VIDEO REVIEW: Rumble In The Bronx

HERE'S JACKIE!: Rumble in the Bronx

Rumble in the Bronx

Director: Stanley Tong

Year 1995

Rumble in the Bronx is an extremely fun action romp starring martial arts legend Jackie Chan. The film is responsible for introducing the international action star to American viewers, and damn what an impact he has left on the cinema world. After falling on deaf ears with his American efforts, 'Battle Creek Brawl' and 'The Protector', two ridiculously underrated features, Rumble in the Bronx took the US box office by storm opening countless numbers of cinema fans to an entirely new style of action comedy. Sprinkled with humor and filled with tightly choreographed fight scenes, this Hong Kong/Canada production features an in form Jackie as he does what he does best; crazy stunts, over the top comedy, and fast-paced action. I must mention that this is the film that introduced me to Jackie Chan, so needless to say it holds a special place in my cinema-loving heart.

The film follows a young Hong Kong man named Keung, who travels to New York City in order to attend his uncle's wedding. After agreeing to watch over his uncle's market in the Bronx while he is away on his honeymoon, Keung quickly stumbles into a heap of trouble with some local thugs after confronting a group of them shoplifting. Forced to defend his uncle's employees and place of business, Keung expertly takes matters into his own hands and beats up the gang-members, but this only serves to infuriate them and their leader Tony. Armed with his wits and his martial arts abilities, Keung must take on the local gang while desperately trying to keep his new-found friends safe, including his young neighbor Danny and Danny's beautiful older sister Nancy.

Jackie Chan takes on the role of Keung, the soft-spoken Hong Kong native who just so happens to be a martial arts badass. Jackie is absolutely explosive in this entry, putting it all on the line as he displays, with great results, that he is the master of this genre. Coming off the heels of his masterwork, The Legend of Drunken Master, Chan does great justice in introducing his style to an international audience. It's hard to believe that within just three years, Jackie had starred in City Hunter, Crime Story, Supercop 2, the previously mentioned Legend of Drunken Master and Rumble in the Bronx, and finally Thunderbolt, but that is just a testament on how truly hard working the man is. With Rumble in the Bronx, he showcases his unique style in a somewhat American setting and focused for American audiences, and the results are absolutely astounding.

The film is briskly paced, matching the hyper tempo of Chan's expertly crafted choreography, making for a film that doesn't dwell too long on the details, yet rather relishes in presenting the next insane set-piece and action oriented extravaganza. The style on display is a mish-mash of Jackie's trademark film cues as he uses everything but the kitchen sink in his fight scenes, creating some of the most memorable and creative fight sequences in his rather storied movie career. The raid on the gang headquarters is one of the most imaginatively choreographed set-pieces of the film, showcasing Chan as he slips through grocery carts, tumbles under pinball machines, and climbs up walls, all the while using inanimate objects like refrigerators, chairs, and skis as brutal weapons. The action is quick and fierce and it moves so smoothly that it's impossible to not be impressed at the skill on display.

The setting is also rather interesting for this film because we are basically centered in New York City, particularly the Bronx, or Hong Kong's version of what the Bronx would be like. It is strangely represented, having that international flavor on hand thanks to the diverse crew of Canadian and Hong Kong actors comprising the cast of New Yorkers. Anita Mui, an extremely talented and accomplished Hong Kong actress and popstar, takes on the role of Elaine, an associate of Keung's uncle. In this film she's able to flex her comedic muscles and display just how endearing she is as an actress. Canadian born Francoise Yip, also gets some time in the limelight as Nancy the former gang member turned Keung's love interest. It's not the most demanding of roles, but her stunning looks and fierce personality help bring an added kick to the proceedings. The rest of the cast including Morgan Lam as young Danny and Marc Akerstream as the prick turned nice guy Tony, and they do a commendable job in bringing the over the top world to life. Needless to say, the film has its fare share of wild and expressive characters.

Of course it wouldn't be a Jackie Chan film if it didn't infuse comedy into the mix, and with Rumble in the Bronx, Chan hams it up for all he's worth. As usual, a great deal of slapstick and classic comedy, in the vein of Charlie Chaplin, is at the root of the film, and it's all done in good fun. It is a style that has followed Jackie throughout his entire career and one that he has honed as the years have gone by. From his early Lo Wei produced work to his modern American efforts, Chan has always crafted his own unique style of combining comedy with action and Rumble in the Bronx really nails the formula, and in some of the oddest of ways. What I love most about this entry is the energy that it produces. It's infectious, and Jackie seems to feed off of this as he goes ape shit and pushes his body to the limits. That's one thing in a Jackie Chan film that you can always count on, and that is he will go absolutely crazy on the bad guys by the film's end, and this film is no exception. A true classic!

Rumble in the Bronx is an exceptionally good time at the movies and a perfect example of Jackie Chan's immeasurable talents. As an introduction to his work, it is a fine stepping stone, and you really can't go wrong with such an energetic production. Chan is in top form, showcasing why he is the master of this style of film-making, and his stunt work and fight choreography in the film is seamless in its fluidity and ingenuity.

The cast also matches up perfectly with Chan's vision, pulling out the comedic punches and maintaining that same exhausting pace and attention to detail in both expressive performances and relentless action. The diverse cast is a greatly appreciated addition to the film, and it helps to set it apart as a unique vision of this fictionalized version of New York City. Anita Mui, Francoise Yip, Morgan Lam, and Marc Aderstream do a great job in filling in this world, making it extremely entertaining and super-charged. That's really the best way to describe this film... Super-charged. It's fast paced, extremely expressive, outstandingly outrageous, overtly silly, and marvelously entertaining. If that's your thing then jump aboard this Jackie Chan driven crazy train. Rumble in the Bronx is.....

Jackie Chan finds out just how shitty New York City is.

Don't do it Danny! Don't pull Uncle Bill's finger!

Oh Anita Mui.... you're so crazy.

Jackie stumbles onto the Mad Max set. Look out Jackie!

That's one badass chick!

Don't make Jackie angry. You won't like him when he's angry.

See what I mean about over expressive!

It's Jackie the zombie! RUN!

Jackie! Stop playing with those man's balls!

Weeeeeeee!

Get some Jackie!

Jackie... you silly, silly man.

Look at this guy! He's a freak of nature!

Strike a pose there's nothing to it.... Vogue!

What the hell did you say about my jean jacket?!?!

Jackie quit clowning around!

Jackie look out!

Oh shit! He's got that look in his eyes again!

FLICKS OF THE WEEK: September 25 - October 1, October 2 - 8

SEPTEMBER 25TH - OCTOBER 1ST

The Heroic Trio is an excellent fantasy action film that showcases three talented Asian actresses: Michelle Yeoh, Anita Mui, and Maggie Cheung. These three separate women inhabit a world where demonic forces constantly interact with the world of the living, often bringing about terrible crimes, and in the case of this film, heartless kidnappings. What's most interesting about this film, is that the three main characters are all on opposite sides of an ongoing war between malevolent spirits in the underworld and the law enforcement agents of the world above. Anita Mui's character is a vigilante hero of sorts who lives her ordinary life as a simple detective's wife, while Michelle Yeoh plays the right hand agent to the Lord of the underworld, leaving Maggie Cheung's character to straddle both sides in the role of the mercenary.

All three women cross paths in various portions of the film, often setting off extravagant fight scenes while opening up the overall depth of the storyline and intertwining their own personal stories. I really enjoyed the coming together of their little group and the inevitable bond that they eventually share between each other. The film is all kinds of fun, taking that Charlie's Angel's style plot and giving it some energy and dare I say, kick. Now I've got to hunt down the sequel.

Spiritual Kung Fu is a wonderful and obscure little film from Jackie Chan's early career, when he was still making movies under the Lo Wei Motion Picture Company banner. The film follows a trouble making young man named Yi-Lang, played by Chan, who seems to be the class clown of sorts at a Shaolin Temple. The movie starts out rather carefree, mostly focusing on Yi-Lang's antics and comedic moments, but then quickly starts to delve into more serious territory after a sacred book is stolen from the temple. The texts describe a deadly form of Kung Fu and the only way for the style to be countered is for goofy Yi-Lang to be taught by a handful of equally goofy ghosts. Yeah, you heard me right.... ghosts. And these aren't your normal kind of ghosts either, they're some kind of disturbing hybrid of nightmarish mime clowns. It you think my short description is scary, just wait until you see these creeps in motion. Dear god, I'm still having nightmares.

It's wacky and frightening as all hell, but for some reason Jackie seems to make it feel natural, fun, and believable. There's a great deal of comedy in the training segments between Yi-Lang and the ghosts, showcasing some of Jackie's expert comedic timing, while giving us a rough draft of what would come later in some of his most classic films. I really enjoyed this flick, like most of Jackie's extensive catalog of films, and I had one hell of a time with the over the top concept of having ghosts teach Mr. Chan how to kick ass. If you're a fan of the Chan, then you have to check this one out.

Supercop 2, the sequel to the amazing and classic first Supercop entry, is a wonderful action packed Hong Kong film starring the spectacular Michelle Yeoh. In this entry, Yeoh takes center stage returning as the hard as nails cop, Jessica Yang. The film opens up as a more personal portrayal of Yeoh's character from the first film, still exhibiting Michelle's expertly crafted martial arts skills yet at the same time allowing for us to see her shown in a more emotional light. We come to find that she has a tragic love story behind those fierce kicks and tenacious flare, and the added layer of her character's background adds a great deal of breadth to the film. The main story arc of the film follows Yeoh to Hong Kong, where she is assigned a mission to hunt down a group of high-tech bank robbers before they make their next big score. The real twist of this seemingly simple plot, is that Yeoh's estranged boyfriend is the leader of this gang. There are some interesting moments during the film, where Yeoh's character must struggle between the reignited feelings for her long lost love with the painstakingly real duties of being a police officer.

The entanglement between these conflicting emotions are expertly crafted by series director Stanley Tong and Yeoh handles it with all the grace that such an accomplished actress can. Not every moment in the film is as dramatic as I've described. There's one scene in particular that just seems right out of left field in its absurdity and random nature, and that would be Jackie Chan's small cameo. All you need to know is that Jackie is in drag and there's a lot of boob grabbing. I really loved the film, even with its random moments of silliness. The decision to go a more serious route with the sequel was pure genius on the filmmaker's part, allowing Yeoh to really thrive in her character and take the film on in her own way. Excellent flick.

OCTOBER 2ND - 8TH

The Fabulous Journey to the Center of the Earth is a fabulously silly adventure film that is encumbered by its low budget, yet doesn't let that fact hold it back from being quite entertaining. The film follows a small group of assorted people as they travel into a mouth of a volcano, that just so happens to be the entrance to a whole new world that lies in the center of the earth. The movie has a great deal of outlandish locations and creatures, the most memorable being the larger then life field of tortoises, giant sea creatures, and a gigantic ape who could have been the distant cousin to the legendary King Kong.

The main core of actors do a commendable job with the material and each of them get equal screen time and their own reasons for being on this fabulous journey. The film also moves rather quickly, never settling in one location for more then a few minutes before having the entire cast flee from some monstrous being or horrible turn of events. It's a strange thing, yet once the team of adventurers arrive in the center of the earth, they don't really have any endgame for what to do. They literally just roam around aimlessly, with no particular goal in sight. I guess you don't really need a complicated plot with these kind of films, just the introduction to a world bathed in fantasy and a continuous series of set pieces that keep the viewer entertained and curious on what happens next. In the end, the film is just downright goofy fun. It never takes itself too serious and it's always willing to push on to the next otherworldly locale. I had a great time watching this group of curious adventurers go from one outlandish situation to the next. Definitely check it out if you're a fan of films like The Land That Time Forgot, The People That Time Forgot, The Lost World, and The Lost Continent.

Shaolin Wooden Men is another early Jackie Chan film that happens to feature one of his first starring roles. Chan plays a mute character who, after witnessing the murder of his father as a child, vows to become a Shaolin monk and learn martial arts to avenge his father's death by the hands of a nameless skilled assassin. After falling to the bottom of the class, Chan meets an imprisoned man on the Shaolin temple grounds, whose origins are a bit of a mystery. The man agrees to teach Chan a devastating and lost style, previously banned by the Shaolin monks, if he continues to bring food and drink to him everyday. Chan agrees and starts his training. There are a few twists and turns along the way, because unbeknownst to Chan, the imprisoned man has a long history of manipulation and murder that directly effects Chan's life, giving way to some very tense moments of realization on Chan's part.

Another aspect of the film that is very memorable is the inclusion of the Shaolin Wooden Men, which amounts to the Shaolin temple's rating system on whether you've reached true Shaolin Monk status. A person that wants to test their worth must pass through a number of corridors filled with rows upon rows of wooden dummies, all being manipulated and moved by an intricate pulley system. Only the most skilled will make it through to the end. You'll either love the concept or be put off by the test of skill, because the wooden men are rather wooden, only being able to move in certain ways. In my opinion, the mechanism of the wooden men is just brilliant, making for an impressive sequence of events that really up the creative aspect of the picture. Jackie performs masterfully in this scene, really selling the fact that this trial of strength and skill is something of a nightmare for young Shaolin pupils.

Overall the entire film is excellent, begging the question, why is this film not talked about more often? It has all the elements of Jackie Chan's earlier work and the staples and archetypes of what would be heralded in some of his most renowned films. Shaolin Wooden Men is just excellent and if you can get your hands on the Hong Kong Legends DVD edition, then do it. The film is a true classic and highly recommended for any fans of Jackie's work.