Top 20 Greatest Jackie Chan Stunts
#20: Bulldozer
“Mr. Nice Guy” (1997) This Jackie Chan outing from 1997 may not be mentioned alongside some of his better-known work, but perhaps it should. At the very least, fans new to Chan’s stunt team would be advised to check out this scene when Jackie struggles from beneath the wheel of a bulldozer. The sight of Chan bicycling his legs along the treads, as they threaten to crush him from below is enough to give us heart palpitations. Meanwhile, the orchestra of explosions that occur after Jackie commandeers the bulldozer features extras who barely make it out of the blast radius without their butts being burned. Yowza.
#19: Superfoot Fight
“The Protector” (1985) This film from director James Glickenhaus is something of an anomaly within the filmography of Jackie Chan. It’s a hard-R action flick with a very American sensibility and an edgier performance from Jackie. “The Protector” also features a dream fight near its climax, as Chan faces off with kickboxing legend Bill “Superfoot” Wallace. This one is admittedly more about the fight choreography than any death-defying stunts, but the pair put in such a workout, that the end results are astonishing. Wallace and Chan utilize everything from standard punches and kicks to diving headbutts during their clash, adding to the gritty realism of “The Protector” as a whole.
#18: Failed Jump
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“Rumble in the Bronx” (1995) This mid-90s entry from Jackie served as a great introduction for North American fans seeking to check out Chan in action. “Rumble in the Bronx” was also yet another film that featured an accident caught on camera. Chan was attempting to leap onto a hovercraft from a bridge, but ended up breaking his ankle in the process. The sequence was eventually finished, and the version audiences ended up seeing featured Jackie in a specially designed cast that was made to look like his character’s shoes! It’s yet another testament to just how far Jackie Chan and his team will go to deliver movie magic.
#17: Platform Brawl
“Armour of God II: Operation Condor” (1991) The production of “Armour of God II: Operation Condor” was marred by a stunt-gone-wrong, whereby Jackie Chan actually ended up breaking his sternum. However, that same film also features one of Chan’s best successful stunts. This dizzying platform fight feels like a video game, as Chan battles baddies in a very unstable setting. The platforms move up and down, lifting up Chan and his antagonists and they struggle to maintain their balance. The fact that such awesome fight choreography was also able to be achieved within this crazy setting just has to be seen to be believed.
#16: Tumbled Trellis
“Police Story” (1985) Most fans of Jackie Chan will tell you to start with the “Police Story” franchise if you want to truly discover what made the man famous. And you know what? They’re right! This fight sequence shot within a mall is an embarrassment of riches when it comes to insane stunts, including an early tumble by Chan over a trellis. The lack of any sort of protection just makes the impact feel wince-inducing, as we see Chan get unceremoniously tossed through all sorts of debris. The look on Chan’s face just sort of says it all: this could NOT have been fun to shoot.
#15: A Crushing Stunt
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“Crime Story” (1993) The opening of 1993’s “Crime Story” contains an excellent back-and-forth between scenes of kinetic action that are juxtaposed against an internal police evaluation. Jackie’s character Inspector Eddie Chan is in the middle of a hectic gun battle against several organized crime figures. The scene features tons of vehicular action and bullets that seem to whiz by at every turn. There’s also a stunt involving Chan standing in the way of a speeding car. He dodges at the last possible second, and the car slams into the back of a van, pinning his legs. The actor was actually crushed during the first take and was forced to do it again to achieve the one we see on screen.
#14: Hand-to-Hand Combat
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“Hand of Death” (1976) Jackie Chan, like many future martial arts stars, made his mark early with supporting roles back in the 1970s. The actor also detailed in his book, “I Am Jackie Chan: My Life in Action,” about how he was knocked completely out cold while filming “Hand of Death” in 1976. That injury isn’t shown in the finished film, but what we do see is early evidence of Chan’s skill on screen. There’s a great scene in the film where Jackie is engaging in weapons-based action against several opponents. Chan’s fancy footwork is already clear at this early stage of his game, and his work during this scene provides a standout moment for “Hand of Death.”
#13: Just Hanging Around
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“Police Story 3: Supercop” (1992) What would you do if you were faced with the kind of stunt Jackie Chan braves in “Police Story 3: Supercop?” Not only does this sequence involve Chan hanging from a ladder that’s being carried by a helicopter. Not only does the actor bounce around while dangling from said ladder. But the sequence also requires Jackie to leap from this copter onto a moving train! It’s the sort of stunt that likely required expert planning, split-second execution, and a whole lot of prayers to ensure that everything went according to plan!
#12: High Adventure
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“Armour of God” (1986) The production of 1986’s “Armour of God” was infamous for an instance where a tree jumping scene resulted in serious injury for star Jackie Chan. However, the entire film is a bevy of more successful stunt riches, from the battles with monks and Amazon women to the outstanding opening sequence. Chan’s character of treasure hunter “Asian Hawk” rappels with a rope, dives over hot coals, and successfully avoids getting speared. There’s also a great tumble down a hill before we get what’s perhaps Jackie Chan’s greatest stunt of all: performing with a pop group!
#11: Snowboard Jump
“Police Story 4: First Strike” (1996) The fourth film in Jackie Chan’s “Police Story” franchise certainly didn’t disappoint any of the man’s fans back when it was released in 1996. The film is chock full of exceptional stunts, such as this scene where Jackie is snowboarding down a mountainside. The sight of Chan leaping into the air and grabbing onto a helicopter is enough to make us catch our breath. “First Strike” then ups the ante, however, by having the copter blow up, and for Jackie to be sent on another ride, back down into the powder.
#10: Bungee Drop with a Twist
“Who Am I?” (1998) Hey, adrenaline junkies! Bungee jumping is fun, right? Right? Well, maybe so, but we don’t think this quick, but terrifying drop from Chan’s second flick to be written and filmed in English is quite how you’re supposed…to…do it? In this action comedy, Jackie seems to be in total control as he jumps off a ledge, with a bungee cord wrapped tightly around his body. It’s not a long fall, but the sight of that cord unraveling at frightening speed gives us nightmares about what could’ve happened to Chan had something got caught up on the way down. Thankfully, it’s all over in just a few seconds, with Jackie’s character taking off as if nothing happened just a couple of seconds after he hits the ground.
#9: Hot Air Balloon Jump
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“Armour of God” (1986) Talk about catching some air! The action adventure “Armour of God” is known as one of Jackie Chan’s best and most popular films, and it also contains some of his most memorable stunts. One of these was a sequence that sees Chan take a giant leap of faith from a cave wall into the wild blue yonder. Jackie’s freefall feels like an eternity as a hot air balloon approaches in the distance. Then, the balloon comes into frame, and we see Chan successfully nail his landing. This is the first stunt on our list to feature multiple camera angles and instant replay, and it won’t be the last. Just watch this sequence and hold your breath.
#8: Parking Lot Leap
“Rumble in the Bronx” (1995) A lot of stunts on this list will involve Jackie taking to the air and hoping for the best. This one from “Rumble in the Bronx” is a bit more grounded in reality, but no less impressive, as Chan leaps from one rooftop to another during a fight/chase scene involving a parking lot. “Rumble in the Bronx” was intended to be an entry point for North American movie fans to experience some Jackie Chan magic, and it honestly works. There’s an approachability to the action and choreography that makes the martial arts film a breezy and fun watch, while the actual leap in question is as cool as any older Chan set-piece. The sight of Jackie taking a deep breath and launching across still makes us cheer today.
#7: Glass Sign
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“Police Story 2” (1988) The “Police Story” franchise is a great place to start if you really want to dig into the meat and potatoes of Jackie Chan’s best work. We’ll dive into the classic first film in the series a little later, but don’t sleep on the first sequel, as this glass window stunt is one of Jackie’s wildest. It starts out with a couple of awesome jumps onto a moving bus, before Chan has to quickly lie down to avoid a sign. Then, Jackie jumps off the bus through a pane of prop glass. At least, that's what we see in the finished film. The end credit bloopers seem to suggest that Chan either leapt through the wrong pane or that the stunt didn’t work out correctly for at least one take, resulting in some concerning injuries.
#6: Backwards on Hot Coals
“Drunken Master II” (1994) We’ve covered a lot of Jackie’s police-themed work thus far in our list, but it’s important to remember that Chan originally made his name making some legit kung fu classics. 1978’s “Drunken Master” was unequivocally one of those movies, while the 1994 sequel also featured some worthwhile craziness for Chan’s fans to enjoy. Don’t believe us? How does Jackie falling backwards on actual hot coals grab ya? Yup, not only is this fight sequence impeccably choreographed from the jump, but it also features a slow- motion sequence where we see Chan make his way backwards through a fiery hot coal pit. It’s the sort of scene that makes us rub our eyes in disbelief, despite knowing full well that Jackie Chan is THIS level of fearless.
#5: Hanging Off a Bus
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“Police Story” (1985) We’re back to the “Police Story” franchise, this time with that aforementioned first movie, a full-fledged Jackie Chan banger. Jackie himself remembers this action comedy as one of his best in his autobiography, so who are we to argue? The bus chase sequence alone is worth the price of admission, opening up with Chan hanging on for dear life to the back of the speeding vehicle. He then climbs his way up the side, fighting goons all the way. But wait, there’s more! After falling off, he catches up to the bus and decides to play chicken, standing in front of it, only for two men to figuratively crash and burn and take a nasty and reportedly unplanned fall to the concrete. Ouch.
#4: Roller Skating Through Traffic
“Winners and Sinners” (1983) 1983’s “Winners and Sinners” may not be one of Jackie Chan’s most well-known movies, but diehard action fans are well advised to seek the action comedy out, if just for this crazy stunt sequence. It starts off with Chan - on roller skates, mind you - leaping (and missing) a car. He eventually catches up and gets on the chase, weaving in and out of traffic, holding onto any and every car on the road. Chan skates under a semi, lies flat in the street and allows a car to drive over him, leapfrogs motor-cycles and basically does every wackadoo thing you can possibly imagine. Check this one out for yourself, and see what we mean.
#3: Sliding Down a Skyscraper
“Who Am I?” (1998) Jackie Chan was already an established star by the time “Who Am I?” hit in 1998, but that didn’t mean that he was through wowing us with hand-over-mouth, capital S shocking stunt work. Case in point? This absolutely ridiculous building slide that may end safely enough, but possesses enough tension to make us hold our breath the whole time. In this action comedy that he co-directed with Benny Chan, Jackie slides down this incredibly steep and incredibly smooth building, at a height that’s vertigo-inducing, to say the least. Add in how Jackie switches from walking vertically to going headfirst before finally making his landing? Two words: Holy. Crap. Who is he, indeed?!
#2: Clock Tower Slip
“Project A” (1983) Much has been made about the comparisons between Jackie Chan’s style of physical comedy, and the groundbreaking silent movie work of legends like Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd. Chan actually hadn’t seen those films prior to shooting “Project A,” despite this clock tower fall looking remarkably similar to Lloyd’s “Safety Last!” Trivia aside, the movement and choreography both outside and inside the tower is a sight to behold, while the final fall through two awnings is difficult to watch. The impact when Chan lands is wince-inducing to say the least, and it’s even worse watching it in slow motion.
#1: Glass Story
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“Police Story” (1985) Because which other Jackie Chan stunt could possibly take our number one spot? Forget the fact that this shopping mall fight scene starts off with a badass jump onto an escalator, because it gets even CRAZIER after that shot. “Police Story’s” final set piece makes the best of Chan’s penchant for multiple angles and replays, as the man slides down a pole covered in hot lights, before crashing through sugar glass to the ground below. Chan suffered second degree burns during the fall, while the impact of the landing dislocated his pelvis and hurt his back. There’s certainly no denying that the stunt looks freakin’ awesome, but we’re glad he’s since recovered!
