Snake in the Eagles Shadow (1978) ****/*****
Here it is, the movie that begins the upward trajectory of Jackie Chan and lays the foundation for what was to come. A much more realized version of his slapstick Kung-Fu makes its bow, and several concepts and trademarks soon to be recognized as uniquely Jackie Chan make an early appearance as well.
This can also be viewed as a full scale dress rehearsal for Drunken Master which went into production almost immediately after this one was completed.
An orphan who has been raised at a kung fu school, where he is treated as little more than a dogsbody and practice target for the students, has a life-changing experience after helping an old peripatetic beggar.
