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Jul 15, 2026 Web Exclusive By Kaveh Jalinous Photography by Arrow Video

Whether you’re watching for the first time or revisiting one you’ve seen before, there’s something so comforting about watching a Jackie Chan movie. Though they all have different plots, the core structure stays the same. Chan plays the underdog hero, who has to defeat the bad guy to get the girl. He can be a racecar driver, a policeman, or just someone visiting their uncle in the Bronx; it doesn’t really matter. That predictability is exciting. You know the formula; you just don’t know how it’ll be remixed.

That’s exactly what makes Jackie Chan’s Breakout Hits!, Arrow Video’s newest boxset, so perfect. There’s nothing thematically binding between the set’s six films, all from the 1990s. Drunken Master II is a period piece from the British colonial era, while Rumble in the Bronx is set in 1990s New York. In Thunderbolt, Chan plays a racecar driver; in Police Story 4: First Strike, he reprises his iconic detective role from the Police Story series. Mr. Nice Guy pins Chan as a TV chef who knows kung-fu, while his character barely survives a helicopter crash to set the stage for Who Am I?

These films couldn’t be more different, a fact echoed in both their substance and their style. Not only are the framing and blocking decisions different from one film to the next, the action choreography is also completely revamped. But, watching the films in such close succession, you begin to notice patterns in the way Chan’s characters waltz around on-screen. Despite being able to take anyone in a fight (something he proves time and time again), they tend to be clumsy in a charming way, a key part of why the women around them fall in love. And his characters never take themselves too seriously, either. Even when a film’s stakes are at their highest, you never doubt that the character will find a way to save the day. It’s just baked into who they are.

The real comfort (ironically) of watching a Jackie Chan film is the action sequences. Chan’s famous for doing his own stunts, a fact that feels crazier with each film of his you watch. The movements themselves are one thing, with a rapidity that feels dizzying half of the time. But the size of the set pieces is equally impressive, making it hard to believe that (a) he could put his body at such risk, and that (b) the films’ climactic sequences are even possible. (That being said, Chan did suffer from an ankle injury during the filming of Rumble in the Bronx. Once you watch that film, it’s obvious why.)

Though Arrow’s box set refers to these six movies as Chan’s breakout hits, hardly any of them feel truly mainstream, at least compared to the direction Chan’s career took after the 1990s, when he gained more popularity in the United States. It’s a true pleasure immersing yourself in unique stories where narrative takes second place to beautifully choreographed, endlessly watchable action filmmaking setpieces. Every time you think a film’s ludicrous plot will go there, it does. And it makes the experience all the better for it.

Arrow’s boxset is also stacked, featuring 4K UHD presentations of all six films in both their Hong Kong and international cuts (the international cuts tend to be ~15 to 20 minutes shorter than their Hong Kongese counterparts). The 10-disc release also comes with a 160-page book and 24 lobby card reproductions, directly in the set. Each film also comes with commentary and interviews with a number of figures. This is the perfect gift for yourself, a Jackie Chan or martial arts film fan, or anyone interested in those who push past the limits of action filmmaking.

(www.arrowvideo.com/p/4k/jackie-chan-s-breakout-hits-arrow-store-exclusive-limited-edition-4k-uhd/17782053/)