The Protector

The Protector is a 1985 Hong Kong-American action film directed by James Glickenhaus and starring Jackie Chan, Danny Aiello and Roy Chiao. It was Chan's second attempt at breaking into the American film market, after 1980 film The Big Brawl, which had moderate box office success but was considered a disappointment. Conflicts between Glickenhaus and Chan during production led to two official versions of the film: Glickenhaus' original version for American audiences and a Hong Kong version re-edited by Jackie Chan. The original Glickenhaus version was a box office failure in North America, while Chan's edited version was a moderate success in Asia; the film was also moderately successful in Europe. Chan later directed Police Story (1985) as a response to this film. Plot US/Glickenhaus version New York police officers Billy Wong and Michael are having a drink at a bar when armed crooks appear, looking for money. A fight ensues in which Michael dies and Wong kills all of the criminals. Wong is demoted to crowd control for the ruckus. Later, in the middle of a fashion show, masked gangsters storm in and kidnap Laura Shapiro, the daughter of known gangster Martin Shapiro. Crime boss Harold Ko and Martin Shapiro are suspected of smuggling drugs from Hong Kong to New York, and Ko may have taken her to Hong Kong for ransom. Wong and his new partner Danny Garoni get a lead – Shapiro's bodyguard Benny Garucci recently made several calls to a Hong Kong massage parlor. Wong and Garoni go to the parlor. While investigating, they get massages, and the masseuses try to kill them. Billy and Garoni fight back and escape alive.