Special places archive

February 2014

Jackie Chan at the Old Museum

I don’t watch many martial arts action films, but this segment on YouTube caught my attention. It is set in the Old Museum Building in Brisbane, and uses the spaces of the exhibition hall for some exciting action. The exhibition hall was built in 1891, and was the home of the Queensland Museum from 1899 until 1986. I am doing some work on the building at the moment, which adds to my interest.

The clip is from the 1996 film Jackie Chan’s First Strike. More details are at the IMDb, where it rates 6.5 stars (out of 10).

Jackie Chan hanging from the mezzanine. Bad men with sticks are on the floor below, waiting for him to fall.

The hero fighting a baddie with sticks. There is a lot more of this to come.

Part of the celebrated ladder fight sequence. Those windows in the background were added to the building in 1899 when it was converted for the museum.

It’s great to see the Old Museum in a movie, but I’m not desperate to see the whole film. As the reviewer Roger Ebert says—It’s as if the movie has been made of, by and for 13-year-old boys, and while you watch it you feel like one. If I see the DVD in the video store I might even borrow it, and tickle my inner 13-year-old.

filed under Australia + War

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