Chinese Zodiac 十二生肖 (2012): The $170 Million Global Treasure Hunt That Jackie Chan Called His Last Big Action Film — And Almost Was
First, take a look at the movie trailer from back then.
One Sentence
A treasure hunter, a team of misfits, and a race across the globe to recover China's lost bronze heads — while Jackie Chan jumped out of a plane, fell into a volcano, and called it his last big action movie.
The $170 Million Global Adventure
Chinese Zodiac (also known as CZ12) is Jackie Chan's 101st film and the third installment in the Armour of God franchise. It's also the film he called his "last big action film."
With a budget of 26million∗∗,thefilmshotacrosseightcountriesandregions,includingFrance,China,Taiwan,HongKong,Australia,Latvia,Vanuatu,andtheSouthPacific.Itgrossedover∗∗26 million**, the film shot across eight countries and regions, including France, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Australia, Latvia, Vanuatu, and the South Pacific. It grossed over **26million∗∗,thefilmshotacrosseightcountriesandregions,includingFrance,China,Taiwan,HongKong,Australia,Latvia,Vanuatu,andtheSouthPacific.Itgrossedover∗∗170 million worldwide, making it one of the most successful Hong Kong action films of the decade.
The Plot: A Treasure Hunter's Awakening
JC (Jackie Chan) is a world-class treasure hunter who lives by one rule: money first, everything else second. He's hired by MP Corporation, an international auction house, to recover the last four missing bronze zodiac heads from the Old Summer Palace.
His team includes Simon (Kwon Sang-woo), a Korean stunt driver; David (Liao Fan), a tech expert; Bonnie (Zhang Lanxin), a taekwondo specialist; and Coco (Yao Xingtung), a Chinese art expert who believes the relics should return to China.
The mission takes them from Parisian mansions to a mysterious South Pacific island, where they uncover a pirate shipwreck, 240 tons of gold, and the remains of the "Indestructible" — the ship that looted the Summer Palace.
But as JC gets closer to the treasure, he gets closer to Coco — and closer to the truth about his own country's history. His mission transforms from profit to patriotism.
The final sequence is a death-defying aerial heist. JC is suspended in mid-air, fighting a rival treasure hunter while falling toward an active volcano. He nearly loses his life to save the bronze dragon head.
The Stunts That Defy Age
Chan was 58 when he made this film. He still performed his own stunts.
The Volcano Jump: The climax involves JC falling from a plane toward an active volcano. Chan performed the stunt himself — in a volcanic crater — with no wires.
The Mountain Slide: A high-speed descent down a mountain on a "slide" made of leaves and dirt. A classic Jackie moment.
The Castle Fight: A battle through a French castle that required the production to borrow actual historical artifacts as props.
For his work on this film, Chan earned two Guinness World Records: "Most Stunts Performed by a Living Actor" and "Most Credits in One Movie."
The Cast That Crossed Borders
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Jackie Chan as JC — treasure hunter, martial artist, and director. It's his 101st film.
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Kwon Sang-woo as Simon — the Korean stunt driver with a heart of gold. He's the closest thing JC has to a partner.
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Liao Fan as David — the tech genius who does the hacking. He also provides much of the film's comic relief.
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Yao Xingtung as Coco — the Chinese art expert who believes the relics belong to China. She's the voice of conscience.
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Zhang Lanxin as Bonnie — a taekwondo expert who can fight as well as any man. She's the film's secret weapon.
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Laura Weissbecker as Katherine — the French noble who helps JC find the treasure.
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Oliver Platt as Lawrence Morgan — the CEO of MP Corporation, who is the real villain.
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Cameos: Shu Qi, Daniel Wu, Joey Leung, and Jackie's real wife, Joan Lin.
The Box Office That Made History
Chinese Zodiac was released in China on December 20, 2012. It grossed 880 million RMB (over $145 million) — making it the second-highest-grossing Chinese film of the year, behind only Lost in Thailand.
Globally, it grossed over $170 million, making it one of the highest-grossing Hong Kong films of all time.
The Awards and Accolades
- Golden Horse Award for Best Action Choreography (2013)
- Hong Kong Film Award for Best Action Choreography (2013)
- China Huabiao Award for Outstanding Co-Production Film (2019)
- Huading Award Nomination for Best Film
The Legacy
Chinese Zodiac is the third and final film in the Armour of God franchise, following Armour of God (1986) and Operation Condor (1991). It's the most expensive, the most global, and the most technically ambitious.
But it's also a film about something deeper: the return of China's lost cultural heritage. The film opens with a title card listing all the bronze heads that have been returned to China, and those that are still missing. It's a reminder that this isn't just a movie — it's a mission.
Final Thought
Chinese Zodiac is not a perfect film. The CGI is dated. The plot is convoluted. The characters are thinly drawn. But it's a film that Jackie Chan poured everything into — his money, his time, his body, his legacy.
It's the film where a 58-year-old man jumped out of a plane, fell into a volcano, and called it a career.
And it's the film where a treasure hunter discovered that some things are worth more than gold.
Have you seen Chinese Zodiac? Do you think it's a worthy finale to the Armour of God series? Let me know in the comments.
Tom De · The Movie Prince 🎬
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