Saturday 5 January 2013

Chinese Zodiac Movie Review and Trailer


PRODUCER - Jackie Chan, Stanley Tong, Barbie Tung
DIRECTOR - Jackie Chan
WRITER - Jackie Chan
CAST - Jackie Chan, Kwon Sang-woo, Liao Fan, Yao Xing Tong, Zhang Lan Xin, Laura Weissbecker
MUSIC - Roc Chen, Nathan Wang

The affable, almost clownish, dare-devil treasure hunter Asian Hawk has returned. Jackie Chan reprises his much-loved role from Armor of God (1987) in Chinese Zodiac, coping with the mantle of actor, writer, director, producer, cinematographer, stunt co-coordinator and others. With signature good-natured action drama, he sets to search for 12 bronze heads of china Zodiac looted from China, 150 previously, which now lie in a variety of places in different parts of the earth.

Hired by business tycoon and antique- Lawrence Morgan (Oliver Platt), Hawk (coping with the pseudonym JC here) travels all over the earth on this mission. As he swishes across continents, sky-diving and parkouring with glee, he collects a motley group of accomplices and opponents globally. There’s a French heiress, (Laura Weissbecker), a Chinese archeology student (Yao Xingtong), JC’s own Chinese tech team - Simon (Kwone), Bonnie (Zhang) and David (Liao Fan), a Russian army, a band of pirates and JC’s direct rival Vulture (Alaa Safi), who’s searching for the heads for himself.

While, an ensemble, multi-lingual cast possibly brings colour and largesse with a project, here it depletes into some type of a circus. The sort that resides in comedy forced out of confusing situations because of different languages of communication. It’s slapstick within the Chan way alright, but a bit bit over-wrought in a not-so-pleasant way too.

Besides, you have the meandering story that can take everyone in one place to another and keeps adding colorful characters only for the sake of it. What aims being merry turns out to be rather tiresome because of the hectic activity around everything.

Action-wise, the film is slick and robust, clearly mounted on-par with the Hollywood biggies. It’s fast-paced and it has the Chan trademark imaginativeness and quirk woven straight into it. There may simply not be adequate for hard-core fans because sometimes, it will seem like the story takes over anticipated fisticuffs. There’s additionally a bit of embarrassing patriotism that weaves its distance for an otherwise light-hearted adventure film and sets a bad tone into an unintended direction. But fortunately, or unfortunately, the buffoonery keeps bringing the airy-headed-ness back.

Warts and all sorts of sorts of, what makes the ride worthwhile though, is the charm and charisma of the first stunt super hero Jackie Chan, who even at 58 displays an agility and impishness we've always loved him for.

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