Armour of God II: Operation Condor (飛鷹計劃) is a 1991 live-action theatrical Hong Kong film directed by Jackie Chan, produced by Raymond Chow and Leonard Ho, and written by both Jackie Chan and Edward Tang. The film stars Jackie Chan, Carol Cheng, Eva Cobo de Garcia, Shôko Ikeda, and Aldo Sambrell, with music composed by Chris Babida. It was theatrically released in February 1991 for Hong Kong and distributed by Raymond Chow’s Golden Harvest Group and Fortune Star. It is a continuation of the 1986 film Armour of God.
Background:
“The Asian Hawk is back! Undeterred by nearly dying while making the first Armour of God, Jackie Chan returned to battle for a sequel that’s bigger, better and even more daring. This time, Jackie’s intrepid treasure hunter is on the hunt for some Nazi gold but recovering it will not be easy, let alone safe.
The most expensive Hong Kong film produced at that time, Armour of God II: Operation Condor showcases some of Jackie’s best stunts and action, building up to an epic climax that will blow you off your feet. The black belts at 88 Films are thrilled to present the UK Blu-Ray premier – uncut! – of this great fan favourite.”
Plot Synopsis via 88 Films, June 2020
After watching the previous five first print editions of 88 Films catalogue of Jackie Chan films (Crime Story, Dragons Forever, Heart of Dragon, Miracles, and The Protector), I was very excited to see how 88 Films were going to handle this release. Again as I mentioned before, my knowledge of the Hong Kong film licensing business is very minimal and Jackie Chan had a big presence internationally with Japanese versions of his films and dubbed edited versions for US release from time to time. Armour of God II is described as an Indiana Jones style adventure for Jackie Chan.
Armour of God II was released internationally for theatrical and home video release, with Japan getting an extended version similarly to Dragons Forever. It was known in the English territories as ‘Operation Condor’ before eventually using its original proper name. In the UK, it was distributed by Entertainment in Video Ltd for VHS and DVD in 1993 and 2001, Firefly Entertainment for DVD in 2012 and surprisingly Mediumrare in 2013 on Blu-ray (Mediumrare released some Bruce Lee films on Blu-ray as well) so this is one of the first 88 Films Asia titles that technically isn’t released on this format for the first time.
88 Films focus on three different niches from the film industry; Italian films, horror films and also Chinese films, the latter of which has a sub-label called 88 Asia. The Jackie Chan films are not mentioned to be part of the 88 Asia brand on the packaging but they are mentioned when you load the disc for the first time. 88 Films released nine Jackie Chan related films prior to Armour of God II, and there’s more incoming with Dragon Lord and The Fearless Hyena coming later this August plus a couple other Hong Kong related films.
First Print Edition Contents:
UK distributor 88 Films has provided a first print edition that offers the first 3000 units for select titles a slipcover and one or two physical items.
For Armour of God II: Operation Condor, the 88 Films release includes a slipcover showcasing some really nice artwork done by R.P. “Kung Fu Bob” O’Brien and a booklet written by William Blaik offers rare stills from the lobby and extra notes about the film, plus an Interview with Actor & Stuntman Vincent Lyn.
This print run has sold out and replaced with a regular Amaray Blu-ray release.
Physical Contents:
- Cardboard Slipcase
- Booklet
On-Disc Contents:
Distributor: 88 Films
Released: 15th June 2020
88 Films’ Blu-ray release for Armour of God II: Operation Condor received a 2K restoration from the original 35mm negative, which means the quality of the transfer will be better than the previous releases in the past plus a ton of effort is placed into this set. For starters, the audio options available feature the main Cantonese language with newly translated English subtitles as well as the English dub. The Blu-ray disc is Region B locked and the subtitles are unlockable during playback.
Much like Dragons Forever, Armour of God II is filled with a couple ways to watch the film. You have the option to watch in the original Hong Kong cut (running at 107 minutes) available in Cantonese language with English subtitles and the classic English dub, as well as the Extended cut (running at 117 minutes) in Cantonese language with English subtitles.
Blu-ray Specs:
| Languages | Cantonese, English |
| Audio | Hong Kong Theatrical Cut: Cantonese Linear PCM 2.0 Mono Cantonese Linear PCM 2.0 Stereo English Linear PCM 2.0 Extended Cut: Cantonese Linear PCM 2.0 Stereo |
| Video | 1080p High Definition Native format 2:35:1 aspect ratio |
| Region | B |
| Subtitles | English |
| Locked Subtitles | No |
| Discs | 1 BD-50 |
Blu-ray On-Disc Extra Features:
- Audio Commentary with Mike Leeder & Arne Venema (Hong Hong Cut)
- Original Trailer
- Re-Edited 2K Trailer
- Interview with Bruce Fontaine
Unboxing Photos:
Final Notes:
Armour of God II: Operation Condor is available to own on Blu-ray from 88 Films for the United Kingdom & Ireland. The first print edition has sold out but is available as a regular Blu-ray set on 88 Films’ official website and Amazon UK.
The Normanic Vault 
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