Truest post, tho it's a testament to his 80s output that even his watered-down US work is memorable if that's how people know JC.
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Jackie Chan to get lifetime achievement Oscar
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Truest post, tho it's a testament to his 80s output that even his watered-down US work is memorable if that's how people know JC.
Saw some folks on Twitter earlier (Markman and prog maybe?) talking about the top 5 Jackie films of all time today, and I was kind of surprised in trying to look some of them up on Amazon how there's not really any formal releases of a lot of them, or the ones that do exist are either clearly not official US releases, or are super old. Wheels on Meals etc. Wouldn't mind grabbing some of his stuff but I'm surprised at how hard it seems like that might be?
If you were to buy them the picture quality would be terrible. The fact that there isn't proper releases for so many Hong Kong movies is a shame.
matrix-cat
Member
Yeah, it's frustratingly difficult to find 'definitive' versions of his movies. There are so many different cuts out there, and half of them have different titles depending on the region. A lot of them are cropped from 2.35:1 to 16:9, which really ruins the framing in the action scenes. The fact that they're mostly still trapped in the DVD era is extra frustrating because you run into region-locking issues, too.
What I wouldn't give for a perfectly remastered box set of all his best movies on Blu Ray...
eyeball_kid
Member
Totally deserved. Drunken Master II ...god-tier. What was that film he did in the mid-90s that was filmed in Sydney? I feel like that was the last hardcore martial arts he did before Rush Hour. Has he done any legit martial arts films post-RH?
A Pretty Panda
fuckin' called it, man
Gorgeous is like half rom com but the other half's fight scenes are real good
HomerSimpson-Man
Member
There is no "might have been", this is for his film making history and it's deserved for it.
maniac-kun
Member
Which are the best 80s / 90s movies from Jackie?
i'm highly critical of the CCP but Jackie's hard work and dedication should be recognized.
KurtSloane
Banned
Well deserved, a real action hero and genius.
I love his Hong Kong output, especially the 80's releases.
I love his Hong Kong output, especially the 80's releases.
eyeball_kid
Member
Thanks, I'll check it out!
Dynamite Shikoku
Congratulations, you really deserve it!
He deserves it. A lot of his Hong Kong films were amazing. My favs: Police Story, Project A, Wheels on Meals, Miracles, Drunken Master 2
Drunken Master (from 1978 but it's amazing)
Drunken Master 2 (Original cut is still my fave in his career)
The Young Master
Wheels on Meals
Police Story 1-3
Project A 1 and 2
Armor of God 1 and 2
Dragons Forever
Who Am I?
These are my fave films from him. Great story/characters and amazing action. I've rewatched them a lot since I was a kid.
Calm Mind
Member
This
matrix-cat
Member
Jackie Chan's First Strike (which was released outside Australia as Police Story 4). That's the one with the incredible ladder fight scene. He did another one in Australia called Mr Nice Guy, which I think was filmed in Melbourne; also worth checking out.
He's still out there making action movies, though they aren't up to the gold standard. He made one last year called Dragon Blade where he inexplicably fights both Adrien Brody and John Cusack.
Relevant flair
karasu
Member
Cusack used to be Benny Urquidez's student. He might still train there.
GifGafIsTheBestGaf
Member
good for him, he deserves it. this probably gonna make him even richer in china. more work coming his way!
HyperZone<3
Member
Dragon Blade is actually not bad, sorta.
I mean, yeah, its chock full of over the top melodrama, and the acting from all the white guys who aren't John Cusack or Adrian Brody is surprisingly awful, and the pro-China patriotism message is laid on awfully damn thick...
But...
and this is important, there's also lots of well directed and choreographed fight scenes (some guy named Jackie did them all, I dunno, is he any good?). Its pretty much all weapon based from a variety of different cultures (its almost a Soul Calibur movie), and they're usually satisfyingly violent. Cusask, and especially Brody acquit themselves very well in the fight scenes, and Jackie Chan's body still refuses to act its own age. If you can get past the clunky parts between the pretty good fight scenes (and if you've seen enough of Jackie's HK output, you probably find them charming like I do) you can probably have a good time with it, I sure did.
Also of note, I've only seen the American cut, the Chinese version is longer but apparently has a modern day framing device for its period piece story it tells. Normally I would recommend going for the unadulterated version of pretty much anything, but I can't consciously point anybody towards watching a performance from Vanness Wu. Get the American version to watch if that interests you, its probably slightly better.
I mean, yeah, its chock full of over the top melodrama, and the acting from all the white guys who aren't John Cusack or Adrian Brody is surprisingly awful, and the pro-China patriotism message is laid on awfully damn thick...
But...
and this is important, there's also lots of well directed and choreographed fight scenes (some guy named Jackie did them all, I dunno, is he any good?). Its pretty much all weapon based from a variety of different cultures (its almost a Soul Calibur movie), and they're usually satisfyingly violent. Cusask, and especially Brody acquit themselves very well in the fight scenes, and Jackie Chan's body still refuses to act its own age. If you can get past the clunky parts between the pretty good fight scenes (and if you've seen enough of Jackie's HK output, you probably find them charming like I do) you can probably have a good time with it, I sure did.
Also of note, I've only seen the American cut, the Chinese version is longer but apparently has a modern day framing device for its period piece story it tells. Normally I would recommend going for the unadulterated version of pretty much anything, but I can't consciously point anybody towards watching a performance from Vanness Wu. Get the American version to watch if that interests you, its probably slightly better.
EYEL1NER
Member
It irritated the hell out of me when I finally watched Wheels on Meals and Dragons Forever and then went to Amazon to buy them and found nothing. It really is too bad what happened to Dragon Dynasty because I imagine they would have released copies eventually (though they did screw up a couple releases, like Jet Li's The Enforcer being dub-only and Police Story 3 being the short American cut with terrible soundtrack).
eyeball_kid
Member
Yeah, Mr. Nice Guy was the one I was thinking of, surprisingly good fights, but First Strike was fun also.
John Cusack though?? I mean, a dude's gotta pay the bills, but what a bizarre casting choice. Still, that fight scene was pretty good, actually felt like a Soul Calibur fight with the shoulder lunges.
Lactose_Intolerant
Member
The craziest thing I read is that he is the 2nd highest paid actor besides the Rock last year.
Aside from his prowess with doing his own stunts, choreography, directing, etc., he's also a damn good singer!
Here's him singing "I'll Make a Man Out of You" from Disney's Mulan in Mandarin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6IYt2qMj1A
And here's him singing it in Cantonese: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVcieXI4Qiw
Here's him singing "I'll Make a Man Out of You" from Disney's Mulan in Mandarin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6IYt2qMj1A
And here's him singing it in Cantonese: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVcieXI4Qiw
He won't even meet his own daughter from a mistress and spoke out against democracy in China and you are asking if it's possible?
BudokaiMR2
Member
If I remember right he was in Enter The Dragon as a henchmen for like 5 seconds.
Definitely deserved and he really is a master of his art. Action Comedy is not an easy thing to pull off!
karasu
Member
What's this gossip shit? Can't we just appreciate the man's work?
chromatic9
Member
I remember Wheels on Meals as one of his funniest or at least fun to watch as a cast before making it big but haven't watched it since I was 10.
Armour of God was very good at the time. He also did a stunt that nearly killed him. Drunken Master is my personal favourite though.
In the 80s as kids we were allowed to rent any karate ninja film at our local video store and we watched everything. This is way before any Wu-Tang nonsense. We were fascinated by karate and dark ninja films like a lot of kids were in those days.
Armour of God was very good at the time. He also did a stunt that nearly killed him. Drunken Master is my personal favourite though.
In the 80s as kids we were allowed to rent any karate ninja film at our local video store and we watched everything. This is way before any Wu-Tang nonsense. We were fascinated by karate and dark ninja films like a lot of kids were in those days.
SentientStone
Member
Westerners have a built-in hate of "communism" and therefore China thanks to media and social conditioning since birth. The reality is that nothing is black and white in this world. Part of the actions taken was necessary; maybe America would have preferred China to open up and give in, but that did not happen in the end and there is no reason to antagonize a different perspective years and path after. We can only try to improve on the world we have now.
Just commenting on what I see in every thread that has something to do with China here on GAF and the general Western-dominated zeitgeist as a whole.
Just commenting on what I see in every thread that has something to do with China here on GAF and the general Western-dominated zeitgeist as a whole.
Wow he will be very happy to hear about this I think. I saw an interview with him and he always wants to be recognized as good actor and not only as good martial arts performer. Well now he gets his Oscar finally (even if it's "only" for lifetime achivement) and will probably be mighty proud of it.
Totally deserved. This man is a legend. I can't still over come the fact that he did EVERY goddamn stunt in EVERY of his movies. The outtakes at the end of his movies are freaking painful to watch but at the same time showing how fucking far he takes it. Truly the GOAT
Totally deserved. This man is a legend. I can't still over come the fact that he did EVERY goddamn stunt in EVERY of his movies. The outtakes at the end of his movies are freaking painful to watch but at the same time showing how fucking far he takes it. Truly the GOAT
I think he appears in Fist of Fury too if memory serves me right.
donkey show
Member
One of the true GOATs. Well deserved!
The speaking out against his daughter is a strike against him but who cares about the democracy thing in China. China is way too big with population to even have a semi feasible democracy. There is probably over 100 million people in the third world who are uneducated. That system can't have a democracy.
MrCunningham
Member
Greatest stuntman of all time and a great performer too.
MassiveNights
Banned
Incredible performer!
Discotheque
Banned
About time. Always saw him as our gens buster keaton. As a slapstick comedian he was so good but also as an action star too. Just awe inspiring seeing some of the shit they filmed
The 80s were truly the golden age of action movies. Legit martial artists like JCVD and Dolph and I am sincere when I say this, both have records to back it up, Arnie and Sly, and the heroic bloodshed of John Woo and Co and Jackie setting the action benchmark that few eastern or western films came close to.
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