Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- Brutal
- energetic
- comic
- heightened
- retro action night
- martial arts movie marathon
What critics said
Critics generally found the film an amusing and accessible martial arts action comedy, though it fell short of the major crossover hit its distributors expected.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The production combines Warner Bros. Pictures and Golden Harvest with Jackie Chan’s Hong Kong martial arts persona and an American setting.
The central street-fighting competition turns martial arts combat into the film’s main source of spectacle and humor.
Jerry Kwan is forced to participate in a brutal formal street-fighting competition.
Jerry Kwan is identified as a young Asian-American martial artist whose skills are tested within a Chicago street-gang conflict.
Films like The Big Brawl, and why
The Young Master
martial arts action comedy with Jackie Chan’s physical performance and comic stuntwork
Drunken Master
Hong Kong-influenced martial arts spectacle centered on inventive choreography and a charismatic fighter
The Karate Kid
cross-cultural martial arts action comedy combining American production with Asian fight-film traditions
Movie Details
- Director
- Robert Clouse
- Release Date
- 1980-08-18
- Runtime
- 95 min
- Rating
- 5.9 / 10 (202)
Cast
- Jackie Chan
- Mako
- Kristine DeBell
- José Ferrer
- Rosalind Chao
- Chao Li Chi
- H.B. Haggerty
- Ron Max
- David Sheiner
- Lenny Montana
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Shout! Factory Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video
- Buy
- Amazon Video
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Big Brawl about?
- A gifted martial artist is driven into a brutal Chicago street-fighting tournament where comic ingenuity matters as much as physical strength.
- What is The Big Brawl like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Big Brawl as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as simple.
- Is The Big Brawl violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in The Big Brawl as brutal.
- What did critics think of The Big Brawl?
- Critics generally found the film an amusing and accessible martial arts action comedy, though it fell short of the major crossover hit its distributors expected.
- Which films are like The Big Brawl?
- Films with a similar feel include The Young Master, Drunken Master, and The Karate Kid.
- How long is The Big Brawl?
- The Big Brawl runs 95 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Big Brawl?
- In United States, The Big Brawl streams on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Shout! Factory Amazon Channel.
