Jackie Chan shouldn't make American movies
First of all, I like Jackie Chan. Okay, so Supercop isn't Citizen Kane, and 'Rumble in the Bronx isn't high art, but as a rule his movies have been a lot of fun--and pretty safe for kids to watch. But last night I rented The Tuxedo. Awful! Now I'm terrified to see Shanghai Knights. Jackie should go back to Hong Kong and make his movies and stop letting Hollywood inject its crud into them.
Comments
Hollywood shunned him for years (only getting minor roles and some B-movies that went into obscurity). So I say let him ride the gravy train. I thought the Rush Hour series of films are about up to his earlier work. But he is getting old...
Now Jet Li is another matter...he better be careful too.
They take some lame story idea and inject it into a movie that has the sole purpose of showing off a bunch of fight scenes. In the end, both the story and the fighting are spoiled by the other.
I saw SK, and I have NO idea why E&R gave it two thumbs up. First of all, Owen Wilson (as wonderful of a writer he is) can only play ONE character. He's played it in this movie, I Spy, Meet the Parents, The Haunting, and Armegeddon (all of which I've seen).
Jackie Chan can't speak English well enough to be funny when he's given humorous lines or serious when...well, you know. The only thing he has going for him is the martial arts stuff. *Yawn*
Reluctantly, I went to see SK with my friend a few weeks ago, and I feel like I completely wasted my money and two hours of my life.
So let me tell you how I really feel... <img src="graemlins/cancer.gif" border="0" alt="[cancer]" />
<strong>Personally, I think ALL those martial arts movies are a bunch of crap.
They take some lame story idea and inject it into a movie that has the sole purpose of showing off a bunch of fight scenes. In the end, both the story and the fighting are spoiled by the other.
I saw SK, and I have NO idea why E&R gave it two thumbs up. First of all, Owen Wilson (as wonderful of a writer he is) can only play ONE character. He's played it in this movie, I Spy, Meet the Parents, The Haunting, and Armegeddon (all of which I've seen).
Jackie Chan can't speak English well enough to be funny when he's given humorous lines or serious when...well, you know. The only thing he has going for him is the martial arts stuff. *Yawn*
Reluctantly, I went to see SK with my friend a few weeks ago, and I feel like I completely wasted my money and two hours of my life.
So let me tell you how I really feel... <img src="graemlins/cancer.gif" border="0" alt="[cancer]" /> </strong><hr></blockquote>
i agree with you on martial arts "movies" in general. the movie part is utterly disgusting. i think it would be more effective if they could popularize and sell tapes of m.a. fighting, and cut all the attempted acting.
i dont think owen is so bad though. maybe i'm missing something, i havent seen too many flicks with him (i think i know who i am referring to). The only flick i seen wiff him that you mentioned is Meet the Parents. And (if i'm thinking of the right person), he played a very different character in Royal Tennanbaums, and that other flick where he was stranded in foreign territory (black out, or something, i think that was him) he was different stil.
<strong>Personally, I think ALL those martial arts movies are a bunch of crap.
</strong><hr></blockquote>
While the stories are pretty bad, I have to admit to liking good fight scenes.
I guess I'm a purist and enjoy true hand to hand combat unlike the stuff we see in movies like the Matrix. All those wire harnesses and CGI manipulated computer effects against a blue screen is so tired and overdone in every action movie today.
Of course Jackie's command of the english language doesn't help the situation. And every martial artist pales by comparison after we've seen the likes of Bruce Lee.
And Jackie is 40+ years old....
I've seen his movies when He first started out. His kungfu and moves are really fantastic then.
"I feel a FIGHT coming on! 'Any ass you can kick, I can kick better. I can kick any ass better than you.'"
Okay. Fight's over, now back to the "story." Where were we?
"The Tuxedo" was absolute dreck. It was like one of those many forgettable 70's live-action Disney movies (think "Condor Man", one of my all-time childhood favorites). It was a disappointment, and that disappointment colored Shanghai Knights for me because I was suddenly aware of how Hollywood is affecting the tone of Jackie's movies.
It would be nice if he went back to his old sources for storylines because he's damaging his name with some of these crappy movies...
What I really loved was the scene with the car. They were really just rolling right along in no danger, but Magic Bus started playing and it made the scene perfect.
Although my favorite Jackie Chan movie is Operation Condor. The scene in the military base with the giant fans is priceless <img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughing]" />
[ 03-01-2003: Message edited by: Stagger ]</p>
You have to remember that Asian movies are up to par with silent films and serials of the 30's & 40's in America (Jackie Chan says his Hollywood idols are Buster Keaton and John Wayne). They are made (cheaply is the key word here) only to entertain. There is no real hidden message. They were (and still are) made to let the audience get away from their toils and troubles and see some bad guy get their asses kicked...with maybe a few laughs thrown in.
The wire work genre is just that...a fantasy genre. Just like our sci-fi/fantasy movies. It requires a lot of skill (and balls) to do that stuff. You just have to forget the wires and the fact that they sometimes are walking on air. Just enjoy.
if you want something else entirely go see "The Hours"...
<strong>Jackie Chan shouldn't stop making American movies, American movies should stop sucking major arse.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Right. Shanghai Noon was a classy picture, and I've heard that Shanghai Knights is as well. I have a great deal of respect for Jackie Chan and his appreciation of physical comedy and classic comedy. And best of all, he's usually pretty clean.
EDIT: "yast noght"!?!?! What was I smoking! :eek:
[ 03-01-2003: Message edited by: Ebby ]</p>