Made back in 1996, Rumble in the Bronx was Jackie Chan's first major theatrical release in the USA. It's a story about a man named Keung and he travels to New York for his uncle's wedding. While there he runs afoul of a dangerous biker gang in the Bronx.
Let's start with the best part: The stunts! Some are just amazing. It really had to be the perfect way to introduce a superstar like Jackie Chan to the casual American audience. Jackie, while an above average actor, is far more known for doing his own death defying stunts and kung fu choreography.
The story on the other hand was standard fare. It wasn't anything special but it did do what it needed to do. The characters were nothing special and sometimes downright plain. Keung (Jackie Chan) is the same character he does in most of his movies. He's wholesome, caring, kind, and willing to stand up for what he believes.
Another staple of many Jackie Chan movies is the humor. Ever since doing Drunken Master in 1978, the tone of the movies Chan did went from serious martial arts movies, to more action comedy. Rumble in the Bronx is no exception. There are some genuinely funny moments.
And then there's the out takes playing during the credits. If ever there is a cautionary "don't try this at home" it would be watching the serious injuries Jackie Chan has filming these movies. In every movie he manages to seriously hurt himself. Luckily, in this movie he only broke his leg. If you look carefully during the waterskiing scene, you will notice that his right leg doesn't have a shoe. Instead they got a sock to try and mimic his shoes and fit that over his leg cast.
This movie is very forgettable. The story isn't special, the cast is adequate, the dubbing can be distracting at times, but the biggest draw are all the stunts and fight scenes. And they are worth watching at least once.
No comments:
Post a Comment