MR. NICE GUY
A film review by Mark R. Leeper
Capsule: As usual there is more stunt than
story to Chan's latest adventure. That approach
plays to Jackie Chan's strength: having the
greatest attention lavished on the stunts while the
plot is more an afterthought. The characters are
thin, the story is stale and familiar, but the
audience is entertained. However, once again Chan
injured himself in the making of the film and he
uses machinery rather than his own skill in the
final battle. Rating: 6 (0 to 10), +1 (-4 to +4)
It is difficult to evaluate a Jackie Chan film like one evaluates other films. Was the plot any good? Well no, it was pretty lame actually. Was the acting any good? Well, no, that was not so hot either. Chan has a lot of personality--more so than just about any of the martial artists who regularly star in films--but that is not the same thing as acting. Acting has to do with giving the viewer insights deep into a type of personality or it can be just playing a certain type of person very authentically. However, there is nothing very deep about the personalities Chan plays. And since I doubt there is anyone really like a Chan character, the whole question of whether he is doing a good job of acting is moot. Does a Chan film have good cinematography? Well, it probably is no easy task to keep in the frame of the camera a moving target like Chan. And there is some okay location scenery of (in this case) Melbourne, Australia. But it hardly is what anyone would consider good camerawork. All of what one thinks of as the usual virtues of a movie do not apply to a Jackie Chan film besides the general fact that it is entertaining.
The virtues of a Jackie Chan film are not those of a film, they are the virtues of a circus performance. Are there fabulous stunts in the film? Is it impressive that a human being can do what his character does? Are the movements smooth and graceful and well staged? There are the virtues one expects of more from Ringling Brothers than from Warner Brothers. I am sure when a new Chan film is being considered choosing the stunts is the first order of business. Then a minimal story is written to tie the stunts together.
In this outing Chan plays a chef on Melbourne television. The irony of having a martial artist in such a delicate profession as cooking is already familiar from the UNDER SIEGE films. In any case Jackie seem equally adept at delivering a well-done karate chop and a well-done lamb chop. After a cooking show broadcast one day Jackie is returning to his car when he sees a damsel in distress being chased by thugs. He jumps in and saves the woman and quicker than a three-minute egg he finds himself in the middle of a three- way war between two rival gangs and the police. There is a plot with a missing incriminating videotape and some unexplained detective work by the baddies who have an uncanny ability to find Chan and the people under his protection wherever they hide. After several confrontations Chan gets angry enough and brings his enemies to a crushing defeat.
The story is pretty basic stuff, but does anyone REALLY care about the plot? Chan fans probably want to know what kinds of action scenes there are and what kinds of props does Chan use. The centerpiece is probably a sequence with a horse carriage. There are some sequences with power tools including that old standard of villainous menace, the buzz saw. And at one point Jackie takes on a giant earth-moving machine. There is a comic bit in a building under construction that has only walls and doors.
Some people were disappointed with the conclusion of Chan's RUMBLE IN THE BRONX. Instead of having a climactic martial arts battle, Chan let a hovercraft do the fighting for him. That history repeats itself for MR. NICE GUY. Reportedly Chan suffered a neck injury in the shooting. Again the audience does not get the final fight between Chan and villain and a convenient vehicle does the real fighting for Chan. Perhaps Jackie Chan is nearing the end of his run and is discovering he can no longer take the risks he has in the past. Time is catching up with him.
A film like this deserves multiple ratings. The stunts are enjoyable to watch and little else really matters to someone who would come to see a Jackie Chan film. The film is pretty much interchangeable with any other Jackie Chan film. For those who like this sort of thing, go for it. I give MR. NICE GUY a 6 on the 0 to 10 scale and a +1 on the -4 to +4 scale.
Mark R. Leeper
mleeper@lucent.com
Copyright 1998 Mark R. Leeper
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