Hong Kong movie was hot in the late '80s, and into the '90s, and this is one of the movies from that era. The casting is unusual, and so is the plot. Jet Li, wasn't all that well known at the time, and this was Miss Chinese International 1992 Christy Chung's first big role ( I actually liked the miss Chinese International 92 runner up more than Christy, and she would have been perfect for this role ).

Jet Li's star was on the rise starting around the time this movie was made, and he starts getting noticed in the US around this time also. Simon Yam was briefly wooing Christy shortly after this movie was made. Simon of course had many other options as he was one of the most eligible bachelor in Hong Kong.

The movie's title is almost verbatim fact as Jet was from China, and Christy was from Canada. The unusual mixture of the two culture shows in the mood of these two actors. The plot is also unusual in that an operative from China protects a rich capitalist girl. The movie's background looks more modern than the present day Hong Kong. Hong Kong seems to have slid backwards in culture since its repatriation. This is evident when you see this movie.

So this is an interesting movie, and the producers at Dimension Film did a really good job of capturing the character of Li, and Chung, and incorporating them into the story. Jet Li is like an unstoppable terminator in this movie, and it correctly highlights his skills, and power.

This is an excellent movie, and is worth a watch if you're a Hong Kong movie fan.

**some spoilers** The Bodyguard from Bejing (aka the Defender) is a great Jet Li movie. When I first rented it, I was expecting action, action, and more action. To my delight, I was wrong! Even though I like to see action, I was happy to see Jet in a semi-romantic role. The tension and angst between himself, Christy Cheung, and her rich boyfriend is really nicely done, and the romantic scenes are perfect (although I REALLY wish Jet had kissed her!).

Alot of people also dislike Christy Cheung's character. She is whiny, high-tempered and spoiled, right? Jet's character has invaded her life, and totally changed it. She has every right to be angry with him, and act like a brat. She doesn't treat other people that way. Her character is sweet, friendly, and charming when Jet isn't around. Her behavior toward Jet changes when she begins to fall in love with him. And he in turn softens as time goes by.

There was also a surprising amount of guns and bullets. Usually Jet is all hands and feet, but this time it's more like guns and... more guns. Alot of Jet's got upset about how much gunplay there was, but I say variety is the spice of life. You can rent Meltdown or Hero if you want kung-fu.

Although the picture and sound quality make you think the movie was done in the 50s, the film itself is great. There's comedy, mystery, romance, and of course action! Must see for any Jet fan!