Rob-B-Hood (2006)

Jackie is a thief named Thongs who has an unfortunate habit of gambling away his ill-gotten earnings and who is deep in debt as a result. Along with his partner Octopus, Thongs accepts a job from their desperate landlord after his retirement stash is stolen to kidnap a young baby, lured by the prospect of a massive reward. The duo don’t like the idea of stealing a baby but before they know it, the baby boy has been taken and is kept in a bag and the duo along with their landlord get away in their van. However, the landlord crashes the van whilst trying to escape from the cops and Thongs, Octopus and the unhurt baby manage to slip away from the scene. The landlord however is arrested but phones the duo from jail. He informs the duo that they have to look after the baby for 1-2 weeks until he’s released from jail. The two have to learn fast on how to cope with looking after the baby. As time marches on, the trio have bonded very well with Thongs and Octopus reluctant to hand the baby over to a crime boss who wants to prove that the kid is of his own blood.

A great little action comedy from Jackie Chan. I’ve said it before that whilst JC may have become famous in the US, his work there has been far from good. Disappointing is a word that comes up often to describe his US movies but that’s myself just being nice. I could say something far worse! When Jackie comes back to Hong Kong, it seems the shackles come off and he appears in far more entertaining stuff like this movie for instance. This is like a more action packed version of Three Men And A Baby. The set pieces in this movie are what we’ve come to expect from Jackie and his stunt team. They’re exciting, intricate and inventive. The action might be a little toned down for JC with him now in his 50’s but he can still entertain viewers. The comedy is very well done with plenty of slapstick involving soiled baby diapers etc and also a couple of gay jokes (one even mentions Brokeback Mountain) is thrown in as well. There are many endearing scenes with the real star of the show, baby Matthew Medvedev, who will melt any viewer’s heart. He is put in many perilous situations such as dangling and falling from a building, put in a washing machine and nearly being hit by oncoming cars in a busy HK street! Jackie and his co-stars’ characters are very sympathetic and the acting for the most part is spot on. The pairing of Jackie and Louis Koo is wonderful and they make a good amusing team playing mother and father to the baby. Benny Chan does an excellent job directing his stars and shows that he is not only able to direct a serious action crime drama like Chan’s previous New Police Story but is also adept at the family action comedy as well. There are many cameos from well known HK stars such as Yuen Biao, Charlene Choi, Daniel Wu so be sure to watch out for them. Even at 2 hours long, the movie never overstays it’s welcome and there’s plenty to keep the viewers from becoming bored.

All in all, Rob-B-Hood with it’s mix of comedy and action was fantastic. A very enjoyable and fun movie to watch. Recommended.

Sadako’s Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

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Little Big Soldier (2010)

Set during The Warring States Period (475 B.C. – 221 B.C.) in China, an old soldier from the state of Liang who has faked his death during a big battle which has seen 3000 soldiers die captures a young general of an enemy state and takes him on a long journey to collect the reward. The old soldier hopes to use to the reward to retire and become a farmer. During their journey they encounter the general’s younger brother who is pursuing him, abductors, swindlers and other difficulties …

Jackie Chan’s movies in the past couple of years have been a bit hit and miss. This one isn’t too bad I suppose. Jackie wrote the story for the movie himself. He waited nearly 20 years to see his dream finally being made. As this is his own project he injects the story with his customary comedy and acrobatic fights and for the most part it works but there’s just something lacking to make it truly great. He also wanted to portray the younger general but as he’s not a spring chicken anymore he had to settle for the older role instead. The plot is simple enough but is one that is refreshing, and the story progresses through witty plot devices and some funny situations. JC’s various gadgets used for feigning death showcases his trademark slapstick humour which we all have come to enjoy over the years. While the plot’s strength lies in its simplicity, it threatens to throw the viewer off by wearing too thin at times, and the lack of major turning points makes the movie less engaging than it could have been. The action scenes are adequate, despite being slightly less ambitious than those in JC’s other movies, both in complexity and in quantity. His stunts may be less outrageous and his fighting less impressive than it was twenty years ago, but he brings a warmth and genuine presence to his role. The strength of the movie comes from how the two main characters contrast with, and how they rub off their respective ideals on each other. JC plays his character well and the sheer luck and street smarts he has to rely on to get out of sticky situations make him a likeable character even though at times he is a bit cowardly. I’m not too familiar with Leehom Wang but he manages to give a decent performance as the young general and shares some fine chemistry with JC.

This is probably one of JC’s better movies from ther past 10 years considering the crap he’s been doing in Hollywood. The sooner he leaves there and returns permanently back to Hong Kong to make some quality movies I’ll be happy. It demonstrates that JC still has what it takes to deliver a good fun Chinese movie.

Sadako’s Rating: 3 stars out of 5

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Fantasy Mission Force (1983)

In a skewed version of WW2, the Japanese capture four high ranking generals (one is called Abraham Lincoln!) during an attack on an allied camp and imprison them for ransom in Luxembourg. The Chinese are outraged at this incident. As 007, Snake Plissken, Rocky Balboa and Karl Maka (from the Aces Go Places movies) are unavailable for various reasons, the allies ask Lieutenant Don Wen to send a group of mercenaries to rescue the generals and stop the nasty Japanese. He rounds up a weird bunch of people such as 2 Chinese soldiers wearing kilts, a tramp, a femme fatale, a con artist and an escape artist with the promise of money as a reward. Along the way 2 thieves get involved with their antics. They are captured by a leopardskin wearing Amazon tribe led by an effeminate man in a tuxedo. The group manage to escape but they run into more trouble by staying the night in a haunted house. Will they manage to rescue the generals before it’s too late?

I’m not really sure what I just saw here but it has to be one of the oddest low budget HK comedies of all time. Maybe that’s why I’d never heard about it. It tries to be a wacky and surreal screwball comedy – maybe they wanted to copy Monty Python? It’s totally insane and so bad it’s ALMOST good. I emphasise on the word ALMOST! This is the only movie to have two HK legends in Jackie Chan and Brigitte Lin star together although the screentime they share is minimal. Jackie himself is barely in the movie – about 10-15 minutes at most. He only did this movie as a favour to one of the other actors (Jimmy Wang Yu) in the production who had protected him from the Triads during the early part of his career. The comedy is cringeworthy and embarassing at times such as 2 stupid Benny Hill type chase scenes which is terrible. The haunted house sequence which sees hopping vampires, skeletons and disembodied hands making appearances drags on for far too long. There’s even a couple of Japanese Nazis that pop up close to the end and don’t get me started on the climax which sees the Japanese attack the mercenaries in their 1970’s clapped out cars almost like something out of Mad Max! The movie is completely incomprehensible, silly, and so OTT with scenes just finishing unexpectedly and moving on to the next. I’m sure the filmmmakers were almost making the script up as they went along. It’s possible that they made it this bad on purpose – who knows? You just don’t know what to expect in it. The beginning of the movie even has a musical number. The only bright spots were the 3 fights that Jackie is involved in and Brigitte Lin is sort of OK in her role. The escape from the Amazon camp at night is well done with plenty of action and explosions. Just about everything including the kitchen sink is thrown into this movie!

Fantasy Mission Force has to be one of the most bizarre movies I’ve seen. It’s not often I’m gobsmacked after watching a movie but I was after seeing this. Actually I would ask Asian movie fans to watch this because it’s something you’ve got to experience……just have a couple of beers first before you do and don’t try to make any sense from the plot because you won’t be able to!!

Sadako’s Rating: 2.5 stars out of 5

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The Myth (2005)

Martial arts legend Jackie Chan stars as Jack, a world-renowned archaeologits who has begun having mysterious dreams of a past life as a warrior in ancient China. When a fellow scientist asks for Jack’s help in locating the mausoleum of China’s first Emperor, the past collides violently with the present as Jack discovers his amazing visions are based on fact. Assisted by the spirit of a noble princess, Jack follows a mystical trail that soon finds him battling the forces of the legendary Emperor, as well as the henchmen of a modern-day tomb raider, as he seeks to uncover history’s greatest secret – and his own destiny.

A pretty good movie. The story, while it might be original for a Jackie Chan movie, seemed a little cliché. It plays like a young boy’s fantasy of snagging that exotic oriental princess, enjoying the support of the troop masses, having utmost loyalty to the king, and blessed with good fighting skills topped with a signature sword. The Myth looks and feels like a classic JC movie in terms of production values, like the familiar fight-with-the-baddies-acrobatic-stunts scenes, and physical humour injected at certain points. However, I guess with JC’s age, the number of fight scenes have been reduced, and somewhat slowed down deliberately. The fight at the Rat Glue Factory stood out for being a combination of both brawn and situational humour. Eye candy comes in the form of Kim Hee-seon and Mallika Sherawat and they don’t disappoint. Overall this movie has much that can be enjoyed, just don’t expect too much from a simple predictable storyline, and for some illogical and improbable scenes (a horse back-kicking a couple of people).

Sadako’s Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

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Mr Nice Guy (1997)

A Chinese chef accidentally gets involved with a news reporter who filmed a drug bust that went awry and is now being chased by gangs who are trying to get the video tape.

There are 2 things I want to see in a Jackie Chan movie and this one delivers them both. First I look for new physical feats and stunts, and second I want to laugh. This film provides great fights and good humour. The action sequences (and to a lesser extent the comedy) are really impressive in this film. Its what we’ve come to expect from Jackie Chan movies. The finale is really quite impressive in which Jackie goes on an orgy of destruction in a massive dumper truck! If you are a fan of Martial Arts/Action films, or just like Jackie Chan, then watch this movie.

Sadako’s Rating: 3.5 out of 5

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The Young Master (1980)

Jackie Chan plays orphan Ah Lung, a student in a martial arts school, along with his brother.  Trouble ensues when the brother is bribed by a rival school to fake an injury and join their team in their lion dance competition, leaving Lung to take his place, and subsequently lose.  The brother is released from the school, and Lung must try to find him, but a series of mishaps, the worst of which includes Lung being mistaken for a criminal, prevents the reunion.

This is the first movie that Jackie wrote and directed. This movie has it’s fans but for me I just found it well……boring! There is just a dull feeling throughout that has nothing to do with the comedy or anything. The plot isn’t that great and it drags a bit in the middle and there isn’t the usual quota of physical comedy and crazy stunts you’d expect from a Jackie Chan movie. Even the lengthy fight at the end didn’t do anything for me. The fan fight plus the one with the benches were entertaining though. Jackie was still learning his trade in the movie business at this time and it shows. There are other great movies that Jackie did pre-Police Story like the Drunken Master double bill which I think fans will enjoy better than this hokum. Overall it’s only average.

Sadako’s Rating: 2.5 out of 5

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Who Am I? (1998)

Secret agent Jackie goes with a commando group to Africa to kidnap scientists who are working to unleash a powerful and lethal new energy source. However there is a betrayal amongst the group and the helicopter carrying them suddenly starts to fall out of the sky. Jackie falls out of the helicopter and gets knocked out having fallen heavily through some trees and landing on the jungle floor below with an almighty thud. Awakening in an African village in a desert with a broken leg, Jackie cannot remember who he is. As he starts having flashbacks to his past and does a heroic deed for a Japanese couple taking part in a rally, his former employers send their goons out to kill him but Jackie has no idea why they’re after him.

Not one of Jackie’s best but contains enough of his trademark humour/action to be entertaining. The movie fails to recreate the energy of his older flicks. Higher production values and a couple of impressive fight scenes cannot entirely overcome that the story is to weak to keep the two hour movie together which indicates the major problem: it’s far too long. It’s only when the story moves to Rotterdam that this movie finally spring into life. When Jackie finally comes to his best, the fights, he is still great, but between these fights there’s too little new, including the umpteenth car chase through a market street. This movie is by no means bad, it’s just not in the same league as earlier works.

Sadako’s Rating: 3 out of 5

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City Hunter (1993)

Jackie Chan plays Ryu Saeba, a private eye with a lust for babes and burgers. He’s assigned to find a runaway girl who just happens to hitch a ride on a luxury liner that comes under siege by terrorists. Ryu must defeat the terrorists and get the runaway girl back home to her rich father.

Very silly and goofy JC action comedy based on an anime. It’s not like your typical JC comedy at all – too much slapstick with stupid incidental music but it does have plenty of action though. The brilliantly inventive fights that JC is well known for continues here and there’s a funny Streetfighter scrap where JC dresses up as Chun Li and a couple of other characters make an appearance too. City Hunter might not be up there with JC’s best but it’s still hugely entertaining.

Sadako’s Rating: 3 out of 5

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The Shinjuku Incident (2009)

Jackie Chan stars as Steelhead, a tractor mechanic in China during the early 90’s. His childhood sweetheart Xiu Xiu goes off to Japan but never returns – seemingly disappearing off the face of the earth. A couple of years later Steelhead takes off to find her with other Chinese people on a ship bound for Japan. Once in Japan, he teams up with other illegal immigrants and finds work cleaning rubbish from the gutter. There’s also a war brewing on the streets of Kabukicho, Shinjuku between rival Japanese and Taiwanese gangs. Steelhead finally sees his girlfriend but she’s now the wife of the yakuza boss Eguchi and has a child. Steelhead gets involved with the yakuza and slowly but surely climbs up the ranks to take control of the Taiwanese gang’s territory for doing a favor by killing two yakuza leaders and documents to make him a citizen of Japan. But tragedy is about to take place…….

This movie shows than when he feels like it, Jackie Chan can do a really good serious drama. It’s very refreshing to see JC act in a drama and I hope he does some more. Daniel Wu and the gorgeous Fan Bing Bing also contribute to this engrossing movie. Those expecting JC to do some kind of fighting will be disappointed as he doesn’t do that at all. JC even said years ago that he would never do a sex scene but we see a brief one in this movie – this shows how different this is from other JC movies. Most Western fans will be not like this movie because there’s no comedy or martial arts and probably think this movie is boring but for me Shinjuku Incident proves just what a versatile actor JC really is. I would definitely recommend checking this one out.

Sadako’s Rating: 4 out of 5

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