Fantasy Mission Force is arguably the weirdest movie in Jackie Chan’s filmography – but there’s a surprising story behind it that makes perfect sense of his presence in the cast. In 1983, Jackie Chan appeared in Fantasy Mission Force, an action comedy set during World War 2.

Based on the marketing, Fantasy Mission Force has all the bells and whistles of a standard, Jackie Chan action movie. He has top-billing and he’s front-and-center of the promotional art work. That said, Jackie Chan has limited screen time in the movie and is more of a supporting player than the real star of the story.

That fact is what makes Jackie Chan’s part in it so jarring. Chan’s character winds up taking over toward the climax, and even gets to defeat the villain (played by Jimmy Wang Yu) at the end of the movie.

Another aspect of Fantasy Mission Force that makes it an unusual outing for Chan is its obvious status as a low-budget action film. By 1983, Jackie Chan was already a major martial arts star, making it feel even more like a movie Chan would normally have no part of. But apparently, there were unique circumstances regarding his role in the film.

Jimmy Wang Yu Helped Rescue Jackie Chan’s Movie Career

Jackie Chan had a personal history with Jimmy Wang Yu, a martial arts legend in his own right and the producer of Fantasy Mission Force. Back when Chan was getting his start as an actor, he appeared alongside Wang Yu in The Killer Meteors, an old-school kung fu film. Years later, Chan reached out to Wang Yu for help with getting out of a contract.

During the mid-1970s, Chan made a number of unsuccessful films with Hong Kong producer Lo Wei, and found a new path for himself when he starred in Drunken Master and Snake in Eagle’s Shadow with a different studio. Afterward, he was persuaded to rejoin Lo Wei, but almost immediately changed his mind when he received a better offer from Golden Harvest.

According to his autobiography, I am Jackie Chan, Lo Wei didn’t let Chan off his contract without a fight, and allegedly threatened triad involvement in their dispute. As the book explains, this was when Chan turned to Wang Yu, who had prior experience with Lo Wei. Exactly how Wang Yu resolved the problem is unclear, but his private discussions with the producer enabled Chan’s partnership with Golden Harvest to proceed.

Jackie Chan Repaid His Debt To Jimmy Wang Yu Via Fantasy Mission Force

Considering that Golden Harvest was responsible for many of the movies that furthered Jackie Chan’s career (Police Story included), it’s not surprising that Chan felt that he owed Jimmy Wang Yu a favor for his efforts to secure his release from his contract with Lo Wei. To that end, Chan appeared in Fantasy Mission Force, which was made by Jimmy Wang Yu’s production company.

Interestingly, his appearance in Fantasy Mission Force wasn’t his last collaboration with Jimmy Wang Yu. The two martial arts stars had a second reunion in a serious prison drama тιтled Island of Fire. Like Fantasy Mission Force, it was a departure from Chan’s usual work. But just as it was with the 1983 movie, Chan’s involvement makes sense when noting that it was a Wang Yu production.