]

If Armour 3 sucks I'm gonna start a campaign to force Jackie to retire before people forget why they actually liked him in the first place. I watched the Project A films over the last two nights and boy what a difference then to now.

Funny! XD I know what you mean. After seeing FORBIDDEN KINGDOM in the theater, my son was like "Eh... I don't know about Jackie..." and I handed him SNAKE IN THE EAGLE'S SHADOW and said "Here's what he's capable of."

[kingofkungfu2002]

In a perfect world Jackie would go out in a blaze of glory, in his 100th movie...Sadly we don't live in a perfect world :S

[The Running Man]

He means "It's not my cup of tea". Geez dude, he's writing in a language that's foreign/ 2nd language to him for God's sake! Debate your feelings on the movies, but... there's no reason to just be obnoxious. You knew what he meant.

Calm down.

No, I didn't know what he meant.

Besides, I didn't know that he's writing in a second language.

Markgway,

Rob-B-Hood is the worst proper Jackie Chan film I've seen.

Sucks for you. I enjoyed it a lot.

[thehangman]

Lets Hope its a return to form,havent seen shinjuku incident yet tho

But havent cared for some of his recent outings i actually liked new police story.

He needs to team up with Sammo and Yuen Biao again before they all get to old!

[kungfusamurai]

I like how the western media reporting the story calls the movie just 'Chinese Zodiac', dropping the 'Armour Of God III' part of the film title. What are they worried about? People getting confused when they can't find Armour of God I and II in their local DVD stores?

KFS

[D1 Ma]

Rob-B-Hood is the worst proper Jackie Chan film I've seen. It was terrible. The Myth wasn't good - but it was less bad. New Police Story was lame. I have no interest in seeing a family adventure with CGI. We just had that with the disappointing The Forbidden Kingdom and don't need another one, thanks. If Armour 3 sucks I'm gonna start a campaign to force Jackie to retire before people forget why they actually liked him in the first place. I watched the Project A films over the last two nights and boy what a difference then to now.

Totally agree with every word Markgway wrote!

As far as wires go...Well, duh! - of course, there's some wire work in Jackie's films. The thing is, they used to do it in a way that it's almost undetectable. Remember Benny Lai's triple aerial kick in PS2? It was done with wires, but it's done so perfect, many don't even suspect anything. Or, let's say, finale of Chocolate, which featured lots of cable-assisted falls. Most of them looked very real and in fact, were very dangerous, judging by the outtakes.

Special effects also may look quite good, like, for example, that retarded kid jumping off the balcony and falling to the ground during a police raid in Protege. I don't mind little FX things like that.

I also want to mention another thing that pisses me off in HK cinema of today. Remember the good old days, when a stuntment would go flying through the glass and the glass looked real? What happened to it?! Now that lousy modern sugar glass just shatters in a million tiny pieces!Even worse, they use CGI glass! The same goes for the furniture props. When somebody falls on it, it just explodes, looking so painfully fake.

Yeah, I understand - this way it's less painful for a stuntmen to fall, but it's way more painful for a millions of action fans to watch.

And don't get me started on this CGI blood! WTF?! I understand, this way they get more money for the movie, for the FX computer crew, post-production, etc., but it takes away from the movie experience...

I wish, Jackie would understand it and I hope he'll do what Sly did with Rambo 4 - just shoot the old-fashion movie the old-fashion way!!!