# Dragons Forever (飞龙猛将)
**Dragons Forever** (飞龙猛將; also known by the release titles 3 Brothers and, in Japan, Cyclone Z) is a 1988 Hong Kong action comedy directed by [Sammo Hung](https://www.edgepedia.org/sammo-hung), with Corey Yuen credited as co-director, starring [Jackie Chan](https://www.edgepedia.org/jackie-chan), Sammo Hung, and [Yuen Biao](https://www.edgepedia.org/yuen-biao). Produced by Golden Harvest, it is the final film in which the three stars, former China Drama Academy classmates often called the "Three Brothers", appeared together on screen[1](https://www.filmarchive.gov.hk/en/web/hkfa/pe-event-2019-10-1-18.html) • [2](https://kungfutube.info/5819) • [3](https://cinemaanthology.com/movie-night/hong-kong/films/dragons-forever/).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Original title | 飛龍猛將 (Cantonese: Fei lung mang jeung); international titles include 3 Brothers and Cyclone Z[2](https://kungfutube.info/5819) |
| Directors | Sammo Hung; Corey Yuen credited as co-director[1](https://www.filmarchive.gov.hk/en/web/hkfa/pe-event-2019-10-1-18.html) • [3](https://cinemaanthology.com/movie-night/hong-kong/films/dragons-forever/) |
| Screenwriter | Szeto Cheuk-hon[1](https://www.filmarchive.gov.hk/en/web/hkfa/pe-event-2019-10-1-18.html) |
| Producer | Leonard Ho, for Golden Harvest[1](https://www.filmarchive.gov.hk/en/web/hkfa/pe-event-2019-10-1-18.html) • [4](https://www.grindhousedatabase.com/index.php/Dragons_Forever) |
| Hong Kong release | 11 February 1988, Cantonese, color[5](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E9%A3%9E%E9%BE%99%E7%8C%9B%E5%B0%86/0?fromModule=lemma_inlink) |
| Significance | Final onscreen collaboration of Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, and Yuen Biao[1](https://www.filmarchive.gov.hk/en/web/hkfa/pe-event-2019-10-1-18.html) |
| Award | Nominated for Best Action Choreography at the 8th Hong Kong Film Awards (1989)[5](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E9%A3%9E%E9%BE%99%E7%8C%9B%E5%B0%86/0?fromModule=lemma_inlink) |
## Spoilers
### Story
Jackie Lung (Jackie Chan) is a womanizing attorney hired by the gangster Hua Hsien-wu ([Yuen Wah](https://www.edgepedia.org/yuen-wah)) to defend Hua's chemical factory against a lawsuit brought by Miss Yip (Deannie Yip), who says the plant is polluting the waters of a cove and destroying her nearby fish farm. Hua is in fact manufacturing illegal drugs in the factory, and he resorts to unlawful means to keep the operation going[6](https://www.miramax.com/movie/dragons-forever/).
Jackie recruits two friends, the fixer [Wong Fei-hung](https://www.edgepedia.org/wong-fei-hung) (Sammo Hung) and the eccentric Tung Tak-biao (Yuen Biao), to persuade Miss Yip to sell her fish farm. The plan backfires: Wong genuinely falls for Miss Yip, Jackie falls for Miss Yip's cousin and key witness, the lawyer Nancy (Pauline Yeung), and the pair eventually uncover the factory's true purpose as a drug-manufacturing front. The three reconcile and combine to destroy the drug operation[7](https://www.fortunestarentertainment.com/dragonsforever.html) • [5](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E9%A3%9E%E9%BE%99%E7%8C%9B%E5%B0%86/0?fromModule=lemma_inlink).
## The Three Brothers
Chan, Sammo Hung, and Yuen Biao trained together at Yu Zhanyuan's Hong Kong-China Opera Institute, where Hung captained the performing troupe the Seven Little Fortunes, and all three became leading Hong Kong action performers[3](https://cinemaanthology.com/movie-night/hong-kong/films/dragons-forever/) • [8](https://www.filmarchive.gov.hk/documents/6.-Research-and-Publication/06-02-Filmmakers-Search/English/Sammo-Hung_e.pdf). The three first co-starred in *Project A* (1983), which won the Best Action Design Award at the third Hong Kong Film Awards, and appeared together again in *Wheels on Meals* and the original Lucky Stars trilogy[9](https://digital.library.adelaide.edu.au/server/api/core/bitstreams/b94f5ed3-96ea-4171-8aca-ccba4d5cc278/content).
*Dragons Forever* was their last joint appearance on screen. The Hong Kong Film Archive describes the trio as "the ultimate dream casting for action films in the 1980s" and highlights the film as the end of their celebrated partnership, noting in particular the comedic fight scenes among the three, such as Hung and Yuen fighting at Chan's character's home, executed with the speed and precision of long-term collaborators[1](https://www.filmarchive.gov.hk/en/web/hkfa/pe-event-2019-10-1-18.html).
## Action and reception
The film's plot serves largely as a frame for the action. Noted set pieces include fights in a nightclub and on a boat, Yuen Biao's one-on-one with Billy Chow, and a finale in which Jackie Chan rematches with the American kickboxing champion Benny "The Jet" Urquidez, who had fought Chan previously in *Wheels on Meals*; reviewers describe the contrast between Chan's evasive, improvisational movement and Urquidez's compact, punishing kicks[10](https://fareastfilms.com/review/dragons-forever/) • [3](https://cinemaanthology.com/movie-night/hong-kong/films/dragons-forever/). Yuen Wah, a fellow alumnus of the same Peking-opera training, plays the drug lord Hua in one of his most physical villain roles of the period[3](https://cinemaanthology.com/movie-night/hong-kong/films/dragons-forever/).
On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes the film holds a Tomatometer score of 67% from six reviews, with an audience Popcornmeter score of 79% from more than 5,000 ratings[11](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/dragons_forever). The Hong Kong Film Awards nomination for Best Action Choreography came at the ceremony's eighth edition in 1989[5](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E9%A3%9E%E9%BE%99%E7%8C%9B%E5%B0%86/0?fromModule=lemma_inlink).
## Versions and home video
Several cuts of the film circulate, and runtimes differ by market: the 88 Films 2023 4K Blu-ray release presents the Hong Kong cut at 94 minutes, the Japanese Cyclone Z cut at 98 minutes, and the International cut at 94 minutes, each with its own opening and closing credits[12](https://ultrahd.highdefdigest.com/105025/dragonsforever4kultrahdbluray.html) • [13](https://www.thedigitalbits.com/reviews/item/dragons-forever-88-films-2023-uhd?category_id=1). The Hong Kong theatrical version omits two scenes featuring Yuen Biao's character that appear in the English and Japanese versions, including a visit to his psychiatrist; only the Japanese laserdisc originally included end-of-film outtakes[14](https://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=1372). The 88 Films release, restored from a new 4K scan in conjunction with Fortune Star, also collects commentary tracks, interviews including one with screenwriter Szeto Cheuk-hon and one with [Benny Urquidez](https://www.edgepedia.org/benny-urquidez), deleted scenes, and a music video for the theme song "When We Touch" sung by [Anita Mui](https://www.edgepedia.org/anita-mui) and Jackie Chan[13](https://www.thedigitalbits.com/reviews/item/dragons-forever-88-films-2023-uhd?category_id=1).
## References
1. [Dragons Forever, Hong Kong Film Archive](https://www.filmarchive.gov.hk/en/web/hkfa/pe-event-2019-10-1-18.html)
2. [サイクロンZ／飛龍猛將（1988）, KungFu Tube](https://kungfutube.info/5819)
3. [Dragons Forever, Cinema Anthology](https://cinemaanthology.com/movie-night/hong-kong/films/dragons-forever/)
4. [Dragons Forever, The Grindhouse Cinema Database](https://www.grindhousedatabase.com/index.php/Dragons_Forever)
5. [飞龙猛将, 百度百科](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E9%A3%9E%E9%BE%99%E7%8C%9B%E5%B0%86/0?fromModule=lemma_inlink)
6. [Dragons Forever, Miramax](https://www.miramax.com/movie/dragons-forever/)
7. [Dragons Forever, Fortune Star Media](https://www.fortunestarentertainment.com/dragonsforever.html)
8. [Hong Kong Filmmakers Search: Sammo Hung, Hong Kong Film Archive](https://www.filmarchive.gov.hk/documents/6.-Research-and-Publication/06-02-Filmmakers-Search/English/Sammo-Hung_e.pdf)
9. [Creativity in Hong Kong cinema, University of Adelaide thesis](https://digital.library.adelaide.edu.au/server/api/core/bitstreams/b94f5ed3-96ea-4171-8aca-ccba4d5cc278/content)
10. [Dragons Forever (1988) Review, Far East Films](https://fareastfilms.com/review/dragons-forever/)
11. [Dragons Forever, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/dragons_forever)
12. [Dragons Forever 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, High-Def Digest](https://ultrahd.highdefdigest.com/105025/dragonsforever4kultrahdbluray.html)
13. [Dragons Forever (4K UHD Review), The Digital Bits](https://www.thedigitalbits.com/reviews/item/dragons-forever-88-films-2023-uhd?category_id=1)
14. [Dragons Forever comparison: English Version - Japanese Version, Movie-Censorship.com](https://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=1372)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Action and adventure films (individual works) › Action comedies › Action comedies, 1970s to 1990s*
*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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