Jackie Chan is regarded as one of the finest actors of all time.
After all, performance encompasses more than simply acting; a dancer, like a musician, a comedian, and, of course, a professional screen fighter, is a performer. While it's undeniable that Chan isn't a great actor, he's an unrivalled performer in the sense that he's not only a master martial artist with unrivalled speed, originality, and bravery, but he's also a comic presence that existed only during the silent period.
It's no exaggeration to claim Chan is the successor of Buster Keaton, Gene Kelly, and Bruce Lee all at the same time. Like Keaton, he's the most brilliant creator of death-defying stunts as physical comedy; like Kelly, he's a brilliant choreographer who finds artistry in the way the human body moves through spaces and who also possesses a superhuman ability to execute those athletic moves; and like Lee, he's just a badass of a kung fu fighter who defined what a true martial artist looks like for generations; and like Lee, he's just a
As previously said, Jackie Chan is a one-of-a-kind artist whose name should provoke delight and wonder rather than the quick, uneducated, and misinformed ridicule it frequently generates (due, unfortunately, to his admittedly terrible American phase). But don't be deceived by his Western films; his work in Hong Kong is crucial, and the finest of it is gathered here for your watching enjoyment. Enjoy.
10.The young Master (1980)
Jackie Chan's unrivalled athletic skill and steadfast devotion to the role are equaled only by his grasp of cinematic language, from framing to editing, and how he employs it to better realise his feats.
“The Young Master,” Chan's second feature film (after the excellent but somewhat less accomplished “Fearless Hyena”), is a perfect synthesis of two decades of Hong Kong martial arts filmmaking. Chan arranges fight after fight with a perfect sense of movement, precise grasp of rhythm, and genuinely wonderful comic timing, weaving fantastic jokes in between the complicated choreographies, taking inspiration from the masters who had guided him up to that time, notably Yuen Woo-ping.
Jackie was a brilliant director from the start, in addition to being a performer with unrivalled energy and charm. He hadn't yet established his own style, that distinct blend of action and humour that is totally his own, but he was a master even at the youthful age of 25 – which is how old he was when he directed this – just like the main character of this film. Unbelievable.
9.Crime Story (1993)
Of course, Jackie Chan is the uncontested king of action comedy, but "Crime Story" demonstrates that if he had ever wanted to change his comic character for a more serious one, he could have done so with equal effectiveness.
The action style is closer to the heroic bloodshed work of John Woo and Ringo Lam, with an emphasis on shootouts. Director Kirk Wong's film lacks the silliness that characterises most of Chan's work, and surprisingly few martial arts set pieces; the action style is closer to the heroic bloodshed work of John Woo and Ringo Lam, with an emphasis on shootouts.It's appropriate given the tone of this stripped-down, gritty procedural (based on a true tale, no less), in which Chan plays his most dramatic part.
It's so different from the star's regular work that it earned him a Golden Bear for Best Actor and prompted famous Taiwanese filmmaker Edward Yang to declare him Oscar-worthy. Even if Chan didn't quite make it, the seal of approval is an improvement.
8.Dragons Forever (1988)
Sammo Hung is the Hardy to Jackie's Laurel, the Ginger to his Fred - a fantastic comic combo who are also excellent athletes with incredible agility and choreography. The difference is that instead of dancing, they fight.
They met and became friends at the prestigious Peking Opera School, and went on to appear in and direct several films together, taking turns at the helm of each project. Sammo Hung directed "Dragons Forever," which has his own particular aesthetic.Hung's comic approach is arguably more sillier than Chan's, and in this film, he creates a kung fu version of the three stooges with another frequent partner, Yuen Biao: physical jokes abound, and funny misunderstandings outweigh the already plentiful combat sequences (the last of which, in a factory, is an all-timer set piece).
Above all, it all works: Hong Kong humour may be difficult to adapt for a western audience, but “Dragons Forever” is one of the funniest and most accessible of the lot. Not least because of the wonderful chemistry between the three protagonists, there are numerous laugh-out-loud scenes in this (particularly the one in which Sammo and Yuen break into Jackie's house while he's on a date).
7. Rumble in the Bronx (1995)
“Rumble in the Bronx,” the film that launched Jackie Chan into worldwide celebrity and kicked off his increasingly disappointing American phase, is a film created specifically for a foreign audience, yet it is undeniably a Hong Kong film.
Never mind the terrible dubbing (always look for subtitled versions of everything) or how plainly non-New York it all is; the most telling sign of this film's real country is how clean the action is and how insane the stunts get. Director Stanley Tong shoots and edits everything with a fine sense of camera placement and pace, making the most of the set pieces, unlike his clumsy American rivals who slice Chan's exquisite moves and rob them of their hard-earned flow.
And what set pieces they are: the gag reel at the end of "Rumble in the Bronx" that shows the effort, injuries, and gaffes that went into creating the stunts (a Jackie Chan tradition) is one of his best, going into the behind-the-scenes of how Chan really did jump between buildings, have a motorcycle go over his genitals, and tie himself to a boat running in the water is one of the best of his career. One of cinema's most insane characters.Director Stanley Tong shoots and edits everything with a fine sense of camera placement and pace, making the most of the set pieces, unlike his clumsy American rivals who slice Chan's exquisite moves and rob them of their hard-earned flow.
And what set pieces they are: the gag reel at the end of "Rumble in the Bronx" that shows the effort, injuries, and gaffes that went into creating the stunts (a Jackie Chan tradition) is one of his best, going into the behind-the-scenes of how Chan really did jump between buildings, have a motorcycle go over his genitals, and tie himself to a boat running in the water is one of the best of his career. One of cinema's most insane characters.
6.Drunken Master (1978)
Jackie Chan featured in a number of Lo Wei films, but none of them were as successful as "Drunken Master," his trademark achievement from his early career.
Aside from being a comedic period piece, like are most of their films, the plot follows a Shaw favourite storyline of an arrogant kung fu student who is bested by a more powerful opponent and must study and improve himself in order to meet him again. It's also directly out of the studio's playbook in terms of visuals, with hyper-quick zooms (in and out) and static wide views to highlight the battle choreography.
And what choreography it is: the film's thin plot serves only as an excuse to stitch together an endless string of fight scenes, each of which Yuen Woo-ping, a master choreographer and director since childhood, makes more staggeringly inventive, fun, and energetic than the last, all centred around a singularly skilled performer. From start to finish, “Drunken Master” is a delight to see.
5.Wheels on Meals (1984)
“Wheels on Meals,” another Jackie, Yuen, and Sammo film (this one directed by the latter), is often regarded as the pinnacle of their partnership, and for good cause.
Timing is crucial in both martial arts and humour; in the case of jokes, the rationale is clear and well-publicized, but in combat choreography, it's just as important, if not more so. Chan has stated that the most critical aspect of a fight scene is rhythm; the precise timing a punch or a block falls is crucial, something that the spectator may not be consciously aware of when watching a fight but would instinctively miss if it isn't present.
“Wheels on Meals” is a masterclass in this regard. Sammo Hung's ability to blend humour and action has never been greater than in this picture; the smooth transitions between real moments of character bonding, slapstick jokes, and bone-crunching kung fu, all at the same time, is astounding. Of course, he's helped by the talent of the cast (including himself), the most notable of whom is, of course, Jackie Chan, whose last one-on-one fight with Benny Urquidez is one of the finest ever seen on screen.
4.Project A (1983)
All of this is to say that “Project A” is the finest Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, and Yuen Biao picture of all time because nothing compares to its pulpy appeal, ridiculous grandiosity, and Chan's star power.
The main difference between “Project A” and his earlier collaborations with Hung and Biao is that this film (directed by Chan himself, not coincidentally) is not an ensemble piece; rather, it is primarily a Jackie Chan vehicle in which Hung and Biao play supporting roles. If this appears selfish in comparison to Hung's generous sharing of the spotlight, the film itself is a tribute to Chan's willingness to put himself through the wringer for an audience's entertainment.
Another important factor in Chan's durability and worldwide appeal is that he's one of the few action stars who doesn't worry about appearing cool. He may have received the most punches, kicks, and other forms of physical punishment of any martial artist. And "Project A" is one of the best examples of his masochism; the stunt work in some of the sequences is incredible, and the choreography is insane.
3.The Legend of the Drunken Master (1994)
“The Legend of the Drunken Master,” a sort of name-only sequel to the previous classic, has nothing in common with Yuen Woo-picture, ping's but comparing the two is a fascinating case study in the history of Hong Kong kung fu filmmaking.
As previously said, the first “Drunken Master” is a very simple, streamlined film in the style of Shaw Brothers; nevertheless, this is a shockingly politically-minded historical epic, equally concerned with feats of physical skill and a sharp indictment of colonialism's ills.
Jackie Chan has never been more political, before or since, which is one of the many reasons this is one of his most recognisable films; it's also a far more ambitious craft, whether in terms of expensive set design, elaborate costumes, or rigorous cinematography compositions. The explanation for this unusual desire has to do with who was in charge at the time.
Lau Kar-leung is the all-time best Hong Kong martial arts director and choreographer, and “The Legend of the Drunken Master” was his final masterwork. During filming, he and Chan were famously at strife, to the point that Lau was supposedly dismissed and Chan took over directorial responsibilities. Whatever the case may be, the stress is definitely beneficial to the final product: this titanic clash produced the most breathtaking battle choreography ever caught on film, which has yet to be topped.
2.Police story 3: Supercop (1992)
Quentin Tarantino and the other filmmakers in attendance at a director's roundtable were once asked which moment in cinema history they would like to preserve in a time capsule for the future of humanity if all else vanished. “That's a scene that aliens might watch and they would be shocked at what they saw,” Tarantino said of the last climactic set piece of “Supercop.” That would be an example of what film is capable of.”
Everyone else at the table is amused by Tarantino's decision, either as a joke or as a direct insult to his taste.In any case, the joke is on them: it's nearly impossible to watch the last 15 minutes of Stanley Tong and Jackie Chan's masterwork without feeling overwhelmed with amazement at what these actors are prepared to do and the expertise with which they carry off the most crazy ideas conceivable.
It's pointless to try to describe why this is such an impossible-to-stop-watching, adrenaline-inducing film, so just watch it and marvel at everyone involved. Michelle Yeoh, one of the finest Hong Kong action stars of all time, deserves special mention since she is every bit as talented as her male rivals but isn't as well-known.You'll never forget seeing her dangling from a bus or landing on a train from a racing motorcycle.
1.Police story (1985)
How can anyone disagree with Jackie Chan's assessment of this film as his best?
The original "Police Story," which gave birth to Chan's most enduring and successful franchise, doesn't have the best fight choreography of his career, like "The Legend of the Drunken Master," or the craziest, most death-defying stunts, like "Supercop," but it has an unmatched purity: this film *is* Jackie Chan, it's his defining work as an auteur (which, make no mistake, he absolutely is).
Chan is at his best in “Police Story,” both as an actor and as a director: here is an artist who will not settle for a single moment in his film, not even the most basic explanatory material, that does not realise its full potential for humour or action – or both.
A basic scene of Jackie answering the phone turns into a Keatonesque series of physical jokes, which is a great stunt in and of itself; a breakup scene must end with a risky motorbike leap; and a chase through a shopping mall turns into a rampage of smashed glass and broken bones.Chan sets it all out on the screen and performs it for us, demonstrating his devotion to creating the greatest possible version of everything.
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