Jackie Chan- Rennaisance man
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Jackie Chan,one of the greatest perfomers of all time, was born Chan Kong-Sang in Hing Kong on April 7, 1954. His parents were poor housekeepers & cooks. Chan's father taught him martial arts at a young age. He tried school but it didn't work for him. So when his parents had to move to Australia for new jobs, Chan was "lent" to the chinese opera school to learn to be an actor. Life in the school was tough with torturous training methods and a ruthless master. But this is where Chan learned the unique skills that would make him a star. After the Opera went out of business Chan went on the wild lifestyle of a 70's stunt man. Eventually Chan would meet his agent & confidant Willie who tried to get him a career as a movie star. Finally after many attemps Jackie had his first big hit, Snake in Eagle's Shadow. Fans loved his ability and wild style. After reaching superstardom in Asia with his movies Chan tried to break into America with the film Battle Creek Brawl. It was a flop. Chan had no creative Control over the movie & was very frustrated at the American response. From there he continued to thrill fans in Asia with his Record-Breaking Police Force & Operation Condor series. At last Jackie decided to try America one more time with the movie Rumble in the Bronx. He had more control over it. In its 1st week it made $10 million. It was a success! Now Chan has been accepted in America & thrills fans on both sides of the Pacific. Many of his older Asia movied have been dubbed in english & brought over for the 1st time. With hits like First Strike & Mr. Nice Guy & Supercop, Chan fans hope that he stays around to do more movies for a long time to come.
TWIN DRAGONS REVIEW
Okay this is Chan's latest movie, out in theaters now. It was originally released in Asia in 1991 and has now been dubbed in english. My impression? It's not Chan's best. Basically the story is Chan plays 2 twins separated at birth. One becomes a musician; the other a toughie mechanic who is involved with the local mob. When they both end up in Hong Kong and get mixed up, mildy funny situations occur( mechanic directs orchestra, switched girlfriends, etc.) When they meet they try to correct the trouble they got into. The story is very silly and not worth paying attention to, its the fights that matter. Like most Chan movies the fights are excellent. They duke it out in a variety of locations with different props (Chan is known for his creative stunts & fights). This time the big battle is in a crash test factory. It's preetty good. The catch is that the musician brother can't fight which leads to more komedic kapers as he runs from the baddies. I don't want to give too much of the fight away. Overall, this latest movie is okay. Only Chan fans should pay to watch it. I mean its standard Chan but nothing special. You know what you are getting. Capiche? 2.5 out of 4. Oh, and one more thing. There is no outtakes at the end. What the crap is that?
WHO AM I?
If you want a good Chan fix try renting "Who Am I"? It's Chan newest but they didn't theatrically release it here. It grossed more than Titanic in some countries, as it well should. It was just released on video. This has an actual plot & an intriging mystery. It has lots of superb fighting, including an incredible rooftop fight that lasts like 20 minutes. This is more of What you'd expect from Jackie. lots of outtakes too. I insist that you rent it. 4 out of 4. By the way, you'll want to watch it twice to pick up everything in the story.
