If you've read my title you'll know you're going to hear praise for this Chan entry. You should know this is the one Chan film I could watch over and over and never tire of it. The entire Chan series is great, but this entry is perfect in my view.
Charlie's old friend Major Gordon Kent, former owner and promoter of champion race horse Avalanche, is killed after getting too close to a gambling syndicate responsible for his horse's defeat in its latest race. Chan is called in when Kent's ocean liner reaches port in Honolulu. What initially is believed to be an accidental death blamed on Avalanche stomping Kent to death is quickly proved to be murder by the clever Chan. As the ocean voyage continues on to Los Angeles, Chan (along with #1 son Lee) come aboard to try and solve the murder before the horse's next race in California. As Chan closes in on the killer (and the gambling syndicate) his life and the life of his son are put into jeopardy. Despite all this will Chan and son stop the syndicate's ultimate plan from succeeding, and will justice be found for Kent's murder? It all comes to a whirlwind conclusion as Chan finally solves the puzzle and figures out the many angles of this mystery.
This entry is such a good one because it contains so many elements of my favorite Chan films. We have Chan and #1 son working as a team, a good portion of the story takes place on a passenger ship, the movie beginning in Honolulu but ending in another part of the world, there are more than one angles involved with the murder only playing a piece of the bigger puzzle, Gangsters, cool action sequences, a great cast and director, a romantic diversion... everything that I have liked about previous entries wrapped up into one, and neatly done as well.
For my money, this is the gold of an already great film series. If you like Chan films, or great classic mystery movies from this era in Hollywood, watch this one!
Charlie's old friend Major Gordon Kent, former owner and promoter of champion race horse Avalanche, is killed after getting too close to a gambling syndicate responsible for his horse's defeat in its latest race. Chan is called in when Kent's ocean liner reaches port in Honolulu. What initially is believed to be an accidental death blamed on Avalanche stomping Kent to death is quickly proved to be murder by the clever Chan. As the ocean voyage continues on to Los Angeles, Chan (along with #1 son Lee) come aboard to try and solve the murder before the horse's next race in California. As Chan closes in on the killer (and the gambling syndicate) his life and the life of his son are put into jeopardy. Despite all this will Chan and son stop the syndicate's ultimate plan from succeeding, and will justice be found for Kent's murder? It all comes to a whirlwind conclusion as Chan finally solves the puzzle and figures out the many angles of this mystery.
This entry is such a good one because it contains so many elements of my favorite Chan films. We have Chan and #1 son working as a team, a good portion of the story takes place on a passenger ship, the movie beginning in Honolulu but ending in another part of the world, there are more than one angles involved with the murder only playing a piece of the bigger puzzle, Gangsters, cool action sequences, a great cast and director, a romantic diversion... everything that I have liked about previous entries wrapped up into one, and neatly done as well.
For my money, this is the gold of an already great film series. If you like Chan films, or great classic mystery movies from this era in Hollywood, watch this one!