Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- Brutal
- kinetic
- irreverent
- tongue in cheek
- action movie night
- jackie chan marathon
What critics said
Critics generally found the film entertaining when its inventive action, acrobatics, and comic energy were foregrounded, but formulaic, uneven, and weakened by awkward English-language performances.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Billy Wong's investigations are driven by Jackie Chan's superhuman stunts and choreographed physical set pieces.
New York detective Billy Wong is paired with Danny Garoni, whose contrasting personality creates the film's buddy-cop dynamic.
The investigation begins in New York and sends the two officers to Hong Kong to confront Mr. Ko's criminal network.
The kidnapping and drug-trafficking plot is repeatedly undercut by tongue-in-cheek humor and chaotic police interference.
Films like The Protector, and why
Rush Hour
shared buddy cop structure, martial arts action, comic banter, and international crime investigation
Police Story
shared hong kong crime plot, kinetic set pieces, and charismatic martial arts performance
The Big Brawl
shared cross-cultural action comedy, police partnership, and 1980s mainstream martial arts styling
Movie Details
- Director
- James Glickenhaus
- Release Date
- 1985-06-15
- Runtime
- 94 min
- Rating
- 6.0 / 10 (213)
Cast
- Jackie Chan
- Danny Aiello
- Roy Chiao
- Sandy Alexander
- Victor Arnold
- Kim Bass
- Irene Brito
- Jesse Cameron-Glickenhaus
- Al Cerullo
- Mark Cheung Lui
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Shout! Factory Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Google Play Movies, YouTube, MovieMe
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Protector about?
- A New York detective and his mismatched partner follow a kidnapping case into Hong Kong, colliding with a drug kingpin through explosive action and comic chaos.
- What is The Protector like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Protector as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as simple.
- Is The Protector violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in The Protector as brutal.
- What did critics think of The Protector?
- Critics generally found the film entertaining when its inventive action, acrobatics, and comic energy were foregrounded, but formulaic, uneven, and weakened by awkward English-language performances.
- Which films are like The Protector?
- Films with a similar feel include Rush Hour, Police Story, and The Big Brawl.
- How long is The Protector?
- The Protector runs 94 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Protector?
- In United States, The Protector streams on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Shout! Factory Amazon Channel.
