Top 10 Times Jackie Chan Went BEAST MODE

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the extraordinary action sequences and super stunt work that activated Jackie Chan’s Beast Mode. Which Jackie Chan movie moment awed you? Let us know in the comments below.

#10: The Final Fight with Brad Allan

“Gorgeous” (1999)

A recycling company CEO is more likely to be an expert in management and environmental statistics than in martial arts. However, Chan’s character from “Gorgeous” is different. C.N. Chan vows to fight against the goons that a rival businessman sends after him. Since they fail, said businessman Howie Lo subsequently hires Alan to take Chan down. Considering Alan’s played by legendary stunt performer Brad Allan, the odds are highly tilted in his favor. Still, Chan’s gallantry shines bright. Here, the protagonist earns respect, not because he wins, but because he survives a duel with a better opponent. Despite Allan’s experience and expertise, Chan surprises everyone by absorbing all the blows and staying on his feet for most of the fight. Eventually, both men run out of energy and comically collapse.

#9: The Helicopter Leap

“Police Story 3: Supercop” [aka “Supercop” & “Jackie Chan's Supercop”] (1992)

True to the movie’s title, Chan’s character, Inspector Chan Ka-Kui, is a super cop who drives like a racer and keeps making Hulk-like leaps. In a standout scene, Chan fights miscreants on top of a roof. As some of them try to flee using a helicopter, he quickly jumps, grabs onto its rope ladder and is taken for a flight above the city until he ultimately lands into a train. Like many of Chan’s other stunts, this was performed by the actor himself, and it could have gone badly had he gotten the math wrong. Overall, it’s an incredible scene that showcases Chan’s awe-inspiring agility and leaves fans appreciative of his disposition to do potentially deadly stunts for entertainment.

#8: Clinging onto a Bus Using an Umbrella

“Police Story” (1985)

No police car? No problem. When a crime lord and his minions opt to use a double-decker bus as their getaway vehicle in the movie’s opening act, Chan comes up with an even better idea. He grabs an umbrella and uses its handle as a hook to cling to the back of it. The actor manages to hold in for quite a long time, proving that he is unrivaled when it comes to endurance and creativity. And, despite the risks, it sure seems like Chan enjoyed filming this sequence and many more in the movie. In his autobiography, he names “Police Story” as the top action movie he’s been in.

#7: A 28-Foot Leap

“Rumble in the Bronx” (1995)

“Rumble in the Bronx” is credited with bringing Chan into the North American mainstream, and he sure deserved the popularity boost, given the work he put in. During one of the film’s chase scenes, he makes a 28-foot leap between two buildings and lands safely. The stunt is remarkable because Chan voluntarily risked his life to do it. During filming, he could have worn a wire and harness, but did not. Many other actors would have been happy to substitute themselves for a stunt performer at this point, but for Chan, the thrill has seemingly always been too good to pass up.

#6: The Snowboard Leap

“First Strike” (1996)

Too many foot and car chases can be boring, so Chan and his team came up with another interesting form of pursuit in “First Strike.” In this scene from 4th “Police Story” installment, he snowboards down a mountain to flee a group of armed skiers who’ve jumped out of a helicopter. When he reaches the edge, another helicopter appears and he immediately jumps onto its skids. The move must have required mathematical accuracy, as well as lots of practice, skill, and guts, so kudos to the martial arts star for getting it right. But that’s not the only amazing part: just as the helicopter is about to explode after being shot at, the cop lets go and drops some 100 feet into a frozen lake below!

#5: Jackie Chan vs. Benny "The Jet" Urquidez

“Wheels on Meals” [aka “Spartan X”] (1984)

Benny “The Jet” Urquidez was a worthy opponent for Chan in the climactic scene of this action comedy as he was once the only martial arts fighter to hold six world titles in five different weight divisions. On paper, the professional kickboxer and martial arts choreographer is better than Chan, but here, he is Thug #1, and Chan is a hero, so it’s easy to predict the outcome. Still, it takes extra effort for Chan to win. The two men demonstrate high endurance and throw everything they’ve got at each other during the castle fight. Finally, it all comes down to who is willing to push harder. In what’s considered one of best fights of his career, Chan turns out to be that person.

#4: The Building Windows Slide

“Who Am I?” (1998)

“Who am I?” That’s what Jackie Chan’s amnesiac character wonders after waking up in an African village. His frantic search for answers leads him to Rotterdam in The Netherlands, where goons chase him to the top of a building. Cornered, he slides down dozens of floors via the window panes on the outside of a building. Because of the building’s design, there appears to be little risk of gravity messing with his plan. Still, the possibility of a serious injury is high, considering that one of the windows might buckle under his weight. Thankfully, he reaches the ground safely.

#3: The Fall from a Clock Tower

“Project A” (1983)

Sergeant Dragon Ma’s task of stopping modern-day pirates proves a lot harder than expected. On one occasion, things go so wrong that he finds himself dangling from a massive clock tower before dropping between 60-72 feet to the ground. It’s a grimace-inducing scene, but good old-fashioned plot armor ensures the character’s survival. A similar clock tower stunt was performed by Silent Era star Harold Lloyd in “Safety Last!” decades earlier, but Chan’s version is arguably superior because he fell a greater distance and put his body on the line three times because he didn’t like the first two takes. Chan reportedly hadn’t even watched that movie before doing his stunt.

#2: Chan Crawls Through a Bed of Flaming Coal

“Drunken Master II” [aka “The Legend of Drunken Master”] (1994)

Wong Fei-hung is among the funniest characters Jackie Chan has ever played. He fights like he has consumed gallons of rum, and even when he has imbibed, he still manages to punch his way through hordes of men. However, things get harder when he meets the antagonist’s chief henchman. At one point during the steel factory fight, Chan’s character falls into a hot coal bed. This seems like it might be the end of him, but he surprisingly crawls backwards through it and suffers severe burns before staging a comeback and turning the fight around. Once again, the shocking scene shows the great lengths the actor is willing to go to entertain fans. He once again insisted on more than 1 take during filming, and the final cut was worth it.

#1: The Mall Fight

“Police Story” (1985)

One-man-army duels were common in the ‘80s and in “Police Story,” Jackie Chan gives a masterclass on how to do it. Trapped inside a mall with a crime lord’s henchmen, Chan leaps over escalators and smashes merchandise and some of them along the way. Then comes the unforgettable moment when a briefcase containing classified information drops to the bottom floor. Without thinking twice, Chan slides down a long pole covered in hot light bulbs and crashes through glass just before hitting the floor hard. It’s a work of art, and the actor bled for it. He not only dislocated his pelvis, but also suffered second-degree burns among other injuries..