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E D I T O R I A L
Monday, March 12: Is Jackie Chan Still the Man? (part 1)
Last night I watched the "world broadcast premiere" of Mr. Nice Guy, the recent colloboration between star Jackie Chan and "big brother"/director Sammo Hung. The "world broadcast premiere" took place on TBS, an American cable television channel. The film was broadcast in its full frame, pan and scan version, complete with commercial breaks every ten minutes or so. I was reminded of why I pay extra money each month for premium pay cable channels -- not only do I hate commercials, I hate the way the commercial breaks ruin any chance a movie has to build momentum or pace. I decided to use the commercial breaks to consider Jackie Chan's career.
Chan rebounded from his second disastrous foray into cracking the American market (The Protector) by returning to Hong Kong and making Police Story, which was released in December 1985. The film built upon the financial success of My Lucky Stars (released February 1985; grossed HK $30 million), Twinkle Twinkle Little Star (released in August 1985; grossed HK $28 million) and Heart of the Dragon (released in October 1985; grossed HK $20 million -- quite good for a drama). More importantly, Police Story was directed by Chan and made the way he wanted it made. As a director, it was his first contemporary film, and its success must have gratified him.
Over the next seven years, he made a string of 11 films that were financially (if not always critically) well received:
Armour of God in January 1997 (grossed HK $35 million)
Project A-II in August 1997 (grossed HK $31 million)
Dragons Forever in February 1988 (grossed HK $33 million)
Police Story Part II in August 1988 (grossed HK $34 million)
Mr. Canton and Lady Rose in June 1989 (AKA Miracles; grossed HK $34 million)
Armour of God II: Operation Condor in February 1991 (grossed HK $39 million)
Twin Dragons in January 1992 (grossed HK $33 million)
Police Story III: Supercop in July 1992 (grossed HK $33 million)
City Hunter in January 1993 (grossed HK $31 million)
Crime Story in June 1993 (grossed HK $27 million)
Drunken Master II in February 1994 (grossed HK $40 million).Note that this list does not include Island on Fire, in which he played a supporting role. The reason I highlighted the box office totals is simple: Chan was very popular and audiences flocked to his films. He moved easily from adventure to period to contemporary and back again. You may question the artistic success of this series of films, but I would argue that the entertainment value remained high, and Drunken Master II boded well for the future.
The box office for Rumble in the Bronx went through the roof (released in January 1995; grossed HK $56 million). It was this film that was selected for distribution in the United States (and Chan's third attempt to conquer America). Thunderbolt also did very well (released in August 1995; grossed HK $45 million), and Police Story IV: First Strike did even better (released in February 1996; grossed $57 million). Rumble in the Bronx came out shortly thereafter in the US and was a solid, if modest, hit. Many Chan fans were less than happy with these three films, and it did seem that his creative engine was sputtering a bit.
The financial success continued with Mr. Nice Guy (released in January 1997; grossed HK $45 million). As usual, little thought was given to the plot, other than as a means to link action sequences that Chan and/or his colloborators had mapped out beforehand. The well was beginning to run dry; the concluding sequence was especially weak, echoing the recent Rumble in the Bronx's "big machine crushing things." Was Chan influenced by the success of that film, perhaps thinking that the English-language Mr. Nice Guy also needed such a conclusion to win popular acceptance in America?
Armour of God II: Operation Condor was released in the United States (as Operation Condor) in August 1997. As I remember, Mr. Nice Guy received an early 1998 release. Neither set the box office on fire.
His next Hong Kong release (in January 1998) was Who Am I?
Now the scene was set for the release of Chan's first American-produced film in 13 years.
(to be continued . . . )
As usual, feedback, whether positive or negative, is always welcome.
Peter
Editor / Reviewer / Webmaster
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Previous Editorials
Great Expectations (3/7/01)
In the Mood for Change (2/26/01)
Bronchitis on the Brain (2/12/01)
Hong Kong Sequel Blues (2/5/01)
Better or Best? (1/29/01)
To Dub or Not to Dub (1/22/01)
Scenes From a Fractured Skull (1/15/01)
Year-End Round-Up (1/7/01)
Briefly noted (12/31/00)
Wuxia Fantasies and the Black-and-White Western (12/24/00)
Raiders of the lost heart (12/17/00)
The movie week in review (12/10/00)
Redesigning A Better Tomorrow (12/3/00)
The fantasy begins again (11/26/00)
A return and a shortened work week, hurrah! (11/20/00)
That blasted job! (11/12/00)
Hollywood, Jet, Jackie, Fred, and Gene (11/6/00)
Did you want blood with that? (10/30/00)
Do you like cold pizza? (10/24/00)
Preparing for the Legend (10/16/00)
The pauper must pay (10/10/00)
A visit to Five Star Laser (10/05/00)
A brief vacation (9/25/00)
The editor's plea (8/20/00)
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