Armour of God is a 1986 Hong Kong action-adventure film co-directed by Jackie Chan and Eric Tsang, with Chan also starring as Asian Hawk, a globe-trotting treasure hunter drawn into a quest involving a legendary sacred armour. Blending martial arts, slapstick comedy and an Indiana Jones-style adventure format, the film became one of Chan’s most iconic 1980s productions. It is also especially remembered because Chan suffered one of the most serious injuries of his career during filming, when a tree-branch stunt went wrong and left him with a fractured skull.
The film was shot across several European locations rather than relying on studio-bound fantasy settings, which gives it a surprisingly rich sense of place. A substantial part of the production took place in what was then Yugoslavia, especially in and around Zagreb in present-day Croatia, where the city’s streets, bridges and open urban spaces were used for action scenes, including parts of the memorable car chase. The medieval atmosphere of the film was strengthened by locations such as Predjama Castle in present-day Slovenia, dramatically built into a cliff face, and Motovun’s old hilltop fortifications in Croatia, which helped create the secluded monastery and treasure-hunt feel. Additional filming also took place in places including Graz, France, Spain and Morocco, giving the film a broader international flavour and helping it move from rugged ruins and historic strongholds to sunlit landscapes and more expansive adventure settings.
Predjama Castle
As a filming location, Predjama Castle is best known for its appearance in the 1986 Jackie Chan adventure film Armour of God.
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