Although not a movie star in his own right, Benny “The Jet” Urquidez holds a special place in the history of the martial arts genre. Most of his career in the film industry was spent coordinating martial arts scenes, doing stunts, and playing bit roles in 1980s and 1990s action movies. But Urquidez managed to leave a mark regardless, and it was all thanks to his involvement in twoJackie Chanmovies. Urquidez had small yet important roles in bothWheels on MealsandDragons Forever.
During the 1980s,Jackie Chan teamed with fellow martial arts actors Yuen Biao and Sammo Hungon a handful of kung fu films, three in particular featuring them in the starring roles. Retroactively referred to as “the Three Dragons movies,” the trio of films is among thedecade’s best additions to the kung fu movie genre, with all of them often being counted among the greatest martial arts movies of all time. And in the case of two of these movies, Urquidez had a lot to do with what made them so significant to the genre, even though his screen-time was admittedly brief.
Benny “The Jet” Urquidez Was Jackie Chan’s Main Rival In 2 Different Movies
Jackie Chan vs. Benny “The Jet” Urquidez Were The Main Attractions Of Both Wheels On Meals & Dragons Forever
Benny “The Jet” Urquidez played a nameless thug in two of the Three Dragons movies,Wheels on Meals andDragons Forever. In 1984’sWheels on Meals,the two main protagonists - played by Jackie Chan and Yuen Biao-were accosted by two of the main villain’s henchmen, one of whom was played by Urquidez. Both heroes seemed outmatched in their first fight, but received extended rematches at the end of the film, with Sammo Hung’s character caught in a heated battle with the villain, Mondale. Once Chan and Biao’s characters finish their fights, they join their ally in a quick, overwhelming victory over Mondale.
Wheels on Mealswas Urquidez’s second credited movie appearance. His first was inForce: Five, a martial arts film fromEnter the Dragondirector Robert Clouse.
With all three of the “Dragons” engaged in a fight at the end of the film, each one essentially had their own “final boss.” However, it was Chan’s battle with Urguidez that was the true highlight ofWheels on Meals’big finale. The film devoted several minutes to their intense slugfest, which went back-and-forth for a while until Chan’s character finally triumphed.
Four years later, the three returned inDragons Forever, which cast Urguidez in a nearly identical role. Similar to how he was utilized inWheels on Meals, Urguidez’s main purpose in the movie was to fight Jackie Chan at the height of the big brawl between the main characters and the villain’s army of henchmen. Shortly after landing an impressive knockout blow against Yuen Biao’s Tung Tak-hiao, Urguidez’s character faced off with Jackie Chan’s Jackie Lung, in a hotly-contested showdown that felt like a worthy rematch of theirnow-iconic fight fromWheels on Meals.
Why Benny “The Jet” Urquidez Was The Perfect Choice To Fight Jackie Chan In Both Movies
As someone who had extremely limited acting experience, Urguidez was obviously an unorthodox pick for Jackie Chan’s primary opponent in two high-profile Hong Kong kung fu movies. That said, the choice wasn’t exactly unprecedented. In fact, it used a tactic other martial arts movies have followed in the past, with Bruce Lee’sWay of the Dragonbeing the most famous example of this approach. For his character’s biggest fight,Bruce Lee brought in Chuck Norris, who had yet to make a name for himself as an actor. Rather than be cast for his acting talent, Norris was chosen for his martial arts pedigree, as was the case with Urquidez.
With such impressive credentials, it’s not altogether surprising that Urguidez eventually found his way into a few martial arts movies as a mostly non-speaking henchmen.
In the world of martial arts, Benny “The Jet” Urguidez had a very distinguished reputation at the time. A professional fighter, he won multiple world championships in kickboxing and karate. Over the years, he built up an astonishing record, only picking up one recorded loss in his entire career. With such impressive credentials, it’s not altogether surprising that Urguidez eventually found his way into a few martial arts movies as a mostly non-speaking henchmen.
Wheels on MealsandDragons Foreverare Benny Urquidez’s biggest roles, but he’s appeared briefly in other movies as well, includingSpider-Man, Street Fighter,andRoad House.
Akin to Chuck Norris' role inWay of the Dragon, there was no need for Urquidez to pull off a dramatic or convincing villain performance, asWheels on MealsandDragons Foreverlet other characters be the central antagonists, allowing Urguidez to simply serve as “the muscle” who does the fighting for them. But Urquidez accomplishes a lot with what little screen-time he has, presenting himself as a menacing, ruthless fighter in both Jackie Chan movies.
Benny Urquidez Was Jackie Chan’s Greatest Movie Opponent
Looking back at his body of work, it’s hard to find a better adversary for Jackie Chan than Benny Urquidez inWheels on MealsandDragons Forever.Over the years,Jackie Chan has enjoyed more than his fair share of one-on-one fights, with a wide range of actors playing his opponents; he’s fought Jet Li (The Forbidden Kingdom), Hwang In-shik (The Young Master), Hwang Jang Lee (Drunken Master). Since a large majority of his best fights are against multiple characters at once, only a few can qualify for the title of the best Jackie Chan movie villain.
Appearing in not one but two of the final showdowns in Jackie Chan’s films, Urquidez comes across as a more-than-worthy opponent for Chan’s character in both instances, with his moves making his prowess in martial arts abundantly clear throughout the fights. And as a legitimately talented fighter, Urquidez enabledWheels on MealsandDragons Foreverto deliver several long takes, with Urquidez capably keeping in pace withJackie Chan, exchanging blow for blow.
Wheels on Meals
Cast
Wheels on Meals is a 1984 action-comedy film featuring Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, and Yuen Biao as cousins Thomas and David, who run a mobile restaurant in Barcelona, and their friend Moby, a clumsy private detective. Together, they embark on a mission to rescue Sylvia, a charming pickpocket.
Dragons Forever
Dragons Forever is a Hong Kong martial arts film starring Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, and Yuen Biao. Released in 1988, it follows three friends who become entangled with a female environmentalist’s crusade against a factory polluting the water. The film is notable for its blend of action, comedy, and well-choreographed martial arts sequences.
