Trailers
Description
Billy Wong is a New York City cop whose partner is gunned down during a robbery. Billy and his new partner, Danny Garoni, are working security at a fashion show when a wealthy man's daughter, Laura Shapiro, is kidnapped. The Federal authorities suspect that Laura's father is involved with Mr. Ko, a Hong Kong drug kingpin, so the NYC police commissioner sends the two cops to Hong Kong to investigate.
Starring
Key opinion
The Protector is widely regarded as a failed attempt to export Jackie Chan to Hollywood, as the film strips away his signature charisma in favor of a generic, gritty American action aesthetic. While some viewers appreciate the novelty of seeing Chan in a darker, hard-edged role with competent stunts, most criticize the film's incoherent plot, poor pacing, and the fundamental mismatch between the star's capabilities and Western production sensibilities.
| Originality | The film fails to capitalize on Jackie Chan's unique comedic persona, relegating him to a standard, grim action hero archetype. | |
| Acting | The fight choreography and stunt work are largely viewed as underwhelming, theatrical, and cheap compared to Chan’s high standards, with only the final battle earning praise. | |
| Screenplay | The narrative suffers from being formulaic, incoherent, and filled with unnecessary, bloated scenes that drag down the overall experience. | |
| Theme | Opinions are divided on the film's gritty tone: some appreciate the experimental departure into violent, hard-boiled action, while others find the departure from Chan’s usual charm to be an embarrassing mismatch. |