Episode 18…THE STRONGER EVIL- It is a stormy night at the Helms Fish Cannery, but Valmont’s far from gloomy, despite the slump, both financially and resourcefully, of the Dark Hand. Valmont unravels a box of Shendu’s 12 Talismans, addressing to the tandem of Finn, Ratso and Chow that while the Dark Hand is somewhat broken, it will be far from severed.....

 

With the whole quest of talismans finally at a close, Jackie and a rather dreary Jade walk into Uncle’s Rare Finds. Uncle welcomes back his dear nephew, who reports that as of now, he and Jade can come back into the shop. Uncle drops the grateful act and launches a “goat” against Jackie’s cheek, saying that that’s not possible, since shop assistant Tohru, who smiles happily, will be lodging into the shop in the stead of the younger Chans. Jade’s perky level reaches new peaks, and comments that she and Jackie might as well keep on living in Section 13 (after all, Jade hasn’t learned how to knock out a friend or be knocked out by one). Jackie tells Jade that there’s no longer any need of Section 13; he is an archaeologist, not a government-sanctioned crime-fighter; besides, the talismans and Shendu will be trouble no longer, for they’ve all been taken to the grave....

 

Much to anyone’s surprise, the talismans aren’t the only things coming back from their grave. So is the nefarious dragon Shendu. Shendu is a transparent spirit now, and he’s cursing in a vast space filled with a sky as red as his eyes. The dragon swears he will have revenge on Valmont and Jackie Chan when all of a sudden, a fist even larger than the spirit itself pounds nearby. The fist belongs to a giant monster with ram horns, and this one’s not alone. There’s also a fishy siren, a giant toad, a tiny bat in underwear, a large green glob wearing lipstick, a nobleman with an alien’s face, and a dinosaur-like warrior who throws torturous beams of electricity onto Shendu. Shendu in fact screams at the pulsing beams while we learn a few tidbits from this freaky lot of comic-book rejects. We learn that Shendu’s the brother to all these creatures (though their mother must‘ve wished they‘d all be the same size), and that he has abandoned all of them to take his place in the realm of earth. Thus, his siblings want payback for being denied entry to the earth, entry that he could’ve given to them centuries ago. A coward for eternal torment, Shendu pleads that he will give them the chance. The fishy woman adds that the doors required for entry are inaccessible, because they can only be opened in the earthly realm. Shendu, however, points out that since he is a spirit, he can be able to inhabit the body of an earthly host to do whatever he wants. The demons listen on.....

 

At Dark Hand’s less than splendid HQ, Valmont has ensured Ratso, Chow and Finn to possess three talismans each. Finn wonders why the “f” does he carry all the crap talismans, Sheep, Tiger and Rat. Finn decides to fish for the remaining three talismans when out of nowhere a rapid hand claims them. The Enforcers gasp as they see Hak Foo, the martial artist with the canopy of red hair, raising up his newly earned talismans. Valmont breaks the news that due to Tohru’s release from Dark Hand matters, Hak Foo will become the new D.H. lieutenant. (Monkeys scream big trouble!)

 

At Section 13 HQ, Jackie is busy loading up boxes with all of his and Jade’s stuff. Jade’s walked off into the lab of Dr. Kepler, who has remembered not to position laser guns in front of doorways ever again. Jade simulates her back on a rocket pack, but as she learns in a split-second, it’s already been finished.

 

Jade screams as Jackie runs off to rescue his niece from crashing pell-mell into Section 13 personnel and property. This isn’t a good exercise, even if Jackie learns to run across ceilings in the process. Jade finally finds a stop button, and Jackie and Jade cling to each other as they end up suspended on some rope. Jade blushes like she’s just gotten an orgasm into hyper-drive.

 

At Jackie’s soon-to-be ex-room, Jackie chides to Jade not to play with things she wouldn’t understand. Jade plays innocent cutie-pie and tells Jackie least how she’s perfected her handling of the jet pack. Jackie says at least that won’t be a problem, because Jackie’s found an apartment that’ll keep Jade away from Section 13 (a.k.a., Jade’s favorite playground) as much as possible.

 

Suddenly, Section 13 agents scramble across the building like an organized swarm of bees while red lights blink and alarms blare. Captain Black reports to Jackie that the Dark Hand’s back and bouncing into the fray at a bank. Jackie tells Black that that matter’s not supposed to matter to him anymore, but Black knows it’s otherwise; Ratso, Chow, Finn and Hak Foo are using magical talismans to nab millions of dinero.

 

Ratso and Chow are busy taking their artificial skills to maximum efficiency, Foo transports bags of dough into the carrying compartment, and everyone’s favorite Irishman is dully moping by the escape truck. Finn complains why he can’t pull out deadly arms while Foo aren’t even using his. Hak Foo explains that he doesn’t need the Horse, Rooster and Dog Talismans, for he’s injury-evading, high-flying and most proudly of all, invincible! Finn then begs for a trade, and Hak Foo contemptuously throws the talismans to the disco dude, who knows it’s time to ROCK and roll!

 

Black and Jackie hop aboard the same jeep while Jade’s been told “NO!” right as she asks in mid-sentence. Jade complains with a sneer, until she realizes a crack in the elders’ logic. If she hasn’t finished her sentence, then how can Black and Jackie know what they’ve said “no” to? (My gosh, Jade would be a most dangerous terrorist. Negotiators will have a field day reasoning with her...)

 

Moments later, Jade puts on the rocket pack and asks Kepler how to operate this hunk of junk. Kepler, keeping most of his sights on another project, patiently points out which button does what without so much as looking at the asker. Jade leaves grateful, not just because she knows the buttons, but also because Kepler is so lenient as to let little children play with his things.

 

Jackie Chan, Jade & Section 13 vs. The Dark Hand (*****)- Smooth, long escapist entertainment, ranks up there with JCA’s very best fights. It’s times like these that make me wonder why a bunch of other cartoons, I’m not going to name names, are miles more popular than this one. Chow, Ratso and a definitely trigger-happy Finn begin blowing up government tanks and anti-terrorist vehicles. The Section 13 roster have warned the Enforcers to quit with their five-finger discounts, so the Enforcers realize it’s time to take their discounts to the extreme. Ratso fires the heat-beam eye blasts. Jackie and Captain Black barely jump off their jeep as it blows into a four-wheel fireplace. Finn uses the rock-hard cock (The Rooster Talisman, duh!) and raises up a tank that nearly plows through Jackie if not for Black’s rescue. Jackie can tell that if this is the last battle against the Dark Hand, it is no doubt a super challenge.

 

Meanwhile, Shendu has won the approval of all his siblings, which means he will go back to earth and “do“ their bidding. The siblings speak nothing but fire green beams at Shendu, who wonders what in tarnation is this gratuity. The demon in underwear says that much as they depend on Shendu to escape this harsh realm, they can not trust him. Thus, Shendu’s been given a sort of curse; the one human being he embodies first will also be his last, so that he will not skip from body to body to evade the wrath of his siblings should he fail them. Shendu accepts the sacrifice.

 

Jackie quickly knocks off the Sonic-like Ratso into a wall, of which Finn immediately starts trading talismans among his buddies. Seeing how to perfect the escape, Chow turns soldiers into rats while Finn starts firing heat beam eyes and scaring away any human soldier left. Ratso drives the getaway vehicle and his buddies hop in to move off with a ton of booty. Black senses futility in this and tells everyone to fall back, but Jackie won’t let that happen. He is, as he reasons, not even a secret agent, not bound by Black’s orders....

 

Jackie runs across the smoking ruins of the streets until Rocketeer-ing Jade grabs Jackie and guides him down to the highway where the Dark Hand are hoping to disappear from the men in blue. Before Jackie can chide any further about her lack of understanding, Jade points out which buttons do what, and Jackie replies for Jade to go faster.

 

This is worth a million laughs. Ratso sees the Chans flying towards the truck and so sticks the Snake Talisman into the truck’s cassette player. But instead of making the Dark Hand disappear, only the truck disappears, leaving the bad guys and their money floating over the roads at 60 miles per hour. Chow screams while Hak Foo remains nonchalant. Ratso, amazingly having a good notion as to using the unseen steering wheel, patiently ejects the talisman and the truck’s back in place. Better to have a huge truck hide your whereabouts than to have nothing at all.

 

Finn tags in and flies out of the truck to fire beams all over the Chans. Jade’s forced to let Jackie go on top of the truck as she flies from Finn, wind and fire. Jackie screams to Jade to immediately get out of the way. Jade flies over a tunnel while Jackie crouches on the truck to go through it. Finn, on the other hand, sees white as he smashes through the top of the tunnel and leaves a huge imprint of himself. Luckily, he’s wearing the Dog Talisman, but as he puts it perfectly, “Immortality hurts”.

 

Jackie quickly launches himself against Ratso and contends for the driver’s wheel. Hak Foo orders Chow to stall the Chan Man. The evil Asian kid fires the Monkey Talisman to turn Chan into a Walrus, but at the last second, Jackie grabs Ratso’s facade and gets the Ratty Man to become the pinniped! Ratso’s newly received flippers prove hopeless as the truck wildly careens out of the roads and into the coast.

 

Hak Foo wonders how Chow could’ve come up with a walrus as Chow reverts his buddy back to his human self. (Next time, Chow, Hak Foo gets to have the Monkey Talisman!) But Hak Foo doesn’t waste too much time on pondering. Not just is Jackie Chan alive and well for a battle, but Captain Black, atop a sleek two-wheeler, arrives and is willing to make this a handicap bout. Black revs the cycle and zooms into the Black Tiger. But Hak Foo executes a blinding Corkscrew Helo that nails a boot into Black’s helmeted face. The shot whirls Captain Black out of the game.

 

Jackie takes to higher ground as he sees Jade fighting Finn with all the gravity-defying maneuvers both can muster. As he stares on with white, Jade manages to nail a flying headbutt onto Finn’s breadbasket, sending him plunging down at a normally fatal 50 feet below. (Since Finn’s still got Dog with him, the dude’s still alive. Dude!) Unfortunately, Jade reads an empty symbol on her jetpack, which means she’s got no other direction to go but down!

 

At once, Shendu the spirit arrives from a rift above the coast. The dragon spirit locks his view on Jackie Chan, the man he wants to possess more than any other mortal!

 

But at that very same time, Valmont, worrying about the failed arrival of his booty, comes to the coast cliffs and sees Jackie Chan, the man he wants to destroy more than any other human being!

 

In a matter of seconds, Jackie Chan finds himself pushed off the cliff, falling until he lands into the convenient human rug named Finn. Valmont smiles happily at what he thinks is his greatest endeavor until his chest is speared by a speeding magical spirit.....

 

As Valmont looks around, his eyes gleam red and his voice is that of the nefarious Shendu. Shendu stares at the very body he possesses and screams in unrelenting anger, realizing that in his hasty prowl, he has targeted the wrong human host! Shendu snarls that this improbable development will indefinitely encourage him to finish this miserly quest for his siblings.

 

As the Dark Hand get their bearings back, they see their boss Valmont bidding them to get into his vehicle and leave the stolen earnings. Chow ponders on the sudden change in Valmont’s tone of voice, as do his buds. Before the Shendued Valmont can reply, he jerks a bit and, with blue eyes opened, calls to his comrades to go get the money. The baffled Dark Hand go the requested direction until the blue-eyed Valmont is red-eyed again and yells at them to come into the truck or be dead meat. Apparently unwilling to outnumber their boss, the Dark Hand jump into the truck.

 

Jackie and Black see that Jade’s been saved thanks to the jetpack’s incidental attachment to some dead yet sturdy tree branches. Black expresses his confusion to Jackie as to how the Dark Hand could’ve won this incredibly red-blooded wargames match and not even take home a hard-earned penny.

 

At the Helms Fish Cannery, Shendu reveals he’s back in the Dark Hand, this time in the possession of Valmont’s very own body (as if being the parasitic wall ornament‘s bad enough, now Shendu gets to be the parasite). Knowing the baddie’s expertise at turning up the heat, the Enforcers meekly hand him the talismans and make like nervous rabbits, but Shendu adds that they can keep the talismans, for he is on a much greater quest, one that’ll require their aid. Shendu jerks up and the Enforcers see a blue-eyed Valmont who’s helplessly wondering what in deuce has happened to the cash and why he’s at the cannery instead of a penthouse. The Dark Hand nervously reply that Shendu’s inside Valmont. Valmont almost dismisses the remark as a slice of bull until he sees a mirror reflection that bears Shendu’s face overlapping his own! Valmont furiously demands Shendu to get out of his head, and Shendu explains that this feeling is mutual, so until then the Dark Hand will be under his control or they will perish as an entry in hell’s menu. Making his statement clear, the Shendued Valmont spews flames from his mouth and cooks the Enforcers raw. The Enforcers nervously reply that Shendu’s message is clear as smoke.

 

That night, at Uncle’s Rare Finds, Tohru the 600-pound sumo is setting up his bed with Jade Chan’s help until he sees a familiar man standing at the entranceway, with Uncle crumpling unconscious before him. Tohru recognizes Valmont and in rage, throws his hefty weight against his hated ex-master. The red-eyed Valmont sends a potent fiery spell that ricochets the sumo across the shop and into the bedroom, killing furniture and depriving bookshelves of their varied volumes. Jade, hidden among a pile of books, watches Valmont fishing through Uncle’s shelves until he halts at a particular text. As Valmont walks off with book in hand, Jade immediately grabs a phone and dials in Black and Jackie Chan.

 

In a matter of perhaps a minute, Captain Black and the Chan Man learn of Valmont’s rampage in the shop. With great caution, the duo chase after Valmont, and much to their surprise, he’s not terribly far ahead. He leaps from one wall to the next, and then stops by the roof of one building. By the time Jackie and Black stand on the same roof, the soundtrack plays sounds of recognizable swishes and whooshes. Seconds later, the two crimefighters see a bevy of Shadowkhan shadowing any chance of their escape. Jackie Chan can’t understand how the Shadowkhan could be controlled by Valmont if the departed Shendu’s always the one summoning them. Valmont opens his mouth and sneers, in the dragon’s familiar ring, that Shendu is far from dead. Jackie and Black’s eyes are stretched wide open and the Shadowkhan leap into deadly action as the episode comes to a freakin’ cliffhanger close!

 

A++

 

The so-called Season Premiere of Season 2 (although in actuality, it’s “The Mother of All Battles”), this already comes across as contender for best show of Season 2. In most programs, this would’ve already qualified as the best of the series, but hey, it’s “Jackie Chan Adventures“, we get to see its championship-like caliber every week! This episode is especially a knockout in animation; the pace is just UNBELIEVABLE. Nothing in it is rickety. The follow-up to the miniseries, “The J-Team”, actually lags in comparison to this one, with the exception of its closing set piece, of course. “The Stronger Evil” should also be noted for containing some of the cutest pics of Jade I’ve ever known, especially when she’s flying that turbo-charged rocket pack. She should’ve kept that pack; a particular Sky Demon would’ve found it great to have a Jet Girl on his side. Anyways, why shell out $30 for a past-its-prime wrestling pay-per-view? You’ve got JCA!

 

*  *  *

 

Episode 19…THE J-TEAM- Jackie and Black are facing the Shadowkhan from atop a roof in Chinatown, still dazed by Shendu’s return and his command over Valmont. Black says he’ll take the one in the ninja suit. Apparently, the daze has left Black hallucinated….What does he think the other ninjas are wearing?

 

Jackie Chan & Captain Black vs. Shadowkhan (NR)- Knowing the futility, Jackie grabs Black and they leap out to safety to the streets. The Shadowkhan are too fast and too many, and they capture the heroic duo, ready for something. (Apply imagination here.) Before that could happen, the spellbinding chants of Uncle, with aid from Jade and Tohru, melt the Shadowkhan into nothing.

 

Black is amazed of the means of rescue, but Uncle obviously is more interested in what Shendu wants. The sole resolution is to recover inventory so the missing book can be known. Black holds mucho interest in chi spells, and Uncle gives him the two-fingered salute like Black’s just flack. No time for chi tutoring now.

 

Black, Jade, and Jackie are back at Section 13. Jackie’s ready for packing all his stuff out of Section 13. That’s when Black arrives and tells Jackie that 13’s become an unlucky number; the government big’uns are relocating Dark Hand matters to Section 12. But since Jackie’s not being held down by anything, Jackie is the best hope against Shendu and the Dark Hand.

 

Jade pleads that Jackie can’t make it without the aid of Uncle alone. Jackie resolutely thinks Uncle’s the lone and necessary ally for this. (Not wise. Those Dark Hand guys are immune to chi spells, you know.) So, under her own plans, Jade calls in El Toro Fuerte and e-mails one for Viper. (Whoa, Jade’s pulled a major viper in the last encounter. She must’ve stolen something bearing Viper’s e-mail address. Would that really happen? Or maybe Jade’s an unknown computer hacker….)

 

Several hours later, Uncle hears a ring by the shop. He explains that no sales will be made at Uncle’s Rare Finds. That’s when he screams at the top of his lungs at the sight of El Toro Fuerte, thinking that the luchadore, a mask concealed over his face, has intentions for pilfering inventory. Jackie explains that El Toro’s a friend, and Uncle expresses his understanding with a two-fingered salute on Jackie. Awry as it already is, the situation gets ever bitter when Tohru arrives. El Toro declares Tohru as "Dark Hand enemy!", and then an impromptu battle occurs.

 

El Toro Fuerte vs. Tohru (***)- The two titans start a bevy of grappling moves, though their size seriously jeopardizes the pots around the shop. Jackie grabs several pots and nearly permits one to fall. The lone pot is saved, but Jackie drops all his pots at once when he notices who’s the rescuer; Viper! Jackie obviously doesn’t trust the super-thief, so in comes Uncle to whack a finger on Jackie and remind him that the woman’s got nothing against the store! Jackie convinces El Toro of Tohru’s new leaf, though in demand of a last hit, Tohru does a powerful slam on the luchadore over Jackie, ending the bout.

 

The chaos is clarified thanks to Jade. Jackie needs a team, she says, and what he specifically needs is the J-Team, a Chan-tastic Five! She wants herself and Jackie alongside the likes of El Toro, Viper and Tohru in an effort to slam evil! Jade’s icky when she notices Paco’s joined in with El Toro. Turns out that the boy with anorexic arms has become El Toro’s student. (Good luck trying to hold someone, though…) And oh yes, that Word World War occurs again as Paco and Jade argue who’s better at the fight (Give you a clue; it’s not The Rock or Triple H). Viper’s also changed, claiming she’s now an ex-thief and has come clean. Jackie’s not convinced that any of them is really necessary, still insisting Uncle’s the one he wants (for help, remember that).

 

Uncle gasps at his bookshelf, finally aware of the book Shendu’s stolen. It’s a page-turner about magical artifacts located in Tibet.

 

Not long after, Uncle advises Jackie to come with him, Tohru to stay with Jade and watch over the shop, and the rest of the loiterers to just go away!

 

At a Tibetan forest, Valmont’s become a tree hugger. Actually, he’s attempting to wrest his control away from Shendu, who actually has Big V pull his own hair and slap his own face! The Enforcers watch the spectacle while Ratso wonders who they should cheer for. Interestingly enough, this is the only sequence where Julian Sands speaks in the entire story.

 

At an airport, we see Tohru, Jade, Paco, El Toro and Viper all aboard the jet. Paco explains Tohru can’t watch over the shop and stay with Jade at once, and the others HAVE left the shop, as they’ve been told. So next stop: Tibet!

 

At a Tibetan lodging, Jackie is heading towards the bathroom, but he’s amazed to see Finn and Ratso have taken it. (No, you dopes, they’re just brushing their teeth). Jackie hides behind the door, and pursues the Enforcers to their bedroom (No, you dopes, he just wants to beat them). Jackie, light as a feather, leaps and runs around the bedroom. He takes Chow’s pants and swipes the talismans off the sleepy Enforcers, just like the Grinch does when he’s stealing candy from babies.

 

Oddly enough, the viper lady joins in on sneaking off with the talismans. Jackie disapproves of her help, and both end up struggling with the black pants carrying the talismans, until the pants are tossed onto Hak Foo’s face. Apparently smelling Chan’s handprint on the pants, the Black Tiger roars, ready to greet the dawn and ready to make Jackie greet the dusk!

 

 Jackie Chan, Viper, Tohru & El Toro Fuerte vs. The Enforcers (***3/4)- Short and quick, but some great stuff comes into the picture. Total "Holy S." spot occurs when El Toro traps the Foo-less trio by grabbing their bed and then sending it through two walls and onto a support pole! Unfortunately, the distance allows the Enforcers to utilize the retrieved talismans. (Betcha one of them had to hold the other two in order to heal up.) Chow, in heart-patterned skivvies, wins for his team with an Ox-powered kick that sends all four competitors through Shendu's room.

 

Waking up to rather distressing conditions, Shendu nonchalantly bids his sleepless lackeys to follow his lead. The Enforcers groan as they can’t have sleep or drink coffee.

 

Uncle and Jackie are both disappointed at seeing their friends disobey them. Uncle asks Tohru who’s watching his shop, and our view shifts to Captain Black, who’s crouched in the midst of the shop with a chi spell book in hand. (Fine way to spend a day off, if you ask me.)

 

Viper makes the point that the Dark Hand mustn’t have the talismans. Uncle says those talismans are second rate to the mission, but El Toro absolutely disagrees, leading to an unlikely argument over "Not important" and "Very important". Jackie then spouts acidic remarks on Viper because he doesn’t like the screwjob over the talismans, so Viper returns the favor, over and over. (No, screwjob means "mistake", kay?) Tohru, hopelessly at the center of all this, can only say, "Can we just get along?"

 

Jade tells Paco that if they just wait for the adults to clear themselves, the Dark Hand will get away with their transgression. They follow the Dark Hand to a Tibetan temple hidden in a cave.

 

Back at the lodging, the five adults start losing their steam, especially when they notice Jade and Paco have gone off. (Not on a date, I think.)

 

In the temple, the Dark Hand finds an exquisite blue box bearing Chinese symbols. Shendu orders the Enforcers to take it. The box, the Pan Ku Box, as it’s called, is forged from good magic, and therefore the evil Shendu can not touch it. (Wow, Shendu actually admits he’s evil. I thought he’d consider Jackie the evil one).

 

Jade suddenly swings a rope from above and snatches the box off its post, but as she and Paco attempt the run, Finn uses the Rooster to keep the children helplessly afloat. Hak Foo grabs the box while Finn and Chow readily point the powers of Pig and Dragon against the children, until they notice Jackie, Tohru, Viper, and El Toro pumped up for a rematch. Different arena, different rules!

 

Jackie Chan, Viper, Tohru & El Toro Fuerte w/ Uncle, Jade & Paco vs. The Enforcers w/ Shendu/Valmont (*****++)- An Awesome Bomb. Period. This is Wargames competition at its grandest. The card kicks off as Hak Foo ditches the box to the hands of Shendu/Valmont, who is shocked with green chi upon contact with the box. To begin, Jackie faces Finn, Viper faces Chow, El Toro faces Ratso, and Tohru faces his Dark Hand replacement, Hak Foo. Believe me when I say this. Everyone’s fighting here at MACH speed. Jackie evades Finn, who’s got the biggest advantages with Rooster and Pig Talisman in hand. Jackie jumps off the way and grabs an antique shield to block Finn’s projectiles.

 

El Toro meets a truly peculiar match, as Ratso turns invisible and pummels the luchadore’s body hard with plenty of punches.

 

Viper is going at it against Chow, who goes powerhouse with the Ox Talisman and begins making holes on walls with each time Viper evades him.

 

On another corner, Hak Foo is easily squishing the sumo, even though the Black Tiger’s not even using a single talisman.

 

Making himself seeable again, Ratso quickly grabs the Rabbit Talisman and prepares to crush El Toro at insane force. But El Toro tip-toes and Ratso becomes a human pancake on the wall. El Toro grabs Ratso’s talismans.

 

That becomes the most critical turnaround in the fight, because the enemies wind up switching different talismans over another. Ratso and Jackie both take talismans off of Finn, and Chow bumps into Jackie to use the Pig Talisman's laser power. Unfortunately, with the Pig, Chow forgets his glasses and blows them away in the process. First, it’s his pants, now his glasses. Gee, does Chow have bad luck with fashion.

 

Hak Foo’s consistently knocking Tohru at one end to another, at the same time coming up with more of his poetic lines. But when Tohru asks Hak Foo to clarify his last sentence, "Minnow wallops whale", Hak Foo repeats himself, allowing Tohru to shoulder tackle him in mid-sentence (so, looks like Tohru could go for "River City Ransom", huh?). Now that bull sees red, Hak Foo holds up a talisman and leaps onto Tohru…until he realizes he’s used the Sheep Talisman, and helplessly watches Tohru land a lazy but still hefty elbow drop on Hak’s body. Hak’s ghost goes back into the body, and feels all 600 pounds even after Tohru’s off him.

 

Ratso grapples with Jackie, and nabbing the Rooster Talisman, the green-skinned Enforcer floats up and lands a flying big boot of his own. It doesn't last long, though, because Viper knocks Chow onto Ratso, taking care of both competitors. The Asian Enforcer is no sharpshooter now that he has no glasses.

 

Finn grabs whatever talismans are under vacancy. Finn uses the Ox Talisman and smashes Jackie onto a wall. Then, he attempts more show-boating by landing a gorilla press on El Toro. Unable to ditch the grip on El Toro, though, Finn is squashed when Viper snatches the Ox, stripping Disco-Dude of his super power.

 

Hak Foo has one final trick up his sleeve. He raises up the Tiger Talisman for balance, boasting Tohru can’t budge him anymore. Tohru dashes again. Hak crashes flat on a wall. Tohru corrects him by saying Tiger’s just for spiritual balance. Hak Foo gets up, and Uncle delivers a cheap shot boot.

 

By the time all 4 Enforcers wake up, each J-Team tag partner is holding 3 talismans, meaning the Enforcers are completely out of ideas. The criminals scamper out of the arena, which means they’ve lost the bout by count out!

 

After great difficulty, Shendu manages to secure the Pan Ku Box in a lead container. Grabbing the container, he runs off into the night as well.

 

The Enforcers have disappeared and so have Shendu. The J-Team owns all 12 talismans again, and the four fighters are proud for a match well done. That’s when Uncle breaks the jubilation by explaining what he’s read off the inscriptions on the temple walls. The Dark Hand is pursuing a mission far deadlier than mere robberies with talismans: Demon portals.

 

Shendu’s not an only child; he represents a Fire Demon with a brethren consisting of 7 other demons; Wind, Earth, Thunder, Sky, Water, Moon, and Mountain. But long ago, all 8 demons have been vanquished by the Ba Xian/Pa Hsien, the 8 Immortals of China, who’ve entrapped the demons in eight different portals. However, as we know, Shendu’s the lone escapee, and will now do what it takes to free his family. The Pan Ku Box is the lone tool needed to secure and open the portals locking each demon. Uncle’s glad that at least the Dark Hand has been driven from the temple, but that’s when Jade tells everyone that Shendu’s gotten away with the Pan Ku Box! Uncle wails pitifully. The real battle has yet to begin….

 

(Trivia: Confused of those Immortals? As far as I’m concerned, these are the names of the immortals and the respective demons they’ve banished.

 

Fire- Lu Dongbin

 

Wind- Zhong Li-Quan

 

Earth- Lan Caihe (Female)

 

Thunder- Cao Guojiu

 

Sky- Han Xiang

 

Water- Li Tueguai/Shou Lao

 

Moon- He Xiangu (Female)

 

Mountain- Zhang Guolao

 

OH OH! Wait a minute, something’s wrong. Why are there 2 Immortals behind the Water Demon’s banishment? Actually, Li Tieguai IS the immortal, the First Immortal, but he doesn’t carry the appropriate symbol with him. That symbol belongs to his friend Shou Lao, God of Longevity, so I deduct that Li, having carried no symbols of banishment, has been given Shou’s symbol.

 

One more thing; none of the Immortals have actually banished any such demon according to primitive texts, but Lu Dongbin is right on target when it comes to beating Shendu. Dongbin is a dragon slayer.)

 

Back to the SHOW…Jackie has reserved flights for all of the J-Team members, courtesy of Section 13. But everyone can’t deny that soon enough, Shendu will attempt to bring his terrible siblings into the earth. Jade and Paco may not agree who’s really the best man for the job, but they can agree that the J-Team will be the best team for it!

 

Uncle demands that he needs to go back to the shop, and Jade assures him once more that it’s in good hands.

 

Back at the shop, we see Black strumming a few chants while leaping on the floor and carrying a fan. Suddenly, he feels energy growing inside him, and he transforms into…a frog. Let me guess; Black’s been single for so long that now he wants a princess to kiss him…

 

A+

 

Impressive show, like the predecessor. Plot is in the passenger’s seat once more as great characters and ideas go behind the wheel. The 8-man finale is a rock-solid contender for JCA Fight of All Time; Extremo Luchadore can NOT say enough of that. This episode will set off the Demon Portal plot line, and might I add that it is this plot line that marks the renaissance of "Jackie Chan Adventures". Oh yeah, and in Kids WB’s "Click and Pick" choices, the J-Team’s been voted the #1 guest star(s) in JCA, while Viper trails individually at #2. Wait a minute; if Viper’s a member of the J-Team, wouldn’t that mean she’s a double champion? Well, that’s what I call a stroke of luck!