Jackie Chan, the Family Man

I am working the Desk right now, and watching Rumble in the Bronx (mostly because it is the only one of my DVD's that seems to work in the crappy player). It has been a while since I have seen this, or watched any of the younger Jackie Chan flicks. What a difference it is.

Chan is older now, and I can appreciate that he cannot do all the moves he could once do. I can appreciate that is trying more to be an actor, not merely an action star (though there is nothing wrong in that). In the movies I have seen him in, Chan lacks the serenity and a bit of the subtlety of Chow Yun Fat, or the raw intensity of Jet Li. But he seems to have a better sense of comic timing, and his gift for physical comedy does allow him a great deal expression. That is not to say that Chan doesn't have serenity or intensity, but that these are not his strong points.

Most people have seen Chan in later movies like Shanghai Noon, or the Rush Hours. These movies are all well and good, but for truly astounding stunts, watch earlier Jackie Chan movies, like Supercop or Legend of the Drunken Master. Here Chan's gifts shine. It is not that he can do amazing moves, or have a lot of wire work. But he makes those moves, even the wire work, look realistic. There is a rawness, when he gets hit, and you can feel the pain when he gets smacked with a liquor bottle.