Jackie Chan is a martial artist. He's made his fortune by becoming a modern day kung fu master, learning to act, and defying gravity "Crouching Tiger" style without a single CG effect needed. I remember watching the outtakes from Rumble in the Bronx several years ago. In one of them, a young Jackie Chan sat on a gurney with a twisted ankle after a failed stunt. The studio doctor put a cast around his foot that was made up to look like a regular tennis shoe. Fake shoe in hand (foot?), Chan jumped back onto the set and continued to defy gravity "Hidden Tiger" style without a single CG effect or two working legs needed.
Fast forward to old, rich Jackie Chan. He can produce his own movies now, so no need to work hard. He owns the studio doctor, and probably the guys entire extended family. But while he doesn't bring in his trademark kung fu moves, he does make every attempt rehash his tried and true character - a simple man, down on his luck, and through determination and Forest Gump style understanding of the world, he overcomes obstacles blah blah blah.
In fact, they should really call this movie the Forest Gump Incident. Chan's character bumbles his way through this movie, does about zero kung fu moves (well, at some point he does hit a dude with a stick a few times), and then he rakes in a bunch of cash from uncritical movie goers. He even goes out of his way to NOT get into fights. Just when you think Chan is about to pull a CHAN VS 30 NINJAS fight scene, he simply WALKS outside and then no one goes after him. Or, to mix it up, some dude will stab him, and then he will STUMBLE outside and again, no one goes after him.
By itself it's a so-so movie.
But it's also a terrible Jackie Chan movie.
Fast forward to old, rich Jackie Chan. He can produce his own movies now, so no need to work hard. He owns the studio doctor, and probably the guys entire extended family. But while he doesn't bring in his trademark kung fu moves, he does make every attempt rehash his tried and true character - a simple man, down on his luck, and through determination and Forest Gump style understanding of the world, he overcomes obstacles blah blah blah.
In fact, they should really call this movie the Forest Gump Incident. Chan's character bumbles his way through this movie, does about zero kung fu moves (well, at some point he does hit a dude with a stick a few times), and then he rakes in a bunch of cash from uncritical movie goers. He even goes out of his way to NOT get into fights. Just when you think Chan is about to pull a CHAN VS 30 NINJAS fight scene, he simply WALKS outside and then no one goes after him. Or, to mix it up, some dude will stab him, and then he will STUMBLE outside and again, no one goes after him.
By itself it's a so-so movie.
But it's also a terrible Jackie Chan movie.