Thunderbolt (1995 film)

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Thunderbolt DVD cover

Thunderbolt (霹靂火) (Piklik Foh; Dead Heat in North America) is a 1995 film made in Hong Kong and starring Jackie Chan. The film sees Jackie's character Foh, a mechanic and part time racing car driver, playing the Good Samaritan for the police force in helping them to apprehend a dangerous criminal named Couger by means of a car chase. The criminal soon breaks free however and takes revenge on Foh by trashing his business and home and kidnapping his two younger sisters. The only way Foh can free her is by taking part in a race with Cougar who wants the rematch after being beaten by Foh the first time.

Thunderbolt is not as liked amongst Jackie Chan fans because of two major factors. Jackie had previously injured his leg and could not perform all of his stunts in the movie. Also the director's method of editing has often been deemed too artistic for an action-movie, making some of the more intense scenes difficult to follow. Some also say that the movie was rushed for its release on Chinese New Year, a traditional release date for Jackie's movies.

Another interesting curiosity of this film is that the main-theme heard in the opening is in Cantonese while the theme which plays during the credits is in Mandarin. This is however consistent with the mix of Cantonese and English that is heard throughout the movie.

In the credits, there is an apology to racers injured during filming. Apparently, real racers from different countries volunteered to travel and participate in the racing sequences.

[edit] Box Office

Despite generally poor reviews, Thunderbolt was a box office hit in Hong Kong, grossing HK $45,647,210 in its theatrical run.

[edit] Trivia

In Thunderbolt, Jackie Chan crashes a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 3 and receives a Mitsubishi GTO as a replacement.
The film features the Mitsubishi HSR concept car.
Race track locations for the film include Japan's Sendai circuit and the Batu Tiga Circuit, Shah Alam, Malaysia.