Film Name: 飞鹰计划 / Armour of God II: Operation Condor / 飛鷹計劃
In “Cheng Long Zi Shu,” it’s mentioned that due to the excessive investment in the previous film “Mr. Canton and Lady Rose” yielding little profit, Golden Harvest was dissatisfied. This led Jackie Chan to opt for the relatively conservative approach of filming the sequel to “Armour of God,” titled “Armour of God II: Operation Condor,” to secure higher box office returns.
It’s quite tragic, really. He desperately wanted to make an art film—at least “Mr. Canton and Lady Rose” was originally intended as one—but Golden Harvest stipulated that any film lacking sufficient action sequences or stunts would not be approved. Ultimately, “Mr. Canton and Lady Rose” cost HK$70 million to complete, making it the most expensive Hong Kong production at the time.
Despite Golden Harvest demanding cost reductions, “Armour of God II: Operation Condor” ended up vastly exceeding its budget. It cost over HK$40 million more than “Mr. Canton and Lady Rose,” ultimately finishing at HK$115 million. It’s hard to imagine how Golden Harvest felt at the time, but once committed mid-production, they had no choice but to pour more money in. Thus, “Armour of God II: Operation Condor” surpassed “Mr. Canton and Lady Rose” as the most expensive Hong Kong film ever made at the time.
Numerous factors contributed to the massive expenditure. Morocco, one filming location, offered stunning scenery that delighted the crew, yet equipment frequently malfunctioned due to sand ingress, delaying shoots. Camels proved uncooperative. The scorching climate left over 90% of the crew bedridden with illness from acclimatization issues, while one member suffered a scorpion sting, forcing a two-month production delay. To ensure filming wrapped as quickly as possible, Jackie Chan spared no expense in arranging extensive logistical support. The most serious setback occurred when the film’s prop currency somehow entered local circulation as genuine money. Moroccan authorities summoned Jackie Chan and confiscated all the film reels. The crew urgently contacted lawyers to resolve the matter, verifying their identities and providing assurances. After days of effort, the police finally returned the film. However, the production manager was arrested on charges of counterfeiting currency and served three months in prison. They planned to complete all essential local scenes before shipping 10 tons of sand back to Hong Kong for the remaining shots. The crew finally returned to Hong Kong with injured crew members, sick personnel, sand-loading machinery, and a thoroughly disheveled appearance.
Reflecting on these experiences while watching this joyful film evokes an inexplicable sense of wonder.
Compared to similar Hollywood productions, this film appears playful and less serious in its art direction, set design, and prop craftsmanship, diminishing its realism. But objectively speaking, Jackie Chan’s films operate on vastly lower budgets—in manpower, resources, and financial investment—with shorter planning and production cycles than their Hollywood counterparts, yet maintain a high output rate. Given these constraints, achieving this level of quality is commendable. Moreover, the film is filled with laughter from start to finish—a rare quality indeed.
Ah, it’s just so joyful.
Only later did I realize that the frail, gaunt figure confined as the husband to the indigenous queen in the opening scenes was actually the film’s executive director, Chen Zhihua.
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