Change Your Image
GarritSherova
Reviews
Hung fan kui (1995)
Hollywood bound
Jackie Chan had never had a box office hit in America despite starring in Hollywood films such as 'Battle Creek Brawl' and 'The Protector' in the 1980s. 'Rumble in the Bronx' was a Hong Kong made film, but they wanted it to have international appeal and achieved this through its New York setting and American background characters. The film intended to introduce Jackie Chan to the West, and that's exactly what it did - but they didn't expect it to be a number one box office hit.
The story involves Keung (Jackie Chan) coming over to America to visit his Uncle who owns a grocery store in the Bronx. Soon enough a biker gang turns up and causes havoc at the store, so it's up to Keung to fend off the bad guys, uncover police corruption, and generally save the day in style.
This is a high energy film and the pace never lets up, there isn't one big set piece in this film there are many big set pieces, but the most impressive stunt has to be the one where Jackie jumps from the top of a multi-storey car park onto a small balcony across the road. The multiple camera set up shows us that there is no safety netting or use of wires - just Jackie entrusting his own life in his own abilities.
Naturally there are countless fight scenes where Jackie shows us his own brand of kung fu comedy, including the process of making inanimate objects become very animated indeed. Only he can turn pinball machines, trolleys and fridge doors into weapons! The only slight criticism I would have is that the fights are over edited, people like Jean Claude Van-Damme and Steven Segal might need a lot of cuts to put a fight scene together, but Jackie doesn't - he's an expert choreographer, and the cuts are needless. I'm not saying that the fight sequences are under par, because they're not, they are still very impressive - especially to people who haven't seen the man in action.
When the American audiences saw 'Rumble in the Bronx', they saw the real Jackie Chan not the shadow of a man struggling to gain artistic input under a Hollywood studios control. They were wowed by the death-defying stunts, frenetic fight sequences, and the sheer energy of the film from start to finish got word-of-mouth working overtime.
'Rumble in the Bronx' was the surprise box office hit of 1996, it made the West sit up and take notice of an exceptional talent they had long overlooked. The next time Jackie Chan would star in a Hollywood film he would be given the respect he had always deserved - and another box office hit.
'A' gai wak (1983)
Turning point
*a few spoilers*
Project A is regarded by many film buffs as the most important movie of Jackie Chan's career. It came at a time when his popularity had taken a nosedive after failing to light up Hollywood's big screen, and then coming back home to have another box office failure with Dragon Lord.
His star was on the decline, and he needed an upturn in fortunes. A lot of money was thrown into Project A, and if it didn't perform well at the box office it could have been 'Project All Over for Jackie Chan's Career'.
Set in Hong Kong during the Early Nineteenth Century, the plot sees Jackie playing Dragon, a member of the Coastguard division. Immediately we see that there is a great deal of animosity between the coastguards and the local police, who are constantly at each others throats. This rivalry is highlighted in the relationship between Dragon and Chi (Yuen Biao). Biao is playing against his usual easy going persona in the stern, and apparently emotionless Captain Chi of the local police - to be fair the 'elusive dragon' pulls it off well.
The other main player in the film is Sammo Hung as Fei, a petty criminal, and his introduction seems to add a little something to the film - maybe it's his roguish charm.
All three men must put aside their differences and work together as a team to take on a common enemy in the shape of a ruthless band of pirates who have left a trail of terror on the South China Seas. After they capture the British Rear Admiral and demand a ransom for his release, the three heroes know they have to put a stop to it (because the dithering British colonials certainly won't).
As you would imagine, the action comes thick and fast, and the film features some of Jackie's most famous set pieces including his tribute to Harold Lloyd with the clock tower fall, and the brilliantly conceived sequence where he is chased through the narrow back streets on his bicycle. All three protagonists are involved in numerous fight scenes, where they get to showcase their legendary martial skills. The showdown in the pirates den is a great ending to the film where they work together to defeat the main villain (the imposing Dick Wei).
As in all Jackie Chan films, the fast and furious action is intermingled with his own brand of slapstick comedy. On the whole this works, but earlier on in the film the food in face routine is a little bit too 'in your face'.
That minor quibble aside, this film was more than worthy of its relatively big budget, and even more worthy of the amazing box office success that it garnered. Project A is much more than a martial arts film, it has comedy, it has swashbuckling, it has characterisation, it has historical accuracy, it has everything that Jackie Chan needed to resurrect his career.
Shanghai Noon (2000)
a few spoilers
*spoilers*
Shanghai Noon sees Jackie Chan team up with American wise-cracker Owen Wilson for this entertaining kung fu comedy western.
Set in 1881, the action starts in China where we meet Jackie as a bumbling Imperial Guard called Chon Wang (pronounced John Wayne). In typically self-deprecating style he is seen on his hands and knees bowing to the soon-to-be-kidnapped Princess Pei Pei (Lucy Liu).
She is taken to America and a ransom is put up for her safe return. It's up to the three bravest Imperial Guards and Chon Wang to travel to America and hand over the required gold for her safe return.
Going to America is the cue for Chon to meet up with Roy O'Bannon (Wilson), a laidback outlaw attempting to rob a train with his less laidback associates. Chon is the proverbial fish-out-of-water and many East meets West gags ensue.
This is not a film which should be taken seriously in any way, but nevertheless there are attempts to inject real emotion into the film and these are treated rather heavy handedly. They seem at odds with the goofball nature of the film. For example, the death of Chon's uncle is quickly forgotten and swept under the carpet, Chon doesn't even seem too intent on taking revenge on the person who committed the murder.
Romance seems to have been put in simply to fill the multi-generic needs of a Hollywood film. There is little chemistry between Jackie and Liu, and even less with Wilson and his respective love interest (played by a real life rodeo rider who is given little dialogue, but still too much).
Despite these flaws the film still works, mainly because of the two stars, and a sharp script from Alfred Gough and Miles Millar. Owen Wilson's lazy charm contrasts perfectly with Jackie Chan's animated acting style.
For fight fans there is also plenty to enjoy even though the Hollywood system limits the amount of stuntwork that Jackie can do, even though he still does all his own stunts. The highlights includes a fight with two Mohawks, and a traditional bar room brawl given the Jackie Chan makeover.
This film is definitely worth a look, but I hope in the future that Hollywood doesn't simply use Jackie as buddy movie fodder.