The Big Picture

• Jackie Chan holds two Guinness World Records awarded to him after filming CZ12, including "Most credits in one movie for the same person" and "Most stunts by a living actor."
• CZ12 is part of the Armour of God film franchise, which has been a longstanding part of Chan's career since the 1980s.
• The film follows Chan's character, Asian Hawk, as he embarks on a treasure hunt for the twelve bronze heads representing the Chinese zodiac animals.

To refer to Jackie Chan as a filmmaking legend is nothing short of an understatement. The iconic actor constantly demonstrates his unmatched talents in martial arts and comedy, bringing together the two strengths to create some of the most enjoyable action-comedy romps put on screen. Chan is not only famous for pushing Hong Kong cinema to new heights and combining Eastern and Western movie-making magic, but he was also indirectly responsible for the creation of Rotten Tomatoes. The list of accolades is as extensive as his filmography, including notable awards such as an honorary Academy Award, several Hong Kong Film Awards, and even a couple of Kid's Choice Awards. However, Chan's trophy case of accomplishments isn't just reserved for his on-screen achievements, as the actor's diverse skill set helped him set two Guinness World Records for his 2012 film, CZ12 (Armour of God 3) also known as Chinese Zodiac.

How Did Jackie Chan Get His Guinness World Records?

Jackie Chan's extensive experience in the film industry was fully utilized during the making of CZ12, which was indicated by the world-record-breaking number of times his name is cited in the credits of the film. After taking on several of the roles to help with the film's production. Chan set the Guinness World Record for "Most credits in one movie for the same person" with 15 credits to his name in CZ12. Chan was credited as writer, director, actor, producer, executive producer, cinematographer, art director, unit production manager, catering coordinator, stuntman, stunt coordinator, gaffer, composer, props, and theme tune vocalist. Chan's work on CZ12 covered practically every aspect of a movie's production, ranging from behind-the-scenes necessities, such as coordinating the catering, to the on-screen duties of the leading man. While Chan is more often known for his stuntwork, he also has experience as a professional singer, a skill he also got to utilize for this movie.

In addition to his record for most credits in a single film, Jackie Chan was also recognized for the culmination of his decades of work by Guinness. Chan was also awarded the Guinness World Record for "Most stunts by a living actor" as recognition for his over 100 film appearances and innumerable stunts performed on the silver screen. Chan spoke about setting these two world records, stating, "Achieving these Guinness World Records titles is the recognition of all my life's work."

'CZ12' Was Jackie Chan's Return to the Armour of God Franchise

While the Armour of God franchise may not be as familiar to Western audiences as his iconic Rush Hour or Drunken Master films, his connection to this movie series goes back decades. The first Armour of God was released in 1986, starring a then-younger Chan, in an action-comedy adventure that became the highest-grossing Hong Kong film at the time. The series had its second edition in 1991 with Armour of God II: Operation Condor before CZ12 was released in 2012 as the latest installment. These films followed Chan as Jackie, or "Asian Hawk," a former musician turned adventuring treasure hunter. The original film saw him searching for the titular "Armour of God," while later films saw him in pursuit of other legendary artifacts. CZ12 followed Asian Hawk, referred to in the movie as JC, in pursuit of the Old Summer Palace bronze heads, a set of fountainheads representing each of the 12 animals from the Chinese Zodiac. The film, as with any Jackie Chan flick, is rife with slapstick humor and daring martial arts stunts, so impressive that it's a wonder how Chan retained his physicality over 2 decades after the original film was released. That alone is worthy of recognition.

Chinese Zodiac 12 is available for rent or purchase on YouTube.

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