Referring to the old film on which the new one is based, he says: "It (Railway Guerrilla) is a red revolutionary classic, but (with the new film) we wanted to give audiences something new－with funny scenes and unique action set-pieces."

For the movie, nearly 300 people built the sets, featuring a 100-ton locomotive and a railway station, and around 1,000 people took part in the filming.

The choreographers also devised unlikely "methods" to get aboard a fast moving train: like jumping off bamboo poles and gliding from a tall building.

Speaking about the movie's stunts, Ding says: "Timing is very important. If actors jump at the wrong moment, they could get stuck on the joint connecting two railroad cars. It would then be very dangerous."

Typically, Chan's films have always done well at the domestic box office, but as China's movie market enters the Spring Festival holiday season, which runs from December to February, many industry watchers are waiting to see if the superstar still retains his Midas touch.

Chan has always struck gold at the box office on the mainland. From Red Bronx in 1994－one of the earliest Hong Kong movies to be released here－to his recent hit Skiptrace, Chan has not produced a dud.

Chan's latest film features heartthrobs Wang Kai and Huang Zitao－a big draw for female viewers. But with Zhang Yimou's The Great Wall and Wong Kar-wai's See You Tomorrow, also making their debuts on Dec 16 and 23, respectively, it seems Railroad Tigers will have a battle on its hands.