This Yahoo! article caught my eye: Jackie Chan isn’t a fan of ‘Rush Hour’.
“When we finished filming, I felt very disappointed because it was a movie I didn’t appreciate and I did not like the action scenes involved. I felt the style of action was too Americanized and I didn’t understand the American humor,” Chan said in a blog entry on his Web site seen Sunday.
The reason the blog entry was “seen” on Sunday is because Jackiechan.com apparently just added a slew of older “JC Messages”. In the entry, Jackie goes on:
But to my surprise, this movie was exceptionally successful in the box office and results were very pleasing. Because this movie was so popular, I was offered an irresistible amount of money to film the sequel and I could not say no.
Um, does Jackie Chan have financial problems I don’t know about? Cuz I think he could say no. Also, Jackie made $15 million against 15% of gross on Rush Hour 3, as well as gaining China/HK distribution rights. Yknow, I think by the third movie he could’ve been asking for executive producer rights as well and more creative control – not to mention asking someone to explain the jokes to him. There were 9 years between Rush Hour 1 and 3 to figure that one out.
But the worst part is not Jackie blatantly admitting he cashed in not once, but twice after deciding he didn’t like the product. No, it’s this bit of wrongheadedness:
To me, it was about making another sequel for the audience around the world because in each country I travel to, someone would always ask me, “When will you film another Rush Hour?” But when I‘m in Asia, a lot of people would ask me, “When will you film another Drunken Master?” Or “When will you film another Police Story?” No one asks me about filming another Rush Hour. From what I have observed, I now understand the difference in movie tastes between the American/European audience and the Asian audience.
The reason, Jackie, that nobody in America asks about when you’re gonna make another Drunken Master or Police Story is because they’ve never seen them. Why is that? It’s not because of cultural differences – it’s because the American companies buying distribution rights to Asian films bury them or release them with as little marketing as possible (“Hero”, “Shaolin Soccer”, “Spirited Away”), rename them (“Drunken Master II” is called “The Legend of Drunken Master” in the USA, “Police Story 5” is “Supercop 2”), re-edit them (Such as “Tom Yum Goong”, aka The Protector, aka “Honour of the Dragon”, aka “Warrior King”, for which the Miramax US DVD release murdered the main character’s father who originally lived) and release them with the shittiest DVD covers of all time:
That chick on the cover? Not in the goddamn movie. And of course there’s all that goddamn dubbing. It’s not cute anymore. Stop it. There are online petitions against Disney and their ilk for all this butchery, but y’know who might really be able to stop these villains from killing Asian film in the US and Europe? Jackie Chan. Unfortunately, he’s too busy swimming in his pools of cash and complaining about cultural barriers.
Oh and Jackie? Alot of China seems to think “The Myth” sucked, even though they endlessly love (to my chagrin) Endless Love (无尽的爱). Maybe there isn’t so much disagreement between cultures on what makes a crappy movie.
Bonus Jackie Chan insanity:
I also admire the local government and the regional police force for their full support towards the film industry. They make the whole of Hollywood aware of the industry.
Yes, because no one in Hollywood would be aware of the Hollywood industry if it weren’t for the valiant efforts of the local government and regional police force. The mind reels.
It’s true, there are two different cultures that have different ideas about films
The Rush Hour films are funny, but Jackie’s Hong Kong films have a lot more flair.
Unfortunately, the Hong Kong films are just plain stupid and embarrasing at times.
Great action sequences, but with some very childish acting in places.
The face pulling that actors in these films do make me cringe, and some of the plot lines are ludacris.
At least the production values are better now.
In the early days, synch sound was never used, and in in Jackie’s films, it wasn’t even his voice in Chinese !
I actually drive past Jackie’s “secret” office in Fo Tan in Shatin often.
It’s on a corner in an industrial area, with no signs, and just a large roller door.
Quite a few security cameras outside though.
Anyway, how many film actors aren’t in it for the money?
@Anonymous: It’s true, there are two different cultures that have different ideas about films
Of course they do. I’m only saying that the cultural difference is not responsible for American ignorance about Asian films.
Unfortunately, the Hong Kong films are just plain stupid and embarrasing at times.
I’m guessing you’re Hong Kong Chinese then, so let me just say: as an American, the Rush Hour films are just plain stupid and embarrassing at times. I feel your pain, brother!
This is nothing new – the argument about culture and crappy Chinese/HK/Asian/ films vs the Hollywood film is as old as Jackie himself. Some say the bottom line is money, and if only everyone liked watching foreign movies without subtitles then they wouldn’t have to butcher the films for the American audience. The truth is a catch-22 of sorts, because the American film industry does not invest in growing a market for Asian films, thus they can claim it doesn’t do well when it releases, and therefore they can claim whatever the hell they want as to why it didn’t do well. Let’s not leave out the cultural dominance aspect of films, “we can play well here, and we can play well at your country, too, but you can’t in either place”. Think I’m crazy, but did anyone notice the gaff at the oscars when the announcer said that the movie the “Departed” was an adaptation of a “Japanese” film – it was just bad enough to be intentional. Credit is serious business in the film industry, and for someone to screw up like that at the oscars – that’s just malicious intent. Perhaps the “Godfather” was based on a German immigrant family.
@anonymous: I agree about the catch-22, and cultural dominance (a term I think is rather clumsy) plays a part.
All I’m saying is the problem is not, as Jackie Chan believes, that Asians laugh at different jokes. There are differences in humor, but that’s not the reason he isn’t making Police Story VII in Hollywood.
Memo to Jackie: Some things are more important than MONEY…like dignity & self-respect. If you don’t make Hollywood respect Asians…why the hell should they?